Well bugger… I lost my notebook. Yeah my cute, endearing Pillsbury Doughboy notebook that I would carry with me everywhere and jot down notes, observations, and my every growing list of post possibilities. And by that I mean blog post possibilities. Post possibilities would be what, a possibility after a possibility? No matter, the fact is my book of notes and ideas has gone to that great recycling center in the sky. Well that or some bloke as found a groovy notebook filled with a lot of random ideas that might, if he chooses to read them all, cause his brain to scurry off to his “Lennie” place where all he wants for about an hour is for someone to tell him about the rabbits.

One bummer note it that I have about three pages of outline notes for a new novel idea… which is for a new novel that I shall start writing sometime soon. In looking back now I do suppose that making a backup of my note book might have been a wise idea. In fact let’s omit the might have right now and go with, it definitely would have been a good idea. Perhaps not quite a brilliant as fresh guacamole or say Toblerone, but it would have served me quite well based on the predicament I am currently finding myself in.

I mean on the plus side, I do get to go shopping for a new notebook. On the not so plus side, I do get to start filling up a new notebook. Notebooks are interesting little contraptions. Once you’ve made the decision to attempt using one on a regular basis, the vast emptiness that you begin with is, well, vast and empty. At the same time though, once you fill one of those little buggers up, ahh, it’s one of those great moments of self accomplishment. Much like when you got your first broken bone cast and everyone wanted to see it, and more importantly help you color it.

Actually, that’s more of an accidental self accomplishment… no, filling up a notebook with your thoughts, ideas, scribbling due to lack of writable thoughts, and three or four pages of both you playing tic-tac-toe against yourself and the pages where you practice different ways to sign your name, that sense of accomplishment is very much along the same lines as moving into your own place for the first time and being amazing at all the crap you have that you had idea of… Yeah, it’s a lot like that.

So the question arises, what kind of note book to get? Actually, as a personal reminder here, I need to make sure to add an “If Found Please Contact” section on the first page. See, normally I would have put that in my notebook, but… yeah.

As for notebooks, I need something pocket sized. Jacket pocket not pants pocket. Although I do suppose that cargo pants pocket sized would be alright as well. Mostly though, I think jacket pocket works best, but not the inside pocket, the outside pocket. So the notebook can be a little bigger, but not a full sized college ruled notebook that you might put in your Trapper Keeper.

I’m not sure if it should be hardbound verses the soft cover spiral bound. I think the hardbound does have a bit more longevity, and obviously it’s going to look much better on a bookshelf than a spiral bound one will. Still, the spiral bound one gives you a bit more flexibility when shoving it into your pocket… AND, if you get in a bit of a situation you can always use the wire spiral binding to creating some MacGyver device where you either escape from bad men or save the whole world. So that’s a pretty groovy selling point and factor to consider.

I do like the little leather bound ones that have the long leather strap on the front so that you can wrap and unwrap the notebook to get to its innards. I mean it does have a sort of pretentious feel to it if you think about it, but it just looks cool. Plus, I like the punable factor of being able to literally wrap things up just after you’ve wrapped things up, writing wise. Also, you’d be able to tell the person waiting on you, “Let me wrap this up and we can go.” and then you wrap it up and go. Yes, it’s simple, not really all that subtle, but it does make me smile. Once I get the new notebook, I’ll introduce it to all of you, that way if I lose that one, at least you will all know what it looks like so you can keep an eye out for it.

If you have any notebook suggestions, i.e. recommend styles, colors, lines or unlined, I’ve love to hear them.

Image Sources:
Google Images, key words: under the bed, yes!, trapper keeper, and sketchbooks.