I did some shopping for the proto-office today. A new chair that will keep me in a better position for typing, and a second monitor to make edits a little more straightforward.

The monitor was something that I’ve been thinking about for a while, but it was an ‘only if I have some extra money’ purchase. The chair, on the other hand, was a necessity.

I’ve been using a kitchen chair for the past year and a half. It’s the right height for the desk and it’s easy to move around. But, I’m short. Really short–like 5 feet tall. Short-waisted, short below the knee. I’ve never managed to find a desk/chair setup that lets me type comfortably while still having my feet on the floor. I also have what my doctor calls ‘a high degree of lordosis’. Basically, baby got back–my spine, viewed from the side, forms a easily seen S shape. When wearing Victorian clothing, I don’t need much of a bustle. 😉

The implications, and the consequences of this, are that I have very specific needs with respect to office furniture that are difficult to meet. It took two hours in at the office supply place, trying out all the chairs to see how they fit, and some very deep conversations with the salesman about proportions and adjustability. (I never knew office chairs were so complicated!)

This was all triggered by some recent health issues. I’ve been getting by, but lately my posture has gradual shifted, until it’s actually started causing me severe distress. My neck, my shoulders, and my jaw have been a knot of pain for the past month. I’ve lost sleep, and lost writing time, because the only time I’m pain free is when I’m up moving around. And we won’t talk about the probable liver damage from the volume of painkillers and anti-inflammatories I’ve been taking.

This also steps up the schedule for getting the treadesk, since my posture is normal/correct when I’m standing. It’s just my work position while sitting that’s an issue.

Next on the list is a couple or three largish whiteboards to put on the wall. And I need to see if I can repurpose a set of shelves from somewhere around the house to hold my growing collection of resource books.

So, the moral of the story is: make sure you’re sitting properly and don’t be afraid to buy the proper furniture. 😀

I promise a picture, after I’ve gotten a bit more of the junk out of it.