Notebooks

A post by Persnickety_Jen over at Five Red Pens got me thinking about writing notebooks/journals. Pop over and read it. I'll wait.

la la la la la la la la la

Okay. Back?


I've always loved the idea of keeping a journal/notebook and have even bought dozens over the years. Unfortunately, I throw them on the shelf and they sit there and collect dust. I just feel I've never been a notebook writer, as much as I'd like to be. I have to be in front of a keyboard to be productive. I still carry a moleskin journal but hardly ever use it.

If I think of something during the day I just try to remember it so I can put in my desktop folder of Ideas. Or sometimes I even put a note in my phone's Notes function. (Not so literary sounding is it?)

I know some people love their journals. I think Elise Murphy, one of my critique partners, is really into keeping notebooks. How about you? Can you live without your notebook?

By the way, the image is from my moleskin notebook, which Philip Pullman--yes, you heard me--that Philip Pullman signed. It reads:

When those moments come, remember that it is our job to write just as well and just as regularly when we're not inspired as when we are.

Hello Bawlmer! Give me a crabcake, hon!

That's Baltimore, for those of you not in the know. Ye Olde Blog has been pretty quiet these past few weeks as my wife and I prepared for our move from Chicago to Baltimore.

Huh? What's that sound? Is that your jaw hitting the floor? Baltimore? Land of John Waters' films, crabcakes and the scary but incredibly compelling HBO crime drama The Wire?

Yes, indeed, that is the Baltimore of which I speak. We arrived last night and are staying with my wife's mother until our things arrive and we move into our new place. We wanted to be closer to family and had talked about a move back east for years.

This is not our first foray into Charm City, as the locals call it. It was our home before we moved to Chicago 13 years ago. A lot has changed during that time. More great restaurants have sprung up. There are a lot of new places to shop, and the art and music scene is thriving. Plus, we're only 45 minutes from D.C. and two hours from NYC.

When we lived here years ago our circumstances were different and we didn't take advantage of a lot, but things have changed and I believe this stint will be different.

Fortunately, my employer is letting me keep my ad writing job and work from Maryland. So that's cool.

It was hard to leave Chicago, but the approaching winter made it a little easier. I do love the Windy City though, and will always have fond memories. Now we're in for long, humid summers and milder winters.


So I am now officialy a Balti-moron, another one of those local aphorisms. Wish us luck.

Now I'm off for a crabcake, hon!
(A term of endearment originating from the word honey. Pronounced hun.)

Alice in Zombieland

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