Pointy Furniture

I had a dream over the weekend, but the only thing I remember was that I was trying to balance a marble on a table-top that was tipping up and down because someone was underneath it.

On the writing front... not much actual writing.  I've had a very heavy critique load this week, so I've been reading six manuscripts (some of them very long).  I moved my chair and mobile desk around so that the desk and the end table it sits on aren't jutting out into the middle of the living room.  My chair is in a corner, underneath a hook we hang things off of; currently, it's a decorative copper bowl (now dubbed "The Bowl of Damocles"), but in the past we've hung a decorative but sharp brass lamp cover from India or Pakistan or where-ever it was my parents got it when they were traveling overseas in the 1960's.  Since I really don't want to write while sitting underneath a metal spike, I think we'll hang that particular object d'art somewhere else.  I arranged a throw rug over the desk, so it looks much less martial;  I will have to go to the Episcopal Thrift Shop and find a suitable altar cloth.

I've also had two less-than-thirty-six-hour rejections.  So. Yay?

Portable Writing Desk

One the writing front, I finished re-working a piece that I'd originally written for the Wordos Halloween reading and changed the POV character from the older, wiser character to the younger character who makes a mistake.  Now to find some beta readers for it, because it's made the rounds at the critique table.  I also polished up a pre-existing story--minor character name change for clarity and little tweaks in dialog--and sent it out (fingers crossed).

After mulling it over in my head for several weeks, I cleaned out a 1944 World War II campaign desk I've had forever.  I had been storing a combination of art supplies,  random rocks, old wind-up toys, veils, incense and ceremonial ritual tools in it.  The idea was that I'd use it as a portable altar, but instead it lived in our garage.  Before that it was a kind of costume case.

The Child was very interested in some of my old buttons, and an old koosh, and a few other items that I let him have.  I threw away a few things, and consolidated the rest with other collections.  Then I vacuumed out the dust and washed off the random grime from the outside.  

The idea is that The Child needs his closet back, so I need to figure out some sort of office solution.  Also, Mark appreciates it if I don't leave a zillion manuscripts lying around the house.  I think throwing a cloth over it would help disguise the fact that it's a slightly battered piece of World War II mobile army furniture... but I'm still not sure where in our house it would live.

I think it will be handy to use, if I can find a place for it.  Aside from the martial exterior, its only downside is that it's heavy.  I'll need to find a suitable stand for it if I want to use it as a desk.  Actually... I think two stands for it would be more practical, as lugging it around and a stand will be difficult.   I might re-paint it so it's brighter; but on the other hand it's seventy years old and I think it's an original paint job (maybe I can change the US in black stencil to jUStice.  Or bUSted.  Or jUSt Write!)

Ideally, during the sunnier months, I could sit with it outside and not have to worry about manuscripts blowing away.  We'll see...