Mar. 13: Gadgetry

I know I’ve mentioned my lightning-fast typing speed many times. Please forgive me; it’s one of the few things I do well enough that I feel I can—nay, should—brag about it. But just to prove that I don’t mention it every time I wax boastful about my many talents, here’s a list I wrote a couple years ago of my many talents. You’ll see that “typing speed” appears nowhere on the list.

And for the purposes of equal opportunity skill-listing, I also offer a list of my incompetencies. I ask that you please feel free NOT to add to my list of incompetencies. I’m in a fragile state right now since I made that horizontal scroll bar yesterday.

Speaking of scroll bars that do not belong, you know what can help you stay awake all the live-long night? Wondering where you went wrong with a cascading style sheet. Also, intense back pain. Also, a husband with intense back pain. We’re a houseful o’ whiners right now.

But I digress.

You might remember that I mentioned a few paragraphs ago that my typing speed kicks ass. What I may not have mentioned a few paragraphs ago, or ever, is that I also have very fast 10-key skills. Even more impressive (to me)? I taught myself those 10-key skills. I know, I know. I rock the casbah.

I worked for payroll at WWU the summer before my freshman year, which frequently involved 39 hours a week of calculating time cards in tenths of hours. When I first started, I pecked away at the 10-key and it took me a long time to get through the pile of every time card of every person in the entire university every week. I thought I was brilliant when I figured out a quick way to use the 10-key and a few years later when I actually took a 10-key class, realized these things:

  1. I had been doing it right all along (yay me!)
  2. It ain’t rocket surgery

When I started using a laptop as my primary computer, what I missed most was having a separate number pad. If you’ve ever tried to use a number pad on a laptop keyboard as a 10-key, you know the average laptop keyboard’s number pad sucks. I bought a USB number pad and it sucked almost as much.

So why do I think this little combo mouse/number pad gadget is so awesome? I don’t know. I just do.



2 comments:

  1. Love both your lists, but not sure what the Kramer/Mary Hart thing is... a Seinfeld inside joke? Must have missed that episode.

    I think it's hilarious that you taught yourself 10-key... I probably would have spent the whole summer hunting and pecking around. Great training they gave you at old WWU, eh?!

    I try to avoid having to ever use a 10-key anything. So far, so good.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I like the sneeze guard on it.

    ReplyDelete

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