Office Cafe

Too Much Office, Not Enough Cafe

There exists a delicate balance in life: office time vs. cafe time.

I need time away from the office as much as I need time in the office (and by this I really am not talking about the amount of time, rather, just the need to get out of the office and into the cafe).

On the one hand, I have things that must be done in a particular place; for example, some of my work involves opening the mail and filing documents (and keeping them for a number of years). I don’t know about you, but this isn’t going to happen in a coffee shop.

On the other hand, bumping into someone that I haven’t seen in a while is most likely not going to happen in my office; especially not in my home office!

So there is that constant tension.

Unfortunately, this week the paperwork won. Remember the standardized or timed tests? How often did we hear, “Time’s up, please put your pencils down.” Well this week, nobody came to tell me to put my pencil down. And maybe somebody should have. At the very least, that somebody should have been me.

This week, I plan to be in the cafe more often. I plan to sit there to think of one new idea, refine an old idea, or bump into someone that I haven’t seen in a while. Marla talked about interruptions in her blog this week. Let’s just say that last week, I wasn’t there often enough to run the risk of being interrupted. And I’m afraid that I am the poorer because of it.

See you in the cafe.

Tags: Errands, Relax

How to Install Info Select 8 on your Mac

Ever since switching from Windows to Mac, the one application that I tried the hardest to replace was Info Select from Micro Logic. I used Info Select for many years and have amassed a huge amount of well-organized notes that just didn’t work in any Mac OS X program with the ease that it works in Info Select. That’s not for lack of trying, either. Since May of 2005, I examined the likes of DEVONnote, iNotePad, LittleSecrets, Mori, Notae, TopXNotes, VoodooPad, NoteTaker, OmniOutliner, Yojimbo, NoteBook (by Circus Ponies), and others. Many of these are fine programs. But I was looking to replace certain features of Info Select, such as automatic outlining, automatic encryption on exit, free-form notes, placement of the notes on the workspace, etc. The software I tried each had many of the features, but I didn’t find one that worked the way I had grown accustomed to working.

Those of you who use Info Select know exactly what I am talking about. Once all of your notes are organized, you would rather not do that again!

For me, the real power of Info Select is its lightning-quick search capability. I can find my most obscure notes with just 4 or 5 keystrokes. It is simply amazing.

Although I was willing to go to many lengths to keep Info Select, I really did not want to install Windows on my Mac, just for this one application. A few months ago, I tried (unsuccessfully) to install Info Select with CodeWeavers’ CrossOver Mac. I just couldn’t make it work. I fiddled with it for a few days, but Info Select just wouldn’t load. I kept getting errors: necessary files not found, etc.

Today, I decided to give CrossOver Mac another chance. I downloaded the latest version (6.2.1) and installed it on my MacBook Air.

UPDATE: CrossOver Mac has been updated. See my Update Post.

Success! Wow! Back in business!

Here’s exactly how I did it: More »

Tags: Mac, PIM, Technical

Office Cafe at Starbucks Cafe

This was a beautiful sunny South Florida day. This afternoon, Marla and I spent some time downtown at CityPlace. We sat outside the Starbucks below the Harriet Himmel Theater, which is home to our church’s CityPlace Campus. People were leisurely walking back and forth, shopping, sipping on coffee, eating ice cream and watching the fountain dance to the music.

Today is Sunday, so I didn’t bring any work. But that doesn’t mean that my mind doesn’t wander to business once in a while. Today I thought about the new web server that I installed this week. In fact, OfficeCafe is running on that very server. It was a fun project. More on that another day.

Back to Starbucks. I can usually relax in this situation, and today was no different. But I am reminded that sometimes when I sit in such a place, I look around and think about the buildings around me, the businesses nearby and what improvements, if any, I would make. These thoughts lead me to think about my own businesses and what improvements that I could make today that would lead to a better business tomorrow. It is a good mental exercise. And to think, all I wanted was a cup of coffee! Could that cup of coffee really pay for itself? Even at these prices, it just might!

The thing is, it’s not always about the coffee. Sometimes, it’s about the place where you drink the coffee. We’re going to be talking about ways to mix the fun of the cafe with the productivity that can come from just being there. Won’t you join the conversation?

 

Tags: Enjoy, Relax, Think

Office Cafe Begins!

Hello! My name is David and I like to spend time in the cafe. For me, this is often the local coffee shop. In my travels, this usually means Starbucks, Peet’s, or Dunkin’ Donuts. I know what some of you are thinking: “How could drink one if you like the other? You must not be much of a coffee connoisseur!” Maybe yes, maybe no. I do have my favorites. But this discussion is not really about the coffee (this time, anyway). This discussion is about the place, and tips to help us enjoy doing productive work while we are at the cafe.

This is an “out of office” experience! Let’s enjoy the journey. Okay?

 

Tags: Enjoy