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In the quiet of the pre-dawn, I can hear Jack upstairs, cooing and
gurgling. He’ll fully wake soon and have the whole house up. It must
feel great to have such power, wake up and just lay there and call the
universe into being. “Waa!” and everything starts up. Maybe I have a
couple of moments before he brings the world awake.
Whoa, I just noticed I type on a keyboard that has the equivalent of a
bathtub ring, but the grunge is dispersed and occupies every space
that isn’t visited frequently by my fingers, expecially down between
the keys. It gives the keys an antique look from the mechanical age,
like banging on the keys in a black and white Clark Gable reporter
movie.
The dust and dirt-stained look reminds me of the keyboard on my
old Olympus manual typewriter too. I carried that typewriter brand
new to college one September. After graduation I hovered over its
keys in a haze of marijuana smoke for a few years, metaphorically
bleeding all over the keys, caring little for the writing craft. On the
manual it looked cool, authentic, even artsy, but on my high-tech
laptop with the elegant lines, the unkempt, hunt-and-peck residue
serves only to accuse its owner of slovenly habits. That’d be me (shy
grin). But I would like to think of it as classic evidence of artistic
tendencies. Dirt-stains between the keys go part and parcel with
creativity, even for an amateur hack like me, don’t they?
But the there is another side to this. Consider the musician for
instance. Does the musician neglect his instrument? I don’t think so,
but did Louis Armstrong have a dented and unpolished old trumpet
that he kept only for jamming with friends. I like thinking he did.
And what about athletes? Golfers probably have immaculately clean
and flawless clubs with which to express their talents…but who
knows if any comparison is valid? After all, if I wrote something that
displeased me, I wouldn’t break the laptop over my knee like a putter.
I’m just a weekend duffer after all.
Strange thoughts, as usual, in the morning…and I find the basis for
my values keeps shifting beneath me as I age. Clean the keys or not?
In Reply to: telltale keyboard posted by Jim H. [1595.2315] on November 12, 2005 at 09:19:42:
Hi Jim,
I keep hearing that thekeyboard is the second dirtyiest thing in the house.
First comes that dishrag in the kitchen sink..
Then comes the keyboard..
followed by the toilet.
We are forever being told to avoid spilling anything on the keyboard, so that information tends to lead to avoiding washing it as well.
If the keyboard is not loosing any of its' lettering due to wear, you could use a stiff paintbrush dampened in soapy water to get at the crevices and scum.
My advice is to disconnect the keyboard and take it to the bathroom or kitchen... stand it up and work on it while it is vertical to prevent any water from pooling
under the keys. Once the soap has had a chance to do its' work, rinse the brush and repeat the gentle scrubbing to remove the soap.
The less water you use, the less chance of harming any lubrication on the underside of the keys.
Leave it in the dish drainer in a vertical position to allow any water to run off.
If you need to use it in a hurry, put the keyboard near a heat vent and allow the breeze to dry it off. Again,
vertical is the best position so that gravity will help.
(Or.. you can replace the trusted friend for about $5
at a flea market.) :>)
Ron
In Reply to: telltale keyboard posted by Jim H. [1595.2315] on November 12, 2005 at 09:19:42:
I just cleaned my keyboard after reading your "telltale keyboard." Thanks (I think).
One strange observation: The number keys on the side were dirtier than the rest of the keyboard. I NEVER use the number keys. Who's been using my keyboard?
Oh, it was pretty easy using a damp microfiber cloth. And no, I didn't obsess over it, it's not done perfectly, but it's a lot better than it was. Not to say I didn't want to obsess over it by bringing out the Q-tips and making it a project..........
But my new mantra kept repeating in my head: "Perfection is the enemy of good enough, perfection is the enemy of good enough, perfection is the enemy of good enough."
In Reply to: telltale keyboard posted by Jim H. [1595.2315] on November 12, 2005 at 09:19:42:
Hi Jim,
Sounds like my keyboard LOL...I might just buy a new one I'm too lazy to clean it.
BTW the keys pop off if you want to clean it really good but I'm definitely too lazy to do that!
In Reply to: Re: telltale keyboard posted by Ron [2014.2318] on November 12, 2005 at 09:45:27:
I've heard about those aerosol air sprays that blow out dirt and loosen grime. I'm thinking about getting a can of that.
In Reply to: Re: telltale keyboard posted by Carol [1362.1351] on November 12, 2005 at 11:20:31:
Hi Carol,
That spray can.. can cost as much as a new keyboard.
Most of those products will not remove the body oils that need to be scraped off the key surfaces.
A vacuum can also suck out loose dust from under the keys. A bit of shaking upside down can get the looser particles out from under the keys.
In Reply to: Re: telltale keyboard posted by Ron [2014.2318] on November 12, 2005 at 09:45:27:
Let's not forget about that filthy can opener.....
I use an old toothbrush and warm, soapy water to clean mine.
Best wishes,
Mickie
In Reply to: Re: telltale keyboard posted by Ron [1013.2318] on November 12, 2005 at 13:32:03:
Really? A can of keyboard air costs that much? Wow. Thx for the other tips
In Reply to: telltale keyboard posted by Jim H. [1595.2315] on November 12, 2005 at 09:19:42:
Thanks, Jim.
As usual, you brighten my day!
Namaste`
Walt
In Reply to: Re: telltale keyboard posted by Carol [1362.1351] on November 12, 2005 at 22:08:47:
Hi Carol,
The cans with any cleaning agent or solvent in it sure does cost more than plain air or nitrogen.
Remember the old days when we used to use cheap FREON based cleaners and spray paint without a care in the world?
Are we really so much smarter since we no longer have manufacturing jobs in the west after we became so enviromentally aware?
Business does not like being toldwhat to do...
It stated with Dow Corning in the 70's and went on to asbestos, urea formaldehyde foam, vermiculite insulation, asbestos roofing shingles, styrofoam cups, Freon 12, bacon, nitrites, coffee, sugar, aspartame, saccharin, repetitive strain injury, cigarette smoke (second hand being WORSE than actually smoking for some strange reason), no martini lunches, women demanding to be MORE than EQUAL to men, (equal rights and pay),
workplace lawsuits galore for even telling an employee that they looked great that day, all added up to business flocking to leave the country to go where men run the show and government helps them rather than hinders them.
I Blame Gloria Steinem for starting all this.
...Then along came Maggie Thatcher to seal the deal.
We got what we wanted.. NO DIRTY SMOKESTACKS and no jobs.
This is not what was meant by the "Leisure Generation"
described in the TV documentary series called "Toward The Year 2000".
Ron
In Reply to: Re: telltale keyboard posted by Mickie [857.23] on November 12, 2005 at 21:23:03:
Hi Mickie,
How about those yuppies who keep reuing the same old
plastic water bottle for weeks without sterilizing it at home? E-coli abounds in such an environment.
Did you know that bottled water has LESS STRINGENT
rules for cleanliness, metals and dissolved solids than does TAP WATER? Only when bottle water crosses state lines does it have to be more sterile and conform to other state laws.
Ron
In Reply to: Re: telltale keyboard posted by Ron [1928.2318] on November 13, 2005 at 20:45:02:
Hi back Ron,
I knew that about the water bottles and its a shame, because most of the folks who reuse them think they're doing a good thing for Earth ala recycling with little knowledge that they're probably causing harm to themselves.
Best wishes,
Mickie
In Reply to: Re: telltale keyboard Archive. posted by Walt Stoll [93.1889] on November 13, 2005 at 07:13:59:
Sow a thought, reap an action. Sow an action, reap a habit. Sow a
habit, reap a destiny…something like that anyway. This little bit of
wisdom used to accompany the “Practice your yoga!” lecture by Erhart
the yoga teacher. Sharon and I attended the class he gave through
the Adult Education program in San Diego, all those many years ago.
I have not forgotten his little bit of wisdom. I know it is not original
to him. I have seen it in various forms over the years. At times like
this, in the silent middle of the night, I see the self-fulfilling, cause
and effect nature of Erhart’s Hindu plagiarized point.
Sometime in the past, somewhere, I got the thought (and entertained
it)…(Oh yes, entertained it!...and how!...took it dancing and made
promises…but stopped short of marriage)…that being a writer was
cool. Sow an action…How many hours spent pounding these keys?
How many solitary nights alone with the “many-headed dragon”
(common “mind” metaphor). Sow a habit…Now I wake up whether I
like it or not. Insomnia? Who knows? I like it, but a rose by any
other name is just as wide awake (infusion metaphor).
Anyway, my keyboard is just a reflection of a path I tread with my
fingers, and it means nothing but the thoughts I give to it. Here’s
what’s going to happen though. I will take my laptop with me for
family visits at Christmas this year. When my brother-in-law sees it,
he will hurry off to get his Computer-cleaning spray can, and then he
will happily busy himself with restoring the keys to their original
luster. He can be such an old woman! I will smile at my accurate
prediction.
I will also have thoughts of you during the holidays, Walt. You are a
tough old coot. Keep it up!
Jim
In Reply to: telltale keyboard posted by Jim H. [1595.2315] on November 12, 2005 at 09:19:42:
Hi Jim,
The computer can become a much esteemed and highly regarded piece of working equipment! Thank goodness for the computer age! What a helpful tool.
Best wishes,
Jan
In Reply to: telltale keyboard posted by Jim H. [1595.2315] on November 12, 2005 at 09:19:42:
Yo hot stuff,
Great piece, you poetic booty shaker, you! You ring my clock!
Walt, long time no parlay! Hang in there, you indomitable old geezer. You're some pretty cute squeeze yourself. May I suggest a liver/gallbladder flush, Walt honey? Just did a few myself for the heck of it. No apparent symptoms. Hot damn, but I produced rocks of the deep dark green variety by the hundreds. All shapes and sizes. One was the size of a small Godzilla. Get this. The whites of my eyes cleared up overnight, and within two flushes my blood pressure returned to normal, and the incapacitating pain in my neck disappeared. I don't suffer the humiliation of urinary incontinence anymore either. Sending you love and woo woo.
WW
In Reply to: Re: telltale keyboard posted by Ron [2014.2318] on November 12, 2005 at 09:45:27:
Too much work bubba, just pop it in the ole whirlpool. But not for macs.
In Reply to: telltale keyboard posted by Jim H. [1595.2315] on November 12, 2005 at 09:19:42:
"I can hear Jack upstairs, cooing and
gurgling. He’ll fully wake soon and have the whole house up."
What manner of creature is Jack?
In Reply to: Re: telltale keyboard (Jim and Walt) posted by Winnebago Wench [1463.786] on November 16, 2005 at 13:06:54:
Walt,
I must confess. Jim made me do the liver/gallbladder flush. It's all his fault. He forced me to do raw foods and herbal tinctures too, persuasive boy that he is through the power of his cyber-typewriter. Made me turn off the stove in the Winnebago, that smooth talker. Heck of it all is, I haven't felt better in years. This stuff proves the wisdom of the three-legged stool marvelously. Great diet, and helps deepen meditation and improve exercise. Hang in there, teacher to many.
Namaste,
WW
In Reply to: Re: telltale keyboard posted by Sounder [826.1399] on November 16, 2005 at 13:23:37:
That would be my new, one and only grandson, Sounder. I'm an
official grandpa now.
I have posted about the pregnancy, the anticipation, and the birth
from time to time the last year.
In Reply to: Re: telltale keyboard (Jim and Walt) posted by Winnebago Wench [1463.786] on November 16, 2005 at 13:06:54:
Oh behave, WW!! You tell all the guys that! Shameless hussy! Heh,
heh.
In Reply to: Re: telltale keyboard ( Walt) posted by Winnebago Wench [1463.786] on November 16, 2005 at 16:41:35:
Thanks, WW.
You are right. A good liver cleanse never harmed anybody!
Walt
In Reply to: Re: telltale keyboard posted by Jim H. [4759.2315] on November 17, 2005 at 07:33:10:
Congratulations!
Sorry, I am kind of hit and miss on a lot of the posts here.
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