hi

[bird]

Hey folks,
     I hope everyone is doing well. I often "peck away"  on the keys when I'm writing you folks that may or may not want to hear from me .....  that's what the delete button is for........  is there a delete button???
 Anyhow, I'm not sure if any of you have shifted your hands on the keyboard  so that everything is one letter "off."   It seems like such a small blunder, but if you are attempting to TYPE something.....  well, that's the death of you!
     My handwriting is atrocious, to put it mildly.  It's the same "chicken scratch"  that my brother and father has/ have. Anyhow, I attempted to write something the other day with "one letter off".   Unless you feel like deciphering that mess, you are yet again, stuck with me!!!! 
       On a different subject, I called dad this evening.  I had the all too normal and strange answer to my call,
       "Wilson's summer home, some are home and some are not."  Seriously, who comes up with that?  .... or is that some normal line from a movie that i missed???     He's the same guy that walked into the back hallway and said, "Hey, J. T.  Birdius Rex."  I suppose mom, my brother, and I could have wondered what the heck he was talking about.  Or, maybe we had gone crazy, or maybe dad had gone crazy.  None of us thought that. And in that moment, "J.T. Birdius Rex"  became my name.  I guess that's how stars are born!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  That, or that's how someone winds up with the abbreviated  name, "Bird."

[Papaw]

Sounds like stuff my dear departed Pop would say and do. And just the kind of things I do now!

[OilyRascal]

Cheers, Bird.

Never had to "hunt & peck".  I was one of the first generations that had the luxury of being taught at a young age.  I can remember doing my finger experiences daily for the teacher.   Playing piano all my life didn't hurt - it had already taught me hand placement, stretching, and finger control.

I went to a local trade school upon my return home just two years ago for a welding class.  They made me take this entrance exam, even given my prior education.  Part of it was a typing test....speed and accuracy.  This old man blew a few folks away with 137 words a minute at 100%.  It all still comes so very natural for me.  It's like walking at this point. 

Come to think about it - wasn't there typing classes in school even before computers come along?

[amertrac]

I could do 137 words easily in a week, and a spell check  bob w.

[Branson]

Yep, there were typing classes in high school.  I took one.  Speed?  Um...  I aced the tests but got a D for the class.  Couldn't get past 30.  (I'm faster now, though)

[Papaw]

I took a summer school class in high school to learn to type, but didn't learn! We were using early IBM Selectrics in the summer with no A/C. I sweat profusely, and was getting shocked constantly. Never got any speed, even after word processors came around. Good thing I can spell so I don't have to back up and correct often.

[jimwrench]

 Not taking typing in high school is one of my regrets. Still hunting abd pecking. Was classified as high speed radio operator in army which means you can type twenty some words a minute. No way but in gave them a body to fill the vacancy. Bird your dad sounds like a fun guy.

[Branson]

We were using early IBM Selectrics in the summer with no A/C.

Selectrics!  I was using an old stand up Underwood!  Really had to punch those keys down HARD.

[john k]

We got to move from the big manual ROYAL typewriters to the Selectrics after we showed improvement.   Took typing and advanced typing, could already spell, so it was kinda fun.  This was high school in the 60s.   When we moved to the electrics typewriters one could just fly.   Now I been at this puter keyboard some ten years, and daughter looks in awe at my speed.   So I got out a beautiful 1950s Underwood portable, manual typewriter.   Cranked in some paper, set the tabs, and my fingers started cramping within 30 seconds!   Could not take that inch and a half stroke.   And noisy!!    Was called Typing class, by Mrs. Ray, darn that woman could glare at you.   When the carriage shot right off the Royal I was using, I thought she was going to beat me!  When my daughter went thru school, the typewriters were gone, and it was called (Keyboarding).  And I had an uncle that was constantly referring to things with tidbits of long gone movies, was always trying to decipher what he was talking about. 

[keykeeper]

Anyone remember the beginning of the semester of typing class, when the teacher would call out the letter she wanted, and everyone would hit said letter at the same time-- (with correct finger, of course, as the teacher walked around the room making sure everyone stared straight ahead.....A (click, clickity clack clack), S..(clickity, clack clack, click), D...(clackity clackity, clack)).

I sure do. What a racket all those Selectric typewriters made.

Or the sentences the teacher called out- "The quick brown fox jumped swiftly over the fence!"

Or the one my mother used to make me practice with at home on her typewriter- "Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country!". She said that's what they made her type all the time in the late 50's-early 60's in high school.

[rusty]

When I tool typing I had one finger wrapped up in a cast. They made me take typing anyhow. Fat lot of good that did me ;P

Ever try to touch type with 7 fingers and a big heavy thing stuck to the eighth?

Now as to why I can't spell....

PS: Oh, yeah, when you are moving a horizontal milling machine somewhere on steel pipe rollers, and the roller pops out from under the machine, do *not* reach down and push it back under the moving machine with your bare hands....not good for the fingers...

[bird]

I've had at least four surgeries on my hands......  I guess I lost count a while ago.  But, taking a typing class with a loss of a fingers seems both cruel and awful.
cheers,
bird.

When I tool typing I had one finger wrapped up in a cast. They made me take typing anyhow. Fat lot of good that did me ;P

Ever try to touch type with 7 fingers and a big heavy thing stuck to the eighth?

Now as to why I can't spell....

PS: Oh, yeah, when you are moving a horizontal milling machine somewhere on steel pipe rollers, and the roller pops out from under the machine, do *not* reach down and push it back under the moving machine with your bare hands....not good for the fingers...

[dimwittedmoose51]

The only drill  I remember was "A semi S L D K F J G H SPACE"  That got old.  I now notice doing dyslexyia mistakes and having to correct them all the time.             I still can't look at the screen and type without suffering form wandering hands and fat-fingering two keys simultaneously...and that frickin' caps lock key needs to be somewhere ELSE!!!

End of sermon...

DM&FS

[bonneyman]

Sounds like stuff my dear departed Pop would say and do. And just the kind of things I do now!

Funny how one starts doing those quirky things their dad did and they once complained about.

Some years ago I took a keyboarding class from the local community college. That's the "new" term for typing - keyboarding. Seemed to do OK but didn't keep up with it after that so I'm back to hunt and peck.

[bird]

If you mention a piano, I have to take notice..... I'm in love with my piano .... notes seem to come and go as they please......  typing letters never did work out so well for me...

Cheers, Bird.

Never had to "hunt & peck".  I was one of the first generations that had the luxury of being taught at a young age.  I can remember doing my finger experiences daily for the teacher.   Playing piano all my life didn't hurt - it had already taught me hand placement, stretching, and finger control.

I went to a local trade school upon my return home just two years ago for a welding class.  They made me take this entrance exam, even given my prior education.  Part of it was a typing test....speed and accuracy.  This old man blew a few folks away with 137 words a minute at 100%.  It all still comes so very natural for me.  It's like walking at this point. 

Come to think about it - wasn't there typing classes in school even before computers come along?