Saturday, January 7, 2012

How NOT to Jump-Start Your Genealogy

1. Get an iPad. No, really. And I don’t even have Angry Birds. There are so many wonderful apps for the iPad: Pandora Radio, Snapseed photo app, Flipboard, the Weather Channel, iTunes, and many more.

But wait, you say - how about the Ancestry and Reunion apps, Google Earth, the neat genealogy books you can load onto the readers, and a whole host of apps with genealogy relevance?

Oh, yeah. But first I have to check out the App Store, put a good station on Pandora Radio or crank up the iTunes, read my blogs ... you know.

And then it gets late.

2. Have cats. They play on their new condo, fight over Prime Real Estate (= my lap), knock my charts and papers off the table, and constantly demand to be fed and loved. Am I going to enter that ancestor into my database or kiss R.B.’s nose?

And then it gets late.


Distraction, Thy Name Is Cat

3. Work by an open window. The sun is shining, there is a bit of a breeze making the wind chimes go bing-bong-bing, a nuthatch is hanging upside down on the bird feeder, and the squirrels are playing tag.

And then it gets late.

4. Work to music. I really work best to music. So I put on iTunes or Pandora, and some of my favorite music cycles on. I think: “I should see if I can find this group on YouTube.” So I look it up, find a clip, and play it. And then YouTube suggests more interesting music in the same vein. And I click on it. And I keep on clicking.

And then it gets late.

And then I see “Popular Clips.” And I see “Kitten in a Hamster Ball.”

And then it gets really late.

5. Have Facebook, Google+, or Twitter accounts. I don’t have to detail this one for you. You know what happens. It gets late.

But it’s a new year now, time for a new start. So I am going to crawl upstairs to my office, pull down the shades on the window, keep the music off, put away the iPad and ...

Oh, look! The cats have all run to the window! There’s a squirrel on the bench, looking inside, and ....

24 comments:

  1. Oh Greta,

    I would comment on how much I love and laughed along with your post, have been there with all the distractions, especially the cat, but......it's really late!

    Don't despair, today the weather was too nice to feel bad about any distractions. Enjoy it while we can! Soon enough we'll be hunkered in with snow and cold and can get research done then!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sometimes you just have to go with the flow, music, good weather, cats and a new techy toy! Ya, perfect!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ooh you see something shiney and off you go also! There's got to be a pill, or an app, or something to cure the "shineys" Maybe if I try googling that, or maybe if I look . . .

    ReplyDelete
  4. Love it, Greta! So glad I'm not the only one who falls victim to Pandora and a sunny day--and that's before I check Twitter. And oh yes, the cat. Who's perched over my shoulder right now trying to get me to stop typing and pet her. Sigh. Do you think there's an app for that?

    And did I mention it's getting late?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Just what I needed just before it gets really late- a great tummy laugh! Thanks for sharing, too funny *grin*

    ReplyDelete
  6. Such a light-hearted, up beat, fun post! loved it Great, thanks for all the smiles before I head to bed! And then it gets late...

    ReplyDelete
  7. Have you seen the YouTube thingy on the side of Google+? Just type in a song or a band and a whole playlist comes up. I'm listening to/watching it now, while I catch up on G+, read blogs and check in on Facebook. And then I'll... Oh wait, it's late.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Omg! You have just described my life, lol! Maybe I'd add the dog's cold wet nose nudging me to take him for a walk, and the cameras calling me to take a picture of something, anything. But there, you have described my life beautifully. Thank you, Greta! Now I don't have to write an autobiography. ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Oh no! You've been watching me....totally addicted to solitaire, constantly re-directing the cats........

    ReplyDelete
  10. Ha, thanks for the good laugh. I got online this morning to check for a marriage record and here I am reading blogs and checking out a few other things online. I am glad I am not the only one to get sidetracked.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I had to laugh ... mainly because you're describing what I deal with every day (especially the cats - as I try to type this, one is laying across both my forearms). Sometimes you just have to throw up your hands and give in to the distractions. Besides ... sleep is overrated. :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Great post - all very true - I have all the same issues except I have dogs. Oh and I have to go to work five days a week which really stinks. And besides my iPad I also have a Nook tablet which I keep buying and downloading books on to read. Just not enough hours in a day or days in a week!!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Too true. But it's morning, so I have all day -to-read-blogs-* to do my genealogy. Great post! My cat is watching over my shoulder as I type.

    *Annoying, can't find an HTML code to strikeout text that works in comments and I tried several. Hopefully you see what I mean.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Absolutely loved your post! How true, how true!

    ReplyDelete
  15. I laughed till I cried! What a GREAT post. And I know the feeling since I suffer from ADOS; "Attention Deficit.....Ooooh Shiney!"

    ReplyDelete
  16. I laughed till I cried! So very true! And I suffer from ADOH; "Attention Deficit....Ooooh Shiney!"

    ReplyDelete
  17. Let me add my voice to all of those above to say that you really made me smile.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Let me add my voice to all of those above to say that you really made me smile.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Wow - Thank you all for your comments! and you have given me some great laughs in return. (Randall, I especially love your expression "ADOS" - when I told my husband about it, he broke out laughing!

    Jenny - You have a great attitude; I need to stop feeling guilty and get more of your positive outlook.

    Carol - You're right; things have seemed sorta "perfect" lately!

    Sheri - You are definitely one of my doppelgängers - there is nothing that can compete with "shiny"!

    Shelley - Ha! So you are a Pandora fan, too! And isn't amazing how cats know how to insinuate themselves?

    Susan - Glad to share, but especially glad to know I'm not alone!

    Cheryl - Story of our lives, isn't it? Where does the day go....

    Oh, no - That Google+ thing will definitely be my downfall (and I've started to subscribe to channels in YouTube as well) - cannot resist, must resist....

    Jasia - Too funny! I would be in worse shape if we had dogs, too (can't - 2 family members are allergic) - cannot resist the "sad face" and cold, wet noses. The other thing my cats do is make me take their pictures all the time.

    Christine - Heh, yeah, I've got this special camera in my computer, you see....

    Brenda - The inventions that bring the world into our houses are definitely making us ADOS (see Randall's definition below)!

    Jenny - And the worst thing is - we cannot get mad at our cats (or, for some, our dogs) - they are just too cute!

    Teresa - Oh, dear, you have a serious case! And dogs are just as distracting as cats (when I hear out neighbors' pugs in the back, I often have to go out to "talk" to them - so cute! And I also have that stinky work week deal to cope with!

    Jackie - I have the same problems with comments - can't figure out how to add all of the effects. One of the "Cat Laws" is wherever your attention is, that is where the cat has to be.

    Cheri - There are a bunch of us - we need a club!

    Randall - I think you have created a new acronym that is applicable to a whole lot of us!

    Kathy - Thank you - and join the club!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Greta, Good one! I was going to write more in my comments, but I just got a notification that it's my turn on Words With Friends.
    Donna

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Donna - There are so many things for us to do, I'm surprised that we are ever even able to post!

      Delete
  21. So many distractions! So little time! You nailed us all. I have a hard time even working to music! I want to sing along -- or just listen. Seems only classical music works for my work!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oops, I meant to make that last reply addressed to you ... it's going to take me some time to get used to this new system.

      Delete
  22. Linda - So true - every song that pops up on iTunes or Pandora reminds me of another one that I want to listen to ... if I can just find where it is on iTunes or YouTube....

    ReplyDelete