Cracked

First I noticed that I had worn the print off many of the keys.  Then I noticed little ridges that seemed to coincide with where I would strike the keys.  Are my fingernails really that tough?  I keep them clipped quite short, because I do tend to pound the keyboard with a vengeance at times.  Then one evening I noticed a mark on the “s” key.  Looked like someone just drew a little line with a Sharpie.  Oh well, the grandkids sometimes come into the office, so I figured one of them got carried away with a marker.  On closer look, wearing my glasses, I see that what I thought was a mark, is actually a crack in the key. 

I have killed the “s” key.  It doesn’t really matter, as the key still functions properly.  I just really don’t like how it looks.  I’m okay with no print on the keys, as I can’t type while looking at the keys anyhow (Thank you, Ms. Pierce, my Typing 1 and 2 teacher at WBHS back in the olden days of manual typewriters).  The ridges bug me somewhat, though.  And now this crack in my “s” key.  You know when you were a kid, and lost a tooth?  You just couldn’t keep from sticking your tongue in that hole?  Yes.  The ring finger on my left hand wants to stick my fingernail in that little crack.  It’s messin’ with my rhythm. 

The amount of money I earn is determined by how fast I can hit the keys, and produce documents.  I don’t need anything messin’ with my rhythm.

Normally, I’d just run up to Wal Mart or Office Depot and pick up another keyboard.  However, I have become so spoiled to my heated keyboard, even with its non-ergonomic design, that I can’t do without it.  I had thought perhaps I wouldn’t need the heat during the summer, but after half an hour without it, I had to turn it back on again. 

I think I’ll just hafta learn to live with the cracked “s” key, because I’m not giving up my heated keyboard until the heating element no longer works.  Perhaps my PC Specialist friend, Juliana, could help me.  I’ve seen her pop keys right off the keyboard and then replace them when she was finished with her task.  Maybe there’s an extra “s” key laying around somewhere that I could switch out for the broken one. 

But only if it’s the exact same color.  An off-colored key would never do.  I wouldn’t be able to type a lick. 

If only I could channel this perfectionism to other areas of my life…