About that giant blog header ...

That huge header at the top of this blog probably is a temporary thing --- although I'll keep some version of the photograph for a while. It's the result of a one-thing-leads-to-another situation and a good reminder not to start fiddling with stuff late in the evening --- when you're not willing to stay awake long enough to sort the situation out.

All I wanted to do was replace the old header photo of an autumn scene, taken out in Pleasant Township, with a winter scene. That's always been easy to do. This time, perhaps because of changes to Blogger's design program or maybe just Blogger (or personal) glitches, the new photo failed to display the way I wanted it to.

While fiddling with that problem, I decided to ditch the old template entirely and switch to something simpler. I was tired of all those browns and the general fussyness of framing boxes on top of framing boxes. Now I'm having a few problems with the template, too. It'll all work out, but not necessarily instantly.

Blogger is for the most part a free service of Google --- although because of the volume of photographs posted since 2005 I do pay a tiny amount for supplemental storage. So I'm not inclined to complain much about it. The post count tipped over the 1,400 mark not long ago. That's a heck of a lot of blather.

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On the other hand, Windstream --- provider of telephone and Internet services --- is getting on my last nerve. Some years ago, Windstream bought out Iowa Telecom, former default provider of those services to Lucas Countyans.

Windstream wants to be my friend (so long as the bill is paid) and so keeps "enhancing" its user home page. All I want to do is check my e-mail. Windstream, which is telling me this morning it has introduced a "new and improved Windstream.com," wants me to do all sorts of other stuff, including watch a video of a "Victoria's Secret Bikini Babe." My interested in bikini babes is minimal.

I knew they'd been working on this, since it's been impossible for the last couple of days to stay signed into my e-mail account and typing in passwords is not a favorite pastime. This morning, the e-mail window I was accustomed to seeing had vanished entirely, replaced by an advertisement for insurance and an invitation to become Windstream's Facebook "friend." Grrrr.

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On the other hand, I'm still entranced by the package tracking program offered by Amazon in cooperation with the U.S. Postal Service.

Love to hit that "track your package" button and, in an instant, find out where my latest book order is. For the record, it left Hebron, Kentucky, at 3:58:23 a.m. on Dec. 31, and Kansas City at 12:24:56 a.m. on Jan. 3. It should be touching down in Chariton any time now. What fun!