Temporarily Me is hosted with DreamHost and has been since I moved to Wordpress in 2007. You may have noticed that my blog is perpetually slow. Yes. Shocking. I know. Commenting is quite often a nightmare, and so you’re aware: so is writing a damn post.

I’ve dealt with their support staff on many occassions trying to devise a resolution that will last for more than 24 hours - which still has yet to be done. That’s the joy of shared servers my friends. I find myself in the mix of some high volume sites which are sucking all the juice and leaving virtually nothing for my wee blog.

During one of the many excrutiatingly slow periods, I requested a move to a different server. Which was met with immediate service and friendly, informative help - I will say that their staff is very pleasant to deal with - but I think I was moved to an even SLOWER machine which has resulted in even more slow periods and now the recent commenting fiasco. You know the one - where everyone and their dog was met with a big fat FAIL!? (I wish I could have my very own FAIL WHALE each time a reader was met with the This fuckin’ web host is eating my brains page.

Why haven’t I jumped ship you’re wondering? Well, I have a contract until February of ‘09 and at that time, I will consider it. Unless someone from DreamHost spots this post and in an effort to keep me aboard they offer me a private server.

(Hey, it could happen.)

Don’t get me wrong, DreamHost has been an excellent service and have great staff. They are very inexpensive and I can host all my sites through one package, which isn’t the norm (so I’ve read). But with the inexpensive fees they also have a large customer base and everyone is cramped on to servers like passengers on a Chinese subway. Getting fast service is really a hit and miss based on which server you’re on.

(Think of my little blog like a band geek getting run down by an entire football team. I know, it’s sad, right. Poor band geek.)

(I mean no disrespect to band geeks because HOLY SHIT! I can barely chew gum and walk let alone read sheet music, play and walk - sometimes dance.)

And the whole point of this fuckin‘ boring post?

It’s not my designs that are screwing up everything! *phew* I was getting a complex.

And!

Look at me! I have a new design!

It’s got less images to load which will *hopefully* help my pages load a little faster as they fight their way through the masses to get to you.

All for you guys.

Aren’t I the sweetest thing EVAH!?

• (I totally suck at this LOLcat speak. Tell me. What is the secret?)

• This week has been a whirl wind of work combined with stepping outside my proverbial box which has left me completely exhausted: both mentally and physically.

• There’s another weekly Rookie Mom challenge going on with a PRIZE - AND! You don’t have to be a rookie or a mom to play along! (Please play along! I’ve got loads of free shit to giveaway, plus I don’t want the Rookie Moms to think I’m a looser.

• I’ve been designing my fanny off for Maggie, Dammit (FINALLY complete! You should check it out!) and I’m so busy with the new BlogNosh Magazine design, it’s been completely frying my brain.

Oh hai! Can U Haz Code?

Better?

• Stepping outside my proverbial box? I took the boys out Tuesday AND Thursday. The significance of Tuesday and Thursday? Carter is home from daycare all day. So we went a better part of both days out.

• Tuesday we went to pick up our brand new double stroller - since Joovy didn’t step up after The Incident, I went out and got one.

• We drove around a strange town, forgot to bring money which required many stops and trying to find a bank. We got in and out of our car without incident and no one got hurt - or even cried!

• Thursday we spent the day with my brother and might-as-well-be-my-sister-in-law, taking Carter swimming at their complex. Great day with only minor break downs.

• Finally feel like I’m getting my shit together. It’s funny how a shitty week can really make one second guess their abilities as a parent. Or is that just me?
  

• Kevin sent along my questions for The Great Interview Experiment, now I just have to get my ass in gear, answer them AND also get iMommy’s ready for her.

• I’m thinking about joining them and getting a gym membership or joining The Running Room (or both?). I need to get rid of this damn baby weight (yes, that’s what I call it. F-off.)

• Mah girl Alli has a brand new design at one of her elevenity sites, (which I am apparently supposed to be contributing design tips to (for?) *waves* Don’t forget about me!!) and it’s GORJ!

• And! The winner of the Summer Lovin’ giveaway where you get an HP photo printer? CONGRATULATIONS C.F.!! Send me your info and I’ll get your printer off to you!

And now, for the grande (I have been transformed to a Starbucks lover - I’ll tell you about that another day) finale - gratuitous kiddie photos (SOOC: straight out of camera)

There’s a bit of a lull for the time being and I’m trying to catch my breath: internet-work-wise, no lull on the home front that’s for sure!

I’ve been a busy bee behind the scenes as of late with new projects starting (Look for a weekly feature  with Rookie Moms to be starting up here soon - with GIVEAWAYS! *squeeee!*), designing and potential conferences in the works but everything seems to be at a standstill at the moment and I’m just waiting for it all to come crashing down around me.

I am very poorly organized. I’ve noticed the demise of my organizational skills over the years. It’s not been pretty. Along side my undying ability to procrastinate to the very last second, I have managed to work myself into a many unnecessary frenzies because I’ve waited to the very last second and OMG, where the hell did I put it!?

But don’t you worry, design clients and collaborators, I always come through!

[Seriously? Could I be anymore of an idiot? Want work, not scare it away. Fuck.]

I’ve tried calendars, time management courses with management booklet/calendar, google alerting me, notebooks, sticky notes - you name it: yes, even tried the Smart Phone (the Palm version of an iPhone) and it was probably the most effective tool… but expensive and I had to return it to work when I left.

I just don’t know how or where to combine all the stuff I need to manage even just my ONLINE life, nevermind the children, doctors appointments, grocery lists, car servicing, on and on and on. There’s so much information, important! information! that needs to be kept track of and accessible at the blink of an eye.

Scheduling has never been my forte and I would so love it to be. I so admire those ladies that pull out their ‘little black (or pink or sequined) book’ and know everything and anything that has to be done, when and where.

OMG what am I going to do when there’s afterschool activites and sports!? So. Much. MORE! Stuff!

Since I’ve committed to a few online gigs (like Binky, designing and at least two others to be revealed at a later date) I want to better schedule my time online so that I am effective when I have the chance to sit down and get work done.

Tell me, oh wise Internetz, what do you do? White board, iPhone, Palm, pad and pen??

Share your infinite wisdom.

Organize me!

Schedule me!

Because otherwise I will remain a bumbling moron and I will forget that there are giveaways! and wonderful! gossip! and designs! and I will break down in tears. You don’t wanna make me cry Internetz, do you?

*  i should never come up with a title before the post because now it’s turned into something totally different then it was intended to be and I can’t think of anything catchy to call this bumbling piece of shit post. So it stays. Now hold hands; we can all be confused together.

:::

Oh hai! Did you see that I’m giving away an HP photo printer? Want it? Find out how to get it here!

I don’t know that I could ever survive BlogHer. I mean, we had a SMALL gathering and I’m still recuperating from that. We talked about blogging off and on for a day and a bit and I’m finding myself completely zapped of all creativity and any energy to type.

I’ve even been lacking in the gossip department. That has to say something since I’m a HUGE gossip WHORE.

Though I haven’t been here, I have been here. I’ve revamped the site for a re-launch August 1st. I’ve been working on a design for one truly understanding client that let me work right up to Hudson’s due date then take some time off. She’s been DYING to have her design and I want to get it to her just as badly! I’m excited to start up again!

Maybe I’ll even work for a couple weeks before taking another hiatus.

Everything’s a little hectic around The House of Me since Mike began his new job. He recently had an offer for another company with more money and a machine to operate right away. Pretty much the Best. Thing. Ever. but we weighed the pros and cons of the two jobs and came out with the one that pays less but is closer to home. Far less traffic equals less commute time! Horray!

As soon as he hung up the phone after declining the new offer, he’s been kicking himself thinking he should have went with the money.

I’ve been feeling guilty because he asked my opinion and I gave it to him.

A part of me wishes I kept my mouth shut.

Whatever. Live and Learn I suppose.

Now? He’s on nightshift for the next three weeks.

My job just got a little trickier. Keeping a VERY ACTIVE toddler and an infant quiet all day while Mike sleeps? Should make for good times.

Especially when Carter’s screaming with pride when he goes to the toilet ALONE!

“I PEEEEEEDDD MMOOOOOOOMMMMYYYYY! I PPEEEEED!!”

Yeah, there’s gonna be one pissy man (Ha! Get it? I talked about pee, then said pissy) around this joint over the next couple weeks.

Anyone up for a playdate?

Or you could just take my children.