Spaces

I bought a planner yesterday to keep track of my hours and life, etc. This morning I tried to fill in some stuff while the laptop loaded. 

My work space is my couch. It’s a small L shaped couch about four feet across the back and four feet deep. I have a small table to the right of it which is taken up entirely by a table lamp. It’s also a high back/sided couch so I can’t exactly access the top of it. 

I’ve got two cats, Trixie and Grover. Trixie has been with me since February, when I adopted her from Kijiji. She’s been abandoned three times in her two years of life. So she has abandonment issues and every once in a while just loses her freaking mind.

Grover was with the same owner for sixteen years, then abandoned at Dorian’s complex in May when his owner moved suddenly. Dorian just happened to be walking by when the owner of the complex was cleaning out all the other abandoned items and asked after the cat.

I had been looking for a second cat to keep Trixie company as I had suspected there’d be a full-time position opening up. Just working part-time she had become very needy and I didn’t feel right about leaving her completely alone.

Anyhow. Grover sleeps a lot, but isn’t comfortable anywhere but right beside me. I suppose he too might have abandonment issues now.

Hey, we could start our own support group!

So he takes up one side of the couch. I can move him, but he sort of oozes back into place, which would include somehow getting into my lap, or on top of the laptop if I move him to set it down. 

The other two feet by four feet goes to me, my laptop, Trixie, and cushions. I can’t set anything down. Which sucks, really and I don’t feel is fair to Trixie. She can be quite comfortable laying on my right, but if she does I have no space to work.

This morning when I pulled out the planner, Trixie was having an episode of “you don’t love me, you’re going to abandon me,” so I was trying to accommodate her as Grover climbed onto the couch beside me, and I had the planner out and the laptop loading.

And trying to drink my morning coffee.

It occurred to me that I need more space. 

My apartment isn’t huge, but it also isn’t small. And I don’t have a lot of furniture. In the “bedroom” (it’s an open concept type of apartment) over half the room is empty. There’s a mantle and a fire place in the wall on one side, and my bed on the other.

I’ve been meaning to put my TV in on the mantle for months. Up where Trixie can’t knock it down again. I was going to move the whole couch in there, but same problem, different room.

I need a desk. 

I could build one, there’s a hardware store nearby who has pallets stacked outside free to take. My problem there being that I’m not very good at building things. I can do it, but it takes several attempts to make it work.

That option is free. My main concern really is the legs. How do I get the legs on that sucker to be even if I’m building them? I don’t have access to a saw or anything. Just a drill. 

Or I could buy a desk. So I looked at ikea because they tend to be the least expensive. They definitely have desks in my price range (awesome) but I don’t like how any of them look (*Enter expletive of choice here*).

As this is my first true home, ever, (please don’t ask) I’ve been particular about what I bring into it. 

Even if I can get two storage drawers, solid ones, I could get Dorian to help me cart away a couple of pallets, build the desktop itself, design it to my choice and then almost free desk! With storage! 

But I get the feeling I’ll have to buy it. Then save up for an all-in-one computer. I have the keyboard of my laptop to thank for that. Being able to sit back and write, instead of sitting forward a little hunched as Trixie ventures behind me, trying to ‘hunt’ Grover is distracting.  

Sitting properly last night, I managed to write quite a bit. Instead of leaning forward when I had a thought (because this is a rewrite, so it requires contemplation) I simply immediately started typing. Nothing was lost because I had to lean forward and find my keys, then struggle with a failing keyboard. 

When I told Beth, she was jealous. She does have the space, but hasn’t committed to the idea. She and I have birthdays near each other, so if I could get the almost free desk to work, I could just have Dorian split the ‘legs’ with me and have him deliver it. If I delivered it she’d kill me, but he’s twice her size. 

And they’ve known each other longer… I might just see about that. Storage ‘legs’ sort of like file cabinets but not. Wonder where I could find them? 

With the desk and a swap of furniture I could up my productivity even more! 

Which means I can write more, which I may crave more than air sometimes…