Message #64218

[spitfire78]

My office is a former closet - literally!

The desk is fairly new (about 10 years old or so) and large enough to give me a wonderful work surface.

However... there is no window and no heat/air conditioning.  The concrete block walls are full of small holes from what I would guess were various things that at one time or other hung in there.  The only part of the office that is truly mine is the desk.  In addition to the desk I also have a refrigerator and microwave, an ancient large 2-door storage cabinet and an even larger open bookshelf.  On top of the microwave sits the hole punch, heavy-duty stapler and laminating machine.  Stored on top of the cabinet are boxes and old desk accessories.  Because of all of the "stuff" in the office, I have no place to really set pictures or vases or anything that would make it "homey".  My plants all died the first winter I had them here from the lack of light on weekends and freezing temperatures overnight and on weekends.

I am trying to clean out the storage cabinet (my boss is a bit of a pack-rat - you wouldn't believe what I've found in there!).  I'm hoping that if I can get the inside cleaned out - what is stored on top will be able to go inside.  Then maybe I can get some artificial plants and maybe put some personal pictures up there.  Then, I plan to tackle the open bookshelf, so at least it looks neater.  I did discard the awful-looking magnets that some former occupant collected and were all over the refrigerator and storage cabinet.  

If I could only change 1 thing it would be a window - I would LOVE a window.  Next would be carpeting and painting with a filling in of the holes in the wall.  After that would be some nice storage cabinets that match my furniture (or even better - move out the d storage cabinet/bookshelf and give me more file space and breathing room.  I wouldn't mind having the refrigerator and microwave moved out either - it's not much fun to be trying to work and have big boss come in to heat up his smelly lunch!!!!  I'll never have a window (although my joke with the head of maintenance is for him to install a skylight), and the refrigerator and microwave are here to stay.  Maybe someday I can get the walls done and carpeting installed.  Right now money is an issue, so I wouldn't even ask at this point, but maybe in a couple of years.

Believe it or not, a few months ago big boss wanted to put a fax machine in my office!  We told him there was no room and he suggested putting a shelf on the wall near my desk, which would have precluded me from using 2 drawers of my desk and would have given me this huge thing constantly looming over my head!  Fortunately, his assistant said she had room in her office, so we put it in there - phew!!!