Note: This is not a post about how my brain works. Nobody can figure that shit out. Instead, this is a post inspired by the lovely Laurin Evans. She encouraged bloggers to write something talking about their work environment:
Most of us are sitting for a large chunk of the day, whether at home or at an office somewhere. We are doing freelance, working on our blogs, tweeting, or doing whatever we do at the computer, but we all have our method. If you are blogging from your lanai on a private island, I don’t want to hear about it. Okay, I do. Kind of.
I’m always wondering what people are doing and where they are when they’re blogging or tweeting, in a non-perverted way, of course. I’m frequently in my bed with a laptop, but I’m mostly working at my desk with a steady steam of coffee and chewy Spree. The point is, we are all doing our thing somewhere in our own special way.
Write a post that sets the scene and shows how you do it.
I thought I’d let a photo tell the whole story:
- This is my 30-inch monitor which allows me to keep my email, a browser, a text editor, and IM windows all open simultaneously. I am either the multitasker or the ultimate procrastinator, depending on whether you’re a glass half full or empty kind of person.
- A 5 Hour Energy Drink, not to be consumed in conjunction with the Benadryl pictured in #4, because it will make you see things out of the corners of your eyes, numb your lips and nose, and make you want to sleep and dance at the same time.
- My Twilight sticker, picturing Alice. I rub her for good luck. And since I usually work in my manties or naked, then I rub something else for good luck. It doesn’t always work, though, so I have to rub it repeatedly.
- See #2.
- My Logitech QuickCam Pro. Perfect for taking quick photos of your nutsack or Skyping with friends across the world. And some guy named Chris Hansen.
- My TV remote, receiver remote and Apple TV remote. Essential tools if I’m going to watch TV or listen to music while I work. More multitasking, you see. This is how I managed to make it through four seasons of Dexter in 10 days.
- My iPhone, always on hand and charged in case there’s an emergency game of Words With Friends or Angry Birds that I need to play.
- A bacon sticker to remind me to eat lunch. Or to go to Denny’s at 4 AM for bacon.
- Coke Zero, one essential part of a healthy breakfast.
- Peanut M&Ms, the other part.
- My TV, aka the altar to which I pray. Without cable, I would atrophy and die. In fact, tomorrow’s post is all about fall television!
- Actual work and bills. I pile it there until I can convince someone else to take care of it.
- Hand sanitizer to be used 40 or 50 times a day, followed by hand lotion to avoid dryness.
- The sketches I do for posts, usually left there to collect dust until I accidentally spill Coke Zero all over them or knock them to the floor, at which point I throw them away.
Not pictured: Bedroom to the immediate left, kitchen to the immediate right, pool directly behind me.
Needed: Personal assistant and housekeeper to organize my desk, clean, pay bills, feed me Coke Zero, go grocery shopping, cook me meals, and run errands.
What’s your work environment like?
Enjoy this post? Try these:My 2000th post
Yes I posted.
Bring your kid to work and have them watch you get fired!
Twitter: Midwesternmamah
says:
In my comfy chair with my laptop and lots of coffee on the stand next to me.
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@Holly B, sounds nice.
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I work at work. I play at home.
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@Miss Grace, pfft, you play at work too!
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Voici!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/slackmistress/4939130110/
(Although to be honest, I normally work from my couch.)
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@Nina the slackmistress, very nice. Clutter is the sign of a genius. Or so I tell myself.
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Twitter: kimt205
says:
Cool !! I’m working on my post now….not Wednesday here yet. ; )
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@Kim, slacker.
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Twitter: ellemmes
says:
Dual monitors…it changed my life.
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@Lisa, I used to have two CRT monitors and it was awesome, but the 30″ one is even better. Someday I’ll get a second 30″ monitor and it may cause daily orgasms.
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heh- my work environment sounds oddly similar to yours… from the personal assistant/housekeeper/sexual object standpoint…. I also wrangle children…
major differences: husband drinks pepsi, coke is of the devil!! Apple products are also of the devil and are not to be allowed on the premises… we also do not have a pool- it would be frozen for over half the year if we did…and I don’t clean pools…. cleaning toilets sucks bad enough!!!
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@pottymouthmommy, I don’t clean pools, either. That’s what the pool guy is for! And Pepsi is of the devil – somebody steered you wrong somewhere.
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Twitter: juliryan
says:
I’m the 21st century version of Edith Wharton (but without the rich husband). By this, I mean that my bed is my office.
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@Juli Ryan, I do some of my best work in my bed.
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Twitter: VerdantDude
says:
I have a desk, but I only use it about 10% of my work time. The cats prefer to use it while I’m working. Either for a quick grooming or just a nap. I try to be as paperless as possible, so I do most everything on my laptop. Either while sitting on the couch or on my desk chair with my feet up on the couch. I sit right in front of a pair of large glass doors that go out to our patio which looks over a beautiful harbor. My view is my favorite part of the work day.
Big difference from Gia’s desk at home. She is trying to be super-organized, but all I see is a lot of clutter and crap. She doesn’t need half of it, but what are ya gonna do?
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@B.E. Earl, clutter is the sign of ultimate genius.
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Twitter: elizabethbarone
says:
So is your penis named Jared? #maybeoutoflinebutyoustarteditwiththealicesticker #yesihashtaggedthiscomment
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@Elizabeth Kaylene, do you mean Jasper?
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Twitter: elizabethbarone
on September 8th, 2010 at Wednesday, September 8, 2010 @ 5:38 pm
@Avitable, Touche. Twilight reference FAIL.
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Big comfy chair, with a big comfy ottoman and a laptop for blogging, IM,newspaper reading.
Crazy-Big TV is on at all times. Coke Zero is to my immediate left.
(My diabetic ass is coveting your Peanut Crack&M’s)
Work where I get paid. The Shower Gel Store.
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@Little Miss Sunshine State, sounds like a good setup!
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If I didn’t know you, I would assume you were a 14 year old boy from your desk.
No tissues?
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@Sybil Law, I’m a gripper. http://www.avitable.com/2008/04/10/the-sound-of-one-hand-fapping/
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Twitter: LeSombre
says:
Drats! I completely forgot to do that.
And by that I mean working.
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@LeSombre, I don’t know. I think that was on purpose.
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Twitter: LaurinEvans
says:
I really need a TV in view of my desk so I can multitask. I’ve got to get a better spot for my desk. Also, I look like a neat freak compared to your desk.
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@Laurin, I don’t know – your desk looked pretty neat.
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Cube farm.
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@Grant, exciting.
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Over the years you’ve done this same post at least two other times. Next year you should do it again but post the past desk/office tours as well. Show off the changes, or in some cases, how things stay the same.
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@Clown, that’s a good idea. It would be interesting to see if I’ve gotten messier or not.
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Twitter: msmegan
says:
The first half of the day I work in an office. I have a desk (sans clutter) and dual monitors, one regular-sized one and one wide-screen that’s turned to portrait so I can see my newsletter pages full-size in a single screen.
The second half of the day I work freelance at home in my pumpkin-colored office/den on my big Apple monitor.
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@Finn, no clutter? How do you function?
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Twitter: themuskrat
says:
You need a bigger desk and a credenza. I’ve reached the same conclusion after working on a table about the size of yours for the past year.
Like you, I also need that assistant you reference here!
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@Muskrat, I have a table on the right that I didn’t take a photo of. And my desk is pretty big – it’s 6 feet long!
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Twitter: Jayman3768
says:
I’m not nearly as neat and organized as you.
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@Jay, we all need something towards which we strive.
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You need a personal assistant/housekeeper, I need a job…Should I send you my resume? I’m not kidding!
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@Cissa Fireheart, if I had the extra income to pay someone, I would have someone already. Right now, it’s an unpaid internship.
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Here is How I Work:
http://www.julieheinrich.com/Home/tabid/36/entryid/238/Default.aspx
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@Julie, that is REALLY pink!
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Twitter: hellohahanarf
says:
i’d totally be your assistant. you would accomplish much more with me around kicking you in the ass.
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@hello haha narf, you’d be too busy playing with my nuts.
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Twitter: hellohahanarf
on September 8th, 2010 at Wednesday, September 8, 2010 @ 2:34 pm
@Avitable,
well, although playing with your balls is totally a full time job, i bet i could do that AND be a fantastic assistant. i’m just that good…
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Twitter: themomsmith
says:
I keep my iPhone next to me when I work too. But I work in my bed so sometimes it gets to sleep with me too. That only backfired one time when I accidentally called my mom when I was doing something entirely the opposite of work. Well, for me, anyway. I just have to lay there.
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@themomsmith, I already used this comment, but I’m going to recycle it. I do my best work in bed.
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Your living room is nice. Very grown up-y.
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@cat, only my bedroom is that of a teenager.
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@Avitable, Ha ha, I can imagine the posters you might have up!
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where do i get a bacon sticker?!?!
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@nic @mybottlesup, I think I got mine at Archie McPhee.
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I want that monitor. I needz it!
Also, I want to experience no. 2. Probably a bad idea with five kids.
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@Kim @ Beautiful Wreck, I love my monitor so much.
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I think you might be privy to my post, because I am both an exquisite housekeeper and more organized than a day planner. Seriously, nothing yet has the full capabilities required to handle all. of. this.
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@Jess, all of my stuff? C’mon, you could handle it.
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Our workspaces look nothing alike. Somehow this is not surprising.
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@ABDPBT, why is that? You don’t think we approach things similarly? I’d say that in many ways, we’re very, very similar.
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@Avitable, actually, that might be true. I’m not big on exposing myself (literally) on the internet part, though, I have to say.
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@ABDPBT, well, true, but you do write what you want without worrying about ruffling feathers.
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Twitter: NenetteAM
says:
Gotta say, my dear, I feel rather voyeuristic seeing your private places. No, really.
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@Nenette, so you want me to send you more private photos by email, is that what you’re saying?
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The part of your desk I can see looks pretty cool.
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@Hockeymandad, you’ve been privileged enough to see it in real life. Ooooh.
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Twitter: perpstu
says:
I work at home, but rarely use my desk. If you need me, I can usually be found on the chaise end of the couch with my laptop running and a gigantic diet coke on the coffee table next to me.
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@Karin, I wish I could do that, but I need my huge-ass monitor.
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I never would have thought your living room was so… grown-up-ish. and I think I need to get some bacon stickers too… would remind me to eat lunch most days, I’m sure.
Mmmmm… bacon.
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@Grumble Girl, my house is actually pretty damn grown up!
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Twitter: therealmegaman
says:
I go for mountain dew, has a bigger kick to it. Like to have my laptop to my left, this is where I do my first draft of posts and other writing, then copy onto disk to my main computer, where I tweek it.
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@Greg, I don’t need the caffeine, so I stick to Coke Zero.
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I don’t work, but I guess I could, at some point, post a picture of my study environment…granted it wouldn’t be nearly as entertaining as this was.
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