And, it's that I'm just not a blogger anymore. I don't look forward to it like I once did, but rather it feels like this huge chore. I think about it all the time, but just can't muster the energy to actually load the admin page and type something.

Partly it's that I've been in a perpetual bad mood for months now (with no end in sight). It dampens my blogging mood when I have almost nothing good to blog about and there is only so much bitching I can do here without risking y'all getting sick of me and my bitching. Worse, I don't read my friends' blogs much anymore either, and when I do, I never comment. A rut, for sure.

So, while I'll still try to put something here every once in a while, I am on Twitter. And Facebook. And of course Flickr and Ravelry. So i'm not totally "off the grid".

Maybe I'll come around.. I don't know. It seems a shame to keep this thing up for five years and then quit, but I've got nothing good to say. Why publicly harp about my miserableness?

So we got the blogs all moved in at our new host. As far as we can tell, everything is working just fine. But if anyone happens to run into any weird errors, please email me using the address over there at the top of the right sidebar.

Barack Obama's Syracuse office opens up tomorrow, Saturday February 2nd at 11AM. It is located at 3000 Erie Blvd in Syracuse (Google Maps)  I'll probably stop by, and hopefully come home with a yard sign.

Or if you have some time, consider reading the Letter From Birmingham Jail...

Moreover, I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states. I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial "outside agitator" idea. Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere within its bounds.

*emphasis added is mine.

In a few days, on Sunday to be exact, I will celebrate my first annual 39th birthday. This is a big milestone, no? Well, maybe it isn't since I plan to celebrate the same birthday every year from here on out.

So I'd like to entertain a little reversal here, and have a little contest. No answering questions, no donations to charities, just leave a comment telling me about a favorite birthday present you've received. I'll pick one at random on Sunday, November 4th and put together a little surprise package for the winner. See, as much as I love receiving surprises.. I adore putting together surprises for others. If the winner is a knitter or spinner, perhaps you'll get a nice fibery surprise in the mail. If you're not, maybe an Amazon or iTunes gift certificate... I have lots of ideas!

And here, I'll get you started. What is my favorite birthday present? Cassidy! She was born just a few months shy of my 30th birthday, and I had always wanted a baby before I turned 30 (weird.. I know!) But besides all of that, Richard and I were both surprised, since we had always thought our path to parenthood would be a difficult one. We were looking at facing lengthy and heartbreaking fertility cycles.. then there it was.. a positive pregnancy test, all on our own. And after a rocky first trimester, when we were expecting the worst to happen every day, despite bed rest and progesterone supplements, we were truly blessed... just in time to fulfill my 30th birthday wish.

Now, go, and tell me all about your favorite birthday present! As you can tell, it doesn't have to be a "thing", it can be "the perfect day", a great meal... anything.

P.S. Scorpios Rule!

Apologies in advance to those who read My Little Tribe through their feed service, as full feeds will no longer be available. I recently had someone scam one of my blog entries from my feed, so I've set them to only show partial. To read the full blog entry, readers will have to visit MLT.

Thank you in advance for understanding

Update: Its not working (of course, many of you have figured this out by now) Gaaah. I'll figure it out.

Names entered into random.org, then mixed up and assigned a number, using the list randomizer..

42 total entries. So using the custom random number generator at mathgoodies.com, entering a low number of 1 and a high number of 42.

Watch video for the whole process, and find out who the winner is!

Thank you, THANK YOU, to everyone who entered, and especially those who donated to Team Martin. I'll have pictures from the walk tomorrow morning posted sometime this weekend.
Now off to email the lucky winner!

..Until I draw a winning name!

We're 125.00 from our goal!

Haven't entered yet? See details on the contest page.

Off to start getting entries organized and assigned numbers for the drawing..