Wake up in the morning, feeling drowsy with a bad hangover after yesterday’s Christmas party. Yet, wanting to write a new blog and get it posted on my self-hosted domain.

After much reluctant decision, I finally managed to hook on to the internet and log in to my wordpress. One weblog that post least often, perhaps once every quarters of the year.

Hovering the mouse pointer and click for “Updates” on the left menu of my blog, checking to ensure there are well maintained with latest plug-ins.

Click on to the “Comments”, if there are any new ones that requires approval. (New blogs has the most spams, and a few genuine ones).

Well, what we got here is one comment from my dearest mom, the other from the new girl next door whom we met last week, and third one from my girlfriend who forever nags at me “When are you going to get a real job?”

And now, Im ready to start composing my new post. Wondering for a while, what should be the topic of the day.

Hang on, I probably need to log on to Facebook to check for updates as well. Surfing around and social with new friends.. 2 hours passed, and not single words has been typed in my blog.

What’s next comes after Facebook is Twitter, Reddit, Tumblr, newsletters, RSS feeds, some forums post to catch up, yada, yada, yada..

At the end of the day, nothing is completed and this plan never work out.

Haven’t I told myself to be more discipline in writing more content in blog? I meant, this could probably refer to any new bloggers too.

It seems that the best way to spend a day fruitful and be seriously compose your blog, is to stay away from interent access. Get it offline. At least for the 4 hours a day. But how does it works, without logging into your self-hosted wordpress?

The recommendation is to use a Weblog Client. Some term it as Offline Blog Editor.

The main purpose is to let you compose, draft and publish the blog from your desktop. Beside the need for internet access to publish, the preparatory work can be offline.

Right now, for the first-time posting using QTM, the open-source blogging client. It is cabpable of composing, formating and submitting blog entries to a weblog.

It support self-hosted domains, it also works for wordpress.com. QTM is cross-platform, therefore, an advantage for linux users.

As compared to other weblog clients, there are only gives 30-days trial or limited features, however, QTM is totally free.

There are features that need to try it out to see if its cater to the minimum requirement of basic blogging offline.

QTM Blog Editor, Weblog Client, Screenshot

I have not been blogging for the past 6 months or so. I certainly hope to do it as regularly as I intended to be. As I time goes by, I may also change my blog theme from “Now I know, So I Blog” to somewhat similar. Perhaps, a variant or add-on of the former.

Today, I just wanted to share what has happened over the weekend. In particularly the amount I spent and saved. As usual, the Top-10 happenings.

1. Visited the dentist, after 25 years of healthy gum and teeth. Serviced for 2 fillings on my decayed teeth, and scaling and cleaning. Amount spent US$160.00.
2. On the urge of leaving this place that I live, I have purchased a single-way flight ticket to Vietnam. Traveling to Hanoi city on mid Feb 2011. Sounds nice, however, may not have any companion for V-day. Amount spent US$130.00
3. Quarreled with my Dearest, simply because she has missed the chance to accept my offer to spend her another flight ticket to Hanoi. As a matter of fact, she has done too much talking, and more sweet talking.. When it comes to reality, she only hesitated to proceed. Not just thinking twice, but thrice. Nevertheless, I still love the ways she sweet talk to me. Oversea call;  Amount spent US$10.00
4. So what’s next? More excuses, and more reasoning from her not to travel with me. Well, there is no obligation. And what’s the big deal, if I travel without her? The most I will have another lonely Valentine’s day in Hanoi. I always want her to be my best companion. No doubt, I’m controlling my spending lately.
5. I’ve made her cry. No amount of words can describe my feelings but to say “I am sorry.”.  (Drama?)
6. On the following day, our relationship seems to gain back the confidence with another session of sweet talking. Thank you. Oversea call; Amount spent US$14.00
7. Got interested with a book she has recommended to me. “The Key” written by Junichiro Tanizaki, and translated from Japanese by Howard Hibbett. I was on the verge of buying it, when the service counter replied “We don’t carry such book in our Border’s bookstore”. This has not deteriorated my enthusiasm for perusing this good book. Lucky enough, I borrowed it from the central library. Amount saved US$25.00
8. On the same day, I bought another 3 new books. Amount spent US$40.00. Namely,
   • “Lolita” written by Vladimir Nabokov. (Her dad read this book, so I’m curious what is in his crappy mind.)
   • “A Dead Hand” written by Paul Theroux. (A UK traveler introduced this author to me when I was in Cambodia last April, 2010)
   • “The Prostrate Years” written by Adrian Mole. (I love his diary-form writings, since my school days.)
9. Coincidentally, she told me she also bought another 9 new books. All Chinese, I’m poor in that language; I can’t read her books. I think that is still not a bad choice for me, at least not those 9 different colors of cosmetic make-ups. Amount saved US$150.00. (That’s my guess! And I did mentioned as “saved”.)
10. Last, but not least. I finally bought her a ticket to Hanoi. Nothing great, though, and its an effort done. The final ‘verdict’ is still on the exact day of my travel date. I love her. Amount spent US$130.00

Dentist Bill