I’ve been wanting to re-do this website and my professional/resume website for quite some time now. I keep coming up with ideas during the day when I’m at work, but when I get home … all motivation is gone. I don’t know if it’s because I’m working on other people’s websites all day long at work or if I’ve just become extremely lazy over the past couple years (I hope it’s the former).

I come home from work and the first thing that I do is sit down in front of the computer. And what is it that I do? I check my email, catch up on Twitter & Facebook, and all sorts of random shit. If I’m not sitting at my computer doing that, I’m on the couch staring mindlessly at the tv.  Yeah … that helps me get my websites redone. 

I’ve learned all sorts of things since I started my current job over 1 year and 9 months ago. I’ve learned new tricks and techniques for WordPress sites. I’ve been working with the CodeIgniter php framework and even built a custom CMS using it. I need to start using those things on my own websites to show off what I can do. And I’m not restricted with my own websites. I can trick ‘em out as much as I want (and tell IE users to go take a hike ).

So … what do I have in mind?

My Blog (this site)

I want to re-do this site from scratch, including posts. Now, that doesn’t mean I’m gonna get rid of the posts that are already here. I want to put them in an “archive” category so they’re still around. I just want them out of the main flow of the website.

I’ve always written my own themes. I don’t like using themes that other people are using or using a “framework” (like Thematic). Those frameworks have more crap than I ever plan to use. Why have all of that if it’s never gonna be used? And besides … I’m a web developer. I should be showing off what I can do.

One thing that I want do is to start using post formats. I’d like to add some link and posts for sure. Maybe some video ones too.

Another plan for this place is to start using html5. I know that not all browsers understand it yet, but there are scripts out there to help those poor little browsers (like IE) out. I’m going to eventually need to learn html5 and css3 anyway. I might as well play around with it on my own websites so that I know what I’m doing when it comes time to use them at work.

I also want to try to create a responsive theme … meaning you can still read my babble on your smartphone or tablet. That’s the way of the world now, isn’t it? So many people have iPhones or Android phones or iPads or other tablets. We’ve been talking about this at work. I might as well muck around with it here so I know what I’m doing when I get paid to do it.

My Professional Website

This site started out as my online resume when I got laid off back in Oct. 2008. I wanted to get my resume online and show off some scripts that I had written and the websites that I had worked on. It hasn’t changed since I put it online. It’s all basically static files. The items in my portfolio are in a MySQL database. But there is no CMS for making updates. I want to change that.

I’ve wanted to create an admin system for it for quite some time. Since I’ve been doing it at work for so long now (and even wrote my own custom CMS), I want to put that into play here. I want to make it easier for me to update things so that I’ll actually add new info to it. I want this to be a “showoff” site for what I can do.

I did start the redesign process a while back. I started mocking up the admin system. But that’s as far as it got. I keep coming up with ideas during the work day. I need to keep that fire going when I get home so that I can get this done.

As with my blog, I want this site to use html5 and css3 and have a responsive design. I want people to look at it and say “wow! she really knows her shit.”.

While I have no intention to leave my job any time soon (and I hope they want to keep me around), I wouldn’t mind some freelance work. Extra money for my house fund is always appreciated. And maybe the additional skills I gain while setting up this site will get me a raise at work since I’d have those skills available to awesome-ize client websites.

I thought the best place to start was to mock up the new layout so I could figure out what I wanted to do before I started any coding. I’ve been doing that at work when starting new projects, and it really helps when it comes time to put fingers to keyboard and code my heart out. We had been using Mockingbird at work for wireframing, but they’re moving to a paid system in a little over a week. It’s not that we weren’t willing to pay for a service, we just weren’t happy with the plans that they came up with. My co-worker and I were both looking around for some alternatives. I ran across MockFlow. It looked like a really nice product. And their pricing wasn’t all that bad. And best of all, they have a desktop app that allows you to work offline if needed. I signed up for the free basic account to test it out. I also signed up for one at home so I could mock up the changes to this site. I really like how easy it is to create a mockup. They’ve got so many objects that you can drag onto your layout, and they’ve got a store where you can download components that other people have created. I’m definitely liking it (and I think we’re gonna start using it at work).

I’m not done with it yet, but here’s a sneak peek at what I’m thinking of doing for the layout for this place …

I’ve got a ways to go, but at least it’s a start. I hope to finish the wireframe up tomorrow so that I can start developing my own custom theme. I want to get it done ‘cuz I’ve got plans for my professional website. I’m gonna play with CodeIgniter on that one.

[Okay ... I know the title of this post is lame, but I'm still stuffed from the zeppoli I had for dessert at Olive Garden tonite. Bite me. ]

I’m trying to change that. I’ve deactivated my Facebook account, and I’m taking a break from Twitter for a while. I know I’ll eventually go back to Twitter, but as for Facebook, I’m not sure. I might reactivate my account and I might delete it completely … I just don’t know yet. Since I’m taking a break from social media, I’ll have more time on my hands, and I plan to use that time on my websites.

Tonite I put together a list of things that I want to do. They are (roughly in order that I want to accomplish them):

• Clean up the files I have on the server with my web host (get rid of stuff I’m no longer using).
• Clean up my database (again, get rid of stuff I’m no longer using).
• Decide what I want to do with the subdomains that I have set up (keep, redirect, or remove).
• Clean up my email accounts and forwarders (again, get rid of stuff I’m no longer using).
• Redesign the layout for this website.
• Start this site over from scratch in WP3 and import the posts and comments I have to this point.
• Possibly redesign the layout for my professional website.
• Start my professional website over from scratch using CodeIgniter.
• Do further development on the weather script I wrote a few years back.
• Possibly write a WP plugin based on my weather script (once I complete it).
• Blog more about the stuff that I’ve been doing at work with CodeIgniter.

That list should keep me busy for a while. LOL Now I just need to get myself to turn off the tv so I don’t have any distractions.

Wish me luck.

Since I’m back working again (just over 4 months at the new place) and coding every day, I have ideas race through my head for things I want to do with my own websites. Unfortunately, those ideas are racing while I’m at work, and by the time I get home, they’re gone. I need to start writing ‘em down I think. I’ve been using the CodeIgniter framework a lot. I keep trying to think of things I could do with it.

I’ve also dabbled in writing a Facebook app for a project at work. It’s a relatively simple one, as far as Facebook apps go … no interaction with the user or anything like that. I still had issues getting things set up initially, but that’s probably because I jumped in with both feet rather than reading documentation first. Oh well. I learn best by doing anyway. I’d love to come up with a Facebook app on my own, but I’m not sure what to do. The only thing that I can come up with is a weather widget. I started laying one out for my own websites already. I could create a script that can be plugged in to a regular website, a WordPress plugin, and a Facebook app. I just need to get my butt in gear. It’s hard to get motivated to work on my own websites after working on other people’s sites all day at work. But then again, I am usually sitting at the computer all nite anyway. I might as well do something useful rather than reading Twitter and Facebook and other mindless surfing.

We use WordPress quite a bit at work. I don’t deal with it since I’m the programming geek (php & MySQL), but I see what is being done by my co-workers. It makes me want to work on this place again. One thing I’ve never dabbled with is widgets. I usually just hard code the stuff I want in the sidebar since I’m just doing the site for myself. But I’ve seen what can be done with widgets and it makes me wanna give it a try.

There was a time where I was doing a lot of WP development. Yeah, it was just for myself, but I knew what was going on and what I could do. It’s been so long since I’ve done anything serious with WP. Even when I redesigned last, I didn’t delve into things I could have. I really wanna dive back in, but I feel so far behind. So many advances have been made to the core. I happened run across a site for a WordCamp in the cities. I’m seriously considering going. I think one of my co-workers wants to as well. It’s not until November, so we’ve got a while to make a decision. Anyone else considering going to it?

I’ve got a pretty sweet setup going on now (well, considering what I’ve had in the past anyway). I added memory to my laptop (from 1GB to 4GB), and I upgraded to Windows 7 (which I LOVE). I even got a new monitor that’s hooked up to my laptop (21.5″ widescreen). The dual monitor setup is perfect for development (I wish I had dual monitors at work). I still use WAMP server for local development. I even found out about a program (from my boss) that gives me a GUI for my local MySQL databases (HeidiSQL). I have no excuse not to work on my own websites (other than the fact that I’ve turned into a lazy ass).

So … be on the lookout (I’ve said that before, haven’t I ). I really will try to post more here. As with the ideas I have for my websites during the day, I have ideas for posts that never materialize (I think I need to carry a notebook with me to work … or just use Google Docs). I need to be better about that. I need to stop procrastinating and being lazy. I really hope I can follow through.

I’m sure I’ll post about my progress here from time to time, but I’ll try to keep most of it over on the other site. I’m also hoping to post recipes and tips there as well. Maybe I can help someone else while I’m helping myself.

The main reason I did this was because I bought myself an 8GB iPod Touch the day after Christmas (thanks in part to a gift card from work that covered a good chunk of the cost). I already had an mp3 player (a 2GB Creative Zen V Plus), but since I’m a techogeek, I wanted an iPod. That wifi capability was just too cool to ignore. I’ll get around to doing a review on that at some point (hopefully before the end of this week).

Anyways, I’ve been playing around with that thing since the moment I got it home. So, I thought I’d geek out this blog by adding the plugin that made it easier to view on the iPod Touch/iPhone. I don’t know if I have that many visitors that have either, but what the heck.

I’ll probably be tweaking things during the week as I check things out. It appears that the templates can be tweaked. I tried to view the documentation on the plugin site, but the links don’t take me anywhere. So, if you’re viewing on an iPhone or iPod Touch, be aware … things might look funky at times. But be assured that they will be straightened out as I finish up tweaking things.

Then in 2002 … September 17th to be exact … I migrated to MoveableType. I don’t have any of my posts from then up until January 10, 2003 because of an issue I had with my web host at the time.

And in 2004 … June 22nd to be exact … I moved over to WordPress, and that’s where I’ve been ever since. And I’m very happy with WordPress and have no intentions of changing ever again.

In these past 6 years I’ve done a lot of bitching and moaning, but that’s not all I’ve done. I’ve learned alot as well. I’m a completely different person than the one who made that first post 6 years ago.

In these past 6 years, my blog has been at 4 different web addresses on 3 different domains … 2 of which are mine:

• http://wxgal.livejournal.com
• http://blog.wxgalsworld.com
• http://journal.wxgalsworld.com
• http://www.hightechredneckwoman.com

I probably shouldn’t link to those, but they are a part of my history … all the bitching and moaning as well as the positive stuff. I still can’t believe I’ve been doing this for 6 years. Boy does time sure fly.

I’ve been meaning to send out an email to some friends to try to brainwash talk them into using Twitter. I just haven’t sat down to do it yet. But I really need to. I need to find some Twitter-ites outside of Houston to follow … LOL.

I have a feeling I’ll be “tweeting” from my phone tonite at the rodeo. I’m going with Robin, Mona, and Allen. And then to Pete’s for the rodeo dance. Rodeo … that means COWBOYS!!!! And if you know me, you know I like cowboys. It’s times like this where I wish I had a fancy cell phone (a PDA-type phone) so I could follow along with Twitter. I can get notifications on my phone, but that would be a lot of text messages. But most of the time, I have no need for that fancy of a phone. So I’ll just have to live with it.

I’ll try to start blogging more again. But I can’t promise anything. After working on the computer all day for work, I just don’t have the energy at nite. And working from home and not leaving my apartment that often means I have a boring life. Not much to blog about. But I plan on doing some more work on my websites soon. So maybe I’ll get some techy posts up that I meant to when I registered this domain and set up this blog. But only time will tell.

I’d better get going. I have 2 hours before Robin gets here to pick me up for the rodeo … I need to figure out what I’m gonna do for supper and eat early so I can get ready. I already know what I’m gonna wear. I just need to fix my hair and makeup and change clothes. Then I’ll be all ready for all those cowboys … So many cowboys … so little time.