I have to say that I think diaries are invaluable. I tend to use mine in a similar way to the way mkmcconn does; although I tend to jot down other useful information too (IP listings, bits of syntax that I *always* forget, etc).

After reading this node I leafed through one of my diaries and I noticed that over the last year or so:

• My code style has changed in quite subtle ways. Some of this is due to more rigorous design of code; but I think (hope!?) that I'm improving.
• Some things never change. The amount of times I've noted down that I've done a UNIX installation on a server, set up a root password, installed the server in the rack and then walked back to my desk only to find I cannot log in remotely (there is no other user and root is not allowed direct remote log in) is quite scary. In fact after each time I've done this I've written something down (like "don't do this again!"). And yet still I continue.... must be a mental block I guess...
• My writing now has a lot more code in it that before. I don't mean lumps of code; I mean using bits of code as abbreviations, or as syntax in their own right. Which makes sense to me but must look weird to anyone else.

So what about the rest of y'all? Anyone else find bizzare bits of code in their everyday language recently? Or odd mental blocks that you just cannot shake? C'mon.... I can't be the only one...