Bad Photos of my Desk!

[pameladean]

Terri Windling is running a series of posts on her gorgeous and thought-provoking blog, The Drawing Board; it's called "On Your Desk" and contains photos of the desks of artists, editors, writers, and other creative people. I dithered a lot about sending her anything; then I dithered about asking David to take some pictures for me; then I recalled that I had refused to let kylecassidy into my office for his lovely "Where I Write" project, so that he had to make do with a model. Finally, without even cleaning up the stacks of empty prescription bottles or shifting a single object, I grabbed my new camera, took some snapshots, and sent them off. They are here, for the curious, in all their disorderly glory. As an incentive, I'll mention that the other person whose desk is featured in this entry, Anna Brahms, does amazing work with dolls and puppets, so there is delight as well as dole in store.

I am hoping to be posting more regularly, and reading more regularly too. My blood pressure has decided to stall out at "borderline," which is not urgent but does need some resolution. I'm maxed out on four drugs. They offered me a fifth, but I'm seriously not enthusiastic. I can already feel the four I'm taking, pressing down on me and sapping my energy. I am being allowed to essay "lifestyle changes" to make the numbers creep down a bit. I'm not personally too worried, because my readings at home are lower than at the clinic; but I'd like to get them lower yet so the clinic readings will allow of reducing the medication so I can have some energy back. In the meantime, I'm plodding along, trying to wrangle an obstreperous short story and not sink further into the chaos that ensued while I was revising my book.

Thinking kindly of you all,
Pamela

Comments

[shweta-narayan.livejournal.com]

I like your desk :)
The other one is full of pretty! But yours looks like somewhere I might work too.
Except for the cat allergy.

And! Thinking good thoughts your way for blood pressure and getting to reduce meds. The fatigue should really just go away for my friends! That would be good.

Also, <3

[pameladean]

Oh, gosh, yes, you shouldn't come within a mile of our house, probably. 8-(. I'm glad there are photos and the internet.

I had always thought of you as exquisitely neat and precise; not sure why. It's very cheering that you might work in the kind of clutter I create around me.

*hug*

P.

[shweta-narayan.livejournal.com]

I had always thought of you as exquisitely neat and precise; not sure why.

I should tell my mother this! Though she might die laughing...

I do like working in neat spaces, if only because they're easier to keep dust-free, but I don't like making them that way, so "path to the door exists" is more my standard!

[pameladean]

Yes, that's pretty much mine, too. And if somebody else would clean my office so that I could find things, that'd be okay.

P.

[suzilem.livejournal.com]

good thoughts for more energy and less medication and lower BP on their way.

[pameladean]

Aw, thank you.

P.

[dsgood.livejournal.com]

Good thoughts on the way.

Or, if you prefer, I can have the world's most counterproductive Satanist practitioner work against you.

[pameladean]

Thanks. But no thanks on the Satanist; I feel such efforts have a tendency to backfire.

P.

[howl-at-the-sun.livejournal.com]

Good to hear from you again. What an amazing eclectic workspace you have.

[pameladean]

That's a very nice way of putting it!

I've been pleased to see you posting again too.

P.

[papersky.livejournal.com]

It's way tidier than my desk.

When I tidied my desk a while ago, Z's girlfriend was astonished to find it was made of actual wood.

[pameladean]

*snrch*

It's a beautiful desk, yours. Mine is a Formica kitchen countertop balanced on filing cabinets, making an L with an ancient wooden desk that was, I think, David's when he was in high school.

P.

[lblanchard.livejournal.com]

A White Flower Farm catalog! I've been to White Flower Farm, where I once bought a white bleeding heart.

[pameladean]

Ooo! Did you go for their annual tea, or just (ha) to get plants?

Their catalog is a kind of sacred book around here, though we do look at their encomiums on how very hardy plants are in their terrible Zone 5 winters, and giggle a lot.

P.

[cloudscudding.livejournal.com]

Aw. Actually, I find your workspace reassuring.

I'm afraid to look behind me in my office, because there are huge mounds of things piling around me, and someday they will gain sentience.

[pameladean]

I have those too, but mercifully decided that, since they are not part of my desk, I needn't acknowledge them.

P.

[castleclear.livejournal.com]

I love the desk, Pamela, and all the brilliant brickabrack and clutter! It looks both homey and quite workmanslike. Thanks for the peek at where some of your creativity happens and is given life.

Re: blood pressure, in addition if not in lieu, have you considered a regular practice of MediTation in managing blood pressure. When I was regularly meditating, i could get even as a smoker sitting in the dentist's operatory prior to restorative work being done blood pressure readings of 120/80, 110/70 etc. Best of luck to thee. (big smile) :D

[pameladean]

I have tried it, but it makes me worse rather than better, alas. Trying to calm down agitates me; trying to clear my mind makes me panic. At this point, all an attempt at meditation does is to remind me of all the other bad times I tried it during.

What I need is a goodly amount of exercise outdoors and less stressful circumstances.

P.

[castleclear.livejournal.com]

Here's to less stressful circumstances and moderate exersice. :-)

[raphaela.livejournal.com]

Those dolls are amazing! I'm so glad there are artists in the world, people who think of these things and then have the skill to actually create them.

And...your desk looks familiar. But mine has Tylenol bottles, some Matchbox cars, and (I think this might be gross, but I'm not sure) discarded wiglets.

[pameladean]

I have a Tylenol bottle, but it's sitting on top of a four-drawer filing cabinet that is not technically part of my desk.

I do have some toys on my desk, but they are kind of swamped in papers right now. I have stuffed camel, a little resin gargoyle, and some small stone cats, one green.

I don't think wiglets are gross, even if discarded, though around here they'd become coated in cat hair or else be dragged off to make nests for mice.

P.

[karenkay.livejournal.com]

Did you steal Nanook and paint him all beige?

[pameladean]

Certainly not; you'd never forgive me for stealing your cat.

I stole a bit of his DNA and blocked out the white bits.

Technically, I think maybe you had to do that and put the white bits in -- I don't know how old Nanook is, but I've had Ari since 1995, when he was about nine months old, assuming vets can really tell these things.

P.

[karenkay.livejournal.com]

Nanook is about 7. So he's a baby compared to Ari. They look SO much alike! And they have the same manner, somehow. It's very odd. How much does Ari weigh?

I wish I had more pictures of Petey--he's such a noble animal, and completely different from Nanook.

And, btw--Nanook WISHES I'd let him sit on my printer! He's always climbing on it, and I'm always kicking him off. I'm not going to show him this photo.

[pameladean]

He's right around ten pounds now, maybe eleven -- he has very early-stage kidney failure, so I want to get him to eat a lot. He has been pretty cooperative in this plan.

That photo of Ari is particularly Nanookian, I think. I tried to get him to look at me with a more typical expression, but he wasn't having any. The moment I had taken the photo, he looked up and gave me a foxy mischievous glance.

I don't exactly let him sit on the printer, but I can't see it from my desk and anyway, I think old cats should be spoiled.

P.

[karenkay.livejournal.com]

I think that's the first photo I've seen of Ari, so it was a shock. Nanook seldom looks foxy.

I agree with you about old cats.

I had thought you meant that Nanook and Ari acted alike, but they could seriously be twins.

This sad lack must be rectified at once!

[pameladean]

Pictures of Ari. Some of them are over-exposed, but you can still get the idea.

http://dd-b.net/cgi-bin/picpage.pl/dd-b/SnapshotAlbum/data/2002/04120-Cats?pic=Ep850-20020412-006

http://dd-b.net/cgi-bin/picpage.pl/dd-b/SnapshotAlbum/data/2002/04120-Cats?pic=Ep850-20020412-001

http://dd-b.net/cgi-bin/picpage.pl/dd-b/SnapshotAlbum/data/2004/04000-April%20Cats?pic=ddb%2020040422%20010-006

http://dd-b.net/cgi-bin/picpage.pl/dd-b/SnapshotAlbum/data/2004/04000-April%20Cats?pic=ddb%2020040422%20010-004

http://dd-b.net/cgi-bin/picpage.pl/dd-b/SnapshotAlbum/data/2004/04000-April%20Cats?pic=ddb%2020040422%20010-007

http://dd-b.net/dd-b/SnapshotAlbum/data/2004/07000-July%20Cats/

Okay, I think I got carried away. I'll stop now.

P.

Re: This sad lack must be rectified at once!

[karenkay.livejournal.com]

I keep looking from the screen to Nanook and back again. Don't tell Nanook, but Ari's ruff is much nicer than his (maybe because it's more kempt).

They have the same smile, and the same way of looking up at you through half-closed eyes.

I so wish they could have a playdate!:)

Re: This sad lack must be rectified at once!

[pameladean]

It's the only part of him that is kempt, really. He is a total mat factory underneath, and I have to sneak up on him while he's sleeping and snip them out very slowly.

But YES, the same smile. I wonder what their secret is.

Ari is amiable about other cats but really hates travelling.

P.

Re: This sad lack must be rectified at once!

[karenkay.livejournal.com]

Nanook, Ari, and the Mona Lisa.:)

Nanook doesn't mind traveling short distances, but is wary of other cats. I know this isn't going to happen, but if we were going to have a lookalike-fest (in my fantasy world, anyway), one of Pat's cats is a lot like Ari and Nanook.

I have been trying to comb Nanook, but he's been resistant. He has better things to do. But so far there are no large mats.

[faithhopetricks.livejournal.com]

OMG KITTY. That quilt is lovely! -- Also, THOSE DOLLS, WOW, and I didn't know you had another blog.

[pameladean]

He is a very fine cat.

If you like the dolls, poke around in Terri's blog and find the other On Your Desk posts. There are a lot of amazing things.

I haven't done anything much with the other blog; it's been hanging fire since I started the Endless Revision, and I haven't quite got up the gumption to do anything about it yet.

P.

[pameladean]

Also, if you want more KITTY, my comment to karenkay above has a bunch of links to more photos.

P.