Is This Thing On?

Hi, blog friends. I'm back. Or at least back-ish. It's been a long and strange several weeks: the normal madhouse of back-to-school chaos (including our first year of middle school), plus the frantic pace of a book deadline, plus the sudden death of my father-in-law. (And by the way, many thanks to those of you who sent such kind expressions of prayer and sympathy--that meant more than you know.) I'm not sure I've ever been sprinting in so many directions at once.

Case in point: I went to curriculum night at my kids' school a couple last week, dashing out the door after a full day of writing and a thrown-together meal of macaroni and cheese. I talked with all the teachers, and I had a nice chat with the PTA president and principal and several other parents. As I was leaving the school, I looked down to see that the entire evening I'd been wearing a giant, streaky blob of macaroni and cheese stuck to the front of my shirt.

NICE.

While I'm quick to kick myself for letting things get so chaotic, I don't want to miss the lessons in the mayhem. Times like this have a way of forcing me to focus on what's important: Turn off the computer and enjoy the cool evening. Love my husband. Check my shirt for wayward pasta. Live and learn.

The good news is that the book is going very well. We're almost to the halfway point, and we're so proud of what we've done so far. You TypePad users already know how many changes are taking place as the new version continue to get up and running, and we're writing this book to the new version of TypePad, not the old one. This has meant many, many hours of poking around in my dashboard, learning the new lay of the land (and, by the way, loving it. I don't always love change, but this new TypePad design has really grown on me.) If you're a new TypePad user (or you're an old one who is still getting up to speed on all the changes), I really think this book is going to be a great help. Sit tight--I'll tell you more about it soon.

In the meantime, I'll continue to be in and out here at my blog, until we hit our final deadline later this fall. OH, the irony that spending many hours a day writing a book on blogging doesn't leave any time for...um, blogging. Also, a quick note--I'm using my personal blog as a guinea pig for implementing some of the TypePad features I'm writing about. Hopefully the changes will be (mostly) unnoticeable to you, but if anything seems wonky, now you know why.

Enough about that. What's new with you?

Comments

[Rebecca (Ramblings by Reba)]

Good to see you, Miss Shannon. I was thinking about you yesterday after your linkage post, wondering if you'd be back (or back-ish) soon.

BTW, I discovered 50 mosquito bites on one leg and 60 on the other leg last night. I almost blogged a photo of it... then remembered your post about almost posting a photo of your bruised thigh and decided to post a Creative Commons photo of a mosquito instead. :)

[Pam]

So glad you're back, Shannon! That explains why the main window suddenly got a bunch wider!

It IS a bit ironic, writing about blogging and not having time to blog... even more ironic is using the word "blog" when you mean "blob!" (Check the end of paragraph two.) :)

[We are THAT family]

Well, I think I can speak for the blog world, it's not the same place without you. So. As you can see, I've gotten bold(er) while you were away (enough to speak for this entire parallel world)! So, glad you're back and I can't wait to hear more about your book, even though I'm a slave to Blogger. And not bold enough to switch. I need to email you too about some other stuff, so I think I'll do that now.

[Shannon]

Oops, thanks, Pam. Don't I feel sheepish? ;)

[Melissa May]

Just popping over from Boomama's list of comments with holy sign-off-ings and had to say that after reading way too many so far yours is absolutely my favorite! So, so funny. And I need a nap, too. Or to just go to bed since it's after 10pm... : ) Thanks for the laugh!

[Kim]

It's so good to hear from you. Food on the shirt is never a good thing, cause people probably thought you knew but didn't care! LOL!!

So what's new with me? Well,,,right now I believe the coffee cup I'm drinking out of wasn't rinsed out to well after washing because my coffee has a slight soapy taste to it. Yup! Tis my life!

Hugs.
Kim

[Adventures In Babywearing]

I've missed you but I know you're keeping busy and I'm excited for you! My embarrassing mishaps lately involve my nursing bra flap being down for who knows how long under a noticable shirt, and recently in the grocery store I noticed people looking at me a bit too much. My fly was down.

Steph

[Julie]

Hi! I'm from the UK, and I recently discovered your blog. So sorry to hear about your father-in-law, and welcome back. That story about the macaroni cheese was too funny...:-D

I'm just an amateur compared to you, but I hope you will take a look at my recently created blog. Please feel free to pass any comment you see fit-good or bad!

Take care
Julie
www.madenglishwoman40.blogspot.com

[emily]

I'm mostly a lurker, but I had to stop by to comment. I'm so sorry to hear of your father-in-law's death. You and your family will be in my prayers.

[melanie]

Welcome back. Glad to hear the book is going well!

[Lisa @ Stop and Smell the Chocolates]

Glad you're back, even if it's just "ish!" Bummer about the food on the shirt. But look at the bright side - people will know that you actually do cook and that you are one of the "cool" moms who eats macaroni and cheese! Hope all continues to go well with the book!

Me? I just got back from a weekend of relative-visitin' that included eating too much food while said relatives kept insisting that we eat more and more. I'm sure it's gonna be a FABulous WW week for me! :)

[Beth]

Oh...so glad you're back! You crack me up! About the macaroni...I can so relate! I'll bet you were thinking of how to go about explaining that one the next time you see those people (or trying to decide if you should ever bring it up again)!!! My sons kindergarten teacher mentioned that Jack had a big crumb on his lip the other day when he came into school (she thought it was funny)...you can bet I triple check his face before he goes out the door now! Now I'll have to explain why his face is so red from all that washing!

[Aunt Murry]

I got engaged over the weekend and am moving back to T-town. Maybe I'll run into you cause you know what a small world this is. If you see a round short Italian in her mid 40's running at you...don't worry, it's just me. :o) The move won't take place until the end of January so you have time to change your name. LOL

[Blessed]

Sorry to hear about your father-in-law.

My most recent mishap... there's too many, I don't know where to start ;)

[Seth]

Much is new. Too much for commenting.

Wayward mac can be tragic. Let's hope that it returns like the prodigal.

"Danny"

[www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1077110428]

Don't feel too bad about the mac n cheese. I walked around my daughters middle school open house with my zipper open all evening. Amazingly enough she'll still let me pick her up at school.

[Robin Dance ~ PENSIEVE]

Seth sounds like he's on drugs....

You sound prioritized. I can't help but smile at your swing set demolition post above; this is my first year without a child in elementary, and my daughter was oh-so-helpful to tell me at the beginning of this year that NEXT year will be a BIG year 'cause I'll she'll be a senior, my middle one will have his license, and my BABY will be a teenager.

I'm thankful to say I've loved every stage, even if there were dicey moments at times. Something tells me that you savor each era as well.

But, TYPEPAD...your book, etc! Do you need an editor who is particularly fond of creative punctuation? I DO see some of these changes and I'm curious about the rest! So excited for what you and Melanie are doing :).

Hugs & misses!

~ R.

[Mary]

Good luck in your endeavor! Cant wait to see the outcome!

Checking my shirt for signs of breakfast this AM...*wink

[Gina Foster]

Hah! I can relate. A couple of weeks ago I raced home from work, at a quick dinner with my boys and got ready to go to the parent meeting for the start of school. I had a few extra minutes and some extra chicken so I decided to get organized and creative and put chicken in some foil packets on a very low setting on the gas grill and walked across the street to the church for the meeting. The idea was to have dinner ready tonight for tomorrow. Good idea, bad memory. I forgot that the grill was still on and the chicken still outside until noon the next day. Not good. I guess it's better sometimes not to plan ahead.