Remember the box, and the resolution to enter all the data into my genealogy database? On June 6th, I checked how I was doing, and found that I had fallen miserably short on the data entry end of things.
When I assessed my progress on August 2th, I was feeling a little better about the progress I had made.
Today, my pile looks like this:
Right, it is GONE. Sorry to yell, but this is a big deal to me. I finished entering all the data from my pile. Nothing left but dust. I was about to declare myself a big winner, and have a drink:
But, then I realized that the filing is not complete:
I think I can do the filing in one day, and I have chosen tomorrow to do that.
I won’t be celebrating for too long, I have a ways to go before I can really declare myself a winner. The next problem is the data entry from the files on my computer. I just looked at the computer folder which contains results from numerous trips. I have been to courthouses, libraries, cemeteries, even Salt Lake City, and my results are stored neatly in folders with the date and the place I visited. There are notes, transcriptions, and pictures. The pictures are of deeds, of graveyards, and of pages in books, and there are photos of microfilm boxes showing the number of the film, and of microfilm screens, showing data about some person of interest.
The fact that it is all neatly organized into folders is some consolation, but not a lot. The parent folder is massive: 4.63 Gb, 79 sub-folders, 4984 files. I’m not sure how long it will take me look at, evaluate, transcribe (if necessary) and enter the data I have collected in those 79 folders. I also have some hand written notes that go with some of the files:
The top of the report looks like this:
Darn. Well, I’m having a drink anyway. Then, after the filing is complete, I will tackle my pile of notes and start the process. Maybe next week.
3 comments
Wow, congrats are in order for your progress. I’m envious because no matter how much I tell myself that today I’m doing some filing, I always seem to get overwhelmed by the enormity of the task and then distracted by something else. You’ve inspired me to think a bit smaller. Maybe this way I’ll get something done….
.-= Patti Browning´s last blog ..The Hair Book Families Pt 2 – John and Adaline (Plymell) Vane =-.
I have the same problem as Patti. A few days ago, I decided to stop worrying about entering data and just break apart a couple of my overstuffed binders. I even cleared off my project table so I’d have a place to do it, and I managed to get one binder separated into two. They are still laying open on the project table, with some pages scattered around that don’t belong in either of them, or belong in both, or need to get some other kind of attention, and yeah, I’m avoidin’ that table like the plague now!
You’re just puttin’ me to shame, Pam!
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Well, ladies, I hope everyone will just do a little bit every day. That is how I got to this point. Also, since my genealogy, (and everything I have collected) is in my little corner of the dining room, I have to be neat and keep things picked up. It’s not discipline, it is necessity. However, I got off track today, while dealing with a couple of 10 quart pails of beets that had to be canned. I probably won’t get the filing done today, and may not get to it until Tuesday. I do have the filing second on my list, first is some work for my genealogy society. Just keep pecking away, that is the best thing.