Dear Diary

For those that don't keep track, for the last week or so I've been jotting notes down in a notebook I keep in my work bag whenever I'm bored or have nothing else to do. Which basically equates to when I'm on the bus. The little notebook I normally write in has already filled up, and the A4 book is just too awkward to write in on a bus so I bought a new handbook to jot down thoughts and observations. Obviously this is essentially a journal, but I prefer to call it my "mini notebook" in the case of the little book, "not-mini notebook" for the A4 one, and the new A5 one is "not mini but not 'not-mini' notebook".

Today, I'm feeling lazy, so I'm just going to write what I wrote on the bus home. With some comments tacked on. Italics for what I wrote, normal font for comments.

And so the experiment continues with the mini notebook effectively full (to the point I can't be bothered writing anymore in it) and the not-mini simply too large and inconvenient for my general usage.
Introductions are rare, but I had this blog entry in mind when I wrote this.

Thus, I have purchased this not-mini but not "not-mini" notebook to see if it holds up any better. Admittedly, with the huge spirals, I have low expectations for it's use, but there doesn't appear to be much paper in this thing, so I don't think this will last long enough to be an issue.
Note to self, buy non-shitty notebooks in the future.

Of course, the purchase of this notebook delayed me after work, meaning I missed both the 155 & 135 buses, leaving me to catch the infamously overcrowded 130. Which also has the side effect that I have to walk home from Mains Rd instead of ending up right next to my house.

It's not that bad aside from being terribly late.
Late buses are evil.

Anyhow, after filling up one notebook, I feel urged to comment on how effective this venture has been so far. All-in-all, I'd say it's pretty good; the brain juices are flowing, for some (probably unrelated) reason I'm more focused at work (for the better part anyhow) and it's almost like there is progress being made on that little novel I was concocting. Some might say "great success!" and I'd be obliged to smack them for quoting Borat.

BOOYAKASHA!
Self-observation and ironic quoting helps pass the time apparently.

Still need to look for a car though, need to get in contact with the owner of the '01 Lancer, what with me somewhat interested in making that vehicle mine, and mine alone.

Possessive be I, says you? Only for possessions!
At this point the guy next to me was playing his PSP and my iPod had run out of batteries, so I decided to resort to cheap, simple jokes to have something to write about. For some reason it really helps me if there is something on in the background, like music.

Looks like this book be slightly easier to write in too. Now I only have the bus and my handwriting to blame.
Took a few tries to work out what this one said. My handwriting sucks and ever tried writing on a moving bus? It's hard. Hard like a rock! Not to mention that the mini notebook was impossible to write on because I held it in the palm of my hand, which is a pain and a half, and then another half.

As a completely random observation, as many of the things in these notebooks are, putting pen to paper seems remarkably effective for making thoughts almost remotely good. . . er. Instead of drifting from one thought to another I focus on the one, revising it mentally as my pen races to catch up.

It does mean less of the interesting points are jotted down, but at least what makes it down is "refined".
It's true, but I have to admit, the random thought process I have it more fun. Hopefully as I get more used to writing, I'll be able to keep up with what I'm thinking and have my normal thoughts on paper instead of these highly revised editions, which are somewhat dull in comparison.

Buses are too much hassle, all this sitting and waiting, standing and waiting. . . very dull. Not to mention the long walk home afterwards.
Buses suck.

I've already walked from Queen St to work to Adelaide St to work to Adelaide St to Queen St to work to Post Office Square to Queen St. Oh, and there was the sprint to the bus this morning too. Far too much exercise for this little rabbit, especially in this hot, humid weather.
I can't be bothered to work out the exact distance, but Queen St to work is something like 750m. I'd say it's roughly 4.5km though. I'd like to note the "X to Y to Z" format was deliberate in order to make things seem worse than they were towards the end of it. Is there anything wrong in making text look like it's dragging on and on to convey the point of something dragging on and on? I think not.

It would be fun to just get myself in the mindset of a character and write away like this. Forcing different perspectives out of meself for fun and profit. Could even be a useful tool in getting ready to become an aspiring author. Which is, of course, the next step for me before the final stage of "dejected, talentless hack".
I make no assumptions that I have talent, but every once in a while I have an idea that I think might help my writing. In this case, writing things like this in a random character's perspective helps give the character depth and I personally believe that every action a fictional character takes has to be understandable, even if the explanation is given later. Basically, people shouldn't do things "just because" but because that's who they are and the readers understand that.

Come on bus, take me home. I has me some chocolate in my bag. Rich, dark, tasty chocolate. Go bus, go!
Buses really suck.

Dark chocolate does not.

I always seem to associate a familiar environment with a person, typically someone I know who lives near there or I've been there with many times. The top of Kessels Rd makes me think of Jane, Parkway St reminds me of Carlos, the bit near Mac High or Rob etc. Come to think of it, landmarks or areas I frequent solo/with multiple people don't get that association, so there is no thrilling conclusion to the observation.
Sometimes random observations and realisations I have lead nowhere, this is why a lot of my jokes fail miserably, because it all works the same. Although obviously in cases like this, they don't work in any way, shape or form. Of course, I'm just writing whatever I'm thinking at the time, so in the other notebooks there's quite a few bits like this.

With that pointless remark over with, I'm getting off the bus soon so I'm done with the writing.

Aside from this last bit whilst we're stuck at traffic lights.

Availability of places to spend moolah = empty pockets. Willpower is for chumps!
I always seem to be running out of money whenever I go places where I can spend money. . . I generally do. My willpower does not compare at all to my spending power.

And with that, we're done. Hope you've enjoyed this insight into me noggin and tune in next time where we return to regular programming.