Spring Cleaning Report: The Dining Room/Office

I am thrilled with the work I got done in this room, even though I didn't get through everything I'd planned.

I think I have given up on the idea of cobbling together two different, old and outdated computer towers. I didn't even find out if it would be feasible. Instead, I started to dream about the computer of the future. (or maybe it is here already? I wouldn't know.)

I'd want the portability of a laptop but also the comfort of a separate keyboard and a large, large screen. I started thinking of a three componet laptop where each piece can detach from the other two and be used together or separately--without cords:

1) a motherboard like a little black box on the desk to which I could attach all sorts of devices if I wanted to (remember tuner/receivers in old stereo systems? Like that, although ideally without cords, but I'll suffer them if I have to!)

2) A screen

3) A keyboard

I could put these three pieces together and have something resembling the conventional laptop--and I could take the pieces apart and type without the stupid mousepad area under my wrists--and the screen could be a comfortable viewing distance (with the option of plugging into/connecting with a larger one).

Maybe by the time e've paid off our debt, there will be such a thing.

Meanwhile, I simply took everything related to the tower down to the basement.

(It's like those pictures in kids' magaizines: Can you spot the differences?)

That meant I had to deal with this mess:



I don't know how well you can make out the infrastructure under all that mess: but I have a power cord "wrapper"-type thingy from IKEA there at the top, and a metal basket at the bottom which holds my power bar. Both are attached to the desk. That meant you never, ever saw the cords. It also meant that I had to pull the desk out from the wall to access everything--but when I had the tower in the desk too, it made no difference.

I labeled the plug ins.



I plugged everything back in.



I'd removed the lamp, the tower, keyboard, mouse and screen. Five plugs gone and fewer cords but still, a mess.



The future will be cordless.

(Wow. 500 words on power cords. Who knew I'd ever write that?)

I packed up my projects.



I'll unpack a few of them tomorrow, I think.

And I edited and rearranged the tops of my various bookcases and such:





I got it all done in time for Easter dinner Sunday night.

I gave my daughter a free hand to set the table.



I loved it.

And now, we've rounded the corner, we're more than half way done. Next, we plunge into bathroom week.