Monday, January 16, 2012

I did it!

I drove C.C. to the airport this morning. Normally, during rushhour, the drive takes maximum 30 minutes. Today. 1 hour.

Coming home was no better. Tires crunching on frozen snow covered pavement, I moved towards home, inch by inch, row by row, planting seeds of harmony on my route as I held my frustration at the traffic and congestion in thoughts of "Bless them. Forgive me."

An arctic chill has descended upon the city. The world is white and crisp and frozen. Ice crystals dance in the light, a surreal pattern of notes suspended in air that moves thickly, sliding icily around objects, slicing nostrils as it slips inside huddled bodies brave enough to step outside into its biting maw.

And now I am home again. Warm and snug. Inside looking out. Ellie, ever hopeful for a walk brought her leash to me when I came in the door. I had to promise a walk later when it warms up from -27C to -23C. I'm hoping she won't like it any more than me so that it can be a short walk today, but Ellie is persistent so it could be she doesn't let me cop out too quickly.

Then again, I'm persistent too.

Last week, my persistence paid off.

I have been attempting to build my own website. I am not a website developer. I am not particularly techno-gifted. So, building a website was a huge undertaking. Just the thought of diving into code and HTML and all sorts of things techy frightened me. Not to mention the thought of committing dollars to a web-hosting company whom I don't even know. I mean, seriously. You want me to give you money to host my cyber-identity and we haven't even met?

But I did it. I researched and stalled and thought some more about it and then I did it. I jumped in with both feet, committed to godaddy.com, bought my very own online identity (www.louisegallagher.ca) and began the process of building my site.

I like learning. I like challenges. And believe me, this gave me lots of opportunity to experience both.

Decisions I'd never dreamed of had to be made. Platforms. Templates. FTPs. ABCs and every other letter of the alphabet came streaming towards me as I navigated techno jargon that would drive even a saint to curse.

And now, many days after my first tentative toe in the waters of website building, my site is live. It works and while it's not yet finished, it is a good foundation upon which to build.

Please do visit. All feedback is welcome and appreciated. I haven't got my portfolio online yet. That's my next big step, but the framework is there. and I am pleased. I did it. With the help of some really nice folks at the helpdesk at godaddy, I figured out how to upload Wordpress, how to download a template and how to make it all come alive. Who knew I could actually download Wordpress twice and not even know it?  Who knew using my user ID from one download with the password from the other would send my system into a spin? Who knew?

Not me.

And yet, inspite of myself, I now know I can do it. I did do it. Louise Gallagher is live!

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

i just dropped pr at pdx. today he flies all the way across the usa to florida.

Maureen said...

Congratulations! I didn't realize you were going to freelance now. Can't wait to see your portfolio online.

You have so much to offer. Wishing you much success!

Unknown said...

I looooovvve the look of the new website - how exciting, this is very much in line with the sort of thing that I want to do.

I will have to do some more exploring, I'm at work (start time soon) so don't have the luxury right now.

Wish you all the success in the world

S. Etole said...

headed that way ... keep warm!

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