Tuesday
I’ve spent the morning (and yesterday and last night) fussing about my website. Last month, after a scheduled update, my site crashed. Three hours on the phone with GoDaddy later, they told me I needed to pay extra for a WordPress expert. No thanks.
Then, somehow, the site was back up.
But I have this notice to make an update, and I’m afraid the tech help simply reverted the site to the earlier version and if I update now, the site will crash again.
So, because I can buy a cheaper-per-year hosted website on WordPress.com, I went over there to create a new one. As of yesterday, it was ALL done, and I was looking at how to point my domain to it, when I learned all kinds of things about how Google SEO might not like this and multiple steps to do this correctly. Also that cutting and pasting from the old site might transfer bugs to the new one.
For Pete’s sake!
And then this morning I get a notice from Google Console about URLs that aren’t indexed on the current site and blah, blah, blah…
I DON’T KNOW HOW TO DO THIS STUFF!
Part of me just wants to give up. All of it. Just delete ShelleyBurbank.com and go back to a free WordPress blog like my old Localista (ironically, I used the domain “shelleyburbank.wordpress.com” for that site. I could just start blogging on there again, change the name to just Shelley Burbank.) My SEO is gonna tank if I do this.
If I were making any money on this endeavor, I could justify the expense of hiring a web developer to help me out. If I could find one.
But I’m not.
So. What to do. I like my website. I’m kind of proud of it as I did it all myself and for six years or so it’s done the job I needed it to do. But still. I’m tired. I fixed my newsletter issue. I’m so happy with Substack. If I can get this website thing fixed, then I could concentrate more on just writing.
Decorating
We checked out the local Home Depot last weekend and I spotted, at the last minute, the PERFECT table for the balcony. I adore the mosaic tile top. I added new red cushions to the chairs and some matching throw pillows. Now I can write outside, drink my coffee in comfort, and we have a spot for outside dining as the sun sets if we feel like it. A nice candle in the evening would also be nice.
We hung up a few pieces of art on the walls and added some extra rugs, but there is still more to do. I am inspired by my friend, Martha, who framed New Yorker covers for a lovely wall display, and I already have the magazines. I now need to find some black wooden frames (no plastic!).
Cooking
We bought a combo air fryer/indoor grill, a Ninja, and hope to use that to make some fun, healthy meals. In the meantime, I’m concocting salads again. This one is green leaf lettuce, buffalo chicken bites, blue cheese crumbles, artichokes, black olives, ranch dressing, and a drizzle of sriracha sauce. We are eating more fruits in this tropical climate.
Now if I could just get back into an exercise routine…