It's occurred to me that I haven't had a really good blab in here for awhile. I don't have anything in particular in mind to blab about but, I seldom let that stop me.

I've got most of my old content back up again after the template change to three columns. Somethings I have just left off, they didn't seem to be going anywhere soon or had sunk into their laurels of past glory, sunk too deep to rise again. Things like BlogExplosion which was building up and yet has fallen and can't get up now. Things like MyBlogLog which is so clogged with splogs and fake friends that it didn't earn it's real estate on my sidebar. No doubt I will find new gadgets and interesting junk to fill in any gaps.

I've started to talk to a guy online and am getting to the point of meeting for coffee. He sounds like a person who has some depth, a thinking brain. Always a plus. I like having someone I can really talk to. There are always so many things in my mind but I have learned to keep quiet versus babble everything. Except here, where I pretty much talk to myself. I know people are reading it, I go out of my way to join things like Wordless Wednesday and Thursday Thirteen to get traffic and thus readers. I've concluded that I just like to feel someone is listening to me. Whatever trouble I get in, I'll pay for it later. If I can't work my way out of it I'll just add it to the pile of trouble already hanging around.

Having a pretty good day today actually. I have three out of four pairs of new pants hemmed. I ordered myself Swiss Chalet for lunch. This morning I made a cup of the new coffee I bought from Second Cup yesterday at the mall. I've had a pretty good 'weekend' off work. It was sunny out almost all day today but I didn't check to see how cold it was out there, I didn't have to. People seem to like my flower drawings for the Thursday Thirteen post, that is nice of them. I think my drawing actually is getting better too.

I think I need to do more real writing again. I miss it. Blog posts aren't, generally, real writing. Not for me anyway. I don't have a topic which I have researched and put some thought into. That is what writing should be, it should include some planning. True I have been keeping WordGrrls going with the daily writing prompts but that isn't the same as a short topical article. I did have an article started about rural exploration, so I could get that back in the works. If I could post a short article about something here, not each day, maybe once a week, that would be constructive and good discipline for getting back into some real writing versus blog babbling.

I found my sewing box today. Still can't find those web design books and that is making me crazy. But it is nice to have found the sewing box. I had forgotten I had so much stuff in there. One whole box full of assorted buttons, full to the brim. I am looking up some craft ideas for buttons. No doubt I could make something truly great with so many of them. I had thought I would use them for crazy quilting and maybe I will. The problem with quilting is having to iron the patches in order to have smooth, straight seams.

I finally wrote that letter to the guy I met through work. Maybe I never mentioned him here. He was one of the callers from Florida about cable TV, I'm tech support, remember? Anyway, he started out having a fit about the cable service. I was softly groaning about having to listen to another one of "those" callers. But somehow he toned down, said I was one of the nicest, most polite people he had talked to in trying to deal with the cable company. He was working up to asking me out but I told him I'm in Canada and then he asked if he could be my pen pal. That must have been two weeks ago now.

I wasn't sure about writing. I've got myself stuck in this way before. People in need tend to cling hard to someone nice and then you can't get them peeled off again so easily. I like having my freedom, I'd never deal well with someone clingy. Not that I'm a hard bitch, but I don't want to always have company or someone who needs me, versus someone who wants me. Also, I am giving out my home address to send a note. It is too bad he didn't have Internet and email, that would have been safer correspondence. Anyway, I found a really great card at the mall yesterday and have it ready to mail down there. Another nice grrl thing to do. I scanned the card, it really is a nice one. I talked to him awhile and the only things I really remember are that his wife and kids were killed, he works all the hours he can put in now because of that and he is in the newspaper business - I forget just what he does. I will mail it when I am waiting for the bus to go into work tomorrow.

I've seen two commercials on TV now for male enhancement, that means they must actually be buying such stuff. In a way it seems a pay back for all the body image problems they cause to women. Yet, how can men be so gullible? I guess the same as women have, those who get boob enhancements. Terry Lynn, who has too much focus on her boobs I sometimes think, is going to get a breast reduction. Her back has been sore, she even left work early one day.

I've found a site where I can upload my blog drawings. I still don't feel I can qualify them as cartoons or comics. Among people who actually can draw mine look pretty out of place, to me at least. I'm going to see if I can get them uploaded today. Also, I was invited to add my photos of abandoned houses to a site with abandoned places in Ontario. Quite nice to be asked. I have not got much done there either. So, plenty of projects to keep me busy for the rest of my last day off today. Isn't it a good thing I get another 2 days off next week?

From BlogTalkers: If you could tell your boss one thing without any consequences, and without profanity, what would it be?

We need some positive feedback about the calls we take. The usual feedback only comes when there is something wrong. I always feel like "what did I do THIS time" whenever I get weekly feedback. It's discouraging and I feel I am not really making any progress. Then I wonder why it matters, really.

The Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen reasons to have long hair...

1. It keeps the back of your neck warm.

2. You can always do a Rapunzel if you're stuck in a tower or something.

3. It gives you something to do with your hands when you're stuck waiting for a bus, trying to quit smoking or just want to twirl your hair for no good reason.

4. You'll seldom be mistaken for a boy/ man.

5. If you get stranded on a deserted island you can always pull out a strand of hair and go fishing.

6. It works to drive your ex-husband crazy (or at least annoyed) long after you have moved on your hair still keeps clogging up his vacuum cleaner.

7. If you're kind of kinky... you can swat flies with it, just like a horse.

8. If you're out somewhere fancy and lose a button you only need a needle to sew it back on.

9. You're saving all that hair from just being stuck in some landfill or other.

10. When you really want to be alone you come equipped with your own curtain to close off the world.

11. It gives school children (those little sweethearts) a place to put their gum.

12. Pile it up on top of your head and you can always claim to have something on your mind.

13. The all you can eat buffet, a few napkins and well placed bobby pins and you've got enough for lunch the rest of the week.

Writer's block isn't phony. You can get in the way of your own creativeness. Whether you are a writer, photographer, illustrator, fashion designer or some other creative and art type everyone can get to a point where they feel out of ideas or lacking in a way to bring the ideas in their head out into the world.

1. Give yourself a break, know you are a little burned out right now and stop forcing yourself to come up with something brilliant and original. Get some physical, real distance from the burned out area.

2. Pick something else to do, creatively. Set the table for dinner, take the time to be fancy, glamorous or kitschy. Google a few favourite foods and see what interesting recipes come up, try one of them.

3. Do something practical, think of an errand or household task you have been putting off cause you were just too busy. Finally sew on that button. Take that stack of books to the second hand bookstore.

4. Pamper yourself. Try a new hair colour or style. Spend time in the tub with a good book. Sleep in with the radio on low and don't rush starting your day.

5. Retail therapy. What's your store of choice? I like the bookstore, coffee shop and the thrift store. Or window shopping and online catalogues for those who don't want to be tempted into spending.

6. Enjoy your day. Do something you really want to do, only you know what that is. I'd go on a road trip and take more photos of abandoned farm houses.

7. Exercise. Go for a walk. Try yoga, pilates or something else new, different or more extreme.

8. Stop being so perfect. Let a few mistakes happen. The world won't spin out of orbit if you burn the toast. But you might feel less pressured to perform up to some unrealistic standards you set for yourself.

9. Unclutter. We have so much stuff and only so many drawers, closets and floor space. Tidy up, throw it out or give it away. Once you can see the surface of your desk/ work space again you might find what you were looking for.

10. Be an angel for the day. Kids love getting something in the mail just for them and Grandparents love to feel they are still included in your life. Make a batch of cookies or muffins for a single parent you know.

11. Laugh along with life. Watch a movie that made you laugh before. Call a friend who can look at things with fresh perspective and laugh about what seemed so important before.

12. Spend time with people. Take the kids to a movie. Meet a friend for coffee. Join a new group involved in some kind of hobby or interest you haven't had much time for lately.

Thirteen things I like about playing Kingdom of Loathing- KoL.

1. The stick figure drawings.

2. Every now and then you find something Canadian.

3. The weird humour. You have to play to read it.

4. It's free, right in my price range. Though I'm looking into making a donation.

5. It's an RPG. I always did like the choose your own adventure type of games. Still play a few of them on the computer, city building mainly but an RPG as well.

6. Who wouldn't like having a colossal closet, even if it's fictional?

7. My friend ADeadHeart is there. Don't say the c-word when you listen to her DJ at KoL Radio.

8. KoL Radio. If you have not experienced live radio alongside live chat you should try it, soon.

9. There are all kinds of really odd bits of equipment and some of them are edible.

10. It's not a game for those Grammar Queen types or those easily scared off by typos. No perfectionists could survive long in this game.

11. The currency of the game is meat!

12. It's always nice to find a group of fellow flakes to belong to.

13. I get my own character.