A little over a year ago some things happened in my life that ultimately caused me to give up the blogging world for a time. I was in too much physical and emotional pain, under a lot of stress, and simply thought it best to take a hiatus. At the time, I had considered giving up blogging altogether. (I hurt that much!) But I had never had any intention of “giving up” my blog. My thought was to “retire” Dorannes.com as an “archived” blog, akin to placing an album of cherished photos on a shelf–always close at hand for walks down Memory Lane.

My other thought was that when/if I felt up to coming back, I would start anew (with a new blog). I’m at that point now. I’ve been there for a few months, but I’ve been taking an easy sort of stride in my return.

During this transition, I consolidated all of my blogs into one webhost account (as I had been paying for two and that wasn’t frugal). In so doing, my original blog (Dorannes.com), as well as my ‘Book Review’ sub domain, had to be temporarily taken out of cyberspace. Dorannes.com (the WordPress installation) was deleted by my webhost in order to process the consolidation.  I was fully aware this would be a part of the process and had exported (saved) all of my original posts, comments, and pages beforehand. I tucked the files safely away on my computer for later importing (to Dorannes.com, the archives).

Why am I sharing this utterly boring bit of detail?

Well, because I have a bit of sad news. It just so happens that I had a squatter at Dorannes.com who, unbeknownst to me (and without my permission), went through and deleted several of my original posts and edited others. He did this about a week or so ‘before‘ I exported (what I had believed to be) all of my original blog posts, pages, and comments. I didn’t think to check beforehand and make sure that everything was there. Why wouldn’t it be!? It was my blog. I hadn’t made any changes, so there were none to expect. And it had all been okay the week or so before, when I had made my decision to consolidate.

I didn’t discover the wrong that had been done to me until after my webhost made Dorannes.com go “Poof!”

I received a very angry email from the squatter directly thereafter. He wanted to know why I had taken Dorannes.com away from him. He wasn’t very polite in the asking. He also insisted that I give him DorannesPress.com and DougDorannes.com–two domains that (to the best of my knowledge and research) do not exist (nor have they ever existed — at that time, or now, as I write this post).

I was stunned, at first. Then, admittedly, outraged. I mean, really. How do you wrap your head around such absurdity? (Absurdity (n): a message whose content is at variance with reason) How do you forgive and forget?

…It takes time. I suppose.

So for those of you who have played Stacy’s Trivia Challenge over the years, I offer my condolences. Every. Single. One. Of my trivia posts, in which I congratulated winners and posted fun little ribbons and awards is lost. Every comment left on my trivia posts are gone. Every link I had to all of you (my friends), is lost. We had some fun times; we shared a lot of laughs. It saddens me greatly that all of our trivia conversations are irretrievable. Lost. Deleted without a care.

I felt violated. It was a truly awful thing to do to someone, in my opinion. But what’s done is done and now I’m moving on…

Over the coming days, weeks, months (however long it takes me), I will be replacing the posts, comments, pages, and whatnot that I DO have saved on my computer. I have some editing to do beforehand, which is part of the delay. In the process of WordPress updates and importing/exporting content, some things got a little wonky. In several posts the punctuation was turned into a string of symbols, so that needs to be fixed. Image links need to be repaired as well, and so on and so forth.

If you used to have your blog-link in the Dorannes blogroll, please post a link to your blog in comments or send me an email. I would be delighted to have you back.

In the meantime, look for my original blog content to be re-posted as time and editing allow.

What is freewriting?

Freewriting : An informal writing activity that allows one to write “freely” without concern for grammar, punctuation, spelling, and other constraints. No editing is done. Typically, in this exercise, one is directed to write without stopping for a set period of time (usually just a few minutes). Currently, we have chosen five (5) minutes for our Freewrite Friday. The choice of topic is entirely up to you, whatever is in your head at the moment you begin to type. Have at it!

After I took my daughter to the bus stop this morning, I just had to go back to bed for a bit. Some mornings are like that. I guess I didn’t get much sleep last night. But, I’m thinking that I didn’t get much sleep this morning either because I had a freaky dream. There was this guy with long dark hair and he was in our house rifling through the kitchen cupboards. I think my son invited him in. They seemed to know one another. And then my daughter came into the room, looking curiously at this guy and I just shrugged. The next thing I knew he handed something to my son and then walked into my lliving room and asked if he could use one of our computers. Somebody must have said ‘yes’ because he did. Only, when he sat down at the desk he became someone else, like he split into two people, you know, because now there was one guy at the desk and the first guy standing up scanning all the pictures and whatnot on my walls, and he said, “Oh, I can see all that you have hidden here.” And so I humoured the guy by asking what he saw, as if there really was anythhing hidden. And he takes this painting off of the wall and starts pointing out ‘hidden’ things. And I’m wondering, where the hell did that Star Wars, Darth Vader painting come from? How odd? But still, I just played along. And then there was a knock at the door and the guy walked over as if to answer it, but instead, he removed his top hat and out stepped a really, really tall (leggy) redheaded woman. And I said, “Hum. Neat trick.” And then the guy at the computer got up and said, “They’re coming. We have to get ready.” And the next thing I know, I’m in a different room with the three strangers and they are telling me to ‘get down’ and ‘be quiet’ because one of their agents is about to come through my back door and shoot the bad guy in the other room. BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! …WHAT?! I ran into the other room as cops were filling in throught the back door. I ran to my son who had been sleeping and now he was all wide-eyed and confused. I asked if he was okay and then escorted him out of that room and into the living room. But along the way I couldn’t help but sneak a peek… The cops were taking the body out of the room. It was covered with a white sheet, but there was blood seeping through and I saw the top of the dead guy’s head, just some of his matted hair poking out from the top, and then they carried him out the door. When I got to the living room the three strangers were just slipping out the front door and they winked at us right before they…

Times up! The following is just extra…

Boy. That was weird. Just so you know, I was going to type ‘disappeared’. They just went ‘POOF!’ I don’t know why they bothered to use the door then. There were a few other details to this dream that didn’t make it into this post, mostly because I didn’t remember them at the time I should have typed them, so I just moved along. But I just have to say, there was one point where a cigarette was asked for, and the most unusual ‘peace pipe’ I’ve ever seen was given in its stead. Wacky tobacky?

Um, yeah. It is SO time for a cup of coffee now.

Have a terrific Friday!

Check out these other Freewrite Friday’s:
(If they haven’t written one this week, scroll through and read their past posts. It’s fun. Go on, you know you want to.)

Shelli
Finn
Randi
Shorti
Trishk
Absurdist
MetalMom
~ Stacy ~ (Dorannes)

Wanna play along? Everyone is welcome! If you’ve joined in and wrote a Freewrite Friday post, then please let us know by leaving your name and link below. Thanks!

La da da da da da La, Da Daaa,
La da da da, La da da da, La da da daaa

I was gonna blog a post until I got high
I was gonna post a Thursday Thirteen but then I got high
My T13 is gone and I know why (why man?) yea heyy,
–’cuz I got high
–’cuz I got high
–’cuz I got high

La da da da da, da, da da da

This is my brain
This is my brain on Cyclobenzaprine
Any questions?

Wait. What am I doing here? Oh, yeah. I’m supposed to be blogging. Here let me try this posting thingy again…

I went to the doctor yesterday because, for the last week and a half, I have had horrible flank pain on my left side. I thought, at first, that maybe I had pulled a muscle. Laundry is a dangerous chore, you know. But then, nothing truly relieved or lessened the pain. I tried ibuprofen, acetaminophen, and one day, I even broke down and took a Vicodin even though I usually barf them right back up. (I’m a narcotics wimp.)

Anyway, nothing helped so I decided that it was time to see the doctor. At this point, I figured that I was probably passing another kidney stone. Oh, the joy. And I was correct, sort of. The doc sent me for a CTscan and bloodwork. It turns out that I have not one, but two stones.

But the nice doctor prescribed some muscle relaxants for me to help ease the pain. Wasn’t that thoughtful of her? And now, here is me, all dopey doped up on Cyclobenzaprine. I swear, an hour passes in the blink of an eye and I still don’t know where I put my phone.

…I think I’ll go make that coffee now.

I finally put up my Christmas tree. I even have wrapped presents beneath it. *gasp!* I think I’m getting the hang of this festive thing. Either that, or I’m really good at pretending.

But, Shhhh! Don’t tell anyone that.

This morning started off with a rather lovely dose of couple-calisthenics, after which I promptly fell back asleep with a smile on my face. However, when I woke a few hours later the day took a horrible turn for the worse. Cramps. Horrible, spreading clean through to my back, female cramps. Ugh. Bah! Crud buckets! Where’s the Ibuprofen!!!

And ya wanna know something funny? Or perhaps I should say ‘ironic’. After four years of procrastinating, I had finally made an appointment for that yearly check up we women are supposed to have. That appointment was for today and I had to reschedule. Ergh.

So… TMI?

In other not so banal news… I have to go grocery shopping today. Oh, wait, that is incredibly boring. My bad. How about some in-depth and incredibly insightful personality tests to excite you? They’re all about me (and my trusty sidekick). How much more exciting can you get than that? (Uh, no need to actually answer that question. Really. Don’t. It’s okay. I don’t mind.)

Feel free to post your own results in comments, ‘cuz my inquisitive mind wants to know.

First up: The Classic Dames

Stacy’s Score: Barbara Stanwyck
Stacy scored 33% grit, 33% wit, 38% flair, and 16% class!

You’re a tough dame, a bit of a spitfire, and you can even be a little dangerous, but you do it with such flair that almost all is forgiven (and even when it’s not, you’re still the most interesting woman in the room). You can be witty and charming, all right, but you have a tough streak that keeps you focused and sometimes deadly. You’ve had quite a climb to get where you are, but you’re a hard worker and you mostly deserve all you get…and then some. You might end up destroying everything around you, but you must admit…you’ve got style. Your leading men include Henry Fonda, Fred MacMurray, and when you forget yourself, Gary Cooper.

Find out what kind of classic leading man you’d make by taking the Classic Leading Man Test.

Classic Leading Man: (Bob’s results)

Bob got ‘Clark Gable’ for this one, but he forgot to give me the html coding to paste his results. So, I’ll just retype them without all the fancy coding here:

BOB’ Score: Clark Gable
Bob scored 33% Tough, 23% Roguish, 9% Friendly, and 33% Charming!

You’re a helluva guy, a real split personality and a bit of an enigma. On the one hand, you’re a man’s man, tough talking and ready for anything. But on the other hand, you soften your rough and tumble core with a disarmingly smooth exterior, and you make the ladies swoon. You’re equally admired by both men and women alike, drinking other men under the table all the while charming the socks off half a dozen lovelies. You’re a commanding presence, and you know how to get what – and who – you want when you want it. You’re drawn to women who, like you, are savvy enough to deal with the world on their own terms. You work well with spitfires. Leading ladies include Joan Crawford, Myrna Loy, and Jean Harlow. No damsels in distress for you.

The RPG Class Test:

STACY’S Score: Monk
51% Combativeness, 53% Sneakiness, 76% Intellect, 52% Spirituality

Pretty much good at everything: You are a Monk!
No, not a monk like those bald medieval guys. The Monk in D&D is a martial artist. They’re smart, they’re capable, they’re spiritual, they’re sneaky when they want to be, and they’re damn dangerous in a fight.
What to say? You scored high on all four categories, which means that you’re probably a well rounded and capable person. Either that or you’re an overly smart and dangerous psychopath.

BOB’S Score: Smart Paladin
55% Combativeness, 50% Sneakiness, 70% Intellect, 63% Spirituality

Valorous! Noble! Or possibly just a self-righteous jerk (but with the brains to keep you alive!)… You are a Smart Paladin!
Paladins are holy warriors. They are valorous defenders of the light. Unfortunately, most of them are so ardent in their defense they tend to meet sticky ends faster than you can say “rampaging red dragon.” Many people look up to Paladins, while others just consider them stuck up, overbearing, or self-righteous.
Fortunately for you, unlike most Paladins, you’re pretty smart. Which means that you’re more likely to fall into the “admired” category, rather than the “obnoxious” or “dead” categories.
Much like the crusades, you manage to combine violence and religion, though unlike the crusades, you add a healthy does of intelligence. You may be a staunch defender of the faith, a valorous champion of the weak, or the stuff that jihads are made of. Which ever one you are, just be happy that you?ve got the smarts to back it up and make it work.

Well, wasn’t that fun!

Tho’ here you lodge with me the Night,
You shall not see the Morning Light,
My Club shall dash your Brains out quite.

–Jack the Giant Killer
The Classic Fairy Tales, Iona and Peter Opie

For those of you poor, ignorant fools who fall under the erroneous assumption that all Fairy Tales are disgustingly sweet, sappy, happily-ever-after tales meant to pander to naive little girls, let me enlighten you.

They are tales of adventure and cunning, evil and macabre. They are delightfully wicked, gruesome, and oft times witty. They make a Stephen King novel read like the love diary of Richard Simmons.

Wait. {shudder} Maybe that wasn’t such a good comparison.

My point is that, not only are the classic Fairy Tales an exciting read, but one stands to gain a plethora of practical knowledge that can be applied to everyday life. Like how to effectively steal a giant’s magic boots while he slumbers, even if you are the runt of your family. Or how to escape being slaughtered by an evil, blue-bearded man and tossed into a closet to rot. They will teach you cleverness and cunning. You will become an expert in trickery, learning how to fool an ogre into slitting the throats of his own children, rather than your kin.

But the classic Fairy Tales are not just about honing your guile and perspicaciousness. Oh, no! You will learn what’s really important in life, thereby becoming a better member of society and least likely to spit toads and snakes out of your mouth. Now, I don’t know about you, but I’m all for anything that keeps slimy, fork-tongued, sharp-toothed snakes outta my mouth. {shudder}

(Shut up, Dyckerson!)

On that same trail of thought, you will learn the keen art of thinking before you speak; thereby reducing the possibility of having a link of black pudding hanging fast to the tip of your nose. Seriously, every one knows how annoying that can be.

Another very important bit of knowledge to be gained through the classic Fairy Tales, is how to pick a mate that loves you for you, and not just because your pockets are lined with gold and you have a majestic castle overlooking the town. An added bonus: this tale will also teach one how to garner 100 kisses from the local snobbish princess before giving her the boot. (Not to be confused with the aforementioned ‘magic boots’. I’m actually talking a royal kick-n-the-arse, here.)

Now, I ask you, how can one go wrong with all of that?! Why, it fairly inspires one to write verse.

So go on now… Pick up a copy of knowledge from Amazon today! You know you wanna. Besides, I need to know if these handy-dandy ads really work.

Alternatively, you could just go to the library.

I’ve got the day all to myself today. No kids. No hubby. Just me and my dog. Ahhh! It’s so peaceful…

So, I think I’ll get a bit of writing done on my book while I listen to some tunes. But before I tune out the real world, I thought I’d toss a Blogthings quiz your way. What fun, eh.

Enjoy the weekend, folks!

You Are a Dreaming Soul

Your vivid imagination takes you away from this world So much so that you tend to live in your head most of the time. You have great dreams and ambitions that could be the envy of all… But for you, following through with your dreams is a bit difficult. You are charming, endearing, and people tend to love you. Forgiving and tolerant, you see the world through rose colored glasses. Underneath it all, you are brimming with passion that you keep hidden. Always hopeful, you tend to expect positive outcomes in your life. Souls you are most compatible with: Newborn Soul, Prophet Soul, and Traveler Soul

LOL!

A few days ago Bob and I took the kids shopping with us. Bob and Jon went to peruse the hardware section. They needed to get some wood stain and such for a project they were working on. CJ went to the sports section of the store, while Erin and Manda made their way to grocery aisles ahead of me.

Manda has been shopping for and cooking up her own meals lately. She’s only twelve, but she has insisted upon doing this as a learning experience. Hey, she’s spending her chore money to buy her own food, so I’m cool with that. [smile] Actually, I’m rather proud of her.

Anyway, that left Gloria and me to do the grocery shopping for the family. Gloria asked if she could ride on the back of the cart and I agreed as long as she kept a hold of the handle. So, I grabbed the front of the cart and pulled her along. As we approached the end of an aisle, we cruised past one of the frozen meat sections and Gloria said:

“Stacy, what is that kind of poultry that likes to tease people?”

Perplexed, I pondered that question for all of three seconds before I said, “I’m not certain I understand your question, Gloria. A chicken that likes to tease people? Hmmm… I dunno.”

“Oh! I know what it is,” Gloria suddenly exclaimed, “It’s a Poultrygeist!”

I laughed. I just couldn’t help it. I didn’t care how many onlookers thought I had lost my marbles. That was funny!

I love that girl! 9 year olds are so much fun.

Got this in an email from my Aunt Joan and thought it was interesting:

10 Question Personality Test:

Answer for who you are now, not who you were in the past. Keep track of your letter answers to each question so that you can tally your score at the end.

I scored a 37

Your turn:

1. When do you feel your best?
a) in the morning
b) during the afternoon & and early evening
c) late at night

2. You usually walk…
a) fairly fast, with long steps
b) fairly fast, with little steps
c) less fast head up, looking the world in the face d) less fast, head down
e) very slowly

3. When talking to people you. . .
a) stand with your arms folded
b) have your hands clasped
c) have one or both your hands on your hips
d) touch or push the person to whom you are talking
e) play with your ear, touch your chin, or smooth your hair

4. When relaxing, you sit with. . .
a) your knees bent with your legs neatly side by side
b) your legs crossed
c) your legs stretched out or straight
d) one leg curled under you

5. When something really amuses you, you react with…
a) big appreciated laugh
b) a laugh, but not a loud one
c) a quiet chuckle
d) a sheepish smile

6. When you go to a party or social gathering you .. .
a) make a loud entrance so everyone notices you
b) make a quiet entrance, looking around for someone you know
c) make the quietest entrance, trying to stay unnoticed

7. You’re working very hard, concentrating hard, and you’re interrupted…
a) welcome the break
b) feel extremely irritated
c) vary between these two extremes

8. Which of the following colors do you like most?
a) Red or orange
b) black
c) yellow or light blue
d) green
e) dark blue or purple
f) white
g) brown or gray

9. When you are in bed at night, in those last few moments before going to sleep you are. . .
a) stretched out on your back
b) stretched out face down on your stomach
c) on your side, slightly curled
d) with your head on one arm
e) with your head under the covers

10. You often dream that you are…
a) falling
b) fighting or struggling
c) searching for something or somebody
d) flying or floating
e) you usually have dreamless sleep
f) your dreams are always pleasant

POINTS:

1. (a) 2 (b) 4 (c) 6
2. (a) 6 (b) 4 (c) 7 (d) 2 (e) 1
3. (a) 4 (b) 2 (c) 5 (d) 7 (e) 6
4. (a) 4 (b) 6 (c) 2 (d) 1
5. (a) 6 (b) 4 (c) 3 (d) 5 (e) 2
6. (a) 6 (b) 4 (c) 2
7. (a) 6 (b) 2 (c) 4
8. (a) 6 (b) 7 (c) 5 (d) 4 (e) 3 (f) 2 (g) 1
9. (a) 7 (b) 6 (c) 4 (d) 2 (e) 1
10. (a) 4 (b) 2 ( c) 3 (d) 5 (e) 6 (f) 1

Now add up the total number of points.

OVER 60 POINTS: Others see you as someone they should handle with care. You’re seen as vain, self-centered, and as one who is extremely dominant. Others may admire you, wishing they could be more like you, but don’t always trust you. Often, others hesitate to become too deeply involved with you.

51 TO 60 POINTS: Others see you as an exciting, highly volatile, rather impulsive personality; a natural leader who’s quick to make decisions, though not always the right ones. They see you as bold and adventuresome, someone who will try anything once; someone who takes chances and enjoys an adventure. They enjoy being in your company because of the excitement you radiate.

41 TO 50 POINTS: Others see you as fresh, lively, charming, amusing, practical, and always interesting; someone who’s constantly in the center of attention, but sufficiently well-balanced not to let it go to their head. They also see you as kind, considerate, and understanding; someone who’ll always cheer them up and help them out.

31 TO 40 POINTS: Others see you as sensible, cautious, careful and practical. They see you as clever, gifted, or talented, but modest. Not a person who makes friends too quickly or easily, but someone who’s extremely loyal to the friends you do make, and one who expects the same loyalty in return. Those who really get to know you realize it takes a lot to shake your trust in your friends, but equally, that it takes you a long time to get over a trust that has been broken.

21 TO 30 POINTS: Your friends see you as painstaking and fussy. They see you as very cautious, extremely careful; a slow and steady plodder. It would really surprise them if you ever did something impulsively or on the spur of the moment, expecting you to examine everything carefully from every angle and then usually decide against it. They think this reaction is caused partly by your careful nature.

UNDER 21 POINTS: People think you are shy, nervous, and indecisive; someone who needs looking after, who always wants someone else to make the decisions, and who doesn’t want to get involved with anyone or anything! They see you as a worrier who always sees problems that don’t exist. Some people think you’re boring. Only those who know you well know that you aren’t.

Here’s Something For Mother’s Day:

You Know You’re A Mom When:

• You count the number of sprinkles on each kid’s cupcake to make sure they are equal.
• You want to take out a contract on the kid who broke your child’s favorite toy and made him/her cry.
• You hide in the bathroom to be alone.
• You can’t ever go to the bathroom without being interrupted by a child knocking at the door.
• Your child throws up and you catch it.
• Someone else’s kid throws up at a party and you keep eating.
• You consider finger paint to be a controlled substance.
• You mastered the art of placing food on a plate without anything touching.
• You hope ketchup is a vegetable because it’s the only one your child eats.
• You find yourself cutting your husband’s sandwiches into unusual shapes.
• You fast-forward through the scene when the hunter shoots Bambi’s mother.
• You feel like the Shell Answer (wo)man.
• Spit is your number one cleaning agent.
• You sing Barney tunes while washing the dishes… and it makes you happy!

Hope You All Have A Great Weekend!