Category Archives: Nerd Misadventures

The Ghost of Winters Past

Adventures in Notebooking, Nerd Misadventures

I have a memory that haunts me.

It’s from when I was a child.  One morning after a particularly large snow storm my brother, my sister and I went out to play in the snow.

My sister got out her Strawberry Shortcake sled and began trying to sled around our largely flat yard.  She was very young and was undeterred by failure.

My brother, always serious yet productive, made several snowmen.  Like a sort of family of them.

I, odd and obsessive as always, began my usual hunt for large icicles.  I found a kingly specimen coming out of a rain gutter!

Eventually, my father came out with a camera.  He took pictures of his children playing in this idyllic New England winter scene.

Here’s where the trouble began.  First there was the picture of my cute little sister who was now being pulled on her sled by her friend from down the street.  Then came my brother’s snowmen.  By this point I was helping him attach good stick arms we had found in the woods across the street.  Finally it was time to take a picture of the weird child’s icicle collection.

My brother, ever the showman said, “Take a picture of me karate chopping them!”

“NO.” I screamed.

“Don’t worry, I’ll just pretend.”  he said to me.

“Ok” I said.

He didn’t pretend.  With all the enthusiasm of a young boy he broke them.

He screamed that it was an accident.  I screamed that it wasn’t.  I was devastated.  In my anger I pushed over all his snowmen.  He had spent a long time building them and I had even helped but a few seconds of anger and I had destroyed everything.

At that point we were punished and sent inside.

While Bob Ross played on PBS in the background, we stood at a window and watched our sister play with her friend while a day in a winter wonderland passed us by.

After we said our “sorries” and had some cocoa, we were allowed to go outside once again.

As soon as we went outside my brother went looking for icicles for me.  I went to rebuild some snowmen for him.

There were no more icicles to be found and the snow had changed.  No longer was it perfect “packin” snow.  Making snowmen was impossible.

As I knelt in the snow, with tears on my face, trying to mold slush into a happy snow family, I felt a feeling that haunts me to this day.  That feeling crushed me and I’d bet my brother felt something like it too because we both, simultaneously, went to the back yard and began taking turns pulling my sister around on her tiny sled while she squealed in delight.

I didn’t know then but I know now that that was my first taste of the destructive nature of anger.  The remorse and shame of regretted actions.

This memory haunts me.  Every time I see multiple snowmen, every time I see “kingly” icicles, this memory shows up to ruin me.

Or, at least, it used to.  It doesn’t anymore.  What changed?

Notebooking.

Our recent article about “Questions to ask yourself while Notebooking” has a couple points that I wrote because of this memory.  Specifically, “How would you like to remember this experience?” and “Summarize this memory in a way that puts it to rest.”

The power these two writing prompts have over your happiness cannot be understated.  I used to have a memory that made me sad when I ought to be happy.  Now I have a memory that reminds me of the terrible permanence and blinding momentum of actions taken in anger.

When I asked myself, “How would I like to remember this experience?” I had simply one word – happy.  It didn’t take me long after writing about this experience to realize that it had a happy ending.  My brother and I dragging my sister’s sled around our backyard while she delightedly screamed.  Then why did it bother me so much?  I believe it’s because when I think of this memory I can only focus on my angry mistake.  If there’s one thing Mr. Rogers taught me about mistakes it’s that we should learn from them.  So, what should I learn from this mistake?  That actions, once done, cannot be taken back.  They are permanent.

Now onto the last question (really more of a prompt, I suppose), “Summarize this memory in a way that puts it to rest.”  For me, I think the best way to put this to rest is to turn it into a silent promise.  A promise to try to avoid actions out of anger.  A promise to think of how much I care for people before I do or say something I’ll regret.  There are no take backs.

Now when I see these familiar winter scenes I’m not sad.  I’m reminded to love my loved ones and to cherish the time and memories made together.

Everyone has bad memories but, trust me on this dear reader, Notebooking can make some bad memories turn good!

And that’s powerful!

A Guide to People Watching

Adventures in Notebooking, Nerd Misadventures, Tips & Tricks

Many of you Notebookers I hear from tell me how much they love Notebooking in public places.  Not because of the unwanted attention it garners but because of the steady stream of stimuli.  Inevitably, when discussing the stream of stimuli, we turn to people watching.

People Watching

A touchy subject to be sure.  Is it the purview of creeps and “manic pixie dream girls?”  Is there a place for watching other people?

Maybe.  But first let me paint you a picture.

Notebooker #1.  There’s a person at a park.  Sitting at a bench writing in a notebook.  Occasionally, this person looks up.  There are children playing nearby.  Sometimes they squeal, sometimes our Notebooker looks up at the noise.  Our Notebooker continues writing.  At times, joggers jog by.  Notebooker #1 looks up at the impending footfalls, maybe even smiles if eye contact occurs.

Notebooker #2.  He’s sitting in the cafe area of a big bookstore chain.  He, too, is writing in a notebook.  He is mostly staring though.  The circle of empty space around him is slowly getting larger while he continues to stare.  Occasionally, while staring, he will slowly smile and write something.

DON’T BE LIKE NOTEBOOKER #2!

Now here’s the scary part.  It’s entirely possible that Notebooker #1 and Notebooker #2 are the same person.  On the same day.  From their perspective they are simply “people watching” so what’s the difference?  Maybe nothing.  Maybe social awareness.

What follows is a few rules and a few tips that will help us cultivate some social awareness, even when in the throws of Notebooking ecstasy.  And hopefully help us to avoid being like Notebooker #2.

 

 Rule #1  Be Polite

The world would be a vastly better place if we all simply behaved like a house guest when in public.  If you want to be creepy and gross, do it at home.  When you leave your home, you are a guest of the public.  Act accordingly.

 

Rule #2 Be Kind

If you’re people watching it is important to remember that the people you’re watching are people first and muses a distant second.  Being a kind Notebooker goes beyond helping someone up if they fall (although obviously do that).  Being a kind Notebooker also means writing nice things about people.  People are complex creatures that have both good and bad in their make up.  By focusing on the good your writing will be more positive, you will be in a better mood, and you will avoid complaining.  Remember that complaining is just a short step away from the toxic whining.  NO WHINING!

 

Rule #3 Don’t Judge

Everyone has had a bad day.  All of us have been in bad moods.

As a corollary to Rule #2, when you see someone having a bad day or in a bad mood, get down from your high horse and remember that it could be you having a rough go of it.

 

And now for some  tips…

  1. Don’t Stare  It’s rude and creepy.  This point might not need reiterating but it’s always worth reminding.  If any of your Notebooking goes something like, “Everyone here seems uncomfortable and standoff-ish.”  LEAVE!  You are staring.
  2. Try a Prop  Writing in a Notebook while staring people is bad.  Writing in a Notebook while another book is laid out in front of you is unremarkable.  It’s basically note taking.  A glass of wine or whiskey might make it look like you’re one of those pretentious people who take notes on what they drink.  I am one of those pretentious people who take notes on my coffee and my whiskey.  I can confirm that when I do this most seem to disregard me.  Bonus:  you get to enjoy a tasty beverage!  There are other props that might work aside from those but they tend to go downhill fast.  Props that don’t work include:  balloon animals, a series of vials filled with bubbling liquids, blueprints to someone’s house.
  3. Listen to Something  Don’t be a jerk, use earbuds or headphones.  If you’re listening to music, an audio book or a podcast, then writing notes in a Notebook is fine.
  4. Don’t JUST People watch  A Notebooker no doubt has their Content List ready to help them write.  You probably have a handful of Writing Prompts at the ready.  If you’re somewhere that people watching is possible then you’re somewhere that, inevitably, has more out there to write about too.  Don’t miss out on the world because you were writing about a jogger’s shoes!
  5. Look for Insight  Ask yourself why you’re people watching.  Is it because it makes you feel above the “little people?”  Is it to “watch the puppets dance?”  Is it to appreciate the depth and variety of people on this planet in an effort to broaden your capacity for empathy?  If you know why you’re people watching you should know if  it’s a good idea.

If all this seems like a lot to do just to people watch, you’re right.  Personally, I never found the writing I yield from people watching to be worth the effort.  So the next time you go forth and write about strangers, do yourself a favor and honestly assess what you wrote.  You can probably write much better than that.

My advice is:  don’t bother.  But if you must, then do it right.

 

Let’s talk about the Dinosaur in the room

Adventures in Notebooking, Nerd Misadventures, Tips & Tricks

Scratch pads.  An ancient and forgotten technology.  Once the steadfast partner of the wall-mounted kitchen land-line.  Scratch pads, I’m afraid, have all but disappeared.

For those of you who don’t remember them allow me to explain.  Back in the days when phones stayed put you could often find a small, seemingly decorative pad of paper next to them.  This was where you would write a grocery list.  If someone called you and you wanted to call them back, you would need to write their phone number down.  Here was where you did it.  Caller ID hadn’t “happened” yet.

So, why are we talking about the extinct scratch pad?  Because the scratch pad’s absence from our lives creates a landscape of thin ice on which a Notebooker must tread.

There are times when we, as Notebookers, need to write things down so we don’t forget them.  As we’ve talked about before, we advocate writing these things anywhere EXCEPT your Notebook.  The reason being that no grocery list or doctor’s appointment is well written enough to keep for posterity.  This is the perfect use for a Spartan, as a sort of filter or shield for your Notebook. But, what if you don’t have your Spartan on you? (shame on you) What if all you have is your Notebook?

Then, my friend, it is time to break some rules!

Don’t despair.  So long as we’re here, let’s go over a couple of reasons why this isn’t the end of the world (and one reason why it might be).

First and foremost writing things in your Notebook that are best left to a scratch pad tends to lower your Notebook a peg or two on the “supercilious” scale.  You might not need this, but you might.  It is an unfortunate tendency that all people have to elevate their writing to a revered level.  A lot of bad things happen when we do this but the main thing is that we start to take ourselves too seriously (seemingly an epidemic these days).  This is not only inexcusable but it also leads to bad writing.  Personally, I prefer to use goofy humor to keep things light in my Notebooks but a chili recipe followed by an urgent reminder to buy toilet paper does that job really well.

A funny thing can happen when you use your Notebook as a scratch pad.  Very occasionally you will find it has become a Written Souvenir.  A Written Souvenir is an incredible yet simple thing that will happen if you try and occasionally when you don’t try.  Let me explain, some time ago I spent an evening with some friends.  The evening was seemingly normal.  We were all at Dave and Katrina’s house.  Dave seemed out of sorts and there was a nervous energy in the air.  As the evening wore on we got hungry.  Dave announced that we should order Chinese food from Katrina’s favorite place.  Since there were no scratch pads (damn you progress!) we all wrote our orders in my Notebook.  After we ate Dave got down on one knee into the “half-begging position” and got engaged to Katrina.  Dave later explained that in lieu of fancy restaurants and tall buildings, all Katrina wanted was her close friends present and a full happy belly.  I immediately wrote in my Notebook, “The night Dave and Katrina got engaged they first dined at home with friends (I listed all of us) on China Hut Mongolian Feast II.

I knew then that this Chinese food order had become a Written Souvenir.  I even toyed with tearing the page out and including it in my wedding card to them (If you’re wondering, I got them a 4 foot tall pepper mill because I am either the best or worst gift giver of all time!).

The danger with allowing yourself to use your Notebook as a scratch pad is that it is a slippery slope that can end with carrying around a scratch pad that looks like a notebook.  The best policy here is to try to avoid it, realize that some scratch pad utility is inevitable, and be open to the possibility of its benefits.

 

No, I Don’t Have Too Many Notebooks!

Adventures in Notebooking, Nerd Misadventures, Notebooks, Reviews

Unless you’re very new to Notebooking, you probably have a stash of empty notebooks somewhere.  Don’t feel bad about it, we all have them.  In fact, it’s very practical.  It simply wouldn’t do to finish a notebook and have to wait for the next one to come in the mail.

But, how about a few of them?  Maybe you have a shoe box or a shelf full of them.  Is this bad?

Of course not.

Because of our Notebooking Method I never have to worry that I won’t get to a notebook in my collection1.  In fact, having a collection is a bit encouraging, empowering even.  I find great comfort in knowing that I can finish a notebook with reckless abandon because as soon as I’m done I get to choose a new one.

Comfort isn’t the only reason for keeping a collection, however.  There are practical reasons as well.  The most important, as I see it, is the notebook dud.  A notebook dud is when you go to your collection, pull out a notebook you were excited about only to realize after a bit of writing that the notebook is bad.  Maybe the paper quality isn’t what you thought it would be.  Maybe it doesn’t play nice with your current favorite pen.  What if you’re a quarter of the way through a notebook only to have the binding fall apart on you (Moleskine!)?  If that’s your only notebook or only brand of notebook then, buddy, you’re out of luck.

Another reason to have a variety of notebooks in your collection is to help you better discover what you like.  There was a time when I insisted that any notebook I had must be Pocket size (A6).  This made sense since I carried my notebooks in my back pocket.  Then I changed jobs.  All of a sudden I couldn’t jot down notes at work and I ended up only Notebooking at home.  Eventually, a company I really like (Blackwing) started making notebooks but only in Steno size (A5).  Thanks to a gift card, I finally caved and bought their A5 offering (Blackwing Slate).  I’m glad I did.  Steno size (A5) is my new favorite format for Notebooking!  I would have never tried them if it wasn’t for having a collection2.

While we’re on the subject of having a lot of different notebooks, let’s talk about filling out your collection (as if any Notebooker needs a reason to buy more notebooks!)

As far as size is concerned, it simply makes sense to have notebooks in every size you use.  For me, that means passport size, Pocket size (A6), and Steno size (A5).  I have tried a few Letter size (A4) but they haven’t “grabbed me” yet3 but someday they might be just the thing.  Having a wide range of sizes means more situations where you can Notebook, and that’s almost always good.

Speaking of variety, let’s talk about binding.  The most common binding by far is sewn hard-cover.  That makes sense because it tends to be most durable.  That said, if you are someone who likes to keep your Notebook in your back pocket then hardcover can become uncomfortable.  This is where soft cover Pocket size and passport style really shine.

Another consideration when building your collection is ruling.  This is especially true if you’re new to Notebooking and are not yet sure what works best for you.  That said, I’ve been Notebooking for years and I still like to mix it up every now and then.  In addition to ruling style (ruled, grid, dot or blank), size might play into it as well.  For example, I have small handwriting so I could use almost any size but I’ve found that any ruling sub-5mm to be so small that it stifles my writing flow.

Then there’s paper quality.  It’s true that you could only collect notebooks that have good paper and never worry about it.  The difficulty here is that while there ARE grading systems for paper thickness (or “weight” to be more exact), there are no such systems to measure things like tooth (the comparative roughness of a paper) nor how fast a paper absorbs ink.  My only advice here is to find a ballpoint pen you like since I have yet to find a paper that a good ballpoint pen won’t work well on (the best being the Fisher Space Pen).

If all these options feel a bit paralyzing, don’t worry.  Let me assure you, no matter how many notebooks you have tried there will always be the one that piques your curiosity.  Might as well enjoy the ride!  Enjoy building your collection, enjoy trying them out, and especially enjoy perusing your collection every once in a while.  You’re not a hoarder but a connoisseur.

Ideas, not rules, about Notebooking in public

Adventures in Notebooking, Nerd Misadventures, Tips & Tricks

Notebooking in public is a bit of an issue for me.  I love all the varying stimuli and I adore the hunt for a great spot to Notebook.  The problem, for me, is two-fold.

I don’t want to seem like a crazy person who is having a quiet yet feverish “episode.”  I, also, don’t want to be the guy who brings out a notebook only to have people begin whispering, “Where’s his man-bun and ill attempted beard?” “Where’s his chunky bracelet and thumb ring?”

Maybe I’m being self-conscious.  Maybe everyone is awash with the light of their smart devices and doesn’t even know I’m there.  Unfortunately, I have evidence to the contrary.  Allow me to explain:

Thinking that there were 2 pitfalls to avoid, let’s call them “Quiet psychotic episode” and “Man-bun poet,” I decided to attempt to strike a new image of the Notebooker.  The Notebooker is not scary like “Quiet psychotic episode” nor cringe-y and off-putting like “Man-bun poet.”

With these 2 stereotypes to avoid, I, as if using a checklist, attempted 2 things: 1.)  Since Notebooking is fun and writing humor is VERY fun, I would laugh more while writing.  2.)  In an attempt to subvert my perceived expectation that feverishly writing in a notebook is scary, I decided to actively open up my posture.  Spread out my body and belongings thus making me less scary and more approachable.

In what should have been obvious to me before my ill fated attempt, I was now a new stereotype.  I was the crazy person cackling to himself while taking up a rude amount of space!

So I did what I always do when faced with a social dilemma.  I talked to friends and I observed people.  After a time, I found what seems to work.

I stand before you, dear reader, with a contrite heart and a half-empty notebook to offer a few ideas.  Not rules!  I think I gave up that right when I invented a whole new way to be obnoxious in public.  What follows are just some ideas.  Ideas that have worked for me since that embarrassing day:

  • Don’t laugh at what you wrote  Seriously, I cannot state this enough.  Cackling at what you wrote will clear the room!
  • Keep your body language open  Try to keep your posture more “affable/approachable” and less “crazy person scribbling”  This is easier than you might think.  Warning:  This tends to cause people to approach you, more on that later.
  • Look up often  If you’re waiting at the DMV or something similar, look up often.  You don’t want to miss your turn1.
  • Find a good spot  Try to find a spot where someone won’t be looking over your shoulder.  It may happen anyway.  It does to me.  When I have a notebook out people tend to find reasons to sit next to me.  Not only is this distracting but, trust me when I tell you, the person who looks over your shoulder while you write isn’t one you want to be around.  A little bit of looking around really helps.
  • Don’t take up a rude amount of space  It’s easy to forget you’re in public when in the throws of creativity.  Don’t be that person.  I was that person and I’m still cringing.
  • When someone talks to you  If/when someone talks to you (particularly about your writing) be friendly and polite yet brief.
  • Be aware of your surroundings  And finally, pay attention to what’s going on around you and keep an open mind and page.  You never know when the next interesting to write about will happen.

Why I want to love Moleskine, but can’t

Adventures in Notebooking, Nerd Misadventures, Notebooks, Reviews

Like many people, I first discovered Moleskine notebooks years ago in a bookstore.  After reading the propaganda on the back, I believed that buying the notebook would turn me into the next Hemingway.  It didn’t, but I won’t begrudge a company for having good marketing.

It was, however, a very nice notebook.  By the end, it was still in good shape so I bought another.  That next one was terrible.  The binding split in a week and the cover began to de-laminate in a month.  The paper would bleed and show through with a G2 1

I tried to hang on to that thing 2 but eventually gave up in disgust.  What’s worse, they were the only game in town so to speak.  I wanted to give up notebooking.  In fact, I kind of did for a while.  Some time later the same thing happened only this time with their passport-style notebooks.

After some research I discovered the problem.  Inconsistent sourcing.  You never know what you’re going to get.  I suspect they don’t care since their marketing is good enough to get their notebooks sold anyway.

At this point every name brand notebook I’ve tried is at least as good as Moleskine at their best and often has better features to boot!

All this to say, I want to like Moleskine.  I want them to be high quality.  I, even, want their “history” to be factual.  I want all these things but to paraphrase a rock star with scary lips, “I can’t always get what I want.”

 

Don’t Force It!

Adventures in Notebooking, Filling Your Notebook, Nerd Misadventures, Tips & Tricks

The act of writing in a notebook is enjoyable.  Embracing the analog, eschewing the digital.  I find the very act of putting pencil (or pen) to page calming and it brightens my day and disposition.  In fact, studies have shown the act of writing on a page to dump dopamine all over your grey noodle.  But what about those days when your words simply won’t flow?

I’m glad you asked!  While I hesitate to call is something so dramatic as “writer’s block” every Notebooker knows the frustration of not being able to think of anything to write.  Maybe no Content List item nor writing prompt is capturing your imagination.  What if nothing is coming out right?  Perhaps there’s some stress or anxiety in your mood that is preventing you from writing, thus preventing you from reaping the calming benefits of some graphite therapy (or ink therapy)!

I have been known to find myself in this exact situation while attempting to write for this humble blog!  Here’s a few things that have been known to work for me:

  1. Look back at what you’ve already written  Often, I find that looking back on previous entries will get my writing going.  Sometimes looking back will create new thoughts or insights on an earlier topic.  Other times looking back will create a new idea to write about seemingly out of nowhere.
  2. Pen/pencil testing  Trying out a new writing implement (or an old one), seeing how it does on different papers or even just enjoying the act of writing can help loosen my mind up a bit.
  3. Handwriting practice  Whether you are learning Spencerian script, Copperplate or simply slowing down and paying attention to how you write, handwriting practice can offer much of the quiet pleasure of writing while taking the pressure of “what to write” off of you.
  4. Take a break.  Give up for the time being.  Whether an hour or a day or a week, stepping away for a bit can help you to come back later with renewed fervor.  That said, it’s the hardest for me to do.  I’d like to say it’s because it seems unfair that the thing that relaxes me is causing me stress.  I’d like to say it’s because taking a break isn’t effective.  It is, though.  Unfortunately, the reason taking a break is so hard for me to do is that I am needlessly stubborn at times.
  5. Write a letter  This one’s weird but, boy howdy, it works!  I like to keep vintage post cards in the pocket of my notebooks (A5 at least, obviously).  Even if you don’t have stationary on hand just write a letter to someone, then copy it to some stationary later.  Unfortunately, I don’t have many pen-pals I correspond with.  Fortunately, I am exactly the type of person who will send unsolicited post cards to nearly anyone who’s address I have.  This is really fun and I highly recommend it1!

When you find yourself in the unenviable position of not writing when you want to write, I hope these help.  If they don’t, go have a snack!

No bullwhips please

Adventures in Notebooking, Nerd Misadventures

When I was younger I saw the Indiana Jones movies.  Like many of my generation, it left an indelible mark on me.  One of the most lasting memories I have of the third film was the notebook.  In my mind’s eye, it was stuffed with all sorts of cool stuff.  It had fold out maps and pages.  It had all sorts of odd things stuck in the pages1.  I wanted one.  I wanted my own that was filled with my own cool stuff.  In retrospect, it’s what led me to buy my first Moleskine at a bookstore.  That desire is also what led me to fail utterly in filling it but that’s beside the point.  Now, years later, not only can you get all manner of leather notebooks online and there are even websites devoted to people’s notebooks that are just filled with dynamic looking ephemera strewn throughout.

Here’s the problem.  Those notebooks are a lie.

You might be thinking, “I could do one!  It could be a travel journal and I’d record all the cool places I’ve gone and fill it with souvenirs from my Hemingway-esque travels!”  I don’t know what your travel budget is like but if it’s like a normal person’s, it would take you a LONG time to fill.  Not to mention that, at least when I travel, it’s not all champagne and bullfights.

I’m not saying you can’t go make a notebook look like that, you could.  It might even be fun.  Lot’s of people do it.  It’s called scrap booking and I understand that it was very popular 10 years ago.

So, what to do?  Should you stick stuff in your notebook?  What’s a Notebooker to do?  Well, binding issues not withstanding, its simple, when in doubt be genuine.  That thing you want to put in your notebook, why do you want it there?

Because it would make your notebook look cooler?  Meh.

Because it means something significant to you and puts you in a good frame of mind?  Go for it!

Are you putting something in your notebook because you’re in the mood to put something into your notebook? That’s disingenuous.  Don’t do that.

So…

Movie ticket stub? Meh.

Cigar band from the cigar you had the night you realized you were in love?  Yes!

Sticker with the quote about the tides?  That’s scrap booking.

 

Oh my aching back!

Adventures in Notebooking, Nerd Misadventures

I roast my own coffee as a hobby.  It sounds complicated, and in some ways it is, but if you can make popcorn without burning it then you could roast coffee too1.  If, however, you want to get good at roasting you need to control some variables.  Between coffee bean type, roast level, degassing times and brewing methods it would behoove you to take notes.  This is the story of these notes.

As I sit here and, using my favorite pencil, scratch out this story I am uncomfortable.  My back hurts, my hands feel trembly and my poor lactose intolerant tummy is full of pizza.

This all started because I wanted my coffee roasting to be good enough to supply gifts of coffee to friends and loved ones.  In order to roast some truly great coffee, I would have to do what I do best…Get systematic!

I began by keeping a roasting log.  I recorded what I roasted, how I roasted it, when I roasted it, how I brewed it and how it tasted.  I got a pretty good idea of what I was after and how to get it2.

Then I had a radical thought, “What if I suck at this?”  It was time to go back to the “Big boys.”  And by “Big boys” I mean local cafes known for their coffee.  So, like a pilgrim, I went.  Notebook in hand and tasting notes to follow.  Turns out I did pretty good.  My coffee was better, or at least closer to what I wanted in a cup-o-mud.

Next, it was time to challenge the mighty throne of the “Big, big boys” and hit a popular cafe chain to see what all the fuss was about.  Well, their coffee was crap.  Not a huge surprise there, but it was reassuring.  It should have been obvious.  My coffee was fresher and I was using better beans.  Hell, my bean suppliers won’t even sell something as crappy as “Mermaid logo coffee”3 because those grades of coffees are usually so caked with mold they have to use a pickaxe to break it up! But, I digress.

So my coffee was good.  Good enough to gift with confidence.  That could’ve been the end of the story.  It probably should have been.

But, of course, it wasn’t.  Remember when I said that I was systematic?  Good because here we go again!

I didn’t stop at “Coffee place with pretentious nomenclature”, I went to doughnut shops too.  While there, taking notes on yet another sub par cuppa Java, I had a doughnut.  I liked it.  A lot!  And yet I seem to remember having better in the past. 

I bet you, dear reader, can guess what happened next.

Now that I had a Doughnut Tasting Log I took it upon myself to seek out the tiny mom and pop shops in search of the perfect Glazed4!  At one such “doughnut hole in the wall” I witnessed what appeared to be a reunion among elderly military veterans.  This made me happy so I paid attention.  One of these veterans, let’s call him “Suspenders”, had a birthday coming up in a week.  Taking this as a Notebooking related excuse for more “Round Gold” (doughnuts) I determined that it would be rude to Suspenders if I wasn’t in attendance.

I’m happy to say that witnessing an elderly birthday celebration in a doughnut shop at 7:30 in the morning is a simple and pure pleasure I won’t soon forget.  I’m less happy to say that I apparently look “young enough to know how to work a camera.”

After snapping a few photos and listening to what is wrong with young people these days, I was invited to meet my new friends at the same place and same time (7:30am!) tomorrow.

It must be said that I genuinely like these people.  They’re charming, fast with a joke and constantly laughing.  And so despite enjoying sleep, I, along with Suspenders, Petey, Eleanor, John, Jon, Millie and “The lady missing a few teeth” 5, have become a member of the “Old Farts’ Club” (their name, not mine) and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

So, why does my back hurt?  Well, “The lady missing a few teeth” (let’s call her Patty since that’s her name), who is full of piss and vinegar and insulin, was in a “bit of a pickle.”

An inkling of decency and a longing for brevity prevents me from going into details but suffice to say, I helped her move today.

So when you think to yourself that you want your notebook to be ever changing and evolving or when you think to yourself that you want Notebooking to be a portal to adventure, remember this:

A promise of bad pizza and ailing backs are not part of coffee roasting!

Be careful what you wish for!