I finished editing the first third of “Castleneff” last night. Twice.
I’ve got a flash drive that I carry around so I can have my catalog of writing with me, and then I sync it with my computer at home and have a couple backups. I was having problems when I moved files, though, because the computer/flash both thought a file that had been moved (to a folder where I put old versions, for example) was missing, so then they both restore it and I have old versions in my active folders. I don’t want this, so one needs to override the other. Naturally, I chose the flash drive since that’s updated more frequently. So I was working away on my story and actually pleased with what I had (that’s happening more often lately, btw) and merrily clicked the button to sync the computer and flash drive.
And of course the flash drive (old copy) copied over the computer (new copy.) So I had just wasted a couple hours and it was all my fault because the backup did exactly what I told it to do.
Luckily, it took half the time to do it twice (after the curse-storm.) If I had to guess, I would say the original edited copy and the new original copy are about 90% the same, if not more. I remembered the vast majority of the changes I made, although those clever turns of phrase don’t seem so clever the second time around, especially when you’re still pissed at your own stupidity.
I’ve been putting off editing this story because I remember being a little too pleased with myself when I’d finished it, which probably means it’s awful. After going through the first third, I have to say I don’t think it’s half-bad. This next third probably needs some cutting and I’m not sure that the story comes together on paper the way it does in my head, but that’s what my first readers will tell me, right?
So overall, I’m pretty pleased with what I have at this point and I realized I don’t need to fear it. It’s just me I’m dealing with, really.
Spurs came back to beat West Brom last night, 2-1, to re-establish that cushion for fourth place and a spot in the Champions League.
They look world-class for about 50 minutes each game. It’s that other 40 that’s worrying, where they look stilted, confused, unsure. Birmingham and West Brom didn’t get a share of the points mostly due to their own incompetence and Spurs doing just enough to edge it. Will Manchester United be so generous? Will Ars*nal?
Up next, they’ve got Man City, Newcastle, and Everton–all inconsistent teams. Seven points would be excellent, because after that it’s Man Ure, the Ars*, Bolton, and West Ham, all of whom are in the top half of the table and fighting for spots in Europe. Bolton dropped all three points against Boro this weekend and the Ars* had their game postponed due to a waterlogged pitch, which I think hurts them as they’ll have a fixture pile up during the crunch time of the season.
I should also say I’ve never been a big Robbie Keane fan until this season. The porker’s been phenomenal this season and his first last night was pure class.
Current Mood – Good | 
Currently Listening To – Rancid – “…And Out Come the Wolves”
8 Comments
This is why I refuse to use “their” synch programs. I’ve written my own. Also I don’t put files directly on the flash drives, I store them in ZIP files and move the ZIP files around. That gives me one extra layer of protection, as there are ZIP repair programs if one loses some bits in the process. (grin) Plus I have a file naming scheme which includes version numbers, so every time I do a major revision, I am changing “Machine 103.doc” and no longer “Machine 102.doc”. Printer versions of files are seperately named and numbered files, so even if “Machine 102.doc” got trashed on ALL my machines (highly unlikely), there’s a copy of the printer file “MCN-102-2.doc” which I can use to recover it.
You don’t suppose I am compulsively paranoid about the preservation of MY data, do you? (double-backed-up-grin)
Dr. Phil
I recently read an article in The Economist about how flash memory works. Guess it was just one of those things I always took for granted. No longer.
http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=5571544
Like I said, this was user error all the way. I told the thing to perform a backup (copying from the flash drive to the hard drive) instead of synchronizing. I was working from the wrong copy.
That’s an interesting article, PT. I wondered how they got the Nano to be so small. Makes perfect sense now.
Are we going to get the chance to read this story we keep hearing so much about?
I’m working on the story tonight and would like to finish before the weekend. Next week at the very latest. Don’t expect anything mind-blowing, though. Parts of it make me laugh, but I make me laugh very easily. The more I think about it, the less sure I become, so I’m trying not to think about it all that much.
Don’t worry, Trent. We’ll do all the thinking for you.
Dr. Phil
(ps — reference above is to Pink Floyd — e-mail yesterday that my short story “Machine”, inspired by the Pink Floyd song, was Quarter-Finaled by WOTF, so I’ve been thinking about it.)
(I mention this because you mention Dillon and that cool you keep telling us is dead all the time, so I figure if I pose things in terms of song lyrics, you’ll understand.)
(grin)
Oh, futz! Can’t edit these things after comments are posted. Now Trent’s going to get thermonuclear on my butt after a typo in my previous comment.
Dr. Phil
With your childhood flames on your midnight rug,
And your Spanish manners and your mother’s drugs,
And your cowboy mouth and your curfew plugs,
Who among them do you think could resist you?
Ha!