Friday, March 8, 2013

Spam and change



Not the stuff in a can, though that's just wrong, too, but the comments in my blogger spam folder, comments awaiting moderation and comments that slip through.

To my spammers, I'm truly not interested in seeing pictures of naked teens, better blog platforms, your discounted gucci purses or allowing a total stranger with a questionable website to write a guest post on my blog.  Go the hell away.  Because of you, I am, sadly, considering making this a fully moderated site. 

I'm this >|< close!  Seriously.  

To ward off these persistent cockroaches of the blogging world, I've changed my settings to moderate all posts older than a week and have eliminated anonymous comments.  I try to be careful when going through comments to ascertain I've deleted only the spam, but I'm fairly sure I've deleted a legitimate comment or two here and there.  I'm sorry for that if I've accidentally deleted what any reader here has had to say because I do care and I do read and appreciate all of your comments.

OK, I think I'm done ranting now, though suggestions to foil this slime are truly welcome.

Please forgive my absence.  I've been in a bit of a funk since returning home from California.  At first I thought it was a minor case of fatigue.  We did so much in such a little amount of time and I thought all the running around finally caught up with me.  Now I know it isn't the fatigue since I've made up for my sleep deprivation.

I think I've got a case of the blues.

I wouldn't call it depression, per se, but instead, a bit of sadness or melancholy.  Change will do that, I guess, and I'm surrounded by considerable change, both at home and professionally.  It's the double whammy.  I've paid the price in losing interest in pretty much everything that brings me joy: cooking, cleaning, shopping, knitting, socializing, blogging and my ridiculous dog.

One change I would welcome, would be a break in the weather, but that lying groundhog has not delivered in the prognostication department.  Winter is clinging to southeastern Michigan with a tenacity that only serves to annoy and make me moody.  The winter weather skipped us last year  and we suffered for it in terms of our apple, cherry and peach crops, not to mention other produce.  We can't have it both ways, can we?  Spring can't be far off though and this is the weekend we fast forward one hour to prepare. Even though I'll lose an hour, I do have a 3 day stretch off so it shouldn't be too much of a hardship to adjust. To celebrate the coming of more daylight, I set aside the drab blue yarn that's followed me all winter and went hunting for something bright to welcome this change.


I discovered the perfect foil to what's been boring me to tears. Is there anything more suitable than this find?  It's Jitterbug, by Colinette.  The color?  Vatican Pie.  How fitting in terms of timing, retiring popes, and conclaves.  This yarn has been in my stash for 9 years.  NINE! I don't even know if Colinette makes it anymore.  It's time for Vatican Pie to meet a pair of size 1 double points and become an outrageous pair of bright red socks.

Wouldn't you agree?



17 comments:

Empress Bee (of the high sea) said...

your funk sounds just like the february blues i always got when i lived further north. every single year. get some sun if you can, it helps.

hugs, bee
oxoxoxoxo

Silliyak said...

How SAD (pun intended) Your yarn is older than the last pope's reign!

Rudee said...

Ack! Sillliyak, you're so right! I'm going to knit the socks in a pattern called, Wayward!

Silliyak said...

A little cheery up perhaps.
http://youtu.be/jW3XtKBlTz (from my last blog post)

Gail said...

I suspect you pick your colors just to please me.

Been in the dumps too. Hopefully it will lift with spring a day closer.

I forgot it was spring forward time already. I wish they would leave it one way or the other.

Feel better soon.

Mimi said...

Aw Rudee, I'd say it's only natural to be down in the dumps after seeing off your son.
Winter does seem to be dragging on a bit here too, even though the plants are bravely poking through.
I love your timing on the red yarn! can't wait to see the socks, and starting a new knitting project is a good way of lifting those blues.

Finding Pam said...

I think you have said what a lot of are feeling right now. That trip would have emotionally zapped me for sure.

Be kind to yourself. Do something just for you. I hope you cheer up soon. I bet Leo could make you smile.

Alice said...

My best friend just told me I now have another 20 inches on my house!

First off, You Lied to Your Body about Spring. No matter how bad the weather might be in So. Cal., compared to here . . . it's Spring.
Second, you left your young man there, far away, starting a new life without you . . .

OK, I will forgive you if you just delete this . . . speaking of depressing!

The Bug said...

Ooh I would love some red socks! Well, I have some already, but still... :) I think I might make socks my next crochet hurdle. We shall see.

Winter has been extra blah this year hasn't it? I actually like daylight savings time (since I'm not a morning person). All that yummy light after I get home from work... Hopefully it will help lift your blahs.

Jane said...

You've certainly had to adjust to a lot over the last few months, it will take a bit of time, but that red looks perfect to counteract the winter feeling outside

Stephanie V said...

Bright red socks! That'll do it. I hope that spring is following hard on the heels of the time change.

I had the same spam issues for about three months. I just kept deleting the 100's out of the spam folder because I really didn't want to take any drastic verification/moderation measures. Then one day, I wasn't getting it any more. I figured Google had gotten their act together. Now, I wonder if it isn't a round robin sort of thing. It's your turn now. Wait a while - it may just go away.

SkippyMom said...

I wonder how your blog is different, settings wise, than mine? We have roughly the same amount of followers and I am guessing page reads, but I don't moderate my comments nor do I ever get spam. Hmmm I feel kind of left out [dare I write this "out loud"?] that I don't get those kind of offers. Humph.

It's your choice, obviously, but the burden is put on you to find the time to get around to reading all of them. Perhaps if you did it for a little while it would discourage/remove you from the spammers and you could go back to unmoderation?

Well, anyway - good luck getting out of the blues - and into the pink? Or in your case, RED. Nice color. I guess since our Pope also retired his red Prada shoes red socks should be in his future too. I wonder if they even make that color anymore? ha!

Seriously Rudee, I do hope the melancholy lifts a bit soon. It isn't easy, especially with the dreary days of winter dragging on, but I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers. Go hang something on the head on your porch [sorry, his name escapes me] and take a pic' - THAT always cheers me up. Hugs my friend.

Cynthia Pittmann said...

The weather used to get me down too. I have a bit of trouble with the overcast grey days in Michigan. Still your red socks project should inject some vitality into your days.

I know what you mean about the spam. I had to go back to no comments by Anon too. What can we do? I just don't read them. It's both weird and frustrating but after your tricked a couple of times you realize which ones are not sincere.

Sending you the best thoughts for cheerful Michigan days. When the weather shifts it feels like a jolt of adrenaline! Think of that and spring flowers. btw My daughter is traveling in Africa and Europe college and research.
I'm adjusting.

Sending you good thoughts!

Knitty said...

I hear you on all counts. I've had to change my settings too. I'm frustrated by things that don't work as well as they once did (my body included!) but tired of complaining.

We really need sunshine and fresh air. And red socks. We all need perky socks.

Brenda said...

I don't have much advice for ya. I pretty much feel the same as you. I look forward to seeing those red socks.

















Ruth said...

Yummy red yarn is great to cheer anyone up.Colnelle yarn I have a beautiful blanket knited by dear daughter all from collinete. She was lucky enought to live for a ehile in Wales and had acess tot heri'back room' so lots of yummy yarn. There is also a scarf out of the leftovers.

Anonymous said...

LOVE the color. Socks sounds like a perfect choice. The name of the color is pretty funny too.