Before discussing my research on rainbow trout (which I will at a later date), I figured I should start my blog on a more personal note; this should provide some insight into why someone would be so passionate about a product. Over the course of these past six years, my Lenovo ThinkPad T400 has seen me through great times (like beginning grad school at UMassD) and also accompanied me during difficult times that have often bled into the lab. One such time was in June 2011 when one of my closest friends, Marc Biszko, was deployed to Afghanistan. This began my daily tradition of typing in an electronic journal, a fancy way of saying Microsoft Word. Rather than sending a care package, every two weeks for over a year, I would email him my daily log. Though he returned home several years ago, I have continued writing: To date, I have typed 1052 pages…single-spaced. It has covered the death of loved ones, my sister’s proposal and marriage, the transition from school to a new job, and just about every topic in my daily life.
It was also while on my laptop that I met two of my closest friends. Jan de Wet, an artist/architect from South Africa, first spoke to me two years ago on a pen pal website (Interpals.net) and our friendship blossomed from one of Skyping , texting, and emailing daily to one where we eventually met in person; a year ago, we toured Barcelona together, leaving me with one of the most memorable experiences of my life. I also met my other friend, Karl Mick, online. Though Karl attends the same university from which I graduated, he is seven years my junior and an anthropology major—had we not discovered our mutual interest in classic literature and botany, chances are our paths never would have crossed. I should note that without their friendship, none of the original artwork on this blog would have been created. A collection of Jan's work can be found here.
Photos through the years: in Spain with my South African pen pal, a conference with my former lab(we're more diverse than the Village People), the Berkshires with Karl, my graduation, and my sister's wedding
Perhaps it’s overly sentimental to become so attached to a big black box, nothing more than a tool. . But like Woody Allen who has used the same Olympia portable typewriter for the past fifty years, I do plan on keeping my Lenovo for many years to come (seeing how not a single repair has been performed or component replaced since its purchase, this very well may be a possibility). When I type at the keys, I think of great memories with my former lab (some of the best years of my life), endless hours working on my thesis, my sister’s wedding, and traveling to Lancaster, PA, for work training, where my T400 was my only companion. I am reminded of my first high school reunion , loved ones who I will never see again, and the creation of new life. George Orwell’s Remington typewriter has been described as an “extension of his arm.” Though I'm far from Orwell, my Lenovo has been my workhorse: not just a reliable work machine, but a gateway to distant friends, keeper of memories and a portal to new friends.
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