After a period of imaginary wealth, our loan money has run out and our fall projects are complete. It was nice while it lasted and some of our purchases will be with us for a long time.
During the past month, we got a new roof, which was at the top of the list. We bought a Big Green Egg to replace the second in a short lineage of dying gas grills and the lumber to build a table to hold the new grill, which tested our carpentry skills (We passed). We also got a new HDTV outfitted with a 2nd generation Apple TV to replace the aging CRT in our master bedroom.
I even managed to pay off a credit card.
One freebie that found us last week is a 19-inch monitor that was stored in my mother-in-law’s attic. When we were looking for something to replace the TV in the bedroom we thought it might work, but it was too small and the resolution was a little hinky when we connected the Apple TV. Even though it didn’t serve its intended purpose, she told me to go ahead and keep it; that it would just get stuck back in the attic if we returned it.
With the addition of the monitor, I’m trying to figure out how to set up my desk. Right now the monitor is in front of me with the MacBook scooted off to the right and the bluetooth keyboard in front of me. I’m considering closing the MacBook altogether. I enjoy having two displays, but this setup is a little weird. The sizes are too different. It could be because all of the connectors are on the left side of the MacBook. Maybe if I move it to the left of the LCD monitor I can get the screen closer together and it will make some sort of sense.
[pause to shuffle electric components around my desk]
Meh, after some scooting around it’s a little better. I guess it is an improvement. I just know that the monitor is much easier on my eyes. With a little more rearranging, I think I will like it. This arrangement displaced my physical inbox, which sucks a bit, so there is still some work to do.