Office Plant Update

Well, unfortunately my orchid isn't doing so well...

My African Violet, on the other hand, is an EXPLOSION OF AWESOMENESS! Just look at all of those happy little flowers. Ohmigosh! I am so in love with this little plant. My mom is the one who really got it going and kept it happy and blooming, so I think all of the credit really goes to her, but I am the lucky one who gets to enjoy the blooms.

Since I don't have a garden this year, I am really happy that I am able to have my desk plants to keep things cheery around here.

Ink Pen Refills - I Use 'Em

Pilot Dr. Grip Retractable Gel Ink Pen, Ice Blue Barrel (Google Affiliate Ad)Pilot Dr. Grip Retractable Gel Ink Pen, Ice Blue Barrel (Google Affiliate Ad)Pilot Dr. Grip Retractable Gel Ink Pen, Mauve Barrel (Google Affiliate Ad)

I'm not sure if a lot of people do this, but I refill my ink pens instead of throwing them away and buying new ones. I'm not sure that it makes a difference for the environment. It doesn't make a huge difference in my finances. I'm not really sure why I do it. It's not like I'm making a statement or I really believe in it. I just do.

It might be because when I find a pen I like, I tend to hold on to it. Maybe it is because of my affinity for office supplies. Maybe it's because I like the challenge of actually being able to use all of the ink from a pen before it breaks or I lose it. Maybe it's just because I'm weird.

See how the pink pen is very nearly out of ink? I'm prepared with a refill. I'm not a serial ink pen refiller. These are the only types of pens I refill, and I've been refilling the same ones for years. Both the pink pen and the blue pen are from 2004. The pink one is a Pentel and the blue one is a Dr. Grip. I don't even think they make the blue one anymore. I haven't seen it around lately anyway... you know what else?

I liked it so much that I bought the matching mechanical pencil, which I also keep refilling, but I don't think that's as uncommon.

Orchid

I am determined to keep this orchid alive... but that hasn't saved any of the others, so I am not sure how much hope this one has.

African Violet on my Desk

While my plant collection is not yet complete, I am taking a lot of pride in the plants I have. These African Violets seem to be doing very well and they haven't stopped flowering.

It's also growing new buds right now! So it must be super happy, right?!

Moo.

I think it might be because I have been planning our family trip to the county fair, but I fell in love with this screen saver when I saw it!

My Paper Clip Dispenser Runneth Over

This is very easily the messiest part of my desk on any given day. I try to keep things as neat and organized as I can. I clean my desk every night before I leave so that it is fresh for me in the morning. I try to make sure my inbox and billing box are both empty at the end of the day. No matter how hard I work at keeping things neat and under control, the one thing that I cannot tame is this paper clip dispener.

I use way too many paper clips a day. The thing about paper clips is that they are so obviously meant to be temporary - otherwise you'd just staple and be done with it. Since the paper clip is a temporary solution for binding a stack of paper, that means that when that stack of paper eventually gets stapled, the paper clips end up right back in the dispenser. Whenever my paper clips start to look neat and thinned out, I always dread the end of the day when I will eventually have to return all of them back to their cluttered little home. I'm going to have to learn to embrace the chaos.

Beach Things

Underneath one of my monitors is a small cubby type area. It could be used for storage of paper clips, post-it notes, or ink pens, but I use it for beach things. I have a collection of seashells, agates, and smooth rocks that I found on the shore of Depot Bay with Travis on our first beach trip. There is also a pretty purple glass float that his sister brought back for me from the same area when she visited there. The area is very special to Travis and his family - everyone has fond memories of the place. These little beach things please me and I enjoy looking at them. I keep my extra paper clips in my desk drawer.

My Desktop

Just a picture of my desktop. I've been staring at it all day so now we have the same view.

Hey Darth Vader! Get your hands away from my email!

Desk Tours

I love my job. Still. It has been a couple of months and I am pretty sure that new job smell is fading, but I still really do love it. I can say that absolutely, positively, it's the best job I have ever had.

Even though I love it, I still like to have little things around my desk to keep me happy throughout the day. I'm starting a little series called "Desk Tours", to show you around my desk. Here's the big picture:

The backside of my desk / cubicle type area

 

I don't think it is quite a cubicle. It only has one wall and that is just to make it better looking for the customers and to keep things from falling off the other side. It's a really nice and new wrap around type desk, but I call it "The Printer Pit". Take a look... there are 1, 2, 3, 4 printers. All for different things, all making different noises, and occasionally, all printing at the same time.