Category — Friday Blog Roundup

We went up to visit the twins at college.* For three days, we wandered around their campuses, ate apple cider donuts, hiked in the snow, explored new towns, and hung out in the hotel room talking. It was amazing to be back together, making the time to the next break a little easier.

It’s also hard to say goodnight every night and leave them at their dorms. (Or drop them off on campus so they could run off with friends. We know they’re not actually tucked up in bed at 10 pm.) It’s hard to say goodbye and drive away on the final day. It feels physically and emotionally awful.

It’s the balance of the highs and the lows.

* On the way up, we met A Half Baked Life for 15 minutes underneath the neon vape sign of a mini mart to give and get a hug. Mini mart meetups are the best.

*******

Stop procrastinating. Go make your backups. Don’t have regrets.

Seriously. Stop what you’re doing for a moment. It will take you fifteen minutes, tops. But you will have peace of mind for days and days. It’s the gift to yourself that keeps on giving.

As always, add any new thoughts to the Friday Backup post and peruse new comments to find out about methods, plug-ins, and devices that help you quickly back up your data and accounts.

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And now the blogs…

But first, second, helpings of the posts that appeared in the open comment thread last week. To read the description before clicking over, please return to the open thread:

• None… sniff.

Okay, now my choices this week.

Did your father win an Oscar this week? No? Then go over and live vicariously through Finding a Different Path’s account of watching her father win a major award. Look at the pictures and feel the love: “I love my dad so much, and it’s always difficult to say goodbye. Those was an amazing visit though, with a day at the LA Zoo, the Aquarium of the Pacific, the fancy schmancy day, and the best Thai food I’ve ever had in my life last night.”

Lastly, No Kidding in NZ has a super helpful post about how to think positively (or what you’d put “on your personal encouragement card“) — both to use AND to get you thinking about your own list. I love this: “Love yourself, and feel compassion for yourself. Give yourself comfort. Stop beating yourself up. It helps more than you can imagine.”

The roundup to the Roundup: Good visit. Your weekly backup nudge. And lots of great posts to read. So what did you find this week? Please use a permalink to the blog post (written between February 16 – 23) and not the blog’s main URL. Not understanding why I’m asking you what you found this week. Read the original open thread post here.

On the heels of replacing the computer came major car repairs. Why does the universe group large purchases/repairs together? Josh and I were trying to figure out why windshield wiper fluid wasn’t spraying out despite a full well (broken pump), and in doing so, we watched the check engine light come on (failed oxygen sensors).

So off we went to the mechanic to give up another astronomical sum in exchange for a functioning car.

I rarely drive my car, which is why I also felt guilty about fixing it. Why were we dumping money into something I use somewhere between 1 – 3 times per month? Because the cost of a new car (or even a new-to-us used car) is so much right now, fixing the one we have seems to be the smarter move. But yuck to spending money to fix existing stuff.

*******

Stop procrastinating. Go make your backups. Don’t have regrets.

Seriously. Stop what you’re doing for a moment. It will take you fifteen minutes, tops. But you will have peace of mind for days and days. It’s the gift to yourself that keeps on giving.

As always, add any new thoughts to the Friday Backup post and peruse new comments to find out about methods, plug-ins, and devices that help you quickly back up your data and accounts.

*******

And now the blogs…

But first, second, helpings of the posts that appeared in the open comment thread last week. To read the description before clicking over, please return to the open thread:

• “This Anonymous Blog” (Infertile Phoenix)

Okay, now my choices this week.

I remember wearing grey for Missy, so this post from Bio Girl made me want to reach out with a hug over all the time that has passed. This made me weepy: “These days we live a lot of our lives because of you. Everyday I go to work and do the things I love, they are because of you – you pushing me out the door to start my graduate program. You telling me it was okay to take that time to learn to do something I might love.” What an amazing person to have had in your life.

Lastly, Bereaved and Blessed has a post about a mistake made on her mother’s headstone. I love the beginning: “One of many idioms that I grew up hearing was how things aren’t permanent until they are ‘set in stone.’ I didn’t spend a lot of time thinking about what it meant or how literal I took the expression until today.” As well as the end — that we can change things, even the things set in stone.

The roundup to the Roundup: More money spent. Your weekly backup nudge. And lots of great posts to read. So what did you find this week? Please use a permalink to the blog post (written between February 9 – 16) and not the blog’s main URL. Not understanding why I’m asking you what you found this week. Read the original open thread post here.

The worst feeling in the world is standing in front of a dead computer. One that contains all of your photos. The Wolvog was still home for one more day when my 11-year-old desktop refused to turn on, and after trying several different things, he gently told me that ole Deskie wasn’t going to spring back to life.

Well, that sucked.

While he was home, he picked out the computer I should order and even ran to the store to get the monitor for me. But there were two factors in play: (1) The Wolvog was not going to be home to set up the computer when it arrived, and that was a reminder that he now goes to college far away, which made me cry a lot. (2) Did I need a new desktop? I do a lot of my work on my laptop, but the desktop is an insurance plan, enabling me to do my job if I can’t use my laptop. Did I really need the insurance plan? Would I use the desktop enough to warrant the cost?

I felt super guilty, but I bought the computer to do all my photo stuff. But now I really need to do a lot of photo stuff to make it worth it.

Ouch.

*******

Stop procrastinating. Go make your backups. Don’t have regrets.

Seriously. Stop what you’re doing for a moment. It will take you fifteen minutes, tops. But you will have peace of mind for days and days. It’s the gift to yourself that keeps on giving.

As always, add any new thoughts to the Friday Backup post and peruse new comments to find out about methods, plug-ins, and devices that help you quickly back up your data and accounts.

*******

And now the blogs…

But first, second, helpings of the posts that appeared in the open comment thread last week. To read the description before clicking over, please return to the open thread:

• None… sniff.

Okay, now my choices this week.

The Road Less Travelled has a post about how the words we use shape our understanding of the world. A case in point: regular families. It seems like a small thing, but when we see that term, our brain dredges up our understanding of the term and reinforces it, even when our primary understanding of the term reinforces a stereotype or misinformation. Simple fixes such as changing “regular families” to “people” ensure we’re not deeming one idea “regular” or “normal.”

Lastly, happy anniversary to No Kidding in NZ, who celebrated a milestone anniversary. She writes: “Being childless does not doom a relationship, just as having kids doesn’t keep people together. My husband and I became closer through our losses, and have stayed closer as the years have passed.” What made the post so interesting (beyond it being a huge accomplishment) is the idea of whether you celebrate your anniversary alone or together. I’ve always felt like anniversaries are for the couple — you celebrate your love for one another on your own. But then again, there are all these people at your wedding, so you start off celebrating your love with other people. Do you celebrate other people’s anniversaries with them?

The roundup to the Roundup: Goodbye, old computer. Your weekly backup nudge. And lots of great posts to read. So what did you find this week? Please use a permalink to the blog post (written between February 2 – 9) and not the blog’s main URL. Not understanding why I’m asking you what you found this week. Read the original open thread post here.

Every few months, I go through a reading lull. I have books I want to read at the ready — both purchased or queued up at the library — but nothing will feel quite right. I can’t point to something I want to read more than what I have on hand. I just don’t feel satisfied with my options.

I sometimes get this way with meals — nothing appealing to eat — or plans — nothing feels like a good enough plan for a special day, but a reading lull feels ridiculous because I own so many books. And I keep a very detailed TBR and put dozens of books on hold at the library at the same time. How can nothing sound appealing?

I went through a little lull like that at the end of the year until I decided to dive into the S.J. Bennett books and read the first three back-to-back. And I recently went on a book-buying spree to ensure I have stuff to dangle in front of myself when I go through the next lull. No profound solution: I’m just commenting on it in case you go through the same thing.

*******

Stop procrastinating. Go make your backups. Don’t have regrets.

Seriously. Stop what you’re doing for a moment. It will take you fifteen minutes, tops. But you will have peace of mind for days and days. It’s the gift to yourself that keeps on giving.

As always, add any new thoughts to the Friday Backup post and peruse new comments to find out about methods, plug-ins, and devices that help you quickly back up your data and accounts.

*******

And now the blogs…

But first, second, helpings of the posts that appeared in the open comment thread last week. To read the description before clicking over, please return to the open thread:

• None… sniff.

Okay, now my choices this week.

Scientist on the Roof has a fun time-capsule-of-a-post jotting down how they spend their time, day-to-day. It’s true; I often look back at old blog posts and think, “Huh, I totally forgot about this.” And then you’re reminded of a snippet of daily life. So I love this idea of planting it for your future self to read. She explains: “I hope I keep up with the writing through the years. So that in another 10 years, I can look look back at 2024, and be reminded of the things that were important to me then (now), of the struggles, of the every-day things that tend to get lost.”

Lastly, No Kidding in NZ has a post about perspective. I love this point: “Perspective grounds me. It gives me balance. It helps me understand and appreciate my life. It also gives me more confidence in my own views, knowing that I have tried to consider the positions of all involved.” It isn’t easy to see the world exactly through another person’s eyes, even when they tell you everything they’re seeing. But it’s a good reminder that our perspective is just that: our perspective. And being mindful that other perspectives exist can only make communication better.

The roundup to the Roundup: Reading lulls. Your weekly backup nudge. And lots of great posts to read. So what did you find this week? Please use a permalink to the blog post (written between January 26 – February 2) and not the blog’s main URL. Not understanding why I’m asking you what you found this week. Read the original open thread post here.

Back in December, I joined a brilliant community — the brain-child of two BlogHer co-founders — called Optionality. I’ve been calling Optionality “WeWork for Introverts” because it has all of the benefits of being around people without needing to be around people. I keep the Slack community on all day, and people post interesting things or job openings or questions, and other people chime in — a network of smart, accomplished co-workers.

There’s a Substack and podcast and dozens of other nooks and crannies. Some people spend a lot of time participating. Other people drop in and out of conversations.

Like the concept of optionality itself, the community is up to you to choose how you want to engage in it.

Elisa and Jory officially opened it to new members after the soft launch, and they told me that I’m allowed to write about it. So the cat is out of the bag. I feel lucky to be a part of it.

*******

Stop procrastinating. Go make your backups. Don’t have regrets.

Seriously. Stop what you’re doing for a moment. It will take you fifteen minutes, tops. But you will have peace of mind for days and days. It’s the gift to yourself that keeps on giving.

As always, add any new thoughts to the Friday Backup post and peruse new comments to find out about methods, plug-ins, and devices that help you quickly back up your data and accounts.

*******

And now the blogs…

But first, second, helpings of the posts that appeared in the open comment thread last week. To read the description before clicking over, please return to the open thread:

• “A Childless Holiday Can Be Anything You Want It To Be” (Childless by Marriage)
• “My Wish for 2024” (No Kidding in NZ)

Okay, now my choices this week.

Andmom is asked about silver linings of the pandemic, and she writes: “We spend a lot more time together than we ever would have otherwise, and it turns out we actually like each other as people. Go figure.” Sometimes you need to embrace and acknowledge the small good things.

The Barreness has a stream-of-conscious post about life in the new year. I especially love this update: “I submitted work a day before the deadline and walked away knowing that I had tried everything in my power and wheelhouse to create something new, unique and that I loved.” That’s a good feeling. And to answer the question: “Even if I am beaten down over and over again, I still greet the next day with hope for something better. Does this qualify as insanity?” Not insanity, but a beautiful life filled with hope.

Lastly, A Half Baked Life writes about her massage experience, and it has me wanting to find a local person trained in CST, too. Especially to experience something like this: “In that moment, it took my breath away and touched a place somewhere deep within me to be present to this connection: one woman acknowledging everything that another woman was holding, holding these things for her just for a little while, offering healing to hands that feel full of burden.” I love the imagery of what we convey through our hands and touch.

The roundup to the Roundup: Optionality is awesome. Your weekly backup nudge. And lots of great posts to read. So what did you find this week? Please use a permalink to the blog post (written between January 5 – 26) and not the blog’s main URL. Not understanding why I’m asking you what you found this week. Read the original open thread post here.