It's the day after Friday the 13th. And I slept in.
I know I’ve been quiet. But I haven’t completely disappeared. (Not completely.)
I received C J Cherryh’s latest book, Regenesis, for my 40th birthday. Regenesis was…interesting. Not amazing-wow-huzzah, definitely not “I want that portion of my life back”. My first impressions: it didn’t seem to have the same scope as its predecessor; it covered FAR less time; it was more of a large but entertaining epilogue than a “sequel”. And I miss some of the bits of stream-of-conscious lyricism that showed up in Cherryh’s previous books. (That’s a clumsy phrase…but I’ll explain more later.) I suspect that, as with many of C J Cherryh’s books, at least one re-read will be required. I’ve been rereading my way through all of her SF books since December, including two that I initially didn’t like much. They’re simpler than the books she wrote in the ‘80s and ‘90s; but they do tie in nicely with the rest of her Alliance/Union ‘verse and they’re not as simplistic as Merchanter’s Luck. I’m currently rereading Rimrunners, and will start 40,000 in Gehenna after that. (And that will mark the sad, sad day when I’ve re-read all of my C J Cherryh SF books, and have nothing that I haven’t read cover-to-cover in the past six months. Unless…oh, wait!! I have her book of collected short stories!! Hey, there’s another week or two. [I am not a speedreader. I read and absorb fast; but I suspect that I will never be one of those “50 books in one year” persons. What good food is to some folks, good books are to me. I prefer to linger, savor all the subtle nuances, digest thoroughly…and then move on.])
I’ve got to work on three sites this weekend. One needs content; two need face lifts; another needs both. I suspect that I will be busy this weekend and through next week. (I know that if I try and get it all done, I’ll just sit and make lists and accomplish nothing because I’ll feel overwhelmed.) In one case, the design will be fairly simple: gank and modify one of my other sites’ templates, et voila. In another case, the content is fairly straightforward. In the case of the site that needs both…the content is a straightshot, the design - not so much. (I can organize information like nobody’s business, but I do not think visually. I can give any site a smash-o usability review and makeover…but ask me to create a design that looks good, and I’ll just sit there and drool. I can do basic, quickly; or I can do good, over a long period of time. But it’s hell itself trying to convince people that just because I make my living doing web hosting and development, that I’m also not a web designer.)
I’d really like to start work on my makeup blog. I’d like to put forth a better inter-brand comparison chart of the various MMUs that I use. I’d like to list the combos I’ve come up with. I’d like to learn how to take decent photos, so that I can start swatching the colors. But I’m trying to save some of that stuff for my daily “play time” - get it done, but don’t let that be the time-sink that puts off my various things-that-can-bring-income.
I have set up a conference calling account so that, starting next month, I can have client chats with my hosting clients. It’s not the same as phone support; but there will be some of that. I don’t have the hours or personnel to provide phone support, except to hire an outsourced support company to run through various scripts - and in my experience, those companies are often staffed by people who may be quite nice, are possibly quite competent, but they’re following scripts. They are providing support for dozens if not hundreds of companies. They aren’t a way to personalize the service. (And we get so few support requests, I don’t know that people would even use the phone support.)
I have stuff to do, and a little bit of energy to do it. I just need to get organized…
Posted by Laughing Muse • 161 views • Share this link • Newer • Older
