This blog had been down for a few days. The old server was getting cranky and it was time to upgrade. I'd been putting it off for months. Now I know why I waited so long. Once I pulled the plug and pointed the universe (Internet) towards the new server, my web site, email, and blog all broke. My heart sank.

Forget the fact that most of my communications these days are via email. A few quiet days without messages rendered my philosophical (albeit slightly agitated). The main web site is still a work-in-progress and I've been working behind the scenes on a brand new one so having the site down was not apocalyptic. But, the blog was different. I was very upset that it had vaporized. I figured it existed somewhere in some MySQL database table. I had backed up everything...didn't I? It was still intact...wasn't it? But, it felt like something had been torn out of my heart.

So, now I know how important my blog is to me. And like one of those Arizona monsoons I often describe, the storm has passed. The sun is out again and the blog is back. With renewed vigor, I am now making some needed changes. Click on the images and you'll see a new feature that displays them with more elegance and at a larger size. This is a photo blog and the photos need to be showcased. The design will be updated and customized. With time the blog will grow and improve. I resolve to make one new improvement every day.

The Internet is such an ephemeral medium. It feels kind of solid until things disappear or suddenly change. Clouds are the same way. They loom over us, seemingly gigantic and substantive. Closer inspection reveals constant change. A cloud can dump water on us in a flash. A server can crash. Your blog is only as good as the nearest power plant. Things work until they don't.

It's good to be back.