# What's on your desk? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 27, 2005, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-on-your-desk/292169 "2005-02-27T19:16:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-on-your-desk/292169/21 "2005-02-27T22:37:54Z")
On my desk: [ul] [li]Box of 12 (one missing) chestnut scented tealights[/li][li]Empty box of “All Abouts” Girl Scout Cookie[/li][li]Map and manual for Neverwinter Nights Gold[/li][li]Case to Heroes of Might and Magic II[/li][li]The Sims 2[/li][li]Empty box of SweetTarts Hearts[/li][li]Random Post-It 3x5 index card with things like “Amaretto Merengue Pie” and “Charlie’s glasses” written on them[/li][li]Transcender managing Windows server 2003 CD[/li][li]Bottle of Ativan[/li][li]Recipie card for Lemon Merengue Pie[/li][li]A “spinner” from a Bionicle[/li][li]Recipie card for merengue[/li][li]Remote control for the DVD player[/li][li]Cheap little clock that doesn’t work[/li][li]Heroes IV Expansion pack “The Gathering Storm”[/li][li]Sim City 4[/li][li]Neverwinter Nights Gold [/li][li]Cable for connecting my digital camera to my PC[/li][li]Digital camera[/li][li]2 envelopes that once contained Valentines Day cards from my In-laws[/li][li]Handy dandy notebook[/li][li]Starbuck’s card[/li][li]Asst leftover Power Ranger’s Valentines from my son’s class[/li][li]Application for a change of name on Social Security Card[/li][li]2 Round Table Pizza paper napkins[/li][li]8½ x 11 piece of paper with large lettering “Go to Starbucks!”[/li][li]Envelope from a friend to my son with notes about our upcomin Disneyland trip written on it[/li][li]Assorted bills needing to be paid[/li][li]Disney Rewards card magazine[/li][li]Preliminary flight itinerary" for my upcoming trip to Italy[/li][li]Creative Memories flyer[/li][li]Pictures from my son’s Easter party last year at school[/li][li]Notes regarding to whom I have spoken about my mobile phone not working (from January)[/li][li]Gift card for one Free Very Sexy V-String Heart Panty from Victoria’s Secret[/li][li]Birthday card to me from my in-laws[/li][li]Overdue library notice from my son’s school library [/li][li]Invitation to coffee time at the local coffee shop with other mom’s from my son’s class[/li][li]A JD Power and Associates survey I need to fill out for the last time I took my Land Rover in for service[/li][li]Stapler[/li][li]Yellow hair band[/li][li]Manual pencil sharpener[/li][li]Instructions for my Polder Cooking Thermometer[/li][li]Cradle for **Suburban Plankton** ’s HP IPAQ[/li][li]Address book[/li][li]2 speakers[/li][li]Flat panel monitor[/li][li]Phone[/li][li]Two pen/pencil/scissors/etc holders absolutely full of pens/pencils/scissors/etc[/li][li]And most importantly…The Letter “F” (worth 4 points) from my Scrabble game[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Purl_McKnittington)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-on-your-desk/292169/22 "2005-02-27T22:49:10Z")
Computer stuff: wireless keyboard and mouse, monitor, speakers, receiver for keyboard and mouse, The Sims 2, Sims 2 handbook, The Sims Online. Average desk stuff: pens and desk “organizer” (ha ha ha), mini-stapler, post-its, tacks, lamp, address book, 2 Mead Five Star notebooks, Page Up paper holder with Matisse’s _Decorative Figure on an Ornamental Background_ stuck in it. Knitting stuff: 1 ball green wool worsted, darning needles, size K crochet hook, unknown number of patterns, pincushion, scissors, tons of scrap yarn, label from Bernat Softee Chunky, knitting journal, yarn catalogue. Diabetes stuff: 2 bottles Lantus, 1 bottle Novalog, 1 lunchbox filled with 50 unit syringes, about six used syringes, glucometer, empty test strips bottle, lancets, empty container of glucose tablets, syringe wrappers. Food related items: 1 dirty oatmeal bowl, 2 dirty spoons, dirty glass, dirty travel mug, water bottle, half jar of peanuts, cup of ice which I’m chewing on, paper napkins, 1 honey bear. Books, plays, and videos: Titus Alone, Gormenghast, Freedom & Necessity, Howard’s End, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, The Hound of the Baskervilles, Interview with the Vampire, The Vampire Lestat, She’s Come Undone, Oxford English Dictionary, The Dwelling Place, The Blues Brothers, Aladdin, The Secret Garden, The Princess Bride, The Red Violin, Swing Kids, Kate & Leopold, The Merchant of Venice, Hamlet, King Lear, Macbeth, The Pictorial Guide to the Tarot, The Bell Jar. Miscellaneous: Brush, handmirror, ringholder filled with jewelry, lots of ponytail holders and barrettes, headband with combteeth, Caught Ya Studying! coupons, bobby pins, alarm clock, mini flowerpot full of pennies, 4-oz. Tupperware container filled with quarters, The Art of Bellydance “kit”, harvest pear air freshener, folder with drawings, manual to my microwave, lip liner, body shimmer with pheremones (heh), keys and student ID, body lotion, facial lotion, letter from my mother, program from “Once Upon a Mattress”, business card. My god. My roomie’s desk is bare compared to mine. But she’s not procrastinating studying, either. ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-on-your-desk/292169/23 "2005-02-27T23:45:57Z")
I’ll just show you a [picture](http://fff.fathom.org/pages/GingerOfTheNorth/Desk.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![gardentraveler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gardentraveler/32/3576_2.png) [@gardentraveler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gardentraveler)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2005, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-on-your-desk/292169/24 "2005-02-28T00:08:00Z")
Pile of Opus clippings ready to send to best friend who lives in an Opus-deprived location. Pile of greeting cards. Refilled inkjet cartridge. Car loan booklet (why do I keep it when I pay it online?) Measuring tape Permanent markers. Lamp. Miscellaneous receipts. Tower CD holder. Copy of Vegetarian Times. Sir Arthur Conan Doly’s Classic The Lost World - on cassettes Miscellaneous receipts Onyx paperweight Stapler Monitor propped on 2 college yearbooks (not mine) Speakers Scanner Digital and film cameras $5 complimentary gift card for Don Pablo’s One Pledge Grab-It (maybe I’ll dust now…) GT ---
**Author:** ![Nunavut\_Boy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e95f7d/32.png) [@Nunavut\_Boy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nunavut_Boy)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2005, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-on-your-desk/292169/25 "2005-02-28T00:11:54Z")
a dirty plate an empty glass 2 computers surround sound speakers digital camera 2 empty cigarette packs misc. CDs pen sharpie nail clippers reese peanut butter cups Dr. Pepper remote control overflowing ashtray telephone guitar slide last month’s unopened mail a tourniquet (no, I am not a junkie, it followed me home from work) $80 keys ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2005, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-on-your-desk/292169/26 "2005-02-28T00:50:22Z")
Oh, Ginger wants to play pix, eh? [The Desk](http://www.wooleysark.com/Messy%20Desk%2001.jpg) [The Desk - Detail Right](http://www.wooleysark.com/Messy%20Desk%2002.jpg) [The Desk - Detail Left](http://www.wooleysark.com/Messy%20Desk%2003.jpg) How do you people stay so clean and still accomplish anything? ---
**Author:** ![StarsApart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecc23a/32.png) [@StarsApart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarsApart)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2005, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-on-your-desk/292169/27 "2005-02-28T01:19:19Z")
_thinks, since she’s not at her dorm desk right now_ Monitor Keyboard Speakers with a stuffed unicorn and seal on top of them Mouse Pile of library books that really need to be returned White mug with a unicorn design holding random pencils/pens Various soda cans A Whataburger soda Various figurines in various stages of clothing on top of my monitor (I like having nekkid girls on top of it) Some Post-Its reminding me to water my plant, and of a friend’s birthday coming up Photos of my SO, us together and my parents’ cat Sneakers My dorm desk also has a little shelf connected to it that contains: Books across the entire thing A piggy bank in the shape of a rhinocerous Various stuffed animals Change I’m too lazy to put in the piggy bank Little toys I like ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2005, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-on-your-desk/292169/28 "2005-02-28T01:24:12Z")
A glass of water on a coaster that was designed with artwork by **Jinwicked** Vaseline Altoids of various flavors a hanky some mail address labels and stamps electric and regular staplers gum nasal sprays scotch tape a holder for my glasses containers full of pens, pencils, bookmarks, a backscratcher, a ruler, and a candy cane a lot of paper clips in two containers address book various papers, manuals and things that shouldn’t be there A to-do list (“clean up desk” is not on this list) a lamp two calendars ---
**Author:** ![nashiitashii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7c8e57/32.png) [@nashiitashii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nashiitashii)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2005, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-on-your-desk/292169/29 "2005-02-28T01:25:10Z")
Okay, I’m a college student. First year on my own (not in a dorm, that is) in an off-campus apartment, so I’m used to keeping all my stuff in my bedroom. What’s on my desk? A desk organizer that contains the following: 4 colored sharpie markers, one fat black sharpie marker, one pen with no ink left, a purple stapler, purple staples, a spool of ribbon, nail polish, a marble ball, bottle of Clarinex, and a little stone dragon talisman. The rest of the desk contains: a portable cd player, five pieces of mail, a stack of reptile vendors’ business cards, a business card organizer, eleven cd cases, lip balm, an eyelash curler, the box for my emergency inhaler, a plastic bag with a couple of 14g earrings, eyeglass case, an old dougal (it’s a computer part), a paper that lists graduate schools I’m looking at, a prescription for methylprednisolone, a hairbrush, three pieces of chocolate, a cell phone, a bottle of Astelin, a peak flow monitor, my digital camera and docking base (I need to get myself a new usb cable for the docking base: I somehow bent the other one), a Lumene brochure, a printer, a file folder full of papers, thank-you cards, a gatorade bottle, and my trusty little laptop. In the cubby holes, I have the following: three binders, four German textbooks, a general bulletin for my university, a holistic health cookbook, a handful of anthropology textbooks, a copy of _Real Simple_, some leather string, and my bag of manicure stuff. I really should be doing a little cleaning to my desk. However, despite how much stuff is on it, I need all of it and there’s not an apropriate place for what’s not put away. ---
**Author:** ![PastAllReason](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f07891/32.png) [@PastAllReason](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastAllReason)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2005, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-on-your-desk/292169/30 "2005-02-28T01:38:54Z")
Wow. Since I’m at home, and on my laptop, my desk consists of: my lapdesk, and my laptop. Oh, and the dvd/tv remote that’s sitting on my keyboard. On top of the number row, since I hardly ever use those. ---
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2005, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-on-your-desk/292169/31 "2005-02-28T01:40:37Z")
My desk is a small computer workstation with very little non-covered-by-computer space. I’ve still managed to cover it with: A pump-top container of aloe vera gel, which I had out last summer because I’d sunburned my nose and it kept itching, and then never removed A plastic box full of 3.5" floppies A ceramic sparrow I painted myself A small plush baby chicken Three nail clippers A pocket multi-tool (think Swiss army knife, only not from the Swiss army) A container of hand lotion (Warm Vanilla Sugar scent) A tube of lip balm (Cherry 7up) My keychain A coupon for buy one get one free meals at IHOP Some assorted scraps of paper Two large binder clips A salt shaker A package of batteries Two rings A rhinestone necklace A spool of black upholstery-weight thread An empty Coke bottle A Christmas card from my best friend Some jewelry cleaning wipes Two matchbooks A wheat penny A Canadian quarter A McDonald’s Monopoly piece from their last promotion (St James Place) A pre-paid Visa that I used up in its entirety in November A purse-sized packet of Kleenex A book (“Time and Again” by Jack Finney) A tape measure And this is AFTER I cleaned it off while we were redecorating the living room on Friday. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2005, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-on-your-desk/292169/32 "2005-02-28T01:50:35Z")
I’m not really at a desk; it’s a set of shelves built in to my bookcase. Nevertheless, they support: - speakers, monitor, keyboard, mouse, mousepad, wrist wrest; - vast quantities of paper; - one saucer and two glasses; - a Descendents of Darkness manga; - _Exercises de style_ by Raymond Queneau; - two CDs and one jewel case; - a cell phone; - a mechanical pencil; - a nickel; - a silver bracelet; - a beaded necklace; - a cashew tin with the label ripped off. ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2005, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-on-your-desk/292169/33 "2005-02-28T01:53:11Z")
It’s a hutch desk with a filing cabinet drawer. Monitor and wireless mouse Mug o’ pens and pencils Two earrings I took off Friday night Purse-sized dayplanner Small plastic container of paperclips Larger plastic container of elastic bands, small sticky notes and clips Notebook of “to-do lists” File folder with work I brought home from the office and have ignored all weekend Bank book (I buy a full-sized one and use instead of a cheque register) Cassette tape from somewhere, probably the car Calculator (goes with the bank book) A dime A blue highlighter A whiteout tape thingee where you press and roll it A backscratcher (from the dollar store, $1.00 for bliss on a stick) ---
**Author:** ![Telperien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Telperien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperien)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2005, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-on-your-desk/292169/34 "2005-02-28T02:01:27Z")
Top shelf of desK: DVD/VCR combo roll of paper towels mirror with one normal side and one magnifying side can of compressed air dusting stuff plastic food container, clean and empty eyeglass repair kit dress watch everyday watch four silver rings yellow “Live Strong” bracelet black ink pen blue ink pen McNeese Alumni Association sticky notes cordless phone handset empty bubblegum dispenser Burt’s Bees lemon cuticle creme four Hot Pockets coupons one Silk Soymilk coupon Domino’s Pizza ad DVD/VCR remote TV remote clock radio Burt’s Bees coconut foot creme empty contact lens vials Subway napkins instruction manual to cordless phone regular phone empty Jelly Belly dispenser instruction manual to rice cooker sleeping pills book light On the main part of the desk: TV laptop surge protector cordless phone base mouse pad and mouse glass of water, almost empty, with purple crazy straw two sections of a chocolate orange, on the foil wrapper I need to clean up. ---
**Author:** ![Lissla\_Lissar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lissla\_Lissar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissla_Lissar)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2005, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-on-your-desk/292169/35 "2005-02-28T02:36:55Z")
I’m not sure there’s enough room in this little reply box. All our cds are in a holder on my desk, so I’ll ignore them. Interesting stuff, starting from the right, and moving left. lava lamp three sets of bent-nose pliers a heap of partially disassembled-for-parts bellydance jewelry my wedding dress pattern a little drawer of clasps a little drawer of jump rings half a box of crap chocolate earplugs thread a cat brush a candle holder change swiss army knife good sewing scissors thread needles pink hair elastics bits of chain three rollag bits of unspun black merino wool a box full of buttons with a ‘third hand’ device teddy bear christmas ornament paperclips a little chest of drawers thing that holds chain, jump rings, clasps, beads, rhinestones, thread, chainmail links, and other crafty stuff _Jane of Lantern Hill The Splendor oof Truth Surprised by Joy New Betty Crocker Cookbook_ pile of fabric scraps vise tax stuff notepaper jump rings more pliers box of broken jewelry parts I’m bored. That’s enough. ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2005, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-on-your-desk/292169/36 "2005-02-28T03:22:32Z")
> [@Jonathan Chance](#): > > Oh, Ginger wants to play pix, eh? > > [The Desk](http://www.wooleysark.com/Messy%20Desk%2001.jpg) > [The Desk - Detail Right](http://www.wooleysark.com/Messy%20Desk%2002.jpg) > [The Desk - Detail Left](http://www.wooleysark.com/Messy%20Desk%2003.jpg) > > How do you people stay so clean and still accomplish anything? NOT ORDERLY. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2005, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-on-your-desk/292169/37 "2005-02-28T03:28:12Z")
Does that…bother you, Ginger? ---
**Author:** ![Foible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Foible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foible)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2005, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-on-your-desk/292169/38 "2005-02-28T03:39:08Z")
2 pens, one black one dragon shaped. 1 magic marker 1 Agenda for Garden Manager’s meeting 1 plastic bag, empty. 1 newspaper Commentary section 1 Ford LTD convertable, black with white top. 1 19" Gateway monitor 1 Gapeway keybord 1 Logitech mouse 1 case for a gerber multitool 3 CD-R disks 1 Logitech Mouse 1 Wolfman mousepad 1 butterknife 1 water glass, empty The sixth item down really isn’t on my desk, I just threw it in the list to prove nobody is reading these by the twenty-somethingth list of “what’s on my desk.” ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2005, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-on-your-desk/292169/39 "2005-02-28T03:56:28Z")
Jeez, some of your lists are long. E-Machine monitor Drug-Rep swag holder-thingie with dead cellphone, pens, pencils, crayons, key-holder, minibottle of lotion, change, matches, and mints Drug-Rep swag mini-stapler Drug-Rep swag calculator Drug-Rep swag mouse pad (with enlarged bacteria pictures!) 2 small glasses TV remote Chapstick Phone DSL thingie Plant Nail clippers Percocet bottle with one left, you know, in case of emergency (recovering from minor surgery) 6 small pieces of paper with phone numbers on them (I’m bad about that) ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2005, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-on-your-desk/292169/40 "2005-02-28T04:08:54Z")
> [@Foible](#): > > The sixth item down really isn’t on my desk, I just threw it in the list to prove nobody is reading these by the twenty-somethingth list of “what’s on my desk.” Oh, I spotted it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-on-your-desk/292169.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-on-your-desk/292169.md?page=3)