Friday August 28, 2010

Typecast Friday 28th 2010

Trust me I have been trying to put together something and it bugs me every day that it has gone on this long. This isn’t a typecast but just an update on life I guess. I finished school with A’s last semester. I have had the past two weeks off and have to go back this following Monday. This is why it has been bothering me so much. I have all this free time that I’m sure most of you would kill for and I can’t even manage a simple update. So I figured I owe it to Y’all, as they say there in Houston. I still haven’t got used to that whole Y’all thing. For me it is still “You Guys”

There were things that I procrastinated on doing that got done on my break at least. My latest project is actually two things. First off, Allies laptop died a few days ago. It was the dreaded finicky power cord. We already replaced it once about a year ago and now that the thing is going on six years it was time for something new. I have always loved Macintosh. For me the only Microsoft products that I like are Windows 3.1 and lovely DOS. I have used Microsoft machines growing up and found that anything past Windows 95 gets really clunky and slow. My father worked for Digital or DEC a computer company that was wonderful back in its hay day. Ever since I was born there was a computer in the house. Our first computer was the IBM 5170 built in 1986 that was actually the first computer to be labeled as the PC, personal computer. Growing up it was DOS games and games that ran with 3.1. Every other year they would give my father a laptop and when he got a new one he would generously give the old one to my brother and I.

So anyways, it is so easy to trail off when writing on the computer. Where was I? Oh, so I was looking for a Macintosh for Allie. The iBook seemed like a good choice but her current laptop didn’t do anything portable so then I thought what about one of those iMac G4’s, the ones that have the round base and swivel LCD. She has always wanted one so we found one on ebay and ordered it. I of course hunted and hunted to find the best one and I plan to max it out for her since it is older. The thing though about Macintosh machines is that they don’t slow down. My Macbook that I am using right not (with my Unicomp keyboard) is still fast as when I bought it. The only way that her laptop lasted as long as it did was because I put Ubuntu on it, a Linux operating system. (I would rather use Linux than Windoze any day of the week, but that’s just me.)

So my love of Macintosh computers and vintage macs brought me to a recent purchase of a Mac LC III built around 1991. This is the reason that I haven’t been seen these past few weeks and why sometimes I prefer the simplicity of the Typewriter. Computers, especially vintage computers can be so time consuming. But I plan to post an overview of some vintage Word Processors I have been working with sometime, hopefully soon. I have about eight or so Word Processors in the mix from Word 5.1 to Claris Works to Write Now to MacWrite, Word Perfect and a few others and many versions of each. All of these are available from a website called Macintosh Garden where they are free to download. I even found a copy of Adobe PS 4 on there that I enjoy.


So that’s what has been going on recently and maybe even some Dot Matrix Vintage Mac typecasts will appear in the near future. I have a whole bunch of ideas and just need to make the time to show them off. I better get cranking two because come to think of it, Nano is coming up right around the corner.

April 7, 2010

I'd Rather Be Writing

Simple Things

Written on: Olympia SM9

Skyriter Fly the Sky

I Really Need A Scanner

Back in action

Well Celebrated!

How was everyones typewriter day?  I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did.  I took my SM9 down to the pool and wrote for a while.  The wife decided to get a tan.  The office for the complex is right looking out to the pool.  I could feel people looking through the window of the door trying to figure me out.  I should have made a sign "Happy Typewriter Day" and stood it up on the table where the umbrella sits.  Then they wouldn't look so concerned.  

I had yesterday off and when it got to hot being under the Texas sun I went inside to continue.  I wrote for probably another four hours.  The Selectric is running like a dream.  I had to replace the ribbon, I always keep a spare ; )  Well I hope all of you had a wonderful day!

The Terra Cotta Warriors

Looks dangerous but its actually pretty sturdy.

(Duffy, its possible)

Alright I had no choice.  There is just not enough room for anything besides a typewriter stand or something equivalent.  My wife has the boxes filled with her stuff on each side and right behind the chair is the foot of the bed.  I am still on a hunt for one but in the mean time I found a little dinner table thing.  It works for now.  It was only 8 bucks at Walmart and I figured if it will help me for now then it's worth it.  It actually holds a Selectric just fine.  Its got a a pretty thick piece of wood on top and can support what I need so it's good.  Even using my SM9 and returning the carriage doesn't wobble it to much.  I am checking craigslist all the time and hopefully something will come up.  

I have been going on JuST Write and kind of switch it up hear and there.  I do find though lately I am making more and more excuses of things I need to do before I can sit down and write.  I got a bunch of books at the library and have been trying to balance everything out.  I rarely watch tv so it's really a dispute between writing, reading and going on the computer and everything else.  I feel as though I have a time limit on the books, I keep telling my self if I need more time I can just check them out again.  Does anyone have Fowlers modern english usage next to their work place?  I need to get that book.  

Thats the only one allowed to have your pic taken with.

The real ones are much bigger and taller.  Life Size

Yesterday I went to the Houston Museum Of Natural Science.  It was awesome.  We went and saw the Terra Cotta Warriors.  They were amazing, such detail went in to each soldier.  It really made me think of how at any time something could happen to us and what would be rediscovered thousands of years later.  I bet it wouldn't be as amazing as the Terra Cotta Warriors though.  

Also don't you all wish you could have a clock this big?  It isn't mechanical but it certainly isn't run by some microchip.  This thing was big.  If only I knew how to tell time on it.  

Holy Crap I JuST Need a Desk

I have been trying to keep up with Mike and the JuST WriMo here but my lack of desk is killing me. I have been still able to keep up my word count. Yesterday I needed a day to re-coop though. It drives me crazy sometimes knowing what you want to write in your head but fear the actual starting where you left off. Usually to overcome that I leave off at a part where I know I can pick right back up. Sometimes mid sentence. That way I have an easier time getting started again the next day. It leaves me with time to think and inspiration to keep chugging along. There is usually less of a chance for writers block the next day as well. I just now need to figure out the desk/table situation. After moving across the country I am left with little to no money and desk-less. I am wondering if a Walmart has a little Tv dinner table or something like that for cheap. My poor SM9 is hiding under the bed right now wondering what is going on. Fortunately the height of the Selectrics keys are just right. But because of it the SM9 has seen less use lately. Its keys are lower and I feel after ten minutes of writing like my wrist is going to fall off. But either way I look at it is a painful process. Sitting on the floor for a prolong period of times does a number on your hips. I am young and can handle it but damn. I should probably get back to work. No more slackin and seeing if there are any blog updates. I have almost 25 pages to my left of this story and need to make that pile a little bigger. What do ya say

JuSt Write going strong

Chuging away all day trying to get a good start on Mikes JuST Write. I seem to have a good idea of where I want to go with this story. I have noticed yesterday that they had closed the pool for our apartments. I can't believe it!! It's so nice to go down and get some good work done. There is a small rock waterfall. I just love having the background noise of rolling water. I seem to always have some kind of background noise. Especially when writing. I either have some kind of soft music going, the slight noise from the ceiling fan or the ticking of a clock. It all seems to keep me in both worlds. I am able to go into the characters world and feel like when I do finally come back to reality its the sound of the background noise that makes me keeps me relaxed and able to fall back and forth. Well I guess back to work before its time to hit the hay.