I forgot to mention last time about the dashed lines, and what to do with them...
<!-----------------------leave this line------------------>
</MainOrArchivePage>
The dashed line will not appear on the web page, so I write myself personal "how to do" messages there. Like this... that way, I always know where to put stuff.
<!-----------this is where you insert the side bar code---->
And, don't forget to save a copy of the entire template after each
final alteration. Number them Blog1 Template-sidebar1, Blog4 Template-header2, Testing Template-footer3, etc. or whatever...so that you can return to any stage of the operation on any of your blogs, and pick up where you erred.
Here is a new bit of code: I use mail2web.com sometimes to pick up my mail, when my regular site cannot be accessed... here is the code to take you there from your blog page, and for anyone visiting your page to do the same...they would go to THEIR mail site... Make sure that if part of it shows up underlined? ...that you delete the underlining but not the script...join it up to make one line of script.
<br /><br <script src="http://gmodules.com/ig/ifr?url=http://services.mail2web.com/Gadgets/mail2web.xml&synd=open&w=320&h=230& ;title=mail2web.com&border=%23ffffff%7C3px%2C1 px+solid+%23999999&output=js"></script>
...pop it into your blog in the side bar...just above the following lines of script that show the blogger button
<br /><br <p id="powered-by"><a href="http://www.blogger.com"><img src="http://buttons.blogger.com/bloggerbutton1.gif" alt="Powered by Blogger" /></a></p>
<br /><br <p id="blogfeeds"><$BlogFeedsVertical$></p>