Written instructions

My relatives used to laugh when I talked of being a writer.
Taylor Caldwell (brainyquote.com)

It has been a couple days now that we have our boys house-sitting to care for Dexter and Comet. Going out of town for any length of time, we have frequently relied on our two younger sons being able to watch our dogs. And often I have to write instructions for some of the gadgets, internet, trash service, deliveries. We have instructions for the latest connection of the TV – via my computer. Sometimes I leave post-it notes, scratched notes on envelopes, and text messages. When that fails, Mom usually solves things with her notes, texts, and phone calls. Of course, this week I have her promise that they will not call unless it is an emergency.

I favor writing about the human condition, life with dogs, and any of the random quirks of work, family and my own peculiar nature. Fortunately, the likelihood that the dogs will still be fed and watered this week is pretty high so I will still have the fellows to write about. As for the technical writing I do for work, without a technician or engineer to work alongside me, I realized that my five years of expertise at work has not translated well on paper. With a deadline and my vacation overlapping, a few days modified procedures and dry – runs I prepared last week had to work clearly. Thankfully, my coworker did not run screaming after several days of all the half-written, half-oral, and some “flying by the seat of your pants” approach to my duties. I imagine he will either have a great story, be sedated or want to kill me upon my return.

I have to chuckle that I am thinking that test procedures and blogging are similar skills. But I think there may be some great stories born out of the week my kids house-sat, my coworker performed those duties, and the observations my neighbor has promised to make and render aid as needed.