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Lists Serve

Since technology has stepped up its hold on me over the past ten years, I have been resorting to new list keeping tactics.

Before, I used to stick to envelopes, bits of paper, old scraps or officially designated "Erin" stationary.  Now, I've got lists in more places, in multiple formats.  I have a running shopping list in the online bookstore Chapters.  I have never really gone all the way and actually ordered books, but I do regularly consult it when I order (and often never subsequently pick up) the books at the library.  In turn, the list of previous holds on my online library account is yet another list of books I hope to read someday.

I also have about 25 lists in my iphone.  Some are old and out of date, it appears that I needed both bacon and marshmallows on February 8th. Of course I did, (when don't I need bacon and marshmallows?).

I regularly email myself a reminder of things to do or buy or remember that I refuse to open until the task is done--its bolded title haunting me until I pick up cat food.

My daughter and I have a regular ritual on Saturdays (or Sundays if I'm feeling super burned out on Saturday) where I make a "lesson plan" (a.k.a list of things we'll do at home school) and then she proceeds to follow it.   I have about half a dozen of them saved in my phone.  Here is one she wrote back in December:



School



Art



Reading



Dobbels



Spelling



Witing



Juleary



Chose time



Snack time













Sent from my iPhone


I discovered this lovely list the other day when I was picking things up in her bedroom.




Undoubtedly, when they invent the job of computer archaeologist, they will have a whole lot of shopping carts, emails sent to oneself and text messages to sift through and decipher. Auto correct will add an extra cryptic layer.

After all, what does "Room 517 3:13 Sohel surges" mean?




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