Comments, Technical Difficulties and Other Frustrations

(Norbert Nerdly — my frustrations, personified.)

If you have tried writing a comment on one of these posts, thank you!

And if you have been unable to do so, sorry about that. You’re not alone.

Earlier this week, my oldest daughter told me that she tried and failed to leave a comment on A Catholic Citizen in America. She got an error message telling her that she wasn’t logged into WordPress: the software that runs this blog.

That’d make sense if it was me, trying to edit something here. But you’re supposed to be able to write a comment here, whether you have a WordPress account or not.

The comment glitch didn’t surprise me, since I’ve been getting similar error messages when attempting to reply to comments. And write posts.

So far, I’d been able to work around the problem. On the other hand, I’ve also been unable to figure out exactly what’s giving me — and now you — trouble.

I do, however, have a pretty good idea what’s been giving me fits.

Basically, it’s time for me to upgrade hosting for A Catholic Citizen in America — and Brendan’s Island, the website it’s on.

I’d have done this earlier, but “upgrade” means “more cost,” and that’s something I have been sincerely trying to avoid.

However, since glitches that have been frustrating me are now frustrating you, probably, I’ve been looking at my options for upgrading.

Long COVID (Probably) and Me

That process hasn’t been made any easier by “difficulty thinking or concentrating (sometimes referred to as ‘brain fog’)” that I’ve been experiencing.

That, and a persistent fever, seem to be my “post-COVID Conditions.”¹

Can’t say that I’m enjoying the experience, but it could be worse. Much worse.

Or it could be better.

Either way, I’m dealing with what is.

Which, this week, has included deciding that I needed to stop trying to maintain my Adoration chapel commitment, starting what I call due diligence before upgrading this blog’s hosting, and — saving the best (?) for last — discovering that I ran out of methylphenidate² Friday.

Happily, a few phone calls, frazzled nerves, and a short drive later, I’d collected the meds. Plus a few groceries.

So that’s why I’ve been writing this quick ‘what happened this week’ piece, instead of looking at how crossword puzzles threatened the very foundations of Western civilization.

And that’s another topic.

So are these — except for the ones that aren’t — other topics, that is:

• “COVID-19 and My Adoration Chapel Routine”
  (March 9, 2022)
• “xperiencing COVID-19: It Could Have Been Worse”
  (February 19, 2022)
• “Ritalin, the 2020 Summer Olympics, and Me”
  (August 7, 2021)
• “Ash Wednesday 2021: Sprinkles, Social Media and Me”
  (February 17, 2021)
• “Holy Week: Staying Home”
  (April 4, 2020)

¹ Good news? It’s not just me. Bad news? Same thing:

• Wikipedia
  • Clouding of consciousness (brain fog)
  • Long COVID
• Centers for Disease Control
  • Post-COVID Conditions (Updated September 16, 2021)
  • Caring for People with Post-COVID Conditions (Updated September 7, 2021)
  • Coping with Stress

² Methyl-what now?:

• Wikipedia
  • Drug withdrawal AKA “discontinuation syndrome”
  • Methylphenidate
  • Substance dependence