Yes, this is my fist. (And it's not that easy taking a selfie of your fist...trust me...or go ahead, try it.) Yesterday I was putting it through my computer. Then my phone. Today I'm putting it through Blogger. Because silly me, I actually thought I'd just be able to access my blog on my phone and write my posts while I'm away. I mean I can post on Facebook from my phone. I can send e-mails on my phone. Why not a blog post? But first we need to backtrack a day...
It's 3:00 a.m. and I'm lying in bed. No one is e-mailing me at 3:00 a.m. No one is posting anything new on Facebook at 3:00 a.m. Okay, I'll google shit. But how many times can you google Johnny Depp at 3:00 a.m. and expect to learn anything new? Oh right, I need to google How to blog from your phone. And lo and behold, of course there are a couple of ways to do it. Via e-mail or by simply downloading the Blogger app. Piece of cake. I fall asleep confident in the fact that I will soon be blogging from the Camino.
Not so fast.
Later the same morning...I'm back on the wikiHow site and going through the steps to e-mail the blog posts. Just have to change my blog settings to add an e-mail...but first I'll open a new gmail account to use just for the blog posts. Don't want any of my personal e-mails accidentally ending up on my blog. But what's this? No charge from Google Plus to use this feature but individual carriers may have a charge, like for texting. That's no good. I take my SIM card out of my phone when I travel to avoid those dreaded roaming fees and use free Kik instead of standard texting. Okay, no problem. I'll send a test blog, then take the SIM card out and try it again because I have Wifi.
Check blog, check blog, check blog. Hmmm...no test message. Time for plan B.
Download the Blogger app. Piece of cake. Sigh on. What's this? There are no blogs assigned to me but hey, why not start one?! WTF??? No blogs assigned to me? There are two blogs assigned to me. Frustration level rising. Fists clenching. Try the first gmail account. Try the second gmail account. Change all the passwords for all accounts. There are still no blogs assigned to me. Okay, breathe...breathe...
Time to say FUCK it and take a break. I've now wasted two hours during which I had planned to walk the dog and mow the lawn before the heat of the day. Walking and mowing in 30+ degree temps did not improve my mood. Just so ya know.
And here it is today. I've taken my blood pressure medication and I'm going in again. First off, uninstall the Blogger app. Maybe it will work when I put it back on. 'Cause that always works, right? Back into the settings page on my blog and oh, look -- here's some info I didn't read yesterday. There's a whole section for adding a mobile device. I just have to send a verification code. Of course, it had to be that simple...right?
Not so fast.
Your carrier is not supported by Blogger Mobile. WTF??? Oh look...here's a list of countries with supported carriers -- Australia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, UK, US. No Canada. Second largest country in the world and we don't have a carrier that supports using our mobile devices to do something as simple as posting a blog. That's total crap.
And this is where I call it quits. I'm going on this zen-like journey of personal discovery and I'm getting myself all bent out of shape because I can't get the technology to work for me? Anyone else see something wrong with this picture? So I'm back to my original plan -- a tech free experience. Well, almost tech free. When I hit a Wifi spot I can use e-mail. Maybe I'll even find a computer on the Way and be able to log into this blog to post a little something.
But don't hold your breath.
Book Review: I enjoyed The Husband's Secret even though it was pretty easy to figure out what the secret was and then to see what was coming later on. I will admit, however, that I was getting pretty tired of the three main female characters. All that angst. But it was an easy read, lots of dialogue and the fact that I read it quickly means that I was engaged with the story. A good summer, feet up with a cold drink kind of book.
Sometimes technology just SUCKS! Won't help you this trip, but because I only blog when I travel, I have converted to "TravelPod" for my travel blogs. I find it very easy to use and you can write your posts w/o needing any wifi, and then when you do have access, you publish what you've previously written. It works really well for me, especially when I travel. But, alas, it won't help you this time. Although, you could do the ole "cut n paste" trick...keep typed entries and cut and paste when you have wifi! I really think you would enjoy having a journal of your travels to review months down the road. I just reviewed my 2 week London, Paris and Brussels trip, and it was just like reliving it. Perhaps you are journaling with "pencil and parchment" like the original pilgrims who made the trek?
ReplyDeleteI was planning to journal the old-fashioned way even if I was able to post to the blog. 'Cause not everything will be out there for public consumption. So parchment and quill it is...hope the ink pot doesn't spill...
DeleteI'm sure Stephen King and J.K. Rowling wouldn't hold back...your audience wants to know it all! But if you're holding back till you ink the book deal, then that's alright!
ReplyDelete