Accepting Opportunities by Andy Scheer

“Do you want a roll-top desk?” my wife said. “There's one at the neighbor's curbside.”

Sure enough, there it sat. Massive. Oak. Free. And separated into sections my son-in-law and I could carry.

I wasn't looking to replace my writing desk, but the opportunity was too good to pass. With Matt and Erica's help, we carried “The Desk” to our house, then down the stairs to my basement office.

The fit was tight. To clear room, I had to move almost every piece of furniture two or three inches. Then I had to detach all the computer cables and equipment from the old desk.

Assembling the “The Desk” took more work than we imagined: positioning the base sections so the top would align. Hanging shelves and doors. Then inserting sections with multiple drawers and pigeon holes.

Finally, routing all the computer and accessory cables and finding places for all the it

ems stashed in the old desk.

A few days later, I'm still getting used to “The Desk.” Everything isn't yet in place. I know I'll make some adjustments.

That comes with any opportunity.

Still, sitting here makes me feel more like a writer.

Considering the project deadline less than a month away, I'll need that “can-do attitude.

If I'd said no – to the desk or to that assignment – I'd have saved myself a lot of work. But at least for the desk, I'd have closed the door on something better than I'd ever imagined. I hope the same proves true for the writing project.

Writing Nest by Andy Scheer

Having just finished cutting the backyard, I was ready to cool off. So I poured some iced coffee and retreated to my writing room. I not only met the assignment deadline, I also got more comfortable.

While I've written about how economically you can equip your writing place, I've neglected the importance of creating a place you can comfortably stay on task.

For me, temperature is a big concern. The basement location for my writing place offers a great solution. In summer, it stays many degrees cooler than our main floor. In winter, its location near the furnace maintains a shirt-sleeve temperature.

A bookcase to my immediate right holds needed resources within arm's reach. A double-wide file drawer to the left secures all my hard copies and holds my printer and spinning mini bookcase. An electric cup warmer beside my monitor maintains my coffee at an ideal temperature. I've installed decent speakers beside of my desk so I can pipe in assignment-suited music from a turntable in the next room.

It took me awhile to get all the adjustment levers on my desk chair to suit my frame. The chair may no longer look beautiful, but it fits like an old chair.

Writing remains hard work, except for those moments when everything comes together and I feel the joy of the process. Today— as I listened to some of Michael Martin Murphey's early vocals and enjoyed the cool comfort of my writing nest—was one of those days.

When I came downstairs I hadn't planned to write this piece. But rather than have to go back upstairs, writing it gave me an excuse to remain a little longer in my nest.

I hope yours also does its job.