(Editor’s note: Despite the fact that I don’t particularly like this post, or find that its relavant, or think that its particularly well done, I need another entry to post for testing reasons so here goes nothing. Enjoy it, or not.)
For various reason I’ve been referred to as a geek, and I’d agree with this assessment most of the time: I’m really good with computers, I have lots of mobile technology equipment and experience, and I use technology to assist my productivity as much as possible. The odd thing is that in many senses I’m incredibly retro. The biggest testament to my retro hippness, is the fact that I do a lot of writing with a fountain pen on paper (mostly pre-writing and other short things when I’m out in the real world.) Being a fairly compulsive person, I like to keep things in some semblance of order and a number of various notebooks, and other collections of blank paper help me do this.
I’ve tried unlined sketch books (which would have been great had it not been book bound, thus disagreeing with my left-handedness and portability demands,) low grade wide ruled notebooks, high grade collage rule books, memo pads, tablets, and finally steno pads. My demands are fairly high. Spiral binding is required, I need to be able to fit a medium amount of stuff on a page and I need to be able to throw it into a bag with ease, the paper has to be smooth and absorbent so that it agrees with my pen(s), the notebook shouldn’t be that thick because I like to be able to fill up a notebook every so often so when there are about 5 million billion sheets I never feel like I’m accomplishing anything.
For a long time I’d been muddling through a notebook that wasn’t perfect but it did the job fairly well, and one day as I was walking through Wal-Mart looking for batteries or t-shirts I walked by the notebook isle and saw something that looked perfect: a baby-blue steno pad for 97 cents. I really should have thought of it sooner, but in any case I bought it and took it home. It worked perfectly and a few pages into it I started writing an entry about finally finding the perfect notebook. It was entitled The Perfect Notebook Bliss and in it I planned to celebrate finally finding a notebook that was as near to perfection as I could manage.
Then I went on a canoe trip. While my prized note book didn’t get nearly as wet as some of my other things, one bottom corner got wet and the ink bleed through a little. No big deal. I rescued some of the most badly disturbed pages and kept using it.
Only hours ago, I went for a longish walk and had a good time (sarcasm) while it rained and thundered on me for about an hour. I hoped that the combination of my bag, my speed, the distance and my ability to maneuver my way between the rain drops without an umbrella would protect me and my belongings from becoming drenched. It didn’t work and most of my stuff got a little wet. Thankfully it all dried out fairly quickly, but the thing about fountain pen ink is that it will run with abandon if it gets a little bit wet.
I’ve given up on that steno pad, it’s cursed, and the bottoms of the white sheets have dark bluish color and the lines have washed away. Thankfully I know now what the perfect notebook isÖalmost. For my next foray into the realm of blank paper, I’m looking for something that is spiral bound across the top, has medium to high quality paper, is fairly small both in height and length as well as depth, and if I can find one that is meant as a drawing or sketch pad (thus no lines), I may have finally found the perfect notebook. Bliss.