I have a few random things to share here, as always, but first a warning: there’s a fair amount of whining that will be going on today. Yes, I know there's a pathetic irony in the fact that it's Memorial Day and many in the military gave their lives so that I could sit here in my comfortable home, without threat of danger, and whine about something as insignificant as technical issues…
I thank God for them.
Do you know anyone in the military now or who served in the past that you would like to say thank you to? Feel free to do so in the comments! I want to send out a special thank you to my friend Gregg who is in Afghanistan, and his wife, Hallee. Gregg is actually working there as a civilian presently, but he gave years of his life serving in the military and is still in danger there now. Hallee is home doing the single Mom thing, which is one of the most difficult jobs there is.
- Feel free to skip this one and move on to the next bullet if you don’t want to listen to me whine. I’m writing this in the van on our way home from Canton, Michigan (near Detroit) where we spent the weekend at a soccer tournament for two of our sons. The day before we left I was feeling good because I had Monday’s post completely done. When I hit “save” on my Windows virtual machine (which is where I run my awesome blog writing program, Windows Live Writer, on my Mac), I got a message saying I was out of room on my hard drive and couldn’t save. (How in the world can I be out of space on my new Mac you wonder? It’s from all the videos sitting on the hard drive for my upcoming Rookie Class – I’ve lost so much data from computer glitches in the past, I’m afraid to move them somewhere else.) So the point is that this caused a virtual machine error and now I can’t RE-OPEN any of it. ALL my post drafts (literally 200-300 of them) AND my whole money program (where I enter in all my personal and business info for taxes) are on there. Of course the Virtual Box developers (the virtual machine I use) don’t give you any phone numbers to CALL someone to help you, all you can do is put up a ticket on their forum and HOPE that someone MIGHT reply to you. They've been sporadic in the past with their replies. If all that wasn’t bad enough, I’m also still dealing with some pictures not working in my posts, then my iPhone wasn’t uploading pictures right (it wanted to upload 101 duplicates, cute huh? Yeah, cause I have so much extra room on my hard drive and all…), and THEN I had the newsletter all done that I wanted to get out before I left and when I sent myself a test copy it came through ALL wonky. When everything in me wanted to hyperventilate over all this, instead I had to close my computer and leave for the weekend. You fellow type-A’s know how easy that is to do. I had to say to myself over and over, “This is NOT a big deal in the whole scheme of life. This is NOT a real problem. Let it go. Go enjoy the weekend with your family.” So I did. I tried my best to block it out. I told myself, “Forget about it, you don’t HAVE to do a post for Monday, it’s a holiday anyway.” But yet here I am, probably because I wanted to VENT, so if you’re still here, I appreciate you “listening” and please just shoot up a quick prayer that God does the impossible (which He often does) and helps me with these tech issues AGAIN. Then say a prayer for those with real problems. Thanks!
- Sonia & I left early with the kids Friday for the tournament (the guys met us later) and went to Zingermans for lunch. You would love this place! You have to look past the $12.50 sandwiches and remember that you get what you pay for. The meat is from sustainable farms, they have a stock on the menu that is made from real Amish chicken and cooked for eight hours – real stock! (Here's how to make it yourself for much cheaper, though.) They make their own cheese and breads, and they also have chicken livers on their menu! But no, I didn’t get those. I got one of their delicious sandwiches – go to that link and look at the menu, you'll be drooling I'm telling ya. Then in between games on Saturday, Sonia & I went to Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods Market. We tried to get the bulk of what we needed at TJ’s (I’m still irked about WFM pulling raw milk off their shelves a while back, and in states where it’s legal!), but they just didn’t have all that we needed so we had to get more than we wanted to at WFM.
- Have you signed up for my Kitchen Kop Newsletter yet? I don’t send them out very often, but soon I’ll be sharing some scoop there about my upcoming Real Food Rookie Class…as soon as I can figure out how to get the formatting to work that is. Could be a while judging by how good I am at fixing tech issues…
- Any overwhelmed Moms out there? Just in case you haven’t heard enough whining for this week, you might want to go sign up for my Kitchen Kop page (not my regular page but my blog page) and read the thread that starts with, “Why can’t I do it all?” (You’ll have to scroll down a bit.) There is a great conversation there and I post my longest (and most personal) FB comment ever in one of my replies. (Normally I save my long-windedness for you, my faithful blog readers, aren’t you lucky? NOT!) I mention there that it’s killing me these days when I check my Alexa rank since it has gone the wrong way lately. I was so excited a while back that I made it to the top 100,000 websites (sounds pathetic that I’d be excited about that, but it’s actually good when you think of the millions of sites out there and I started around 9 million or so), but apparently those Alexa peeps and their computers really notice when you’re not posting as much and trying to get a Rookie Class done, dang it. Yes, I know I should just not go look there, but once I got rid of my Google ads and my blog income dropped significantly, my stats became an alternate tangible way to gauge things. One thing that might help is if you would do me a favor and go there to add a review if you haven’t already. You'll probably have to sign in, but I’d really appreciate it! Unless you’re going to say that the Kitchen Kop is a big fat whiner, then nevermind. 🙂
- I apologize for the lame line-up this week for the Monday Mix-Up – I promise I had a lot more interesting stuff for you in the FIRST draft, and next week will be better, and I won't whine anymore. But now we're home, it's late, I'm not unpacked, and I'm ready to be DONE on this computer. Have a great week everyone!
Erin says
THANKS SO MUCH for the Zingerman’s reference! I am traveling to Ann Arbor this weekend, and now feel MUCH BETTER about a good place to eat. You’re great! 🙂
Stanley Fishman says
Kelly, computers are like that sometimes. I am so sorry that happened, but you will be fine. Your blog is a blessing for all of us. You have spread so much wisdom to so many people. There is nothing that helps people as much as eating real food and discarding the garbage. You have helped so many people do that.That is what counts!
KitchenKop says
Stanley, you’re sweet, thanks so much for your support.
What would I do without this awesome community of fellow real-food-weirdos like myself to help lift me up when I’m sucked into technical despair?! 🙂
Jeanmarie says
Kelly, So true, nothing is as infuriating as computers that don’t work, precisely when you have something very important to save! I learned a long time ago to save documents every few keystrokes so I never lose a big document. Still, I have lost e-mails that I labored over to get perfect, and then some error occurred and they vanished. (Mac mail, which I use now, saves drafts, yay!). So I understand your frustration completely. You are way ahead of me in using virtual machines, I just use a plain old Mac and Mac software, I stay as far away from Windows as possible. (Maybe *that’s* the lesson here. 😉 )
Cheers!
KitchenKop says
Hi Jeanmarie!
Yes, you sure would think I’d have learned my lesson with Windows by now wouldn’t you? But I just LOVE my WLW program for writing blog posts. I tell everyone that once you use it, you’ll never be able to go back to the “old” way. If anyone knows of a good Mac-based blog-writing software let me know. I tried “Bloggo” and wasn’t impressed.
And also, my money software has ALL my categories set up just right, so I can enter info into my tax forms and know where everything goes, so I’m afraid to switch that over, too. There are so many stinkin’ money programs now, it would take me forever to figure out if there was one to do exactly what I’d need it to, and upload all my info, etc., which would never work right, what a nightmare. So for now I’m just hoping I can get back into my virtual machine.
Right now I’m up late clearing some space off my hard drive. Turns out I’m quite the pack-rat! (Only because I’ve been burned so many times and lost important data!!) 🙂
Kel
KitchenKop says
Hey, I don’t think I’ve ever heard that one, “Let peace be your umpire”, where is that? Proverbs maybe?
elaine says
Colossians 3:15 (Amplified Bible)
15And let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts [deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds, in that peaceful state] to which as [members of Christ’s] one body you were also called [to live]. And be thankful (appreciative), [giving praise to God always].
KitchenKop says
Got it, thanks Elaine! I’ll go look that up in my version, too.
Guess what guys? I have a sweet friend (Carl) who is a tech smarty and he’s helping me with my biggest tech issue. While it isn’t resolved yet, at least he’s given me hope that it might be eventually, and that I’ll maybe get most of my post drafts back! 🙂
elaine says
woot woot!!!
elaine says
Kelly~
(Disclaimer – I am not a blogger so I don’t know all of the trials and frustrations associated with blogging — but I am an avid blog reader!) I wish I could say the magical words to you to inspire you to NOT be so concerned with stats or rankings or even the income and just know that you are doing something so worthwhile. You have been on my heart recently about all of this and I just want to encourage you that what you are doing matters. There are many of us out in blogosphere-land that are informed, inspired and sometimes even amused by the things you post about and the comments your readers make. You have made a tremendous difference in my life. My daughter and I joke that a fair amount of my sentences now begin with “well, Kelly the Kitchen Kop said…” 🙂 The gospel according to “The Field of Dreams” says “if you build it they will come” — better yet, the Gospel of Jesus Christ says, “do not be deceived, God will not be mocked — whatever a man sows, that, too shall he also reap.” Kelly – you have sown so much into so many lives. Trust the Word!! God bless you!! xoxox
KitchenKop says
You big sweetie, Elaine, you’ve brought tears to my eyes with the perfect words I needed to hear (from you AND Him), thank you so much!
I think this latest Alexa thing has actually been good for me, because who wants to keep seeing “bad news” when you check stats, so now I rarely check anymore! None of it – stats, income, etc., would matter as much if this blog didn’t take up so many HOURS of my life, which is no one’s fault but my own. It’s just that if I’m going to do something, I want to do it right, it’s not in me to do it any other way, and I just don’t know if I can let all the different aspects of this go that I would have to in order to drastically cut the hours.
That’s it in a nutshell, I need prayers for wisdom: What exactly am I doing that I should STOP doing in order to keep the blog a PART TIME endeavor instead of one that takes 50-60 hours a week? That sounds so utterly ridiculous when I admit it out loud, but I just don’t know where to scale back.
Thanks so much Elaine, and anyone out there who is reading (and praying) but not commenting, I appreciate you all so much!
Kel
elaine says
You are preaching to the choir on this one … I don’t know how to do anything half-way! I completely understand — when I take something on I *really* take it on … no holds barred!! I will pray for your wisdom on this. At the risk of opening a door I might not want to open, I do feel that I wouldn’t be a good friend or supportive reader if I didn’t suggest that you truly seek God’s direction on this (which I know you are already doing). I have been amazed at the things the Lord is trimming out of my life! Some of it has been painful : / but only because I was doing it out of my flesh and not with His direction or guidance. I don’t get the feeling that you are doing this out of your flesh but you would know better than me if you don’t have the peace or joy about this that you should. As the Word says, “let peace be your umpire.”
hogs and quiches
Shannon says
Definitely go to Zingerman’s Roadhouse when you get the chance. Best salads ever, best bbq ever, best braised greens ever. Really I could eat there all the time, but can’t afford to. We live just outside of AA, so it is a dangerous place for us ;).
KitchenKop says
They have ANOTHER location???? Oh my, that would be dangerous… 🙂
KitchenKop says
Linda, God bless your nephews!
Hallee, the feeling is super mutual. 🙂
Linda says
Hi Kelly,
I have to agree with the others. I do think everyone is allowed to whine once in a while. I can’t be the only one! (haha) We don’t want you to be too perfect. I am trying to make sourdough english muffins and if they don’t rise like they’re supposed to I may be back to whine.
Speaking of Memorial Day I want to add that my husband has two nephews in the military, one in the army, one in the navy. Both are in Iraq right now. A third nephew has just joined the coast guard.
KitchenKop says
Thanks for saying that guys, I sure hope you reflect the majority, because I’d hate to push readers away with my whining!
Kel
rebekah says
Don’t sell yourself short! One of the joys of reading a blog is it connects you to a REAL LIVE PERSON instead of edited pages in a published book that is all polished and pretty or a facebook status that displays all of one’s triumphs (like the incredible recipes someone is making or the amazing trips they are planning to enrich their children’s lives and… well, you get the idea). Our lives aren’t pretty like that and we need to know we’re not alone!
kmorisett says
Thanks for being real!
Hallee the Homemaker says
I wasn’t expecting to read that this morning. It choked me up. You’re an amazing lady, Kelly. I appreciate God putting you in our lives.
Hallee