Tools Of The Trade

I’ve been working primarily from home since early 2019, and over time have carefully crafted a space that suits my needs pretty well. Here’s what I’ve put together, roughly from left to right as pictured:

Tuft and Needle California King mattress: Sleep is critical to success at work (and life in general). Upgrading to a big bed was a game changer, I can’t believe it took 21 years of marriage to take that plunge. Worth every penny.

Washburn 12 string acoustic guitar: My wife bought this for me for our first Christmas together in 1998. I’m not much of an acoustic player, but I can strum a few chords now and then.

Carvin Bunny Brunel signature 5 string bass: I’ve been playing bass for about 8 years, first on a Gretsch Junior Jet small scale, and then on this considerable upgrade.

Gallien-Krueger MB 112 combo amp: For a couple years I played through a hand-made German tube amp paired with a classic Ampeg 8×10 refrigerator-sized speaker cabinet that I refurbished myself. It was loud as heck and cool to look at, but weighed over 200 pounds and barely fit in my largest car. The tube amp was also finicky and I once shocked myself on its 220V power input (not fun). I’ve never regretted selling it and picking up this lightweight combo and its companion extension cab (not pictured). Just as powerful, better sounding, 20% the weight and volume, and more reliable. A no-brainer.

Casio Privia PX-130 digital piano: In 2010 I was on a short-term assignment 2500 miles from home, and needed something productive to do during my downtime. Bought this instrument and had it shipped to my extended stay hotel; it was just what the doctor ordered. The assignment ended up becoming a full-time gig, the one that led me to relocate from Ohio to San Diego. One of my better life decisions.

Picasso’s The Old Guitarist (not pictured): The art in the photo is some generic thing we bought when relocated, I don’t even remember where from. So I’d rather talk about the artwork you can’t see here, but will see in the background if you’re on a video call with me. It’s a print of my wife’s favorite painting. Also in the room are a pencil drawing of a character from the Wingfeather Saga that I commissioned the author’s son to make, and handwritten lyrics from one of my favorite Andy Gullahorn songs.

Jarvis Standing Desk from Fully: I’ll never willingly go back to a regular desk after enjoying the benefits of an adjustable height desk. I stand about 80% of the time now. And this desk was the perfect size, don’t really need a lot of space beyond what’s needed for my computer workstation.

Varier Variable Balens kneeling chair: Definitely overpriced given I stand most of the time, but given how unhealthy sitting is, when I’m not standing, I quite like kneeling. It also functions well on carpet, and tucks away nicely, both of which matter in a bedroom-based workspace.

Macbook Pro 16″ 2019: Haven’t used a Windows PC since 2012, and won’t ever go back. Would prefer native Linux, but I can still do enough terminal-based things to make it feel Unix-like. Upgrading to 32GB of RAM and going back to physical function keys would be nice but I’m fine for now.

Dell UltraSharp 34 Curved USB-C Monitor: Absolutely love only needing to plug in a single cable into my laptop for data and power, and the integrated USB ports mean no additional docking station is needing. Five years ago I would have wished for more resolution (and likely a second monitor), but training myself to organize my active work across multiple desktops obviated that need, and the screen itself is plenty wide for two windows side-by-side. As an aside, anyone who still insists on 80 character limits for code line length needs to be sent back to 1998; silliest linter default setting ever.

Logitech MX Mechanical Mini keyboard: The loud clickity-clack would get annoying in an office, but I’m by myself all day, so I’m loving it. The layout isn’t quite the same as the keyboard on the laptop itself, which is a tiny bit annoying, but I’ve adjusted.

Logitech MX Master 3S mouse: Lots of buttons and scroll doohickeys, fully programmable, feels great in the hand. Especially love that I can activate mission control with one press; really helps keep my windows organized.

Razer Kiyo Pro webcam: I spend a good portion of my day on video calls, including ones with customers with whom I need to earn trust. Every bit of quality matters when trying to communicate, thus a high-quality webcam that works in a variety of lighting conditions (I’m often on calls early in the morning before the sun is up). Sadly their software doesn’t work on Mac, but I can still tweak the settings with CameraController.

Blue Yeti X microphone: Audio quality probably matters even more than video quality when it comes to projecting trustworthiness and authority, thus I didn’t scrimp. With the boom arm I’m able to position the mic so it’s just out of the frame of the webcam. I’m not going for streamer or podcast vibes, I want the focus on my message, not the gear.

Shokz OpenRun Pro mini headphones (not pictured): Having a mic like the Yeti X means I can’t play call audio through speakers or listeners will hear feedback. That means using headphones. But I don’t want something bulky or that draws attention to itself. These are barely visible, sound sufficiently good for voice, have a battery that lasts darn near forever, and the open design means I can go between taking calls and hearing what’s going on around me at will. As the name implies, they’re also great for exercise. For music, and when I need isolation, my Sony WH1000XM4 headphones are vastly better, but they’re not nearly as convenient for every day wear.

Timbuk2 San Francisco backpack: I’m due for an upgrade here, but for now this gets the job done. What’s more important is what I keep in it at all times:

• One each of a black, blue, and red pen, a 0.5mm mechanical pencil, and a small tablet of paper
• Dual-ended whiteboard markers (blue, red, black, and orange)
• USB-C to video adapter (includes HDMI, DVI, and VGA because you never know)
• Nekteck 107W USB-C Charger with a 10 ft power cord (love this thing and its 4 ports)
• Anker portable battery, and various USB power cables, enough to adapt between C, A, and micro-B as needed
• USB-A to Apple lightning cord (I don’t have an iPhone, but I want to be helpful if others need one)
• Extra charging cable for my watch and my headset (both of which are proprietary)
• Toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, breath mints, deodorant, moist hand wipes, napkins, and a couple masks
• Advil, Aleve, cold medicine of some kind, sunscreen, chapstick, and earplugs
• Small stack of business cards
• Travel umbrella

Thanks for reading all the way to the end of this monster post. Happy New Year to ya!