This was about where I started losing interest in writing the column. I had written this nice bit of code for a client, and I ran into a publishing deadline, so I turned it into a literate program and sent it off.

You'll notice that there are eight more columns after this one. Once again, my reluctance to change shows through. My lesson: once you decide not to do something, do not pass go, do not collect $200 (yep, that's the going rate). Quit and get on with something else.

In my case, I was distracted by trying to keep my business going (which in itself was too big a job for one person) and trying to get my patterns book done.

Not that this is a terrible column, or that it gives bad advice. The technique is useful, and belongs in every wizard's black bag. When I don't feel like writing the column, though, I shouldn't write the column.