So, you may have noticed that I haven't updated the blog in what, 5 days? If not, please continue to not notice, I'll feel better about it perhaps.
If you did notice, well... I was out of town for the weekend, and been having trouble writing anything I think is interesting. More accurately, I keep thinking of interesting things, but not while my computer is available and thus they get lost into my poor memory.
I'm writing this just fifteen minutes before a group meeting, and I'm a bit nervous. I've presented on some of this before, but not with the new computer and not with all this material about experimental data. But I've done what I can, so just writing here as a form of distraction.
Anyways, all I want to say here really is that I'm sad there were no updates since saturday, and if you check back in, you may see me add a little something to each of the missing days, just so there is something there. Right now I'm thinking of just writing about the wedding for sunday, and maybe a bit about the traveling for monday, and the rest I'll just play by ear. I have some various thoughts on money and savings, plus various books I've read that I'd like to write about, so I think it will all be filled, just may take a bit.
12 comments:
Isn't there also the post you've been gearing us up for?
In terms of remembering stuff to blog about (or stuff in general, as the case may be), the trick I use is to e-mail myself with a brief comment about what it is if I am in front of a computer or to write it on a handy napkin if I don't (and I know I'll have one of those around!).
On a couple of occasions, people have seen me writing stuff on napkins (including some short mathematical calculations, though more often things like the name of a song I want to download) and asked me if I wanted paper. But why would I want to use paper when I have napkins available?
Anyway, the serious version of the above is just to write yourself a short note when it comes to blog ideas that can't be implemented immediately.
"if I don't" --> "if I am not in front of one"
I noticed the lack of posts, but also knew about the out-of-town-ed-ness, so I figured it was forgivable.
Not immediately posting things, but leaving them either in open tabs or an email to myself is one of the only checks I have on myself when it comes to making blog posts, though perhaps it works too well. I let it stew for a day or two, and if I still think it blog-worthy, I might post it. A lot of good things end up just getting lost/forgotten this way, and a lot of other things don't get posted because they've been covered ad nauseum on Boingboing/Warrenellis//./etc by that point.
Eh.
Yeah, that post is still forthcoming. I forgot the camera when I went on the trip or I might have been able to get the images off it to do the post.
I get very frustrated with the paper/napkins solution as writing down what I was thinking about is so slow compared to the speed I'm thinking it at, that I lose track and get frustrated. Typing I at least come close enough to thought speed that it doesn't bother me as much.
I tend to write in a sort of shorthand on napkins. I can typically recover my thoughts with enough blows to the head. (If it's a snarky line I want to remember, then I will write down the whole thing, but usually it's not important to have it exactly.) I only make the stuff verbose when I am doing it for real. :) I do get frustrated when the napkin I'm using tears (or has soaked enough liquid that it's really hard to write on), but otherwise this seems to work well enough for me.
I suppose that there is a bit of an analogy with waiters taking orders, except that nobody needs to reconstuct what I write except for me.
I do the same trick Mason uses: I don't write actual sentances, just a series of single words that will later remind me what I was thinking of. Unlike Mason, however, I carry around an actual bound notebook; that way I never lose something written on a post-it that's fallen on the floor.
There's a great Pinback song called "AFK".
When I write notes to myself it's usually just a two or three word reminder. I sometimes carry around index cards for this purpose. (I hate writing on napkins, they tear too easily.)
I was puzzled on a visit awhile back by Mason's large and varied napkin collection! He is a man of many ideas, so needs many napkins... mystery solved.
Lidarose -- most of them are blank, so what does that tell us?
Mason -- :P
Lem: That there's lots of ideas yet to come? Or maybe there's a joke in there somewhere about writer's napkin (as opposed to writer's block), but if so it's not appearing to me.
Well, now the whole thing has become a meme, so I feel like my audience expects it of me.
The napkins that get used for notes are the ones when I am not at home. (When I am home, I can just go right to my computer.) So I suppose that the ones you see at home are just the dregs, ahtough (as I mentioned) I now feel that I am simply expected to keep a napkin collection in my home and office (I had one there too until I cleaned out my stuff).
More seriously: As for ideas, my current problem is a lack of time to write them rather than lack of ideas. I expect that this will always remain the problem, as besides the research papers I am working on (which tends to always be several simultaneously), I have several review and expository articles I want to write, a second non-academic book currently in progress, multiple textbooks and monographs I want to write (in each case, however, I plan to wait until after make a relevant set of lecture notes for classes), and so on. I haven't yet figured out what I want to do with my first novel, but I do intend to write one eventually.
Maybe I should have just autographed napkins instead of copies of my book?
I think Weird Al said it best: "I'll be mellow when I'm dead."
Or perhaps the blank napkins at home should just be viewed as tabula rosas?
I was thinking perhaps you had written in invisible ink... or were providing material for your guests to write their notes on...?
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