Desperate Blogscape

Have you ever seen the show Desperate Landscapes? It's one of those home improvement shows that are so very popular these days. Each episode features a neglected yard in dire need of some attention. Overgrown weeds, patchy grass, dying shrubs... places that sometimes look suited to Halloween haunting, inhabited by overwhelmed owners who know they need help, but simply don't know where to begin.

However, by the end of the show the yard is a showplace-- abundant plants, trees and flowers, and often patios, water features, and other improvements. And it happens so quickly! Through the frenzied application of money and manpower, an elaborate design that would normally take several days or weeks happens in the space of one day. It's almost magical to watch.

Here in the blogiverse, I have some sympathy with those homeowners. After more than a year, this blog was a desperate landscape: a template with an outdated header and a blogroll full of links that were either equally neglected or simply no longer functional and a background that honestly seems boring. I hardly knew where to start, and I didn't really want to, knowing how time-consuming the effort would be.

But it seems there's no one interested in stepping in to take over the clean up of my untidy mess. No video crew standing by to record either the knowledgeable instructions of savvy html specialists or the well-intentioned efforts of clueless assistants. There's only me, dagnabbit.

So I have been spending my allotted blogging time chipping away at the mess. And finally it's beginning to clear up. The header is not precisely how I want it, but at least it's not inaccurate. The blogroll is generally functional, with links that work to sites I favor or at least care about. I've changed the name back to what I used when I started blogging, lo these many years ago. I don't know that I'll keep it, but it's as good a place holder as any while I mull over possibilities.

And the background? Well, that is an abundance of code work which will simply have to wait for another day(s).

Suggestions for continued improvements welcome.