The Same Clown in a Different Face

Two things of note: first, HaloScan is now ded ded ded ded, taking with it the last couple of years' worth of comments here, which sucks but gives me an excuse to redecorate the place without worrying about preserving those bits of my old template. So - new look! New sidebars! New Blogger-hosted commenting engine!* Enjoy, if that's the word I'm looking for.

Second, today marks the anniversary of the first day of my latest time of unemployment. Which, as of a month ago, is now over, and I have a really fine job in a really excellent field (one where I can always go to bed at night knowing I'm not making the world any worse by working in it, huzzah), and I expect it will be a great experience as soon as I can get over my lingering Impostor Syndrome and waiting for the other shoe to drop. (Eleven months on the dole will fuck up your self-image but good, even if you're not starting off with the Neurotic Artist handicap.) Which means, Heaven and Earth, I practically have a career these days. Who knew?

We're not given anything forever, but for however long this moment lasts, it's all right.

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*And probably long overdue, I suppose, but while I never needed to use it, I miss having a comment host that came with an optional disemvoweller.

My Fond Excuses

I know I've been neglecting this place of late. I've actually been pondering whether I want to do the necessary cleanup around here (including updating a whole bunch of links in the blogroll, installing HaloScan, and seeing if any of my archived comments can be imported) rather than packing it all up and moving to new digs; on some reflection, this feels too much like wanting to burn down the house because I don't feel like doing the dishes. So I'll be on the maintenance soon, like a responsible blogland citizen, whatever that is.

Compounding my neglect is failing to point out around here that I've been doing most of my online ruminating over on the LJ for the last month or so, where I've been doing my level best to follow Tony's advice and update regularly even if I'm not writing a masterpiece; those of you who know me may have some insight into what a challenge this poses. I know it's not everyone's favorite blogging tool (I'm getting fonder of it because, not to put too fine a point on it, Shiny! Icons!), but at least the comments don't disappear in a strong wind. Feel free to come hang around there until I get this place in order.

Articulate Announcements

No, I don't know where the hell the comments went. It may be that BackBlog truly did dissolve into air, into thin air.

I've been meaning to switch to HaloScan anyway; I managed to save an archive of the comments here up to the end of last year, so some of that may yet be restored. Should've updated recently! Oh, well.

In the meantime, I suppose you can always come around and harass me on the LJ.

Shuffling Towards Golgotha

So it's been the better part of a month since I turned 33; I am now the same age as Christ was when he was tortured to death, and also Frodo when he inherited the One Ring. This is not really what you'd call a couple of good precedents.

But many thanks, anyway, to all of you who sent your good wishes last month. It was nice to see some folks around these parts who haven't joined in for a while. Consider this encouragement to keep it up.

Still beating my head aginst the winter blahs a bit, but this year has been pretty mild for all that, and it's starting to let up. I realize it's not terribly Goffic of me to be glad to see Spring, but there you have it. Perky, yanno.

And yes, New!Blogger waylaid me at login a couple of weeks ago and proceeded to eat my archive links. Stupid technology. We'll see how it plays out. Maybe it actually is as shiny as it says it is.

Going to go eat now.