No more moving around

After almost two years of working from home as a technical writer, I finally smartened up this weekend and set up a permanent work station for myself.  I had been setting up my laptop at the kitchen table everyday and packing everything up when it was time to serve meals.  So every morning, I had to set up my computer on the table, plug it in, set up all my papers, etc. before I could actually get down to work.

I had worked for a while down in our basement office, but found that it wasn't very practical to be all the way downstairs all day.  I couldn't hear the doorbell if it rang, and I couldn't steal quick glances at my emails while preparing meals.  Plus, being down in the basement all day, with nothing but a small 18" X 30" window to give me sunlight, made it feel like I was living in a dungeon. So I decided to work upstairs, and the only place that I could set myself up was the kitchen table.

A couple of weeks ago, we got a hand-me-down computer desk from my brother and set up one of the kids' computers on that, down in the dungeon office - um... I mean basement office.  This freed up the little desk that we had temporarily been using for the kids' computer.  This weekend, I decided that to move that little desk up into a corner of my living room and set up a permanent workstation.  I got it all set up on Saturday.  Everything was working fine.  The wireless signal was good, and I had room for all my stuff.

This morning, when I turned on my computer, the wireless connection couldn't be established.  I tried to figure out why, but I just couldn't get a signal.  I grabbed my labtop and roamed around the house, trying to find where the signal was best.  I found a corner in my dining room (which is actually a room with an old table that the kids do their homework in since we can't afford a nice dining room set), so I set up the desk in that corner.  The wireless signal is strong, I am facing a large window that gives out onto my backyard.  This is great!  No more packing up and moving at the end of each work day.  My computer is here to stay - until we can afford to actually use this room as a dining room, but by then, the kids will probably have moved out of the house, and I can use one of their bedrooms as an office.

Lucie Bouchard Antoniazzi, Regular Columnist, All in a Mom-day's Work, www.luciebouchardantoniazzi.com

Comments

[Veronica]

And here I am all excited we just hooked up our wireless about two weeks ago and I can work ANYwhere in the house. I'm not fixed to a permenant location. But we have no basement anyway.

Now if only the phone company would resolve my long distance life would be good.

[Sue Donckels]

That is a good ending to a frustrating situation. Enjoy it!

[Kathy Schlaeger]

Good for you! Many happy writing days to you.

Kathy