Hardware

I got a proper keyboard to type with! As I started typing that sentence, I was still using the tiny netbook keyboard… ahahaha old habits…

So I’m sitting here on my exercise ball, at a small black desk in my bedroom. This desk used to belong to my oldest son, then later shared by both of the kiddos, but I’ve found them better ones and now this one is mine. I think we may have picked it up at Wal-Mart years ago, one of the cheapest assemble-it-yourself kind.

When Trent, my oldest, turned 5 years old, my sister-in-law at the time got him fish for his birthday. Goldfish. He didn’t have an aquarium or anything, and she just brought the fish over in a fish bowl. Sigh. Still mad at her about that. Wtf kind of gift for a 5-year-old is fish? And no aquarium? So I went out and got him and aquarium and all of the fish stuff that fish need.

Right here on this desk is where the aquarium sat. It was just a small one, 10-gallon, I think? As a result, the desk is permanently bowed in the middle from the weight of the water. The fish lived for a good 4-5 years. Eventually, I got sick of taking care of them. I was busy, we had roommates at the time, and it was just too much. One of them died, I think, and then I asked some friends to take the other one to a local pond, but I didn’t want to go.

Trent didn’t seem to affected by the loss of the goldfish. I think he enjoyed the extra room on the desk. This is when he and his brother were sharing it, at the apartment right next door to the park. It was so crowded there. There were 3 adults and 3 children in a 2-bedroom apartment. It was a lovely apartment, built in the 1920s. And although it wasn’t in the best part of town, it was really nice having the little park next door. There was a community garden right next to it, and picnic tables, and they often held community events there. I think they are about to tear that building down now. That part of the city is undergoing some serious gentrification, so everything is steadily becoming expensive and shiny.

Here I am at this desk, though. There is a matching file cabinet that goes along with it, as well as a small shelf. The bottom of the drawer of the filing cabinet has become tired and won’t support much weight without falling apart these days. The small black shelf is a part of my younger son’s bed now.

Trent’s new desk was left behind by a neighbor when she was evicted. It’s much sturdier, and larger, but is completely missing a drawer. That’s ok. Trent has the main computer in his room now and he uses it to listen to music almost constantly, when he’s not watching Game Grumps or making music using FLStudio. The computer, combined with his teenagerness, keeps his room pretty toasty. It’s probably a good thing the desk is missing the drawer to allow more airflow around the computer.

The other desk that I found, my youngest doesn’t really use much. We still need to find an appropriate chair. It’s a rather nice desk, but it’s got brown wood grain laminate that reminds me of the 90s for some reason. I found it on a street corner one day with a free sign. It’s missing a couple of shelves, but that’s no bother. The drawers work! It doesn’t actually have a keyboard drawer, though. In its place, there is a drawer that seems to be for… pencils!! And pens!!! What, that was eons ago!!! Ha.

It’s the most magestic and sturdy of the 3 desks. Currently it is dividing the living room and my 8-year-old’s bedroom. Tecnically, his bedroom is the dining room. We can only afford a 2-bedroom though, and since I was an only child, I’m pretty big on the kids having their own privacy. Especially since they have had to share a room for most of the last 6 years or so. And considering my oldest is about to turn 15… I don’t know. He just needs his space. My youngest really enjoys being the center of attention, though. And I think I’ve made his little space pretty cozy.

Hmm… here at my little black desk though, I’d like a proper mouse, as well. Still using the little pad on the netbook. This poor old netbook. Really needs to be wiped clean.

I’m never really sure what to talk about here. I suppose whatever works, right? Maybe I can make more of a habit of writing posts now that I’ve cleaned the little black desk and acquired a keyboard.

I guess this is what I’m doing with my “extra hour” today. Then off to discuss voting and fill out my ballot.