What's on your desk?

A map to the treasure of Sierra Madre

 

Nothing, as I'm changng jobs.

My ancient clipboard (the original laptop) and George W. Bush bobblehead will soon be there, and a picture of my wife. That's enough.

 

At the office ...
Picture of my wife (despite the fact that she works in the next room)
Two cups full of pens.
Golden trash can Larry O'Brien Trophy paperweight, courtesy of the NBA
"Countdown clock" that's now an hour and a half off, also courtesy of the NBA
Vaughn Dunbar rookie card, complements of our editor
Several reams of unfiled newspapers, high school programs and the company handbook
Several empty food containers, courtesy of my wife bringing me breakfast every morning and me not returning them when I'm done, as well as a coffee mug that gets washed before each use
A large, large stash of cold medicine
A 12-year-old yearbook from the local HS, courtesy of a story I was doing two months ago
A "gameball" -- a stuffed football given to me by the editor four years ago when I worked 80+ hours in one week (and didn't get any extra monetary reward)
Stacks and stacks and stacks of media guides
A bunch of out-of-date business cards (they never gave us new ones when they changed our phone numbers, but I'm changing jobs anyway, so c'est la vie)
And, of course, five active reporters notebooks

 

A quarter inch of volcanic ash

 

To my left is a plastic Kansas City Royals cup I got from a game three years ago. I kept that side open, though, for papers.

To my right is a Steelers Fact day-by-day calender that Santa got me for Christmas.

On top of my computer screen is a Kansas City Royals sundae helmet. Bought it off eBay as part of a complete set. Great buy.

Next to my computer screen on the right is a Terrible Towel. On top of it rests two Pittsburgh Pirates sundae helmets -- one the '70s yellow, one the current black -- and a Penguins hockey puck my grandpa once caught at a game.

Yeah, I represent in my newsroom.

 

Don't feel special. I've got one, too. ;D

 

Wait, are we talking about the desk at the newspaper office or my desk at home?

 

I'm not sure why, but... a brass spittoon. It housed an African violet most of the winter; it's just empty now. And I have no idea how or why it ended up on my desk, but it stayed.

 

If I don't get some sleep soon...

Drool

 

I've been recting the stuff on my desk at the newspaper office, on account of that's where I am right now.
There's completely different stuff on my desk at home.
And frankly, some of it's kind of strange.

 

Office phone
Non-functioning cell phone
Non-functioning desk fan (air conditioner is out until Monday)
Rolodex
Pile o' Media Guides
Pile o' Reference Material (Newspaper Designer's Handbook, AP Stylebook, Roget's, etc.)
Chris Klein bobblehead
Camera batteries
2 Peanut Butter Take 5 bars
March 2006 VineLine
World Soccer magazine (World Cup preview edition)
FourFourTwo mag (Argentina cover)
Quotations from Steve Prefontaine, Lao Tzu and Jay-Z, taped to the desk circa two SEs ago

 

Computer. Phone. That's it. That's all that is allowed here at the fourth reich. I used to have Mayor Quimby and Homer on a downtown Spingfield setup, where they could say snappy remarks like "Did I, er, hear a briefcase opening?" But that all came to an end when the publisher walked through the office and scooped them up and I had to have a meeting with the ME. I mean, shit, just tell me to take them home. So childish. On top of that, all these other fucks in the office have all sorts of shit. Pictures, awards, books, momentos -- not that there is anything wrong with that -- but the one thing I have on my desk that is personal, boom, gos to go. I will burn this building to the ground.