Swift Fish Net

I get a new blog and then don’t post anything for almost three weeks! Have I quit already?

Certainly not. I have been quite busy figuring out how to use and customize my website and blog. My plans are to make a more personalized theme than this standard WordPress blue, but before I start changing anything like that I wanted to get some version control with subversion set up on my hosting service (another post to come about that). The next step was to get a working copy of an experimental blog set up locally. Then there was the whole deal about how I should write these posts as I didn’t care for the online posting without snippets and commands, so I started messing around with TextMate’s blogging bundle. There went another few hours, but I finally got it working. The issue I was having was that Markdown wasn’t being recognized, but HTML worked. I was following the very helpful screencast Blogging From TextMate. Hence, the next addition was the PHP Markdown plugin so that I can write and post with Markdown. This post was originally written with it. I was under the impression that Markdown was supposed to be bundled with WordPress, but it didn’t seem to be working without activating the plugin. After all that, I decided to go with HTML. I need the practice.

As mentioned above, there is some customization that needs to be done with the CSS for this blog. Fortunately, CSSEdit 2.0
was just released less than two weeks ago. The previous versions didn’t quite have what I was looking for in a CSS editor, but I ordered it this time.

I was also away for about five days in Florida for a short break from work and to visit with my family. While there, I visited an Apple Store and got a look at the new 15″ 2.33GHz MacBook Pro. I’ve had enough of traveling without access to my computer and have been meaning to get a new Intel Mac for some time now, but I didn’t want to get the first generation models. Anyway, I placed my order when I got back home. Right now, my new MacBook Pro is sitting at my local FedEx facility, so I should be getting it on Monday!

I’m about to go for a run now. I’m in general maintenance mode as far as training goes. I still haven’t decided on a race to train for next Spring. There is some nice Fall running weather in Maryland today. It is mostly overcast, in the mid 50′s(°F) with a light breeze!