A Year of Endless Possibilities

Happy New Year!!  What is everyone up to today?  Nursing a new year hangover?  Getting a jump start on those resolutions?  Watching football and/or hockey (they built an ice rink inside of the Red Sox baseball stadium!!)?

I, for one, am nursing a sliced finger (yeah, my resolution to cook more is off to a great start).  Who knew cubing potatoes could be so dangerous?  (I'm not sure if this makes me feel better or worse, but I cut my finger on the same knife that I cut my finger on here.  I'm pretty sure it's the knife, not the chef, though.)  And for what it's worth I decided this morning that since this cooking disaster happened last night, it doesn't count in 2010.

Anyway, more importantly (clearly I am not resolving to tell less stories), I am spending the day hard at work at my freshly-set-up office area.  We live in a one-bedroom apartment, which makes it difficult to set up an office / work area for me.  We converted the eat-in dining area to my office when we moved in, but things still got really cluttered when I was busy and had to be looking at several different things at once (or, you know, when I didn't file anything for six months).

Bruce and I really tried this year to buy each other functional gifts for Christmas - we have so much stuff in a one-bedroom apartment that it oftentimes starts to overwhelm us.  I was so excited on Christmas morning when I opened my gifts and realized that my sweet and wonderful husband had bought me (and planned to let me scope and buy) several things to set up my desk better.  I've spent the last week working through some different ideas and browsing some of the fabulous space-saving ideas over at one of my favorite blogs, Young House Love.  I finally got everything set up last night and thought I would give you a mini "tour" today.  So - without further adieu ...

1. The Apple Magic Mouse.  This was the first thing I opened up on Christmas morning and it is one of the coolest pieces of technology I own.  It uses a laser and has a multi-touch surface.  I can scroll and zoom just by touching different parts of the top of the mouse!!

2. A plastic floor mat for my rolling chair.  The chair never rolled well on the carpet, it just kind of got stuck.  This present under the tree - what I can only describe as looking like a giant tootsie roll - had me the most curious.

3. A shelf for my computer.  After Bruce told me his "vision" for my office, I started searching for a perfect shelf that I could set my laptop on that would be sturdy but not obtrusive.  I actually found this at my office in the "here for whoever wants it box" (read: FREE) and it works perfectly.  We decided to do this for several reasons.  First of all - it gets my computer up and off my desk.  When I'm in the middle of writing a paper I tend to have a lot of books, papers, notes, etc. on my desk.  My computer often took up a lot of space - but now it is in the "wasted space" at the back of my desk (and the space underneath the shelf isn't wasted, either - it's a perfect place for post its, cables, tape dispensers, etc.).  The second reason this is awesome is that it brings my computer eye level with me when I am sitting and I no longer have to slouch.  My vertebrae will thank me later.

4.  The Apple Wireless Keyboard.  This was the first purchase that I made for my new space.  The advantage to spending the money and buying the apple version is that I was able to synch it to my computer in under 60 seconds and the feel of the keyboard itself actually matches my laptop keyboard.  Also - it is so sleek and small - when my desk is covered in papers and books, it won't take up much room.

5.  New phone.  Technically not for my office, but Bruce and I were both suffering from "dying phone syndrome" so we took advantage of me being on vacation and signed a new contract (finally off of my parents, ha!!) and upgraded phones.  We looked at smart phones, but ultimately decided that while I am in graduate school and spending most of my time at home, work or school (where I have wi-fi) they really weren't necessary and we could find a better use for the $60 a month.  If you are curious, I got the Samsung Impression (a8777) and Bruce got the Motorola Tundra (TM), which is "Built to military specifications (Mil-STD-810F) to withstand dust, shock, vibration, rain, humidity, altitude and temperature extremes" (ie "Bruce-Proof").

6.  Docking station for my camera.  I'm actually not quite sure where Bruce got this - someone at work was getting rid of it?  Anyway (again) FREE and will make uploading photos and charging my camera much easier.

So what do you all think?  Just for kicks, do you remember what my desk looked like after the storm of a busy semester and finals passed?

Oy.  Yeah, I like my new set-up MUCH better.

Happy New Year y'all!!