Up late … again.

So yeah, I’m up late again. I’ve just finished journaling in my notebook, and I’m still kind of awake. Of course, this is what happens when you drink soda late into the evening. I’ll get over it eventually. The only thing different about tonight is that I need to be up early in the morning to go to work tomorrow.

Yes, on Sunday.

We’re rolling out a new POS system this weekend, and we have to go update all the PIN pads at all the branches before the agents return on Monday. I went with Paul to the branch in SF Richmond district on Friday night. Yesterday I went to the Redwood City branch. Tomorrow (today, really), I’m going to one of the Oakland branches. Here’s hoping that things are working well after everything’s done.

Yesterday’s visit was actually pretty easy. I’m hoping that today’s will be pretty good as well. I have things I’d like to do with my day – not the least of which is making myself available for more overtime at the office. I like overtime pay. 🙂

I’m typing this on one of my many mechanical keyboards. The one I’m using right now is my MiniVan44, a 40% form-factor keyboard. I’ve finally gotten a layout that I think I’ll like for it. I really like the sound of this keyboard. It’s one of the loudest keyboards I have, and the clack is just soooo very satisfying to hear.

MiniVan44 keyboard with stock keycaps.
The MiniVan with the stock keycaps at work.

This was actually not the first 40% keyboard I’ve ever built. That designation goes to my Atreus, as pictured here:

Atreus Keyboard
Atreus 40% Keyboard with Franklin-Christoph Model 45 XLV “IPO” fountain pen.

The keyboard I have found myself using the most is actually my Planck keyboard:

Planck Keyboard
Planck Keyboard with “Unicorn Puke” SA keycaps from the Pulse SA set

Yeah, I’ve really been bitten by the Mechanical keyboard bug, and it’s taken me HARD into its grasp. I’m not complaining. I’ve been typing on a mechanical keyboard in one form or another for the last 16 years or so, when I got my first Kinesis Contoured keyboard. And up until this past January, they were the only keyboard I’d ever consider using at all. But then both my home one and work one died within a week of each other and I was left scrambling for a keyboard that worked for me. I initially used the Keycool 87 keyboard I’d purchased about two and a half years ago, but I didn’t like the size of it. I then purchased a Pok3r 60% form-factor keyboard, which I liked for the most part. Work ended up replacing my mysteriously water-logged Advantage keyboard, but I received an Ergodox kit just a few weeks later. This became the first keyboard I’d ever built.

My custom keyboards
Some of the keyboards I’ve built

Above are five of the six keyboards I’ve built. Not pictured is the Preonic I’ve given to Seph. I have another keyboard in my possession right now that’s waiting to be built, and parts for another coming. I also have the design for yet another keyboard that I really want to build as a hand-wired custom keyboard. I really like building these things. I actually like the building more than the using, really.

Except for the Planck. That li’l guy has stolen my heart and is pushing the Kinesis keyboards off to the side. I don’t know why, but I really love typing on that thing. One of these days I’ll build a Dactyl keyboard and have the best of both worlds: a fully-custom fully-programmable keyboard with the ergonomics of the Kinesis contoured keyboards. At this point in time, I think that the Dactyl will be my end-game, but for now that title is still held by the Kinesis — if only barely.

Okay, I’ve been at this for a long time. I think it’s time for me to really give some serious consideration to going to bed. I now have only four hours in which to get some sleep before I have to be up again. If you’ve read this far, thanks for visiting. I’ll try to get this blog updated more often. Who knows – maybe it’ll become the habit that kills my Facebook usage. (After all, it was Facebook that killed my blogging…)

Good night, thanks for visiting, and Keep Coming Back!!!

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