my bag & what’s missing (update)

I haven’t posted my bag for a while. I’ve got several new things since the last time…

New bag, new laptop, new notebooks, new phone BUT I’ve lost my favourite pen!!!

I had a Parker Urban and I lost it, then found it again last week and now I’ve lost it again! Anyway, I’m sure it will turn up (probably on my desk when I move something).

UPDATE: Found it!!!  It was in my suit pocket… no wonder I couldn’t find it!

So, what’s in your bag?

Headphonaught

I just had a great coffee (he had tea) and chat with Thomas aka headphonaught.  I’ve been reading Thomas’ blog for a while and we almost hooked up for coffee awhile back but it never quite happened.

Well, today was the day.  He’s got some great ideas and it was good to chat with someone who’s looking beyond the here and now.  I think there is much mileage in what we talked about and hope it can become a reality.  Watch this space.

Oh, and I smacked my head off a concrete beam.  It hurt.  A lot.  And it bled.  A bit.

In other news… I got a new bag.  My messenger bag is hurting my shoulder.

my new camera

At long last I’ve got my new camera.  Not the one I thought I’d get… they were all out of stock… but this one, a Fuji Finepix S5700.  And here is my first photo

what shoud I research?

If you read this blog regularly you’ll know I’m doing a masters in research.  I’ve come to the point where I need to decide what I’m going to research!

Any ideas?  I was thinking something to do with church youth work and technology use.  Would that be helpful?  Does anyone care?  What would be the point of knowing if and how churches use technology in their informal education with young people?

Any help gratefully received!!!

My laptop sucks!

My HP Pavilion laptop is dying… slowly.  Over the course of the 28 months I’ve had it I don’t think a single day has gone by without something going wrong with it.  It has been back for repair twice and is now out of warranty and very sick.

So… time for a MAC.  I haven’t used a Mac for years but have to say the reliability, the work straight out the box and the operating systems that actually work are a real draw but the biggest reason I’m switching is the capability to podcast, edit audio, make decent graphics and presentations.  All the things I find I’m doing more and more of in my work.

Tuesday is the big day when my HP piece of junk goes to the big recycling plant in the sky and a nice new Mac comes to stay.

Being organised

I’m still being pretty organised.  For those of you who missed the ‘clearing out and starting over’ kind of posts a few weeks ago, I’m having a go at being tidy and organised.

So far it’s not too bad, although I have a small pile of things that need either sticking back in my bag or in a file but that’s a job for work time.

The one thing I have added to my arsenal of tools is ‘Micro$oft OneNote’.  I’m liking it for some of my projects as it lets me collate different types of files and info on one page.  Handy for planning classes, training and stuff like that but also for bringing together large amounts of web stuff and PDFs gathered while researching.  Worth a look if you haven’t seen it and you can download it as a free trial.

I still haven’t quite got to grips with my paper notebook.  I’m a little scared to write in it I think!  I’ve divided it into sections and put tabs in and it looks great but I’m on page 2!  Maybe that’s the trick, only writing down what you really need to!

Wii

I know I’m way behind but I had my first chance to play with the Nintendo Wii today at Bryan’s.  We had a quick 9 holes of the Old Course at St Andrew’s as Tiger Woods (Bryan) and Retief Goosen (me) on Tiger Woods 08.  It is FANTASTIC!!!  I want one!!!  6 under par for 9 holes first time out.  I’m hooked!

the problem with productivity

As you may be aware I’m trying very hard to be ‘organised’ and ‘productive’.  Today I encountered my first snag.  It seems that just when you think you are sailing along on the river of Getting Things Done your Nokia N73 ’smart’ phone decides that it doesn’t want to talk to your laptop anymore.

I spent HOURS reinstalling the software, removing and updating drivers and even rolling back to an earlier restore point.  I gave up, went for dinner and when I came back I plugged my phone in and it synchronised.  AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

So, tomorrow I have a longer Task List because today was interrupted my technology.  I’m using paper!!!

day 2 of being organised

I don’t want ot speak too soon, after all I’m only on day 2 and these things should be taken a day at a time, but I seem to have a clear desk, things have been done and other things have been put in their rightful place.  I’ve ticked things off my To Do List and added more things.

I’m still a little unsure about how to use my notebook.  I like my iPAQ but it’s not great for writing notes on in meetings.  It’s brilliant for carrying papers and minutes and all that stuff but I need to use paper for taking notes.  I think I’ll split my notebook into sections for notes, projects, blogs ideas, dreams and ideas and an index at the back.

I have to admit this being organised thing feels kind of nice.

day 1 of being organised

Well… so far so good.  I now have a task list as long as my arm which is all synchronised with my phone and iPAQ (I think they will become significant tools in this battle!), a 3 tray file system, my stuff in files with labels and an almost clear desk.  I’ve been very productive this morning and seem to actually be ‘Getting Things Done’!

Next on the list is setting up my notebook (paper) so the stuff that goes in it is in some kind of format that allows me to update my Outlook easily.

Avril doubts my commitment to this new regime… we’ll see!  I’m liking it so far!