This Blog Has Moved

Well, kids, I did it. I made the jump to my very own domain. From now on, you will find me at www.snarkysquab.com. I've got a fancy new site, and this will give me a little more flexibility in terms of content and organization. I moved all the old posts over to the new domain, so you should be able to find all your Snarky Squab in one handy location. (The comments, alas, could not be ported over, so they'll all end up in the great comments archive in the sky.) Anyway, I hope you'll follow me over to the new digs - it's not worth writing without you to read it!

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

So my comments system (Haloscan) went belly up, and I'm using it as an excuse to give this here tired ole blog a bit of a facelift. However, as I am strictly amateur at this interwebz design stuff, it may take a little while to work out all the glitches. Just wanted to let you know that I know the comments aren't working and it will all be good in a few days. Or so. In the meantime, have a bear hug:

Apparently my life is currently incompatible with blogging

It's not like things haven't been happening. The Sprout turned 3 months old, the Hatchling is coming up with new catchphrases and other awesomeness all the time, Mr. Squab and I celebrated our 7th anniversary, I finished rereading the entire Harry Potter series - I mean, the days are filled. Just not so much with the blogging. However, I know I need to post a 3 month letter for the Sprout, and we also have some lovely videos in the hopper, so, um ... stay tuned!! Look! Cute pictures!

Butterfingers

I swear, this pregnancy is making me a total klutz. I'm not saying that I'm the epitome of grace at the best of times, but the last two weeks my level of physical ineptitude has really gotten ridiculous. I can't fix a meal without dropping at least three key items on the floor. I can no longer pour myself a drink without spilling at least a few drops. I drop ... everything. Books, shoes, silverware, my glasses, you name it. I can't even type as well as I used to be able to. IT IS IRRITATING. Particularly when I'm making many things for Christmas-type gifts, and the band-aids! I have used so many! I'm presently working on the theory that drops/smudges of actual human blood give gifts that handmade, one-of-a-kind essence that you just can't buy. (And really, why would you WANT to?)

In other news, my other blog has been de-spammified, so there are new recommendations up for your yuletide reading pleasure.

In other blogging news ...

So I just spent some time last night on updating my other blog and was planning on having an advent extravaganza of posting to make up for not having posted on it for, like, two months, but then Google disabled it sometime in the wee hours of the morning because it thought it was a spamblog. So now I have to wait until an actual person reviews it and sees that it's not, and I'm not sure how long that will take. In the meantime, though, I've set up an Amazon.com store for Books Your Kid Should Read, and right now it's featuring a bunch of my favorite holiday books. So if you're in the market for reading material for your kids or someone else's, you could, you know, stop by and take a look. If you buy through my site I get a (very small) kickback from the purchase. And I'll let you know when the other blog is back up.

Vacay

I'm currently at an undisclosed cabin location somewhere in western Wisconsin, enjoying a week "off" with family and friends. Blogging will be light to nonexistent, much like the DSL signal here. Regular blogging will resume next week. In the meantime, here's hoping that Gustav calms the fuck down and leaves the Louisiana coast alone.

A New Venture

I've started a new blog that some of you might be interested in. It's a vehicle for an abiding interest of mine, children's literature, and it's something I'd been thinking of doing for a while now. Basically it's a recommendation site, where I can review and advocate for some of my favorite "must-read" children's books, everything from board books and picture books to classic read-aloud works and "young adult" fiction. The site came about because I was often finding myself talking with other parents about my favorite books from childhood and discovering they'd never heard of them. Anyway, if you're interested in children's lit either for its own sake or for your kids, take a look at Books Your Kid Should Read and let me know what you think. Comments and suggestions are welcome!

Merely Resting

I'm not dead. Sorry for the lack of posting - it's just been one of those weeks. It's not that we're particularly busy, it's just that there's insomnia, and summer colds, and errands to run and playdates to schedule and somehow the blogging doesn't happen. We'll try to be better this weekend.

Whee!

Awarded by
eWAC
to Snarky Squab

Meme-age

Haiku2 for snarkysquab
rascally toddlers again i'm trying to say something like no no
@ aboutmylife.netadvogato.orgblogger.comblogs.gnome.orgblogspot.comdeadjournal.comgreatestjournal.cominsanejournal.comlivejournal.commyspace.comspaces.msn.com
Created by Grahame

I hab a code

Mucous will be heavy. Posting will be light.

The Drama Builds

We are having a serious case of the crankies at our house today. Possibly related to our decision to wake up at the bright hour of 5:00 am. And by "our" I sure as hell don't mean "me." On the principle that at least my readers can have a chuckle, even if I am currently not allowed one, here's a funny bit, courtesy my friend Mark.

Pretty!

I'm a sucker for apps like this: type in your URL and see your site as a pretty graph. Here's Snarky Squab:

(as seen at Mahtab's place)

24 Hours

I'm totally doing this, and you should, too.

Thinking Blogger Awards!

Aw, shucks. Christopher gave me a Thinking Blogger award! I can't imagine what my ramblings here would make anyone think, aside from maybe "this bitch is CRAZY," but I guess that just goes to show you. Now that I've been tagged, I get to extend the award in turn to 5 blogs that "make me think." Now, you've seen all the blogs on my blogroll, right? How am I supposed to pick just five? In the interests of spreading the love, I'm going to give my awards to blogs that are at least slightly off the beaten path (so, no Bitch or IBTP, though they make me think bunches). These are all blogs I check daily, and recommend highly. Here goes nothing!

1. Snickollet. She's at the top of my mind right now, because she just lost her dear husband to cancer, and could also win the award for "person I don't actually know who has made me cry the most." Her posts are insightful, funny, honest, and sometimes tired and angry, and always worth a read.

2. Strict Time. Considers me her "blog mentor" (HA!) yet consistently outwrites me. I'd hate that, if she wasn't so damn awesome all the time.

3. Sanctioning Agent. When I worked in corporate hell, any discussion of "branding" or other marketing speak just made me feel vaguely nauseated. Matt actually made me see what's interesting about analyzing those topics, and his blog consistently - and humorously - calls out teh stupid in various campaigns.

4. My Skepsi. If you'd told me a year ago that one of my favorite blogs would be written by a self-declared christian living in a small town in Texas, I'd have said you were nuts. But what can I say? Her kid is damn cute, her posts are funny, and I steal widgets and code from her on a regular basis.

5. The Clutter Museum. Another parent blogger, Trillwing also blogs on feminism and academe, two of my favorite topics. Also, recently, strawberries, her rant on which is not to be missed.

Honorable Mentions (too "big" to be awarded): Ask Moxie and ParentHacks, two essential reads if you're in the throes of parenthood.

New Widget

I'm trying out a new little widget that lets you preview the web pages linked to on this site by just rolling your mouse over the link. Lemme know what you think - is it cool or just irritating?

When it's time to change, it's time to re-ar-RANGE!

Blog template upgrades are in progress. Please be patient while we work out the bugs. And by "we" I mean "me" so it could take a while.

Thanks,
The Management

UPDATE:
... and I'm done. At least for now. Let me know what you think of the new digs - especially if anything isn't working properly.