If you haven't seen this post yet......The Groups Blog Gets a New Home.

Of course, the Yahoo Team page has been deadly silent since their last"Update" on October 24. Of all the disrespectful attitudes towards customers, that ranks right up there. *sigh*

Is up over at Stone Girl's New Home at Multiply. Come over and watch me try and figure out how the @*&#^@*&#@ I can customize my new blog page. FUN!

Well, I think it is time to ask you to change your bookmarks for my blog.

I had planned to stick around here until Yahoo transitions 360 in early 2008. However, as folks who use 360 have probably noticed, the bugs are getting more frequent and more buggy. It's a little annoying, and some bloggers have even lost their entire blog!

I am packing up and moving.

My friends who are using this blog to keep up with me - my new site is here:

http://stonegirlblog.multiply.com

So far, I am pretty happy with the workings of Multiply. Most people I've met through 360 have already moved over there. And I'm not yet ready to launch my own site. So, I'm packing my little bags and shuffling on. This move is MUCH cheaper than moving from California to Maui, I can tell you.

Hope to see you all over on Multiply. Happy trails!

In case you missed it, I am copying over some of the text from the latest blog from the Yahoo 360 Product "Team."

To me, one of the most telling answers was "No, we will no longer by fixing bugs in 360."

Well, if that isn't a clear FU to the 360 users, I don't know what is. I'm seeing more and more people complain about bugs with their pages. Knowing that the Yahoo Team is spending zero effort to fix these does not speak well for the on-going operations around here. I've read some comments accusing Yahoo of abandoning the site, so people will quit, so they can say "Oh well - no one uses 360 anyway."

*sigh*

I really do like the Yahoo blog format. And the community here. Instead of a bunch of spastic screaming teens, I have made contact with some great thinking, great writing, mature, smart, funny, caring, fascinating people.

Many of whom, it seems, are jumping over to Multiply. So, yes - I went to check it out. I think you can get there at http://multiply.com.

And yes......I will probably start moving some of my old blogs over there. They have made it pretty easy to import Yahoo 360 blogs. There are even instructions on the "Yahoo 360 Refugees" Group blog about how to move your comments along with your blogs.

I'll stick around here at 360 to see what happens. But, I suppose it never hurts to have a back-up plan.

Here's the Yahoo Team blog.....

After reading the comments and talking to the 360° users, we put together a list of the frequently asked questions (FAQs).

Q: Why are you transitioning 360? We love it the way it is.
A: Yahoo! is building a universal profile system to provide a more integrated experience. We currently have many different profiles for different Yahoo! products. Our goal is to centralize as many of these as possible into one common profile.

Q: Will the new profile platform have blogs?
A: Yes, the new platform will have blogging features. We'll provide a way for you to move all your existing blog content to the new platform.

Q: My existing 360° information is very important to me. Will there be a way to migrate all my information, blog posts, friends, etc. to the new profile platform?
A: Yes. We will preserve your Yahoo! 360 blog content, profile photo, nickname, and friends lists during and after the transition. You'll have a way to back up your information as well as a tool to migrate your information into the new profile service.

Q: Will any of the existing 360° features be taken away before the transition?
A: No.

Q: Will the bugs be fixed on 360°?
A: No, we will no longer be fixing bugs related to 360°. We are putting all of our resources on building the new profile system.

Q: What is Mash?
A: Mash is an experimental profile service currently in an invite-only beta phase. It provides users with enhanced interaction. Friends can edit each others’ profiles (if they allow it) and users can add modules to express their personality and interests.

Q: Will the new profile service be Mash?
A: The universal profile will not be Mash -- at least not the Mash that you see today. The new profile is likely to share the same platform as Mash, which means that we can provide you with greater flexibility than you currently have on 360°.

We'll provide updates on the new profile service here on the blog. But, there's lots of work to be done, and most likely we will not have additional details in the near future. We will keep you apprised over the next several months

We value our 360° users and our goal is to build a new profile and blogging solution that will delight all of you. I encourage all of you to continue providing comments and asking questions.

I have to brag about some things though. Sweetie and I really had a great day. Here are some reasons why.

1. We had the best guests ever. Really. Folks were so happy and in good spirits. The wedding coordinator at the country club could not stop telling us how nice our guests were. I don't know. Maybe other wedding guests are grumpy. Or demanding. Or maybe she was just humoring us. But I looked out at the sea of smiling faces, and watched everyone talking and enjoying themselves, and I know how far many of them traveled to see us wed. And I knew they were the best guests ever.

2. We had the cutest ring bearer and flower girl ever. No really. I can't tell you how cute and good these guys were. My youngest nephew as ring bearer was a hoot! We was awesome all day. Hung out with us women in the prep room. Took pictures with the guys. Carried the rings with the utmost diligence. Didn't pick his nose during the ceremony. Stood right in front of the groomsmen looking snazzy the whole time. Even took some adorable pictures that caught a smile on his face. The only thing he would not do?? Hold the flower girls hand. No way. Nope. Absolutely not.

She, also, was a fantastic trooper all day. Hung out with us women in the prep room. Sat down quietly to draw after her dress was on. Handed me two pictures as a wedding present. Laughed whenever the photographer told her to smile. And the cutest thing ever? - well - she had been showing me a ballet move for two days - the one where you put your arms over your head....palms and fingers facing each other - what do they call that? Very cute. When Sweetie and I watched one of the videos of the processional, we saw the two of them standing to walk down the aisle....waiting for their cue....and then....right before they set off together....Snap!....her arms went up over her head....little ballet move....and Snap!...her arms were down again....and she marched towards the aisle with her flower basket in arm. Holy crap!! It was soooooo cute!

3. We had the best flowers ever. I was pretty sure I could count on our florist to put something nice together. When we were talking to/interviewing florists for the wedding, she really seemed to "get it." It helped that she wasn't the woman who kept talking about my "red" flowers. Uhhhh....red is not one of our colors. The flowers she put together - everything - for the men, the women, the tables, etc.....all were awesome. Beautiful. She even ordered tuberoses from Hawai'i and stuck some in my bouquet so we had the sweet scent of the island with us all night. Fantastic.

4. We had the best toasts ever. My sister was happy and proud and emotional and funny. She spoke from her heart. She said the nicest things about us. She almost made me cry, but mostly she made me want to hug her and my Sweetie at the same time because I listened to her and knew how awesome they both are. The best man - well, you kind of had to be there, but it was priceless. Something along the lines of......I am going to describe their relationship using the language of love............mathematics.

And then he pulled out a graph. It was hilarious.

5. We had a great site. I've been browsing lots of wedding photos from other weddings. Lots of nice elements to other places. What I love about the pictures of our site is that - from every angle in every picture - you see nice nature backgrounds. A pond, golden brown grass, evergreen trees, fall-colored trees, flowers. Could not see the road, or the reception building. Just nature. Which is very us, I think.

Those are just some of the highlights of a crazy good day.

I think brides must fall somewhere on two ends of the spectrum. Some (dare I say the bridezillas) seem to see disaster in the smallest flaws, get upset at the slightest upset in plans, or feel the need to order everyone else around to get what they want. Some (hopefully me) see their wedding day through rose-colored glasses. And, barring any major disaster, are just plain tickled at all the good wishes, happy faces, and crazy behind-the-scenes events that no one else will know about. I'm sure a hundred brides out there would insist they have the best of everything also. But, darn it! it was my wedding day! So I can brag all I want. *stomp*

hmmm....I guess this can be counted as a wedding post.

But for now -

I'm there! I'm ready! May insanity ensue!

Whatwhatwhat?

Check it out HERE.

Once again. Count this one as #6 for me. The sixth car accident I have personally seen behind our house in the last year and two months. Again, remember how I mentioned My Least Favorite Sound? (go there and check out the Dane Cook bit - it never fails to crack me up!)

Well, this evening's crash didn't even sound that bad. I heard the screech and a couple of vague *Cruuuncch!*s. Looked out - one SUV on the side of the road with a hanging rear bumper. Figured she had been hit and the other driver took off. Can't see the full intersection because of a tree. She looked ok - saw her get out of her car and look at the bumper. But then, a couple of minutes later, I hear sirens. Getting louder. And louder. And two police cars show up, soon followed by a siren-y third. Pretty impressive. The police NEVER show up after accidents around here. But I guess there were two other cars sitting in the intersection because I saw them finally pull over after the cops showed up.

Funny thing - our rental manager was just at the house today. He walked through the house and said to me "Oh, the traffic noise doesn't sound that bad." We've mentioned it as a possible reason for moving. I said something like - well, it's pretty bad on Friday and Saturday nights. People drive crazy.

And......oh look, it's a Friday night. And I've seen crash #6. And I'm not counting the one that occurred when I was gone that sounded so bad, Sweetie got dressed and ran down to the intersection to make sure the guy who got hit was ok.

Best thing I can say is, 3 police cars are a sight better than one ambulance, any day in my book. Ug. SLOW DOWN PEOPLE.

oh...and also...I'm not counting the accident that Sweetie and I were in that totaled his poor wagon. 'Cause that was all the way on the other side of the island. Yippee.

Appetizer
If you were a dog, what breed would you be, and why?

Well, I am already part wolf, so I guess I would be the mother of all current dog breeds. Ha! As for why - they are smart, loyal, family-oriented, and quite often misunderstood. Kind of like me.

Soup
What does the color purple make you think of?

Amy Squared and Chelle.

Salad
Approximately how long does it take you to get ready each morning?

Roll out of bed.....brush teeth....wash face.....stumble to my office. Usually takes about 5 minutes. Longer if I make a nice breakfast for myself. It's so nice to work from home in Maui!

Main Course
How many cousins do you have, and are you close to them?

On Mom's side - 4 cousins. I like them, but we live so far apart, I haven't seen most of them for 10 years or so.

Dad's side - 5 cousins. Again, we like each other. I am pretty close to two of my cousins who I have spent time with since I was a kid.

Dessert
Take your initials (first, middle, last) and come up with something else those letters could stand for. (Example: SFO = Sweet Funny Otter)

How about.........Sarcastic Goof

Wow. What a whirlwind week and a half. Crazy. Busy. Relaxing. And truly wonderful.

I don't know how to blog all the details, but I have to say - I AM SO HAPPY!!!

Everything worked out so well, I can't even tell you. Fantastic. Blessed. Beautiful.

My Sweetie and my wedding was truly picture-perfect. We were surrounded by our family and good friends. So many family and extended family members. School friends, college friends, work friends, old bosses and co-workers, kids, babies, grandfathers. So many people! And......yes.......you guessed it......thanks for your positive thoughts on this one.......not ONE drop of rain!! On the wedding day. Sweetie and I were sitting in his hotel room the day before, waiting to go to the rehearsal. One of his buddies came in and said "Did you know it's hailing outside?" What!? Yes, it rained. And it was freezing cold during the rehearsal, and quite wet. But we weathered through it. And Saturday shone bright and sunny, the chairs dried out, the sky was clear, and it didn't get too cold until we had everyone inside for the reception.

Woo hoo!

All the usual wedding stuff and then ZAP! It was done. Done. No more planning. No more lists. No more nothing. We were done!

And then - ZIP! - Off to Yellowstone. Yes, apparently - when you live in Maui, you to go Wyoming for your honeymoon. We loved it! And again - don't know how - but we had perfect weather. Gorgeous. Cold, but clear. And it had just dumped snow and rain before we got there. But not on us. We spent two days in Jackson so we could see Grand Teton National Park. Hiked around Jenny Lake to the fabulous Inspiration Point. Wow! Then spent five days at Yellowstone. Saw Bald eagles, elk, moose, bison, coyote, a bear, a beaver, and a wolf. Yes! Yours truly, she who is part wolf - I saw one of my howling own out in the Lamar Valley......way out there......but there he was. It was amazing.

Anyway, just wanted to write a quick word. The pictures are still on the camera. I'll deal with those when we get back to Maui. I'll try and write more of a travelog. For now, thanks for all the good wishes, thanks a million times over to the loved ones who shared the day with us. And - HEY! Guess what?! I'm married.