Life without my laptop sucks.  My  usually trusty Dell is currently down and needs service.  Life can be a pain when one breaks down and you are in between bills to pay it to get it working again.   I do have free options from a friend, but I need some free time to go to Bellevue for this.  It is 2010, I am a writer with deadlines, board member of The Backpack Project  with many projects going on, selling my old car on Craigslist, and I am without my laptop.  You learn to be very creative with your time in a circumstance like this.

I did not realize what a convenience having one is with my busy life.  I am so jealous of the people with their beaming laptops I see at Vivace or Joe Bar.  They happily pluck away on their laptops at their creative endeavors, read their e-mails, and catch up on the daily news.  They seem so serene and content with their lattes.

I have found ways to get my work done in these trying times.  First thing I do is use my break time at work to check only important e-mails, if a phone call will suffice then I save it for the phone call later.  These decisions come quickly when you only have 15 minutes two times a day (that is if you can squeeze them in).  Think fast, respond immediately, type quickly.  I am a rather speedy typist, so this really helps. 

During my lunch break, I work on my stories.  I have two stories due per week with deadlines.  I usually create my stories right into my laptop and then research, edit, revise, edit, and revise.  I can’t do that now.  I write it long hand into a steno notebook.  If you are like me (and you are probably not), your handwriting has become worse over the years from using a computer.  Back in my Catholic school days, my penmanship was atrocious, and then as I grew older it improved because I became somewhat enamored with the beauty of the cursive letter.  I was especially fond of my capital Ds.  While studying in college, practically all my courses were writing and I wrote for the college newspaper, which led me to edit and write all the newsletters for any organization in which I was a member. Microsoft Word and I developed a deep, long-lasting relationship.  I even write my personal poems and songs with this ubiquitous software.  When I do write longhand, it seems I revert to my scribbling childhood habits.  Sometimes I cannot decipher some golden nugget of a lyric I wrote.  It’s a mild travesty.

My life with my steno pad is not so bad.  My penmanship is improving again as I know it is vital I get every word clear to quickly type out during my computer time.  Instead of eating a proper lunch at a table, I am at my computer snacking on a health bar or a sandwich. Even the time spent to buy or warm up lunch is wasteful.  I might just save a few bucks and lose some weight.  Obviously, the lunch hour is not sufficient time to complete an essay or an article for something I am covering.  I need another method.

I have become resourceful at reserving time at the Capitol Hill Library’s computers.  That guy at workstation 09?  That’s me!  You can reserve it for up to 90 minutes, two sessions a week.  Once at my station, I immediately reserve some computer time for my next available day.  I am lucky enough to get the 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. timeslot.  Then, right on time (after a couple “your time is almost up” warnings), the library automatically signs off.  It’s a soft insult like, “Goodbye” with soothing colors and gentle shutdown.  It works perfect for me. 

 Almost all the stations are busy.  On both sides of me people are working.  At the other stations, I see patrons desperately trying to get some valuable computer time. The library has limited time “quick check” stations for about 15 minutes.  People are also “station bouncing.”  They work on a station until it times out because people like me have reserved it.  The guy on the 09 station before me is bouncing around to at least three different stations with a desperate look in his eyes.  A helpful librarian is assisting him and attempting to reserve him some time.  I have my allotted time and this is when I get the bulk of my story done from what is in my steno pad.  I leave most of the essay as-is and only fine-tune some sections that need work.  Finally, I am done.  I have to be done.  I have a deadline.  Maybe this is making me a more efficient and better writer.

Capitol Hill has great internet cafes, too.  The Online Coffee Company and Uncle Elizabeth’s are very useful.  I have only used the ones at Online and I am very satisfied with how that works.  I don’t get the anxiousness that I get when I am the library.  This is a great option if you want to mix in a social aspect. However, the social setting can be a bit of a distraction.    

One of my friends said I could use his laptop if I really need to.  It is good to communicate to your friends that you are temporarily without one.  They know about my deadlines and want me to write.  Relying on your patient friends (and editor – thanks, Justin) is imperative.   This situation is providing me with something to write about!

I unplugged my Clear connection.  The blinking green lights seem to be mocking me every night.  Those damn blinking green lights are constant reminders that I unable to be free with my technology. My laptop is where I have all my past writings, pictures, and my music readily stored.  Luckily, I have meticulously archived my past work in various ways.  Accessing them is a bit cumbersome, so right now I can’t do a fond look back of some of my better stuff when I am lacking inspiration.  Inspiration must spark on its own. 

I think being without my laptop is putting me in touch with my primal talents as a writer.  After all, I wrote my first story, my first song by hand.  I am using creative ways to communicate to people.  I am managing my time more efficiently.  I can sit down at a cafe and just read the newspapers, a book, or just think.  However, I miss my laptop with the worn out R.E.M. “Accelerate” era sticker on it.  I had everything just perfectly organized chronologically or alphabetically.   

I am not sure what exactly what wrong with my laptop, but I am determined to know how to prevent it again in the future if it’s possible.  In 2010, having technology readily available is vital if you want to stay active, productive, and integrated.  If this essay seems a little rough, a bit unpolished, or ungrammatical, well it’s 7:00 p.m. and my time is up.