Well, once again the universe steps in and prevents me from blogging (or getting additional work done).  In the early morning hours of Wednesday, March 4th, I suffered an atonic seizure causing me to fall and hit my head on the ground.  Fortunately, the person who I had just said goodbye to heard me collapse (just a thud; I didn't cry out).  I was knocked unconscious and suffered a three and a half inch gash above and around my left eye.

This may come as a surprise to some,  but I like deflecting attention away from myself.  At least, I like deflecting attention away from certain aspects of my self.

In my research on PTSD blogs and due to my own tendency to keep up with PTSD-related news, I keep coming across articles regarding a "pill" for treating PTSD.  It's not a new idea; a bit of research into it reveals articles as far back as 2004.  So, why is it suddenly popping up everywhere now?

Well, the dissertation is going slowly.  For one thing, after my original idea was shot down and I had a seizure, things got a bit difficult. Now I am procrastinating by obsessing about the web presence of others.  This blog is supposed to be a useful tool, a place to vent and try out new ideas; but it is becoming my albatross.  Still, I'm not ready to give up and I believe in the power of weblogs.  There.  I said it; I'm a blogaphile.

If I aspire to be a semi-professional blogger, I should probably post more than once every couple of months! What can I say; these posts--"the apology posts" as I like to call them--have become staples of my site. I have a writing disease--perfectionism. My anxiety over making a post perfect prior to posting it is causing me to not post at all. I vow to overcome the writer's anxiety. I'd like people to actually read my work at some point:)

It seems that time--without consideration for your comfort and wishes--continues to go on. The result is that all those things you thought you'd get done during your short break, they're still undone. In my defense, I have been under the influence of drugs this last week. My dental work on Wednesday required sedation and the pain, well the pain resulted in almost a week of Lortab and then, starting Monday, Valium at night. Hello, from Valley of the Dolls! Seriously. Just to be clear--it's not Lortab and Valium; it's one or the other but not both.

So, all of my time limitations (and intermittent cognitive disfunction) has resulted in no blogging. My goal is to be a more reliable and consistent blogger. My strategy to achieve this goal is to add certain features to my blog that place stricter deadlines on my blogging. Also, because there are frequently tidbits of information that I'd like to blog about but lack the time to fully explore in writing, I will be using the short blurb with a link strategy. My tentative weekly posts are: Monday's News of the Weird, which will feature odd (but true) stories from around the globe, and Friday's Link Roundup, which will feature interesting links collected throughout the week. The Link Roundup will likely be theme-based and we'll go from there....

I have been informed by a recent subscriber to my rss feed that I'd "better post some good stuff" or I'd get demoted on his iGoogle page. (This is what I get for being a sweet maven.) So, as per his request/threat, I am posting. Good or not remains to be seen, but here I am.

First of all, it seems that I write lots of apology posts, mostly for my lack of posting. Part of this is the strain of posting for multiple blogs and maintaining several websites. Last time I checked there were still only twenty four hours in a day. I've submitted a grant request for an extra eight hours but have yet to hear back. So, unfortunately, my personal blog generally ends up getting the shaft.

I wrote this last week in one of my knew client-side blog applications and forgot to post it. It seems significant enough to still warrant a spot on the blog.

I no longer dread my thirtieth birthday; I hope for it. For someone who has already exceeded her life expectancy by twenty-nine years, I should be looking forward to this birthday. For the past several months I have been ill and experienced an emotional rollercoaster of testing and diagnoses. My GI problems, some gluten-related and some not, have made day-to-day functioning a challenge. It seems that I have other food intolerances or issues that cause me to get sick almost every time that I eat. This is not fun.

1. Even with the gluten incident, Jonathan and I had a good time on our first holiday together.  (We've taken trips before but always with a purpose beyond just having fun.)
2. Our previous trip to Chicago was filled with yummy gluten-free treats and dinners sans the contamination.
3. I have a kitty sleeping next to me and, amazingly enough, purring in her sleep.
4. I have good coffee, all of my teeth, and am still able to sit upright...most of the time.
5. Uhmm, my boyfriend took my recycling to the WL recycling center for me.
6. My stomach is currently (fingers-crossed, knock on wood)behaving.
7. I have a pantry full of good wine and food (which is why my finances resemble a natural disaster.  Unfortunately, gluten free food is damned expensive.)<
   

1. The Yankee-Devil Rays debacle. Here's hoping the Devil Rays get hit by a train made out of fire and MLB stops handing out fines and suspensions like candy. And if you have no idea what I'm talking about, you can read about the hooplah that has resulted in suspensions for Melky Cabrera and Shelley Duncan as well as a nice fine for Joe Girardi (great way to start his tenure as manager. Thanks a lot, MLB) here at Yankees.com. Train-made-out-of-fire. Seriously.
2. I got glutened on my trip to Indy
3. Of course, I get sick no matter what I eat anymore and I don't know why, which means lots of GI discomfort with no idea how to prevent it. This also means that I am probably allergic or intolerant to some other food group and will be starting and elimination diet soon. Or I need to have my gall bladder removed. Good times.