Saturday, August 8, 2009

My Crappy Office





I dunno, maybe I need a new office chair?

There is no excuse for my extremely crappy office.

Yes, that is duct tape. It's embarrassing beyond belief.

Notice the million paper shavings on the ground from when my son recently went on a paper shredding frenzy. boys. I haven't had the time to vacuum (thick in revisions now), so they stay on the floor and add to the crap-o-meter level.


My pathetic reason for not making it better sooner is the fact that we have plans to turn my office into a bedroom for our youngest and then move my office to her bedroom upstairs. So, since it has been in 'temporary office' mode (mind you, we've lived in this house for EIGHT YEARS), I've not done anything to fix it up.



But, the chair can wait no longer.


Office Depot, here I come!

True Confessions: Do you have anything crappy in your work space? come on, don't leave me thinking I am the only one ....anyone? .....anyone

*

39 comments:

Michelle D. Argyle said...

I HAD a crappy chair. It sucked so bad that it gave me back problems so we went and spent $300 that we didn't have on a chair I REALLY needed. I love my chair. It's so soft and comfy and ergonomic.

*settles into chair and smiles*

Hmmm, crappy anything? My wireless mouse and keyboard suck. The wireless transmitter thing always cuts out on me... sometimes in the middle of a perfect thought-out sentence, and when I get it work again the magic moment is passed.

MeganRebekah said...

I transport my laptop back and forth to work and home. The wear and tear is getting to it, demostrated by it's freezing up every day or rebooting itself in the car on the way to work.

I love that pic of the chair though - too funny!

Jennifer Shirk said...

I thought I needed a new chair because it's so squeaky but...girl, you need a new chair. LOL!

Scott said...

Your chair has definitely seen better days.

I hate to admit it . . . but my office is in pretty good shape right now. Sorry. Now, my desk is a mess, my printer buried, but . . .

S

Stephanie said...

It's a well used chair...obviously you've spent lots of time in it!!

Anonymous said...

My office has become a dumping ground. There literally isn't room for me to write in there. *sigh* But as I write most of the time in the family room with my husband, it works for me. =]

Tess said...

Glam: wow, that must be SOME chair! Comfy as all get out, I bet.

MeganRebekah: aren't the life of laptops waaaayyy to short? After a few years they're ka-put or giving your problems. remember the good ol days when 'appliances' lasted forever? My mom had the same washing machine my whole life!

Jennifer S: hey, that ugly old chair never squeaked so I gues that's something...lol!

Scott: nothing? ah, that's good, I guess. No confessions from you today ;)

HUSBAND REQUIRED CONFESSION: this post is stressing my husband out cuz he says it looks worse than it really is. hmmm....that's a real photo, so how can it look worse? Anyway, he wants me to "say" that the back fell off right as I was in a serious writing flow with my recent revisions. I complained to him and the only thing he could do at 11pm was duct tape it back on.

that is true. and now I've appeased him by putting those facts on the blog.

still a crappy lookin chair, in my think.

Michelle said...

A good chair is so important! The number one rule is "butt in chair," right?

My office is usually in pretty good shape, although the knitting can take over at times. Right now there is a yarn swift attached to my desk, and I'm working on the laptop in the living room!

Katie Salidas said...

I too suffer from crappy chair syndrome. LoL. I have pillows on the butt and back of the chair to help reinforce the worn padding. *embarrassed smile*

Jeannie Campbell, LMFT said...

okay...seriously...is that YOUR chair? it's not like a pic you nabbed off google or something? if so...i'm SO glad you're going to office depot! get the furniture protection plan...totally worth it.

B.J. Anderson said...

Lol, my desk is a tiny piece of crap I bought years ago at a garage sale for $20. If you put too much weight on one side, it will collapse. And has. And until a year ago, I had a chair with no back on it. Sigh. But now I have a pretty nice chair. Now if I can just get a new desk.

Stephanie McGee said...

My writing space is either my bed or the massage recliner we bought for my dad when he ruptured two discs in his spine.

At least most of you have a desk. Mine is my lap.

Stephanie Faris said...

I'll agree...you need a new chair.

My boyfriend's office is also our guest bedroom. (We need a bigger house!) Most of the time it's occupied by our dog. She lays on the bed and watches out the window. I have a laptop so most of my writing is done either on the sofa or in bed!

superpaige said...

Um, my whole office is a crappy mess.

MG Higgins said...

Love, love, LOVE that picture. It's a LOL coffee snorter. PLEASE get yourself to Home Depot.

Unknown said...

I'm with Novice, I don't have a desk, or a chair. I sit in the big chair in the living room or on my bed when I'm home for the summer. At school I pretty much still use my bed, even though I have a desk there, it's become a habit. :/

Sadly both the bed and chair lead to numb butt, does that count for anything? :P

Hope you get a new chair soon!

Tricia J. O'Brien said...

Oh I'm glad you are getting a new chair! Goodness, a writer needs a decent seat. But at least your desk is clear of clutter. That is my downfall--stuff everywhere. I write notes on scraps and then they pile up, and I throw revisions on the floor until I get around to them. I use an old red Websters Dictionary as a footstool, which makes it handy if I suddenly want clarification!

PJ Hoover said...

OMG! The chair is hilarious! I never would have guessed.
I'm been overhauling my office lately, trying to get as much out of it as I can.

Tess said...

Michelle - oh yes, I always have one hobby or another overtaking my space. A laptop is nice cuz you (I) can run away from the mess :)

quixotic: at last! hooray for a kinship in less than perfect working spaces!

Jeannie: Yes, it is my actual chair in my actual office. that's the embarassing part. did you read my husband induced confession in the comments above? he'd want me to point that info out again. I just laugh.

BJ: love it! now I picture you as I am, juggling the imperfectness of the work space but still cranking out the awesome writing, right? oh, yea!

NWA: that disc chair sounds NIIIIICCCCE. Sorry for your dads back, but that would be a comfy place to work.

Stephanie: yep, I can wait no longer. We have one of those multi purpose guest rooms as well. they come in handy don't they?

Superpaige: your office is sooo cool! the fact that you and your husband BOTH have SEPARATE offices is incredible. Really, you are one of my most spoiled friends :) I won't even go into the other cool-house-gadgets that you enjoy!

MG: glad to make you giggle. it's good to laugh at ourselves, I think and this one has me laughing for sure. keeps me humble :)

AmandaJ: Ah, numb butt. Yes, I've experienced that a few times....hahaha

Tricia: love the dictionary footstool info. it is so much fun to be able to imagine you all in your unique spaces. and, only that section was free of clutter. my notes are on the OTHER side.

PJ: Overhaul the office? Really a brilliant idea. I think that's gonna hit the top of my list once the kiddos go back to school and my revisions are complete (this round, at least).

Jill Kemerer said...

I thought your chair was tied up in a pretty bow! Oh, how wrong I was...

Crappy? Yes. Literally. A cat litter box and a guinea pig cage. I know crappy.

And I fantasize about hauling every drop o' junk in "my office" to the curb. Yep.

Have fun at the 'Pot!

And thanks again for the Amazon gift card!!

Roni Loren said...

Your poor chair needs to be put out of its misery for sure. I'm at home with a toddler, so no office for me. I have my laptop on a tv tray and sit on the couch. But believe me, if I took a picture, it wouldn't be pretty. There is a five foot radius of toys all around it.

Kate Karyus Quinn said...

Well my chair doesn't have duct tape... but that is probably the next step. The worse part of our chair is that the seat is so threadbare it hurts to sit on it!

Susan R. Mills said...

I'd be afraid to put a picture of my office on my blog! By the way, I have those same paper shavings all over my floor. The kids just love to shred paper!

kah said...

LMAO. I love that chair. Keep it. Even if you get a new one. It's proof that you served your time in the writer's chair. :)

Danyelle L. said...

Well, I don't have a workspace, per se. It's an ambition for one day. For now, I have my knees. :D And they are getting old. >.<

Tess said...

Jill: Oh, that kind of crappy ;) too funny.

Fiction Groupie: Oh, I've done the tv tray thing!! that's funny, cuz I also seem to recall lots of fisher price stuff around my feet at the time. honestly, those days go by too quickly.

Kate: yes, we had no cushion either and would end up with numb but after 1/2 hour or so of writing.

Lazy Writer: what is it w/ kids and the paper shredder? mine literally beg me to use it!

Karen - glad to make you laugh. I never considered the fact that it is PROOF I've done my time...that's a great perspective!

Danyelle: you'll have one someday and I hope you get better furniture than I did!

thanks for taking the time to pop in and laugh with me, friends! it helps :)

Kristin said...

Followed you from Martha's blog. Was lucky enough to have her crit a ms for me at a conference. Love that chair! It's received lots of love. Best of luck with your writing - from an Arkansan. Looking forward to that book sale of yours. :)

Sherry Dale Rogers said...

Chair bondage..."Sexy"

Sarah said...

I don't have a crappy chair or table- I just cover my table with crap. Lots of it. I take an archeological approach to filing: the older the paper, the closer it is to the bottom of the pile.

Strange thing is, it works.

Kristin said...

Tess! Wow! What a story about your submission. Thanks for sharing. Keep on keeping on and have faith!

Crystal said...

Hey Tess,

Great post and what a nice office! No, seriously, at least you have an office. My office/work space is thisclose (no lie) to my bed. And my computer desk only holds my computer and printer (yes, I think I need a new desk & chair). Since I write my stories by longhand first, I guess my "office" is my bed. Then when I've written something sufficient, I go sit (I just take one step--yeah my room is that small) at my computer and type it into a Word doc. So . . . I'm hoping for a real office one day or at least a really large workspace/desk . . . Ok, I'm done complainin' because I know it could be worse. :)

And thanks again for the Amazon gift certificate!

superpaige said...

maybe you need to go to Ikea and get yourself a new chair. Want to go?

Janna Leadbetter said...

Aw, Tess, that's miserable. And I can commiserate. While my space is awesome, I use a little wooden-topped stool at my desk. It's my favorite color of blue, but it doesn't offer a whole lot of comfort. I really need to get a nice desk chair on wheels. With arm rests. And back support. Can I ride to Office Depot with you? ;)

Tess said...

Kristin: welcome! I bet you got a fantastic critique from Martha...what fun!

Sherry: now it's me whose laughing...hahahahaha

Sarah: ahhh, I see...the Indiana Jones approach ;)

Crystal: really, you write it out in longhand? Wow, that's something so cool to know about you!

Paige: sure, I love the Ikea trip...but alas, I have already picked up a new chair yesterday.

Janna: your stool description reminds me of your blog look somehow...I can totally see you sitting there. But a chair with wheels is very, very nice. I vote for no armrests, lest you can't push the chair into the desk all the way (just my little opinion)

Unknown said...

I am late to this comment thread, but I love the idea of you going out an buying a new chair! Pink? Red? Do you have an IKEA near you?
I don't have an office at home. I give myself cramps with the hot hot battery right on my lap. (cancer anyone?)

On another note. THANK YOU so much for that pic of the baby monkeys. It helped me finish my book. really. There was a scene I couldn't write, and then they were there. Just staring at me, and I was like "of course!"

storyqueen said...

Hi Tess,
I'm new to your blog, but I had to tell you, my office is even worse. It consists of two wooden TV trays behind a sofa. My chair is one of the dining room chairs from the dinette belonging to my husband's dead grandmother.

Oh, there are great desks in this house, belonging to the other folk....but me, the writer, I get the crappy digs.

Shelley

P.S. Isn't duct tape ultra useful?

Anonymous said...

I actually came across Spacify.com that has a huge variety of home office chair with some new and stylish.

c said...

Hahahaha.... Your chair is hilarious. And truely, tess, it is so NOT you (classy, tasteful, neat and clean.) Miss ya.

Shelli (srjohannes) said...

i love it!