Category: Work, work work

Between the San Franciso Writer’s Conference and my parents coming to town, I’ve got no time to blog. I’ll see you on Monday.

Even this weekend while I’m in Los Angeles it’s book, book, book. I owe my agent a first chapter by the end of the month. Between then and now, I’m giving two talks at the San Francisco Writers Conference and reviewing a book for the LA Times. My parents are also coming to town next weekend. It’s going to be a busy month.

Yesterday’s word count: 1,228

Pedant (noun): “a person who overemphasizes rules or minor details.”

Famous pedants throughout history: Lady Bracknell, Dean Wormer, Seymour Skinner.

Thought to be pedants but in the end were not: Professor Kingsfield.

So hey. Sorry I haven’t been around much these last few days. Finished up a book review for the Chronicle, working on another for the LA Times and trying to swim my way through the molasses that is the research for my next book. But things appear to be clearing up.

9:30 AM Go to martial arts class

11:30 AM Drive to Microsoft in Silicon Valley to have lunch with my friend Kristy.

2 PM Begin drive home.

2:15 Stop in nearby Starbucks to check email.

3 PM Continue trip home.

4 PM Arrive home to realize have left wallet at Starbucks.

6 PM Make whole trip again during rush hour traffic. Arrive at dinner with my friend Britton with about 3 minutes to spare.

8 PM Attend City Arts & Lectures with Britton to see Barbara Ehrenreich

10 PM Arrive home to realize have left cell phone on floor of theatre.

10:20 PM. Write this post arguing that I am the stupidest person on the face of the earth. Close computer and crawl into bed.

I was looking at this post on my friend Scott Andrew’s blog and wondering…

Has anyone tried Google Calendar? Has anyone switched from iCal to Google Calendar?

Pluses and Minuses, if you please.

“One ought, every day at least, to hear a little song, read a good poem, see a fine picture, and if it were possible, to speak a few reasonable words.” —Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (via The Writer’s Almanac).

I’ll be thinking some about personal productivity in the month of December, which I plan to take off before beginning 2006 and a whole new slate of post-Bookmark Now projects. During this time, I’ll be consulting the following data and panel of experts.

*A fantastic post at 43 Folders by my friend Scott Andrew called “Productivity for the Practcising Musician.” I couldn’t carry a tune in a pail but these tips apply to anyone who has both a day job and a second career as a creative professional.

*This dead on summary of productivity systems at Lifehacker. And sorry, there are no Top 10 lists, no thumbs up for magic tool sets that are perfect, just for you. No, the message is this (and I paraphrase): Find the system that works pretty well for you and is fun to use. And then work it. No system will work it for you.

*Keith Robinson’s excellent site To-Done contains essays on personal productivity that feel written by a human being rather than an organizational development coach. Probably helps that I know Keith, but To-Done always makes me feel like I’m learning with it instead of being lectured at by it.

Had a conversation with Derek Powazek last night. Seems there’s no work out there even for someone as talented as him. Jeez lord, show some mercy. Please.

There’s a weekend around here somewhere. I just know it.