Oddities, Profundities, Profanities and Dad Stuff

Category: Observations (Page 23 of 24)

My Desk is my Haven…Quit Messing It Up!

Where is it that you write?  Where do you sit down and write your novels, poems or blog posts?  If you are like me, and I would guess many bloggers or writers, you have a form of a desk.  It can be a table, or a box in a corner or a real office type desk but chances are you will still call it a desk.

Typical rolltop desk

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My desk is an actual desk, now.  before it was a smaller table that I built with components from Ikea.  It was perfect for what I needed and actually, it still is.  It is now in the garage ostensibly set up to be my little podcasting desk.  I don’t know how that is going to work with winter setting in here in the Rockies.

When we moved, my desk came with me.  then I decided that I really needed a bookshelf or something that I could store some papers and notebooks on.  I had tried versions before, little shelves that I had built but they all ended up in the fireplace bin and the books on top of my desk.  Cluttered.  So I went looking for a small type shelf or filing cabinet that would work for what I wanted it to.  And fit in the space I had available.

I ended up at Ikea again and a new product that just came out this year had a perfect size bookshelf.  The only catch, is that it came with a desk.  Eventually it came down to price and this set was relatively cheap for both pieces.  So I brought it home and put my other desk in the garage.  For the record I like the old one a bit better but this one has a drawer.  Besides, now I have the bookshelf that I need.

What really brought on this post was the clutter that collects on my desk.  Now, my desk is in our front room, less than 10 steps from the door and the meeting place where the TV is and where guests can see everything that I have out.  It is there so that I can work and keep an eye on the kids at the same time.  This does give me an incentive to keep the desk clean, being in the living room.

Most of the time I can do it.  But I get help.  My kids help.  My wife helps.   But they don’t clean, they stack.  I get all sorts of stuff piled randomly on my desk, from papers to craft paints, to mp3 players.  I get so much…..stuff piled on here some days that I can’t even use my mouse.  It is frustrating.

So what do I do?  Clean it off, putting all of the stuff in piles for the kids and the wife, not including what ends up in the trash can under the desk.  And then the cycle starts all over again.

The bottom line, I get much more done when I have a clean desk.  It is much more comfortable to write without the chaos.  I know that there will be more chaos soon, but for a while at least, there is some small fragment of tranquility that helps the creative process.

What do you think?  Let me know in the comments.

Have a good weekend.

-Justin

 

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Put it all in a blender…

English: Hands collaborating in co-writing or ...

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Another week of spotty writing huh?  Yes that is what you have here at Catharsis of the Bogue.  This holiday time of year is full of so many different stresses I have had 3 migraines already this month!  I have a couple of posts about that in the works as well.

Today I have been running all over finding presents for the kids.  So we are not just buying meaningless crap but we have a tradition now, where we have to make presents for each other in the family.  All of the kids make stuff for each other as well as Mom and Dad.  Of course they still get toys but this is so much more meaningful for them.

They love to figure out what they can make for each other and how to keep it secret.  It is getting harder now that we have done this for a couple of years now.  They have to think harder.  They have to actually think about what the other kids would like.

I would tell anyone to do this for their kids.  It is such a great way to get back to the true meaning of Christmas and away from the cliche’s and commercial BS.

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Gusto and Enthusiasm

A red-hot iron object, transferring heat to th...

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Where exactly do some people find their energy?  Mine is sapped most of the time, life in general takes as much out of me as the kids and the extended family.  My brain hurts….  This is why I am wondering just where some of these “Guru’s” get their enthusiasm and energy.

I find it hard to get out of bed some days and here is another email with “the best thing you ever saw on the net for making money!”  they then proceed to tell you how great this program is and how they continue to make thousands upon thousands of dollars each year doing just this system.  Personally I think it is just selling this system to dupes like me who want to make some income on this internet thing.

Yet they keep coming back again and again full of enthusiasm and gusto for whatever product they are hawking at the time.  So what is it that motivates these guys (or girls…back off Ash Ambirge from The Middle Finger Project…ok that may be link bait but I love her energy)

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Podcast 15: Drift or motor on?

Sometimes you just need to drift with the tide for a time and then fight the wind again.

Thanks for listening, the audio is getting better as I get more practice!

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