WHEW!

That was tedious!  I was so scared about this upgrade!

So, I hope you all like your new dashboards!  For now, this is the place to ask questions or leave comments!

I know there was a short blip in Functionality today, but hopefully no one saw it!  Truth is it only lasted for about one minute LOL!

Updates and Changes Include (but are not limited to):

• While the overall look of your dashboards has changed, it's really a simple and efficient change.  All the tabs that were across the top of your dashboard are now in the left side bar!
• We've removed the help and ticketing system.  Few bloggers used it and the help videos were really out of date, so we decided that it was best to avoid confusion and remove the whole sha-bang.  If you need help all you have to do is ask!  You can email us or leave comments on this blog, the BlogDumps Blog, or Wolfbernz's Blog -- remember we are ere to help!
• We've installed a Text Link Ads Plugin to help monetize your blogs.  Read this article to learn how to use this Widget.
• The Social Networking Plugin has been updated.  You can now choose from tons of social networking sites for bookmarking link at the foot of your posts and pages.
• STATS!!!  We've installed a stats program for tracking the status of your blog!  In the left sidebar of your dashboard, under "Dashboard"  check out the "Blog Statistics" link.  I'm looking for feedback on this one, so make sure you let me know if you like it!!

So, now it's time for my glass of wine to finish the day!  Happy Saturday!

--Trina

A few of you might remember a couple years back when I lost my nephew at two weeks old.  I remember how heartbroken and helpless I felt.

Not being in control is not something I handle well.  When my nephew passed there wasn't anything I could do to make the pain go away for my family - nothing that I could do that would really console my brother for his great loss.  The funeral was truly awful.  Baby funerals always are.  The outpouring of support from family and friends, while impressive, was almost gruesome.

There were friends true and dear that supported us and eased our pain by sharing in the tragedy and opening their ears and hearts to us and simply listening.  Last week, their grand baby passed - he was premature and after a week and a half, he went to heaven.  It was horror all over again.  The revisited tears of a mother and father who simply could not be comforted and grandparents and sisters that felt helpless in easing the pain.

The funeral was Friday, August 21.  Same funeral Home.  Same Procession. Same Graveyard.  Literally next to my nephews grave.

I was ok - as ok as one can be at that sort of thing.  The funeral was respectful and reverent.  The procession was solemn.  When we got to the grave site the first thing I saw was the teddy bear headstone that adorns my nephews final resting place.  I was done.

I watched my dear friends suffer through the same pain they watched us suffer through and could only hope that I offered the same shoulder and support that they offered us.  I though about how weird it was that their lost baby was laid to rest next to my family's baby.

The mother of the newly lost child came to me and said, "God must have had a plan to make you guys friends with my parents.  To have our babies resting so close together, I know it's hard for you."  To have her tell me how hard it must be for me was proof in her strength and will and showed how much she had grown from this tragedy.  She comforted all of us in one simple statement.  She eased our minds that she was at peace and without saying it reassured all of us that both babies were at peace.

Yes, I think God had a plan.  I believe in something greater than us, not any specific thing, but I believe that there was a plan or a destiny that we were all suppose to be there for each other.

Later that evening she came to me again and said, "I'm going to have another baby... It's a girl I can feel her in my heart already."  And there was that happy little girl I've known and watch grown up for years, standing in front of me, confiding in me, tested and true, strong in her faith and relationship with her husband. So peaceful.

Today's Question "What game did you like to play as a kid or as an adult?"

I suppose as the computer geek I've become some of my very favorite games include Solitaire, Pinball, Free-cell, and Spider Solitaire.  More recently I've been privy to playing cards with actual people - imagine that!

No, seriously.  When I was a child I loved playing checkers with my Grandpa (Paw-paw - I am from the South after all) He came over some weekends and challenged me to see how much I had been practicing.  He always won - I've never been one to like people who allow me to win.  My paw-paw was awesome and I will never forget checkers games I played with him.

My grandmother had this set of cards.. they were crooked cards.  I loved them - more because of the way they looked than anything else, because I really suck at card games.  She taught me to play Rummy (or was it Gin Rummy) and that was exciting, but I really just didn't get it then. I simply wanted to play with those magnificent cards!

As I grew older I started playing Scrabble.  It was definitely my game of choice for a very long time.  I learned to spell - perfect for my future as a blogger!  Although some words I still spell incorrectly every time I write them.  We had a a board that was on a turn table.  It was so perfect.. as the game moved to the next player the board turned so that no one had to look at the board upside down on their turn.  I've never seen another board like it, but if you like Scrabble, you gotta get one!

Oh yeah... back to playing cards with other people... We had friends visit from California last winter and they totally introduced me to this game...  please pardon my french, but *ta-da* it's a drinking card game called Fuck Your Neighbor.  Yeah I know watch my mouth.  But It is so simple.  Everyone gets only one card and the guy with the highest card is the looser. Ok...  Let me back-up...  The dealer deals one card to everyone at the table.  Everyone in turn looks at their card and assesses the situation - high cards are bad.  The guy to the left of the dealer goes first and decides whether to trade their card with their neighbor's card or to keep it (get it...  the name of the game that is!) This continues around the whole table when it gets to the dealer, that person gets to choose whether to keep the card or to draw from the top of the stack.  The looser in every round puts forward a coin - money isn't the object of the game, it's just a way to keep track of the person who's loosing LOL.  See, everyone starts with 3 coins - the first one out of coins is the "Bar Bitch" and must now pour drinks for everyone while the game continues.  Hence the game becomes more fun with each round.

So, there you have it...  Hope my card game directions aren't confusing... it's really a game you must play to understand how fun it is!

Happy Tuesday!

--Trina

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