Happy New Year, Roses and
Friends of Roses!
What a fabulous December
we had here on our blog, a wonderful variety of well-told tales around the
prompt: “Pulling this off would take a Christmas miracle.” In the hub-bub of the holidays, I relished
the time to sip my morning coffee and enjoy a new story section. Well-drawn characters, interesting plots, and
poignant endings, all. Thank you, Buds!
Some of us saw the ball
dropping last night and watched the second hand click to 2018, but even if we slept through the switch of the year, we’re forced to put that snowman at the end
of 201_! Mushing on is what we writers
do. We create another story, edit the
heck out of it, title and cover it, publish it and figure out ways to sell it,
learning from last year, but not letting our 2017 troubles weigh us down.
Resilient and persistent
we are!
Now back to reality. Persistence implies more time at our
computers, right? Lately my legs begin
aching a half hour into a writing spree.
Usually I get up and walk around, do a chore, etc., but I’d like a
different solution. I am well aware of
the dangers of sitting for long periods.
Recent research is worrisome: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/20/well/move/why-sitting-may-be-bad-for-your-heart.html
So maybe in 2018 I should
write standing up as well as sitting down.
I’m thinking about buying a gizmo to raise/lower my computer so I can
stand half of the time I write. Before I
decide to buy the $500 thing, I want to learn more from people who use one and
how it’s working for them.
Tell me about yours or
your friends’ experiences…or alternates to the $500 purchase.
And if you have the need
to put your legs up, here’s a book to read!
Italy’s haunted
caves spell danger for an American golfer and a NATO geologist
***
Sophie Maxwell is a late-blooming, unorthodox golfer, and mother
of a precocious thirteen year-old. Determined to put divorce, bankruptcy, and a
penchant for gambling in her past, Sophie goes to Italy for a qualifying golf
tournament.
Jack Walker turned his back on a pro golfing career to become a
geologist. As a favor to his ailing father he’ll caddy for Sophie; off hours,
he’ll find caves on the Mediterranean coast, suitable for NATO listening posts
for terrorist activity.
Someone is determined to stop Jack’s underground hunt and ruin
Sophie’s chances to win her tournament.
On a Rome golf course and in the Amalfi coast’s haunted caves, all
the odds are stacked against Sophie and Jack. In their gamble of a
lifetime, who wins?
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20 comments:
Several people in my office use the standing desks, Rolynn, and they all love them. None of them paid that much, though. One person paid around $300 and the others around $200. I'll send you the brands offline after I'm back at work tomorrow.
Naturally, more bells and whistles, like tilt-ability of the keyboard platform and size of the screen platform (for one monitor or two), will raise the cost, so you need to figure out which of those bells and whistles you need.
Thanks for the pep talk about moving forward in 2018 and not letting 2017's problems weigh us down!
My laptop sits at the end of my dining room table. That's where I write. However, the dog feels the need to go in and out every two minutes, so I'm constantly getting up and down at her whim. I'm not sure if a dog is cheaper than a desk, but it has more personality. LOL
Leah, thanks ahead of time for the information. I've heard I can get a motorized affair or a crank type. I can imagine the motorized one is more expensive, but also convenient. And then I see that some buy a foam mat to stand on. I wish I could learn how to dictate, too. Wouldn't that be cool?
Jannine, your pup has you trained...or better yet, she has your health heart in mind. Either way, you have one inexpensive personal trainer! Brilliant!
I'm good for no more than an hour at a time, and sometimes I need to move after 30 minutes. Since you're tall, Rolynn, I think the key to a well-functioning standing desk would be to get one that goes high enough. If you have to bend, even a little, you'll end up with back and neck pain. Good luck and report back!
Rolynn,
I got a Veridesk for Christmas and love it. My husband and I put it together (very easy) before the holidays began, and I’ve been using it for about two and a half weeks. Like you, I’d found it difficult to get up after sitting so long, and this has been the perfect solution. The best of both worlds. I highly recommend it.
Nancy
Nancy, thank you so much for your input. My brother had a Veridesk, too, and really liked it. I'm looking up the information right now! Happy New Year, Nancy!
This has been a real worry for me as well Rolynn, since I have AFib and am therefore more likely to have heart problems from sitting. I try to get up at least every half hour, but would be interested in trying the standing desk so let us know how it works for you. I have to say the other problem is eyes--did you know you're supposed to look away from the screen every 20 minutes and focus on something at a distance? What a world!
Andy, I'll share all I learn right here. As for the eyes...I got glasses specifically for computer distance, plus a lens that filters out the 'blue' light. I also put in over-the-counter eye drops every night. All has improved my vision...no tired eyes any more.
Thanks so much for the accolades about our stories. For my part, the annual Christmas stories truly are a labor of love. Thanks, too, for the moving forward as opposed to being weighed down pep talk. Onward in 2018. I’m another one who will be interested in learning what you find out about desks. I have a simple, with the emphasis on simple, desk I attach to my treadmill. I have a shelf that measures 3 feet X 1 foot. My husband put two 3/4 inch I bolts on each end, and I attach one end of a bungee cord to each, run the cord under the arms on the treadmill and attach the other end to the I bolts on the other end of the shelf. (Does that make sense?) It’s surprisingly sturdy. So far, I write in long hand while I’m walking, but a laptop would fit too. Although I think I’d put a lip on the front edge of the shelf before trying that. Of course, I have to walk relatively slowly, but it gets me moving and ‘makes’ me write. Win Win.
Thanks for the pep talk, Rolynn. While 2017 was a great year for me and my family, it hasn't been so great for our country and the rest of the world. But, we can put it in the past where it belongs and move forward. So here's to a great 2018 for all of us. Like Margo, I enjoy writing the short stories for December. And I really enjoyed reading everyone else's stories. Good luck on that standing desk. Let us know what you find out.
When I lived in MN, I rigged my treadmill with a shelf across the handles. I would walk at a slow pace and write. One thing that did was cure me of getting car sick when I read in the car! But I loved moving while I wrote. I no longer have the treadmill, but I do need to find an alternative to sitting. Let us know where you take this.
May I be the odd person out? I sit on a ball. A 72cm balance ball. No handles. No frame. It has 2 lbs of sand in it to keep it from rolling away when I stand up, which I do once an hour. When I need to stand and write, I take the laptop upstairs to the kitchen bar. Perfect height.
Margo, I'm happy to continue the short stories as well. And you're welcome about my call to mush on. 2017 was such a downer politically...it has to get better in 2018! I'm actually hoping the T golfs a lot in 2018 :-)
Thanks for your info on the treadmill...good for you to jerry rig it so you can write easily! Keep up that pace!
Diane, we had friends over yesterday for clam chowder and ham, etc., a tradition. We laughed and I read the New York Times 10 resolutions from the Style Page (from Sunday...they are a hoot). Simple things to improve our lives - Wash your hair, make your bed, put appointments for sex on your calendar...simple stuff :-). Anyway, I feel better about 2018 already. Here's to fun for all the Roses in 2018!
Brenda, you and Margo are walking to the same tune. Brilliant minds. I sold my treadmill, but I have a peddler I use 30 minutes each day...and I visit the fitness center three days a week as well. I want to walk for exercise more in 2018. I hope my standing plan helps...but the need to move...like using a treadmill, is tempting.
Betsy, I always knew you were on the ball. I do have a ball that I could use in conjunction with sitting/standing. GREAT idea...I've never tried it. (Have you ever fallen over on it? Concerns me a little since I've got a wood floor in the study)
So we got to 18 comments with this entry. I'll see what happens to the stats when we go over 15. Jannine, tell me what you see, please. Thanks everyone!
Ahhh, here i am, late again. I agree about the stories. What at treat to be entertained each morning by my friends! Hmmm...I can't sit more than 30 minutes or so, and then I have to get up and do something, but I would love to figure out a way to stand and write, although for some reason I feel I wouldn't be as creative or productive. But, I'm sure I would once I got used to it. Let us know what you figure out!
Never too late, Alicia. You make a good point about the change of position affecting how/what we write. One of my friends, who just bought a raised desk, says she's writing more and enjoying standing, so I hope it's a matter of getting used to thinking/typing upright. Our next step is talking/writing...so we can 'write' while we walk!
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