@ Dreamsescape...I don't have time to read the forums about WP issues. If WP has service issues, it is their responsibility to publish a post asking folks to be patient about response times and why and if it's an ongoing issue, to keep folks posted. I do not recall any such posting in my subscription about it,. If such a post were published, my apologies for being impatient. Considering the last time I had need of support service was more than a year ago and have always got an answer within four hours, I'd say I wasn't unreasonable at all. Please remember that this is the ONLY avenue to raise any issue that I can find on the site any more. Were there an email address, (which there used to be) that's where I would have made this remark because I feel that a staff's ear is the only useful place to reflect when I dislike how WP is doing about something. If they would like to hear issues privately, then they'll publish an email...and I think it would behoove everyone to remember that all users have a right to express an opinion regarding customer service.
That said, now I know their service issue and that the problem I originally posted about hasn't just landed in some responseless void as I'd find with other blogging sites, I'm more than content to not see my stats properly for a few weeks if need be. I just need to know that eventually someone will do something about the issue. Thank you for illuminating the time issue at least even if you've no information about why widgets on home page aren't functioning properly.
@ timethief, Thank you so much for replying. I'll certainly take a look at the link and reply there if appropriate. Blessings to you both!