Meme the First - My Desk

With sincere thanks to The Tutor over at Apollos Academy, I've both gotten back to blogging AND tidied up my desk. What, you thought I was going to put pictures of my daily workspace up for the whole world to see without at least clearing off the top few layers? Sorry to disappoint.

So, here are the rules as provided by the Tutor. . .

What's on your desk?

You can tell a lot about a person by the state of their desk and what they keep on it. So, share what's on your desk. You can take pictures, take an inventory, or do both. Don't have a desk? That's okay, just give us a glimpse into the space where you pay bills, write letters, grade papers, study, or work on the computer.

When you've finished your photos or inventory, post it on your blog and tag five more people to do the same. Don't forget to share the rules with those you tag and ask them to share their posts with you when they are done.






First, a short description of my office. . .


We live in a planned community that is about half full-time residents and half part-time residents. We bought our home from the latter; a retired doctor and his wife who spent their Winters in Florida and their Summers here in the North Georgia mountains. He had already turned one of the rooms on the lower level into a home office, so - presto - my office was ready made. You'll note that "desk" is actually a built-in cabinet with a work area extended out to the front about 6 inches. Eventually I want to ript this out, put a sofa under the window, and put a "real" desk in the opposite corner (but still looking toward the windows). I took this picture at night, but in the daytime you can see a really nice view of the mountains. It's a pretty nice place to work.

So here is a close-up of my actual work-space. You can see the typical office requirements (going clockwise from the bottom):

• lap-top with wireless mouse
• blackberry charging up for a big day tomorrow
• stacking trays filled with VITAL documents (such as bills, random letters I'm not sure what to do with, and my niece's email address that I need to put in Outlook)
• a thumb drive
• a golf tool for repairing divots on a green (to remind me that there ARE 27 holes outside that window just waiting for me)
• a coffee mug filled with coins (coffee mugs filled with actual coffee are ever present in the morning hours)
• a ceramic planter filled with pens, markers, crayons, letter openers, and heaven knows what's in the bottom)
• stacks of business cards
• tape dispenser
• stapler
• telephone complete with speaker phone and mute button (critical for a home office!!!)
• tissues
• the ever-present notepad for "to-do" lists and notes to myself

As you turn around to the left, you see the best part of the whole office - bookshelves!!!

If you could get closer, you would see everything from The Chronicles of Narnia to a complete set of Harry Potter to random Tom Clancy. From a rather comprehensive collection of books about Ronald Reagan and a complete set of Winston Churchill's The Second World War to random paperback thrillers bought in airport bookstores to fill time on long flights. Ah, books! (Note the original artwork by Prince Charming on the wall)

I don't have pictures, but if you continue turning to the wall opposite the desk you'll find a door (to the hallway) and a sofa. On around the fourth wall is a small filing cabinet with an old globe on top and a huge dog bed (for an equally huge dog). He's snoring even as I type. That brings us back around to a door that goes out onto the deck and my desk. Oh, during the more temperate months, the office is totally capable of expanding out onto the deck just beyond the door and windows. Between the chaise lounge and the hammock, conference calls can be had in any variety of positions and locations. Just remember to mute out the birds when they get noisy.

There. I can't imagine that anyone will find that interesting, but that's my world (at least during a large part of the day when I'm not traveling. Now, let's find out about the desks (home office or just a counter in the kitchen, it doesn't matter) from some of the following:

• Tim over at Sometimes I'm Actually Coherent
• Fletch over at The Mango Times
• Arby of Arby's Archives, and
• Kellieann at the Hilltop Academy
  

OK, team, show us those desks!