Saturday, March 2, 2024

Yeah, It's a Bit Cramped

OAFS Photo
I am enjoying the new laptop, though it is still in the process of being setup. As you can see above, it sits atop its cooling pad, which sits atop my TV tray. That latter thing was a Christmas gift from The Missus Herself some years back. The tray served well for dining while watching television.

As most program watching is now done via the desktop, we use the TV downstairs (big one it is) only when the kids and their kids visit. Amazon Fire Stick serves as the source for programming on the big TV. 

The tray graduated to laptop stand about two years ago when The Naviguesser bought me the Razer as a combination birthday/Christmas gift. That laptop served me well until one day it said, "This is as far as I go, no more."¹

After a delay of some weeks, I purchased the new machine, which I cleverly named The Machine, which now sits atop the tray. Alongside the old ASUS desktop which has a few more years (I hope) of life in her. I shall use the laptop for gaming and the desktop for writing. And watching movies and selected TV series.

But my area is rapidly filling with stuff (things The Missus Herself refers to as "junk," shudder). Behind my chair is a large pile of old Naval Institute Proceedings magazines, games, and ball caps. I have lots of those (ball caps), mostly Navy because hey, all three kids and both sons-in-law were in the Navy (Big Time SIL#1, still is). Not to mention that I have worked naval combat systems (primarily, one foray into Patriot missiles during my exile) for nearly 25 years, I've already worked at my current place longer than I was in the Air Force. So I feel kinda Navy most days.

Anyhoo, I'm starting to shop for a newer (bigger, as in longer) computer desk so the TV tray can go back to doing what it was designed for, though indeed, it's been a fine laptop stand. When I retire I plan on "cleaning my room." It pains me to say that, no doubt my better half will convince me to (shudder) throw things away to make more room.

But for now, I'll take my cramped workspace and live with it. (Note that to the right of the chair, off camera, is my electric drum kit. See the pic below, it's very cozy in my command center man cave, but I like it.)

OAFS Photo
Oh yes, in the background are more games, more books, my childhood panda and his buddies, and yeah, more hats.

Okay, my room isn't this cramped ...

Tiger I turret interior, loader's position
(Source)
... but it's getting there. At least I don't have the breech of an 8.8 cm KwK 36 cannon running through it. (Hhmm, I wonder how I'd traverse that, ya know, just in theory.)

I'm sure The Missus Herself (not to mention the neighbors) might have a problem with that ...

Okay, enough of that, I must get back to work, filling that laptop with all the games I had on the desktop and the old laptop. Through the magic of Steam, they're all out there, just waiting to be downloaded again, I mean the stuff's paid for, innit?




Editor's Note: Speaking of things which were lost but weren't really. My Microsoft Word, knowing what a disorganized putz I can be, actually saved the final edit of Almost a Lifetime on OneDrive, didn't know I'd set that up. After I activated Microsoft 365 on the new box (it came free for a year with the machine), there was my book. It said, "Hi, miss me?" And I answered, "Well, yeah, saved me having to redo all that work. Hallelujah!"



¹ A line from the most excellent film Prey.

42 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Everything might come in handy sometime. At work, one of my bosses (after scouring the Research Center) asked if I knew where he could possibly find a few feet of 1/16 inch thin wall stainless steel tubing (a rare item). "I've got a 4- or 5-foot coil somewhere under the papers on my desk".

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  2. Looks a lot like my “office”. OK “Hideout” is more accurate. Not quite as many books, a very old computer, a comfortable desk chair, no drums, a wine stash in the closet, and pictures on the wall.
    So…no difference at all.
    ;-)
    juvat

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    1. Wine stash in the closet? Hhmm, might need to look into that. Much more practical than a cannon.

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  3. Thanks Sarge, those photos make me feel less......ah.......disorganized......:) Have fun with the new machine!

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    1. Oh, I am very organized, I know where everything is. I'm just not very tidy ...

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    2. I cannot count the number of times I said that...

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  4. A TV tray and a laptop do go together rather well! I'm glad you found your book...and I'm sure you backed it up to something external as soon as you found it because you really didn't want to lose it again.
    Have a great Saturday Sarge!

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    1. That's the beauty of the thing, it's already backed up, otherwise I wouldn't have it. But yeah, my external hard drive needs a copy!

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  5. Hah, very neat and tidy, with LOTS more room for treasures. In the world of hoarders, you are but an amateur. Stock up, satisfy those urges to not just study history, but acquire parts of history and historic artifacts. Yes, a Tiger (I or II) might be a space hog, but if you can swing the space, and the cash to bring one home, go for it. (Just to tempt you further, the Alan Cors tank collection is coming up at Rock Island Auction soon. He only had a dozen or so, but IIRC they are all "runners" not merely lawn ornaments. Most probably still have functional main guns, making them "destructive devices" with the attendant BATF annoyances, in addition to whatever your local DMV might dream up about an unusual motor vehicle, and where to put the license plate. (I am sure you can suggest a location for them to put it....)

    Glad the new machine is to your liking, and congrats on the delightful present from the cloud!
    John Blackshoe

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    1. Tiger would fit in the backyard, but it would play hell with the gardens. I see the collection has a Stuart, be nice to overawe the locals with.

      The Cloud saved my butt.

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    2. From the old movie "Tank" with the character played by Jame Garner, when asked why he had his own personal Sherman tank. "It's awful hard to shoot yourself in the foot with one".

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    3. A Field Artillery piece would be more to my liking. Perhaps just a nice little 105mm howitzer...
      BG

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    4. BG - More useful in many ways.

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  6. But you didn't even get a full Diet Coke to go with the computer. I'd take it back. The cheap skates!
    juvat

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  7. I always like to scan the books in other peoples bookcases to see what common things we have. There are a few today, Sand, and Steel for one but mostly I’m on another path than you. Enjoy your new laptop and I’m so happy about the found book! Fuzz

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    Replies
    1. Lots of history, lots of Tom Clancy-style fiction.

      Ah, you've read Sand and Steel, excellent series of books.

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  8. Crusty Old TV Tech here. Well, now Sarge, I have images to show the Base Commander that my Batcave is not unique! Will that help? Probably not, but it's worth a try. Where's your "I Love Me" wall? Of course, I do have more stuff that could be called "junk", a pile of clipped out old parts from a National NC-57 receiver I'm working on, splashes of solder on the workbench, etc. It is gratifying to see another "well-appointed" "aged flatulence locker".

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    1. I love me wall? Never had one, I only like me.

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  9. You have room for your coffee mug. .that's not cramped.

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  10. I need to see if I can find Sand and Steel and it's fellow books on the used book store sites. They look like a fasinating read!!!

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  11. You could always staple your hats to the ceiling, as I doubt you have much but ceiling on the, well, ceiling. And you can get a tad more space if you go to a computer-under-the-desk system rather than space-hog-on-top-of-desk like you currently have. As to replacing the box, if you're not going full gaming computer then you can get one of those micro-boxes with some serious SSD storage and external drives for whatever you need for DVD/CD usage and that will, also, free up beaucoup space.

    As to the rest of the Crammed Really All over the Place (hereto forementioned as CRAP), well, crap, that's a lot of CRAP. But you still have a walkway, so...

    Hmmm... Walkway... Wonder if The Missus will allow you to build up the floor in the room so you can store stuff under the new floor kind of like how they do in submarines with boxes of canned goods and duckboards. Yeah, I know, hard pass and you'd be chained out in the yard if you ever tried to do that.

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    1. Chained out in the yard would probably be the least she would do!

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  12. Sarge, I have been losing desk space over the years to treasures and trinkets from abroad. My solution was to move a second desk so I have two places to "Work".

    I like that you have The Panda. I, too, have a very old Raggedy Andy and Cat that have been around almost as long as I have.

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    1. A new desk will be ordered when The Missus Herself returns from The Nuke's house.

      While I like my clutter, it's getting to be "a bit much."

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  13. Cramped? isn't it just great to have everything you need within easy arm's reach?

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  14. Your standard door is 6'8" and comes in a variety of widths.
    A flat, hollow interior door at HD might be just what your looking for...

    That's what I'm using and it has plenty of room for a printer, tower, monitor, bills pile, clipboards and several cats.

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  15. YIKES!, Comfort in chaos lol- - I concur with The "Missus Herself "assessment ....police & square away your AO sarge before you disappear in a landslide of "junk" ?

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    Replies
    1. It's all very stable. No, really it is. (What was that sliding noise?)

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  16. Back wall of most Home Depots have butcher block counter tops. Much stronger and more stable than a door. A You can mount stuff to it permanent or temporary with wood clamps. Not crazy expensive and a set of cheap cabinets for either end. Voila desk! Also have about half your books in my upstairs library. "Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors" being one of my favorites.

    Spin Drift

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    1. Yes , so are the Ian Toll's. I'm reading the Atkinson trilogy now. Unfortunately I read the last one first so I know how it turns out.

      Spin

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  17. For a brief second there my computer jumped and showed me a huge closeup of the inside of the tank and I thought, good grief, he's showing us the inside of his new computer. Who knew they were so roomy? I laugh that you have all those Navy hats and after all the years I had in, I have none except one of my cammo covers that I used to keep in the trunk of my car and escaped California with me when I left. It looks like a place where work gets done.

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Can't be nice, go somewhere else...

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