h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I have discovered one of the problems with being out of college: I no longer have an excuse to buy stationery. And this time of year the shops are full of wonderful refill pads and notebooks, softback, hardback, spiral bound. I wants them all!

TRiG.

Aah - the smell, the feel of a new notepad. They are very enticing. But who writes with pencil and paper these days?

Treat yourself to one small, nice moleskin pad to satisfy your urges.

But what to write in it?

I saw an idea for a diary the other day which seemed rather original, but ambitious. It is a five year diary (it was in a catalogue, and it was only a small picture, but it looked just like an ordinary exercise book.) The different part was that there were five pages dedicated to each date. You would write your journal for 1 January 2013 next to the page where you had written up 1 January 2012, etc.

Sounds like a good way to realise you're just treading on the spot. Or better still, to see how your life has improved over the year. In the first case, perhaps it would give you a nudge to get you to have tried to achieve something by the next 1st Jan!

I once saw a 2000 day-a-page diary. At least, that was what was written on the spine. It was in someone else's house, so I didn't dare look inside. I did start to wonder how cramped the writing must be to fit that many days on a page, and how many years the book would last, until I realised that it must have been a page for each day of the year 2000.

I think I was slightly disappointed with the realisation.


Geggs

I had one of those 5 year diaries when I was at school and completed it "religiously" for about 2.5 years when I lost it
it was really interesting to see how I had changed!

I had a five-year diary at school, and I still have it! One day per page, with five divisions. I think it was 1962-66 ... no, here it is, 1964-68.

[Reads]

Discovered that I wrote my Chimpanzee song on the 19th of October 1966.

http://www.wintemper.com/andrew/chimpanzee.mp3 -- recorded in 1972

That diary idea does sound rather fun. It would make it easy to compare notes, anyway. But I'm not disciplined enough to write a diary. I write thoughts, ideas for Toastmasters speeches or h2g2 entries, little notes to self, shopping lists (tear-out pages are good), jot down the titles of books that strangers I got talking to on the train recommended to me. That sort of thing.

And I use pen, not pencil. Ballpoint. Boring.

A moleskin pad might be nice, actually. I saw some lovely notebooks for sale in St George's Market in Belfast (Malabarista brought me there on the way to my bus, the day after we'd been hillwalking), with decorated covers and fantastic little clasps. But I couldn't buy them: they wouldn't put up with the abuse of being shoved in and out of bags. No. I just need a simple spiral-bound notebook. And I already have one I'm using, and a spare for when it runs out. I have no excuse to buy any more. I just want to.

TRiG.

Oh, good, it's not just me, then.

I actually have a *whole* *box* full of notebooks and pads already, from previous Septembers...
Not my fault if they make pretty books.
In fact, it would be a complete lack of respect for the producers to not buy any.
I think.

I always have a notebook or pad in my handbag, to jot down everything and anything.
I also have a pencil case, with pens (2, in case the first one doesn't work), a pencil, an eraser, usb memory sticks and camera memory cards. All in one place, so I'll be absolutely sure I lose them all at the same time!
Isn't that wonderful?!

In an earlier job, I used to order the stationery. I sort of miss doing it. We had the coolest stationery cupboard in the country back in that office. They'd order anything I suggested without quibbling unless it went over about £200 per month. So we had some really cool technical drawing equipment!

A boxful? I'm not quite that bad. But they are so pretty. I actually broke and bought a small notebook, pocket size. The one I already have is a little too large to fit in a pocket, so I do have a reason to buy it, you see. Really I do.

TRiG.

Well, it was either a new notebook or a new pair of trousers (with bigger pockets), so, yes of course, you have chosen the most sensible option.

Buying clothes is *far* less fun than buying stationery.

TRiG.

I guess it also depends on the clothes, and who you shop with.

Then of course, there's also the fact that no one ever asks their friends "does my bum look fat in this notebook?".

Notebooks. The little spiral-bound blue one with silver ferny things just disintegrated, shortly before it was full. I'm now using a little black moleskine-type one, but that doesn't make me stop wanting others...

My boss gave me a Moleskine notebook the other day, because he felt guilty about taking my job off me, I think. A5 sized and I nearly dribbled.

I'm notebookless at the minute. I really should carry one, because I just have a sheaf of papers bulging in every pocket and never find the right one at the right time.

And as if written with the last post in mind, this from the book of a course I'm doing:

"Always use a notebook, not loose pieces of paper. They just end up in the wrong order, get lost, and create stress."