(Wo)Men At Work

I spent part of the weekend visiting some of my favorite blogs and I noticed something going on. It seems a lot of y'all are sprucing up your sites and getting all professional looking on me and may I say BRAVO! They all look spectacular! This chubby blogger wants to join the pack and be in the 21st Century too! Problem is I don't know how! Y'all know that I am not computer savvy at all! In fact, let's just call it as it is...I am just plain dumb and wouldn't know a html from a URL if it killed me! I don't know what a RSS feed is or how to get one. Tell me, is that like going to Golden Corral?

I've been wanting to do some changes for quite some time now, but I was afraid of doing something that would cause the whole blog to crash or worse...disappear never to be seen again. But if I don't try, that's even worse. It's been said that you can't teach an old dog new tricks...well, I'm no old dog...so girls, I am ready to learn how to sit up and speak! I was able to find out how to change my template to minima stretch and for me that's an accomplishment, but I want to do more. The trick is I'm looking for easy redos. Baby steps, people, baby steps...that's what I want. In the meantime, I thought I would ask for y'alls input on things I know I can change without any help.

While searching for ways to improve my blog, I came across several sites that tell what not to do. Uh Oh! Seems like I break a lot of rules!!!

According to the wise ones, a post should never be over 250 words...Oops! I broke that one from the get go! Obviously, the wise ones never met me or they would know it takes me that many words just to say hello.

They also said an e-mail should be sent to everyone leaving a comment. I apologize here and now for not doing that. I really didn't know that was the rule. If that is what y'all would like, why didn't someone tell me? I feel like such a let down to my Southern upbringing. And while I am asking, is it correct etiquette to reply to a comment within the comments? I want to make this blog some place y'all want to come visit and often, so please, tell me!

Another no-no according to the PTB is play lists. I know it's a pain when there is music playing on one blog and when I click onto another, more music playing at the same time. This is just more than a little annoying, but I love it when the music matches the theme of the post. I've found that instead of clicking onto the current post, if I show the whole blog, my music stops and all I hear is the other's. What do y'all think. Love it or hate it...keep it or lose it? Maybe just for special occasions? Let me know, would you? I aim to please.

Next up is script. Do you prefer a bolder script or smaller. Personally, I like the bolder. At my age, anything that aids in my being able to see is a plus, but again, I want to make it pleasant for visitors...not me! Input, please!

Another thing I have decided to do is separate my life into two blogs. I started this one to journal mine and Cat Daddy's junking forays, but somewhere along the way, it became more of a personal one. I know there are some of you out there who really don't care how many pairs of Yellow Boxes I own or what I had for breakfast...you want junk photos. You want to see the white (or black) trash I have found and what shows are coming up, etc. and I feel you! I hereby proclaim this blog to be baby free! From this point hence, any and all family posts, ramblings, rants and all other points in between will be on Do Over. If you like to read about my life ( for no other reason than to make you feel better about your own) then please, check it out. Heck, become a follower...I would love that! If on the other hand, you like to see photos of junk, then keep your seats. This one ain't going no where.

Now just for my own curiosity, how do you feel about CAPTCHAs? For my money, I consider them a waste of time. I don't have comment verification on my blogs and I've never had too much trouble with spam comments. How about y'all? Sometimes it is just too much of a pain. I have left a great post without commenting because the verification process was acting up. Has this happened to y'all? Of course, this is just my humble opinion and like noses, we all got one!

I'd like to digress here for just a moment and explain the photos I've posted. As you may or may not know, Cat Daddy is a hole digger and has been since getting out of high school. He has worked at the same company for 40 years. His dad and uncle both retired from N. L. Schutte. I have family that retired from this company...how's that for a small world? C.D. likes to say he built Dallas and if you look at the photos, you'll see some proof that he isn't blowing smoke up your dress!

He works hard at a dangerous job. These guys go to work early and in all types of weather. If it's 32 degrees, they're working....if it's 102 degrees, they're working! This is a man's work and my Cat Daddy is nothing if not a man!

So the next time you pass a construction site, instead of getting irritated at the whistles and cat calls, how about giving these guys a whistle instead. You do know how to whistle don't you? You never know...Cat Daddy may be one of them!

Just to show that the proof is in the pudding, I'm including a photo of a work table that I bought last year from Ethel. This great old table came out of a now defunct print shop in Tyler. What you see dripping down the sides is not paint, but glue. I get the supreme pleasure of trying to get that goop off! It's a Fab U Lous piece and one that I would love to keep. Problem is, it would have to have a room of it's own and I just don't have one to spare!

I'll wrap up this "more than than the mandatory 250 word" post now and go get started on my table. I really would love to pick y'alls brains on ways to improve my blog and I promise up and down to respond to your comments!