Yeah, I know. Except for the last post, not much has been coming out of Castle Wichi. But, to make a long story short (like that ever happened here...right?) just look below.
The last month or so has been filled with long hours and 7 day weeks at work. With stuff happening that needed immediate attention, ie. special projects, more special projects, and then capped off with special projects. Ya get the drift. And to add to that, not completely but it's been out there, helping CK move, trying to get stuff caught up around the house, getting appointments scheduled (most still have to be met, but at least they are made).
And for my topper in keeping myself occupied, I've been working with a typing program at home to help (HAHAHAHA) with my typing skills. I have nothing against brushing up, and learning the proper way to type. However, it is distressing to go through a program and learn just how bad you are doing.
Long ago and far away (high school), I was clocked a better than 90 WPM, with no errors, on an old manual typewriter. Then after a lapse of um, er, uh...a bunch of, time away from a keyboard, I got back on. Even after playing around here for a couple years, and maybe because of it, a lot of bad habits developed. And now I am trying to correct them.
I've gotten used to looking at the keyboard when I type and that is a no-no. Placement of a lot of keys is different than an old manual, so now that I am trying to not look, I am all over the place. On the up side, I've learned all sorts of new ways to create typo's. I thought I was screwing things up after breaking my wrist, but now it looks like I was a rookie then, playing the minors.
I also know that I pound the keyboard. And that endearing trait alone has people at work simply thrilled with me (can only imagine what they think at home, I'm not going to ask though). BTW, I DO have a cushion pad under my keyboard at home to dampen the drum roll. I think part of my problem there is, that after all the time I've spent doing manual labor, I can't feel the keys like you should. My finger tips don't have the "feel" or "touch" most people have, any more.
Anyway, the program is kicking my butt. But I am improving. I can hit most of the keys right the first time. Not all the time, but it's getting better.
There are a few areas I am in trouble in though. And I'm not sure if I can get past these. My fingers are still dyslexic (big surprise). I can "look" at the keyboard, see what I need to hit, and tap a totally wrong key. Just sit there and watch it happen like I'm watching someone else type. Of course, it's a neighboring key, but still...
My reach doesn't quite get my fingers where the program says I should be. If I do make the reach, I get lost and have to stop and find where I am on the board. That usually means looking, can't feel the "finder nubs" on the "home" keys. So to compensate, I "cross-over" to make the key. And to go to upper case, I can both "shift", and hit the key with my left hand. How goofy is that?
Like I said, bad habits.
It is still weird, no matter what. Maybe I'm not alone in the world.
All I know right now is, when I wrote my stories, and "looked", I BLAZED on the "board". When I was in HS, I cruised. Now, typing by "feel", I'm averaging 9 - 15 WPM at approximately 92% accuracy. Very distressing.
Learning (and bad habits) happens.
Your not the only one that pounds keys - I do that too.
Even though I type a lot for a living, my fingers have gotten dyslexic too; I can't type out my name because my right hand insists on not keeping up with my left hand; also, can't ever spell "of", it always coms out "fo").
Posted by: bogie | October 15, 2008 at 03:01 AM
Now I know the issue, goof. You need a larger keyboard suited to the size of your hands. :)
Posted by: Chelle | October 29, 2008 at 10:32 AM
Forgot my famous one - "for" always comes out "fro" and spell-check does not catch that one.
Posted by: bogie | November 01, 2008 at 06:02 AM