a final good morning to you....

For as far back as I can remember I’ve never been a morning person. For many years my job and life have required that I get up early in the morning. Early for me anyway, like 6AM or so. The worst part is, since I’m not a morning person, I have to get up earlier than other people would just because it takes me a few hours to be awake enough to be human. 

I know some people that get up at 5:30 every morning and are rolling out the door before 6AM. It’s not safe for me to operate a spoon that early in the morning without at least a good hour’s prep. I’ve learned that my natural morning is much closer to noon. I can get up at 11:30 and be ready by noon. No problem. 

I’ve tried going to bed earlier, cutting out caffeine, shaving cats before going to bed, and every other trick I can find. It still doesn’t feel right getting up at 6AM when I seem to want to be going to bed at that time. After 35 years I’ve come to the conclusion that this isn’t going to change. 6AM is bed time and noon is get up time for me and it will always be that way. BTW, I realize that’s 6 hours of sleep. But, on my natural schedule that seems to be plenty. 

Now I know the rest of the world operates on a different schedule and there is no way I’m going to change that (at least not until pinky and I complete our work). I also know that I will be getting up at 6AM as long as I work for someone else. I can deal with that and am willing to do it. However, I am going to stop pretending to be a morning person. 

From this day forward, in my universe, there will no longer be a morning, unless of course there has been a recent death and then I will spell it differently when I say it. No longer a morning cup of coffee, a morning paper, a morning show or anything else (again, unless of course there has been a recent death). 

Now, I have to refer to that part of the day as something. Something that makes it clear that I’m not an early part of the day person. I don’t have time to invent a whole new word. So, something I can reuse. Something catchy. Something based on a skill-less game of chance that never made since to me why people would play it... CRAPS!!!! 

Ok, now I have a word that works. Craps coffee, craps paper, craps show. See it works well. Good craps! Ok, that doesn’t sound right as a greeting. Good craps, no.... Festive craps, no..... Colorful craps, umm.. no..... Happy craps... got it! 


So, from this day forward I wish you and yours a Happy Craps each day. 

My Filing System

Here is a description of the filing system I have come up with 

Nothing Added 
If you have a Mac running OSX you have everything you need to do this part. 

Directory Layout: 

1. create ~/Documents/files - main location
2. create ~/Documents/files/inbox - untagged files
3. create ~/Documents/files/personal - not work related files
4. create ~/Documents/files/work - work related files
5. create ~/Documents/files/personal/data - files stored here
6. create ~/Documents/files/work/data - files stored here
7. create ~/Documents/files/personal/folders - smart folders go here
8. create ~/Documents/files/work/folders - smart folders go here

Main Rules: 

1. All files are FULLY tagged the first time you tag them.
2. All files names must be unique and very detailed.

Tag Rules: 

1. Spotlight tag words start with &. (&tag)
2. Tag words are always a single word.
3. Tag words are the simplest form of the word.
4. The first tag is always work or personal. (&work)
5. The second tag is always a date context (&2008-02)
6. Tags run from most general on the left to most detailed on the right. (&planet &island &city &building)

Smart Folder Rules: 

1. Each rule starts with "spotlight comment -> begins with -> main tag" (&work or &personal)

Process: 

1. New files get saved to the inbox and spotlight tagged starting with &work for work and &personal for personal stuff. Additional tags are added to add context.
2. move the files to work/data or personal/data for final storage.
3. create smart folders based on the tags.

Make it Brainless 

Everything with "Nothing Added" plus Hazel (http://www.noodlesoft.com/hazel.php) to automate the moving of the files. 

1. Get and install Hazel.
2. Monitor the inbox folder for the following to rules.
3. "Comment -> Starts With" the main tag then move it to the proper data directory. (2 rules one for &work and one for &personal)
4. "Comment -> is blank" and "Date Added -> is not in the last 1 Day" change the label color and send a growl notification.

Process: 
Same as "Nothing Added" without having to move the files your self and you get a reminder about un-tagged files. 


Make it Easy 

Everything with "Nothing Added" and "Make it Brainless" plus Default Folder X (http://www.stclairsoft.com/DefaultFolderX/)to tag files right when you save them. 

1. Get and install Default Folder X.
2. Set the default save folder to inbox.
3. Do all your tagging when you save the file.

Yet to work out 

The only way to convert to this system is to manually tag all your files one by one. I still want to find a way to make that process as easy as possible. 

What would you be?

I've had a few days off from work because of a cold. It's the first time in a long time that health issues have caused me to miss work. I love doing what I do for a living and if anything I spend way too much time working because I love it so much. But, the last few days have got me thinking. Since what I do involves computers, and I have this thing about loving what I do for a living, what would I have been 200 years ago? If I take a few minutes and strip away all the crap, I am a geek. I am a computer geek mostly. But, a geek in general. Now the way I define geek, and I think most will agree, is a person that is strongly focused in the study of and/or application of technical skill and/or knowledge. So, in a broad since, everyone is a geek. Their are computer geeks, film geeks, automative geeks, literature geeks, and I'm sure there are even water geeks out there. With that in mind I know I would be a geek of some kind. Now, I also see myself as a knowledge well. A person that other use to gain more knowledge or skills. I have so many interests that I pick up bits and pieces and can vomit tons of information, not all of it useful, on anyone that asks. Sometimes, even without someone asking.  I also see myself as a go to guy. Someone that can figure out a solution to any problem. As long as we agree that my way is right, I'm even able to listen to other peoples suggestions.  So, with all that in mind I think I have my answer. I'd be a blacksmith. 200 years ago, if you needed something made or fixed you'd find a blacksmith. They had a ton of technical knowledge about metals, wood, and even some animals. You almost couldn't have a community without one. So, I'd be a blacksmith.