Wednesday, July 9, 2008

My 6 Feet of Wall

Manager Mom propositioned us to blog about our space where the thinking and blogging go down.

**ALICE SUX** - I COMPLETELY MISREAD MANAGER MOM'S POST AND THOUGHT THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO GO UP BY SUNDAY, NOT ON SUNDAY. REPEAT, I SUCK***


What's your intellectual sanctuary? Where do you go to do
your thinking, working, and writing? Whether you're a cubicle jockey or a
backseat-of-the-minivan scribbler, join us and lay it bare for all to
see.
Intellectual sanctuary? *snort* I have less of an office and more of a nook. It's not even really a nook. More like a stretch of wall with a desk that got crammed between the garage door and the rest of the kitchen.




I'd be willing to relocate, but I'm not entirely convinced that Comcast is up to the task of moving my Internet connection since it would involve 'work'.

I've labelled important locations in the picture to help with the description.

1 - Cup of coffee which will be refilled until the entire pot is gone. This is my Lucy & Ethel mug from my girlfriend, Lucy. She only gets to be Lucy because she has red hair. This has the unfortunate side effect of making me Ethel. This mug ranks second only to my South of the Border mugs. Yes, plural. South of the Border produces some fine mugware. And sombreros.

2 - My dictionary and the MASTER SCHEDULE. I honestly try to spell things korrectly in my blog or anything else that gets typed. It doesn't always work, but the dictionary that I've had since high school is never far from my hand. The Master Schedule - if this disappears, we're ALL DOOMED. The Master Schedule is GOSPEL. Consult it before committing to anything else.

3 - Photoalbum. One of many of which I leaf through occasionally for blog fodder.

4 - Bin with calculators, World of WarCraft discs, book of quotes I like, assorted crap. Here is a smattering of quotes from Alice's Almighty Quote Book In Which She Has Written The Quote But Not The Source:

Place your clothes and weapons where you can find them in
the dark.

How absurd to try to make two men think alike on matters
of religion when I cannot make two timepieces agree.

One should never feel resentment against men, never judge
them because of the recollection of an act of malice, for we do not know all the
good that at other times they have sincerely willed and achieved.

There is nothing a young man can get by wenching but
duels, the clap and bastards.



There's lots of lovey quotes too, but I'll spare you.

5 - Stuff that needs to be taken care of outside of the house. Things to be returned. Stuff other kids have left in my possession. I think I've got a pair of shoes that have been there for 2 months so far.

6 - Toilet paper roll. We use rolls of toilet paper for our runny noses. Because we're klassy.

7 - Aluminum tape and black spray paint - Crafty items for Vanilla Ice props.

8 - Cork board with phone numbers, business cards, funny stuff. Like this:




9 - Wall stuff. There are two kwality IKEA shelves that will most likely collapse under their own weight within the next year and some photos from my travels. This is one of my favorites - my friend Chris taken at Karnak in Egypt. It's been affected badly by the sun, but you get the idea.



I'd like to describe my thought process but it's haphazard at best and frequently interupted by silly things like, "Mom...I'm bleeding" or "Mom...your beer just got knocked over". I just start typing and hope for the best. I'm much more adept (or at least I used to be) and churning out SAS programs for construction data. Would you like to hear about that? Yeah....I thought so.

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Humor-Blogs for funny (ish) folks.

42 Comments :

Bee said...

My *area* is a rollaway desk cart in front of our yooge TV cuz the hubs has taken up all the space in the dungeon. Maebee I'll take pics too.

Pretty Unfamous said...

Lol, I did this a couple months back. But that was my desk in my dorm at school. I should redo it again this year.

Marinka said...

Fantastic! But about the Lucy and Ethel thing--if you don't protest it immediately and frequently, it will stick. It's your blog! Make her Ethel!

Jeff and Charli Lee said...

Cool! Here is a post I wrote a few years ago showing my "blog spot."

Alice said...

Bee - Do it Bee! Join the throng.

Angela - Sadly, my area still looks much like it did in college. *sigh*

Marinka - Hellz yeah! I'm Lucy. So shall it be.

Jeff - Nice. I haven't been sold on the laptop idea yet. I'd need to try one for an extended period, but it seems everyone has got one.

That girl from Shallotte said...

Wenching is not just my new favorite verb, it's my new favorite present participle, according to the Gregg Reference Manual I consulted prior to making this comment. That book sits on my desk between the AP Stylebook and my back issues of "Corporate Writer and Editor."

I'm at the place that pays me as I write this, desparately grateful to be reading my hilarious Alice!

for a different kind of girl said...

I'm commenting on your blog from a laptop that is crammed in the corner of my kitchen counters, pressed up against a butcher block of knives and wedged between a weather radio, a ceramic fish my oldest son made in fourth grade and one rotting banana. As you can imagine, this location is nothing but inspiring for my creativity! In fact, this space is envious of yours!

Robin Ripley said...

I can attest to the fact that you did not clean up this space before taking the photo. What you don't show are the obese cats!

Robin Wedewer
Gardening Examiner

Angie said...

I am stuck in the corner of the extra room ( we call it the computer room) but now It seems I have a tiny corner due to all the charles schultz stuff crowding around me. My son has taken over the room and wants to create another "themed" room. Maybe I too will take pictures?

Angie said...

I am stuck in the corner of the extra room ( we call it the computer room) but now It seems I have a tiny corner due to all the charles schultz stuff crowding around me. My son has taken over the room and wants to create another "themed" room. Maybe I too will take pictures?

Brightmyer said...

At least you have a nook. I have a laptop and a lazy boy recliner - no desk, no acessories, no nothing!

Alice said...

ThatGirl - I just put my fingers up in a cross at the mere mention of 'present participle'. What is that? Higher math?

FADKOG - Thanks for making me feel better about my 6 feet.

Robin - I totally would have included them in the pic, but our playdate had cat fear.

Sunshine - Do it!

Brightmyer - I don't think I could concentrate enough in a recliner. But funnily enough, I used to do all my homework on the floor. I needed that much space to spread out all my papers.

Anonymous said...

Carefull with your beer

#1

Queen Goob said...

You have a great space! I'm at this moment at the kitchen table being stared at by my carnie goldfish "Pong". I think he's hungry but he's not saying a word.

I usually blog during my lunch break - this was fun, maybe I'll take a pic and share, too.

Hey It's Di said...

I'm loving your nook. It looks so cozy and homey! I have to take up any spare spot there is in the house that is not occupied already by the other 3 laptops & users. SHEESH! I'm gonna find me a nook:)

Alice said...

Philly - I try to be. But those darned kids!

Q. Goob - Heh heh..Pong. And go on..do the post!

Di - Come on...tell me your big secret. *wink* My e-mail is always open.

Caroline said...

A master schedule!? I just (literally 3 days ago) started using my "to do" list in outlook--and I can barely handle it. Nice nook!

Manager Mom said...

Darn you, you overachiever you! You beat us all to the punch. I will have my office post up on Sunday and will link back to yours... unless I get fired tomorrow, in which case I'll have a lot more free time on my hands to get it up earlier.

Will be back to examine further and comment coherently. Lots of weird stuff happening this week.

Sean C said...

you are hilarious Alice, "
I'd be willing to relocate, but I'm not entirely convinced that Comcast is up to the task of moving my Internet connection since it would involve 'work'." hahaha so true. why is that so true?? And we like to poke fun at males, the weaker and dumber sex do we?

Great pic btw of Egypt.

Thanks for lending an educated comment to my post. I was hoping for a bit more of a heated debate but I've yet to get that.

Alice said...

Caroline - I could never have my list on a computer. Need paper that I can haul around.

Manager Mom - I have posted a big alert about my complete lameness and beg forgiveness for my early posting. That retarded preposition gave me problems. *more weeping and gnashing of teeth*

Sean - I'm not even poking fun at males. Just Comcast. I hate them. Too bad I love cable internet so much or I'd dump their ass.

Lucy Filet said...

My computer space is a corner of the living room. It's where the family (read: only) computer is for various reasons. There is no sort of organization here...things MUST be removed by the end of the day.

Then I have a scrap space, which is the opposite corner of the living room. Same idea though, because it is also a computer desk.

Manager Mom said...

NO NO! Alice does NOT sux. Keep the post up and the office lovin going!!!

The world will still be open for business Sunday.

gadragonfly said...

Comcast must have our family on a s*** list 'cause dad has problems with them weekly. Listening to him complain helps confirm my choice for Direct TV & AT&T DSL.

Anonymous said...

That is so kool how you have labeled everything in your work area. Reminds me of when I taught third grade and labelled (is that 2 l's or 1 ?) everything in the classroom.
Must go get busy labeling (labelling) everything in my kitchen so I'll know what is what and where it is. (Pass the dictionary, please.)
OH, wait ! Did you just photoshop those numbers onto your picture or is your work area really numbered?
Hm-m-m-m.

Alice said...

Kylie - The sad part is that we have plenty of room for something more office-like. Just don't want to give anything else up at the moment.

You should do Manager Mom's challenge!

ManagerMom - You are too kind. I will be sure to go perusing everyone's space on Sunday!

D - Hmmm..conspiracy theory I think. Let me put on my best Mulder look and investigate.

Swampy - LOL - Nothing is labelled. It's my MSPaint skillz that you are gazing upon.

Robyn said...

Do you ever get, "Honey, where is the...*insert item that has been kept in the same drawer for the past ten years?"

Or "Mom, his shirt's on fire again."

Unknown said...

Ah, a glimpse of the inner sanctum. It has an organized chaos look I am well familiar with. REALLY well familiar with. Except instead of World of Warcraft I have music CDs and a Jane Austen Bobblehead.

But it really all amounts to the same thing.

LOVE the Egypt photo. :)

Bex said...

Spilled beer??? Game off...!!!

I blog on a laptop from anywhere I can. Kitchen, deck, bathroom (more than I will admit)...nothing is off limits.

Unknown said...

Alice, my love, you don't HAVE to be tied to that corner, just because that's where your ComCast is. All you need is a Wireless Access Point. And a Wireless NIC for your PC. Maybe 100 bucks, all together. And then you can move your PC anywhere in the house your little heart desires. If that sounds apppealing, drop a comment on my blog and I'll be more than happy to help (from a distance) you figure out how to implement all of that.

Anonymous said...

Love your office and your description of it...I think I might post mine, too. As for losing words, I think the volume of information in our heads just becomes so whatever-the-word-is, well, you know the expression about stuffing 10 pounds of sh** in a five pound bag...Maybe that's why the older I get, the more I curse. THOSE words are always on the tip of my tongue. The other words take more work to find.

Jenna said...

I used to have a completely random quote book as well. They're so much fun to go back and read.

Mine said insane things like "It's not a meal if it comes with a spork," and "Is it white, fat, and desperate in here or is it just me?"

I ought to dig it up again. That's comedy gold.

elasticwaistbandlady said...

My computer desk space is constantly cluttered with Papi's "very important" papers, documents, genealogy stuff even though he has his own laptop. If I move anything I have to withstand a long heavily-accented lecture about how important his stuff is and how I must never dare touch it again.

And then there's the spot where our roof started leaking a few years ago and the KILZ didn't cover up the water damage on the walls that well. And then I start noticing that I need to vacuum the walls because there's dust balls on it. That's why these days I try to blog and get in and get out before any kind of cleaning compulsion can strike.

elasticwaistbandlady said...

Bee talked about "her area." LOL

Mary Witzl said...

I have heard about this challenge and it makes me shiver just to think about showing the world my hideously messy 'nook.' On my desk are a magnifying glass, a teddy bear, a pair of old socks, two coffee cups, many old envelopes, a wet wash rag (WTF? Who put that there?) and more dictionaries and random books than I care to divulge. Plus half a dozen chewed toothpicks. There: I described it in words, not a picture!

MereCat said...

That pile of things to be returned etc? I have one of those too. It's in the living room chair where I will never, ever see it and it will never, ever actually get returned.

Anonymous said...

I have a rather large pile of mending rather than a pile to be returned. Because if someone leaves something in my office? It is gone baby. Never to be seen again.

Love your mug. I need to get one of those for my margaritas.

wisewomencoffeechat.com said...

You are very funny, and I want to know what your lovey quotes are. About the corner desks - they are custom built. We redid our FR a year ago, and I ended up cramming every amenity into the room that I've ever wanted (bar, window seat, mudroom area, magazine rack, book shelves, and the duo child desk unit)!

Miss Awesome said...

Haha, I love the cork board funnies.

Miss Awesome said...

P.S. (#6)-Sometimes I use kleenex for toilet paper if I run out and find myself in a bind.

LilSass said...

Honey, you had me until you mentioned SAS programs. *SHUDDER* I work in public health and am very glad there are people like you who <3 doing that crap. Cause we collect data and we need you people to do it so it's a nice symbiotic relationship. However ... I STILL have nightmares about my SAS class in grad school. BARF!!!!

(and re: your post day ... well, at least you were early and got to collect all these comments)

Anonymous said...

I love this! Your desk looks like mine! organized chaos is how I like it. I like that on any random day I can find whatever I want. It's good stuff.

Anonymous said...

Good words.

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