I figured I’d better post something since I’ve got this blog still.  I kinda slacked off on the whole blogging thing. With the holidays and everything else going on, I just haven’t felt up to being such a consistent blogger. I still blog nearly daily over on MyOpera, but that’s different. I just kinda chat and blab about whatever’s going on at that time…nothing too profound or personal.

I’ve been working on the website I’m creating. I’ve got the logo and tagline taken care of. Next comes the layout. I am thinking I will go with a Web 2.0 look. Simple yet fun and easy to navigate. It seems as though that’s the hip thing lately, so I might as well follow suit. I also have my Master’s Degree in Web 2.0, so I might as well put it to use!

I have a sore throat once again. This time it doesn’t feel like one of those temporary “I just woke up and ouch” kinda things. It feels like the beginning of a cold. Bah! I haven’t had a cold in like two years…I don’t want one. Especially not right before Christmas. That would suck ass to be ill while Christmas shopping and then during the actual festivities. Not a very good way to spend the holidays. I’ll do whatever I can to nip this in the bud!

Speaking of buds, my Tulips are opening very nicely! They’re so beautiful. I still need to take more pictures of them as they look now. The original picture I have doesn’t do them justice. They were still cold at that point. They are now totally settled in and warmed up and saying, “Hello, Karen! Here we are!” Yay! I love them so much!

My brother’s birthday was yesterday. I called him, but got his voicemail. Luckily, I had sent him an e-card the night before, so at least I don’t come off as totally uncaring. I left a message, but he’s a busy guy, so who knows if he listened to it yet or not. He has a really high stress job…I honestly don’t know how he does it. It boggles my mind how two people born of the same parents can be so entirely different. He is very, very assertive and a born leader. I, on the other hand, am overly submissive and mousy, and a natural follower. I mean, I can be a leader in some situations, but in general, I’m happy following others. Oddly enough, most people who only know me on the Net think I’m full of shit when I say that. I come off as pretty assertive and confident on the Net, I guess. *shrugs* I guess I am to a certain degree. It’s kind of easy to have a feeling of false confidence when you can hide behind a monitor, ya’ know? If any of these people were to meet me in person, though, they would be like, “Um, who are you and where is Karen?” I’m super-duper shy and usually pretty soft-spoken…although my laugh is quite a belly laugh. Not one of those annoying laughs like Janice on friends…just a jolly kind of laugh, I guess. Hard to explain. If you’ve heard my GabCast thingies, then you know what I mean…I think. Hmmm….I can’t remember if I did more than giggle on those. I tend to do that a lot when I’m nervous -which I was when I recorded those things. I hate my voice and I hate talking when I know shitloads of people are hearing me. So yeah - I was a ball of nerves! But at least I didn’t chicken out! Yay for that!

Well, I’m going to go call my friend, Jenn now. I’m very worried about her. They had a winter storm where she lives and her power went out. She ended up having to stay in a hotel last night because her house got to be too cold to stay there. I’m worried because I know Jenn like I know myself. If she had access to the Net, she would be on here right now talking to me…or at least emailing me to let me know she’s okay. The hotel had WiFi, so she must not be there anymore…and if she were at home, she’d have the Net, too. I hope she didn’t end up having to go back home to her cold house because the hotel room was previously reserved or something. Oh no! I didn’t think of that ’til now. Now I’m frantically worried. I don’t want her to freeze to death, damn it. She could also get really sick being in those temps for too long. I gotta go call her before I freak out and give myself an ulcer….

• I’m feeling a little better today. Not quite as self-loathing, but it’s still there. I’m just doing my best to tune it out. The Klonopin is helping me with that. I’m all chillaxed now.

• The FireFox spell checker does not like the word “Chillax.” How passé of it.

• There is an issue with a friend that’s bugging me lately, but I have decided to be the bigger person and simply not let it get to me. I refuse to play childish games with anyone. I will continue on being me - the only way I know how to be me, and if someone has a problem with it, they should have the balls…if not the respect to tell me so. Otherwise, they can build a bridge and get over it.

• My feet and nose are soooo cold!

• I only had one pot of coffee today! Something’s wrong with me!

• My left shoulder is totally killing me lately, but I’m too wussie to go to the doctor and ask for pain meds. Every time I do that, they treat me like I’m a junkie or something, and I hate it. So, in order to not feel like crap from asking, I just sit here in pain instead. I hate my doctor so much….and most other doctors as well.

• It really sucks that I won’t be able to have Egg Nog this holiday season. It’s WAY too fattening. All I’ve had to eat since I declared that I’m going on the straight and narrow is a very small portion of stew that my Mom made last night, and a small bowl of Grape Nuts w/ Splenda sprinkled on the top - with skim milk. For once the milk didn’t hurt my stomach. I thought for sure I’d be hurting….but nope! Yay!

• Being lactose intolerant blows ass! Literally, even!

• I’m drinking a cup of hot tea now. It’s Vanilla/Caramel flavor. I generally don’t like caramel flavoring, but this is some really good tea! I added a splash of Fat Free Hazelnut Coffee Mate. Mmmmm!

• I’m going to be starting a website soon, but I won’t be divulging what it is ’til I’m ready to unveil it. I’m pretty excited about it. I think it’s a cool idea…and will HOPEFULLY make me some money.

• I miss laying in the sun. That sounds so good right now.

• One of my daughter’s friend’s Moms came over and started talking to me at the school earlier today. It kinda freaked me out, but I think I did okay. I don’t think she knew how much I was freaking out inside. I have pretty severe Social Anxiety Disorder (believe it or not), so when I have to talk with new people I panic and immediately get those “I need to get out of here” feelings. I hate it. It’s so lame to not be able to be around people very much. I force myself to get out, though. The last thing I need to do is compound the problem by keeping myself cooped up too much. I’m a hermit, so getting out is hard, but I force myself all the time.

• I haven’t posted a Random Person of The Day© picture in a long time. The reason is quite simple. I haven’t been out and about enough to get pictures of people. I need to change that. I miss photographing people and things. It’s definitely a passion of mine.

• I think I’m going to go for my long-ass walk now. I gotta work those Grape Nuts off! I know they’re not fattening, but still…I felt guilty immediately after eating them. So anyway, I’m outtie. It’s walk time!…