Monthly Archives: July 2006

GTD, Part 1

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OK, SWMBO and I spent the day going through crap we’d saved and squirreled away where we’d be sure we had it. Only we couldn’t find it. I’m not so sure we can now, because it all has a place.

Things learned:

  • We had plenty of buckets to store stuff, due to neglect, the buckets filled and overflowed.
  • Never, never just stash something to get it out of sight.
  • We departed from the book’s advice not to use Pendaflex files. We had a good supply if them, and it seemed pointless to waste them.
  • Every Pendaflex is populated by one or more properly labeled manila folders.
  • By all means, invest in a Brother label printer. One that does not depend exclusively on a computer to operate.
  • I didn’t need a $15.00 book to accomplish what we did today. What happened here today was an old-fashioned dunging out.
  • My inbox is now populated with stuff I’ve accumulated, usually to capture contact info, an URL, and such-like.

    • We broke stride with the book in other aspects as well, in that a lot of items were processed (usually via shredding) on the spot. There are two smallish bookcases to conquer tomorrow. After that, what passes for my upstairs office, which will result in another dunging-out. I’m glad the trash guys come by twice weekly.

    -k-

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    Good time to take Vacation

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    I think I previously mentioned that SWMBO and I are taking this coming week off, to accomplish domestic chores, and generally chill out.

    For reasons manifestly unclear to me, she just checked her office web mail, to find out that 40 desktop computer systems and monitors that were destined to be delivered to field offices, have all been mistakenly delivered to her office, where they are now filling the reception area.

    I haven’t heard her laugh like this in a long time.

    -k-

    Update: She replied to the mail-o-gram, expressing her distress at not being there to help. She’s still laughing.

    Moleskine’d

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    I guess you’re really are on the GTD bandwagon when you purchase your first Moleskine. I went to the bookstore the other day to enhance my Ruby library, and picked up a moleskine on a whim, whilst waiting in the checkout line.

    I must admit the hype surrounding these things is seductive, the craftsmanship is great, and they were used by Hemingway. After getting it home, I submit the following:

  • The thing is too pristine. How do you properly write “buy cat food” in such an opulent book?
  • It is not reconfigurable. What you write is where it is, period.
  • At $14.95 per each, not something I want to make random doodles in.
  • The price and general opulence of the thing simply put me off.
  • Anyone who has read this old blog knows by now, that I’m no Hemingway.

    • So it’s the Hipster PDA for me. The moleskine has been passed on to SWMBO, as a birthday stocking stuffer. She writes a longhand journal, and will get much more use of it than I will.

    -k-
    Update: I’ll buy SWMBO another moleskine, if she digs it, and wants another. Moleskines have no place in my current mode of operation. Unless, of course, I become a Hemingway :)

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    Three Angels

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    July 30 is a day of some historical happenings here at Casa tbbs; some happy, some sad, and some just cute.

    Firstly, SWMBO celebrates a birthday of some numerical significance, in that the least significant digit in her age is zero. I’ll leave as an exercise what the most significant digit is; I will, by way of providing a clue, mention that Harry Truman was president when the most significant digit was zero. If she reads this and neither kills me nor lapses into permanently giving me the stink eye, I’ll be amazed. I love her, and any rough spots we’ve had along the way are more than amply offset by all the laughs and good times we’ve shared.

    Secondly, my mother passed away on this date in 1999. She lost her battle with cancer, and died peacefully at home; I was there, and by happenstance, a carload of her sisters and brothers showed up about 9:30 on the day she died. They were with her as well. Mom was a brave little lady, she wanted to die at home, and wanted to take no extraordinary measures to prolong her life. I couldn’t ask for a better plan than that. SWMBO and I had been there for almost a month before mom was called home.

    Lastly, and by no means least, Happy Birthday wishes to Miss Emily Slusher, the firstborn of James of Chair and Automan fame. She’s four today, and still cute as a bug’s ear. According to James, her quote of the day was:

    I’m not a child anymore.

    One word of advice, from an old man: Stay a child as long as they’ll let ya’. At least, try not to lose that childlike sense of wonder.

    -k-

    A Song from the Acidman

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    I’d volunteered some excess tbbs bandwidth to host some of the late Acidman’s songs. There were plenty of volunteers, and my offer of bandwidth still stands for whatever tributes his family, friends, and loyal minions see fit to organize.

    In the interim, I’ll try my first embedded audio in a post, and leave you with some pickin’ and singin’ from Rob Smith, the Acidman his own self; this one is entitled My Door is Always Open:

    -k-

    H/T: James, at The Chair and Automan, from whom I stole the “embed” stuff he used in his first embedded video post at his place.

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    Rolling Away

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    Anheuser-Busch, having purchased the Rolling Rock Brewery, has seen fit to close the RR brewery in Latrobe PA, and move its operations to Newark NJ.

    Another icon and tradition is no more.

    -k-

    Update: More detail here. This little snippet was particularly poignant:

    For the 61-year-old Dobies, it means an end to 42 years working at the only job he has ever known.

    Wearing a City Brewing hat, he held a Rolling Rock hat in one hand and an empty beer bottle in the other as he walked out of the No. 1 door to sign his retirement papers.

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    Anticipation

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    I got home after the mailman made his rounds today. In the door was USPS Form 3849 (rev. 11/99) about a “Large Envelope, magazine, catalog, etc.”, which they couldn’t deliver today. The “insured” line was checked, along with an indication that I can pick up the parcel tomorrow after 10 AM.

    As near as I can determine, this has to be the shipment of the new Siderunners CD and t-shirt.

    So, I’ll be rolling out early tomorrow, for a weekend at least, and am looking forward to the tunage on the new CD. And stylin’ my new tee.

    The songs are, according to Failed Experiment Records:

    Track Listing:
    01. Somethin’s Burnin’ (MP3)
    02. Kick In The Caboose
    03. Due South
    04. Kansas City Weekend
    05. You’ll Be The Death Of Me
    06. Countin’ Threes
    07. Halo To A Noose
    08. Sweet Leaf
    09. Sabbath Country Sabbath

    There are a lot of songs from Ain’t Inventin’ the Wheel, but these are acoustic versions, and I’m looking forward to listening to the whole lot of them. And guzzling a beer or two. And repeating the experience. Review to follow.

    -k-

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    GTR to GTD

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    On my way home today, I bought Getting Things Done. I was rolling along nicely reading, then SWMBO came home, and we talked awhile. It was then time to apply the ice to my recalcitrant foot, and I read some more. I skimmed ahead a bunch after that.

    GTD is one of those books that I wish I could instantly absorb and implement. I’ve spent hundreds, if not thousands, in trying to manage all the crap associated with the logistics of my life. I got as many good ideas in the 70 pages of GTD I’ve read and skimmed, than any do-it-this-way-or-die-and-by-the-way-we-sell-supplies outfit I’ve previously encountered.

    So, my first step remains to GTR (Get Things Read).

    -k-

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    Happy Sysadmin Day!

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    SysAdminDay It’s great having a job title that has an appreciation day. I was supposed to have the day off, but went in for a half-day to finish work with a vendor, and complete my exposure to one of their products. I’m glad I did, both for the knowledge transferred, and the Krispy Kremes that were on-hand in abundance.

    So if you are a sysadmin, greetings of the day to you. If you know a sysadmin, give ‘em a hug, and buy ‘em a beer. Not necessarily in that order.

    -k-

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