It took a bit of tweaking, and a willingness to adjust my posture slightly, but until I get some sort of ideal keyboard tray contraption (preferably one with locking wheels), I’ve developed this innovation:
I must say, it’s by far the most comfortable typing solution I’ve developed since I’ve started working in my new office space in earnest. I am on the autism spectrum–I am an Asperger’s case, is how I like to put it–and physical comfort is very important for me when I’m working, and especially if I’m going to be doing a lot of typing and mousing and coffee-drinking. It really helps to like being in the space where I’m spending so much time.
I’ve been using this folding table from WalMart, and it’s been nice in terms of being a useful, height-adjustable work surface, but it has the drawback of employing legs that form a horizontal-x shape underneath, and therefore I can’t use it as a work table under which I put my legs, without weird posturing that I’m not willing to do. So today, the brainstorm struck–what if I stuck the keyboard on top of the drum-practice-pad-on-a-snare-drum-stand that I often use as a mouse rest or very small but sturdy coffee table?
And there it is. This is my new favourite posture. It’s not perfect. There might be one more thing to try, and it will likely involve a trip to Staples. But for now, this is pretty good.
(There’s that imperfection again. The part that wants to sit and relax and have it in the perfect position. I only really know it because I worked for a year-and-a-half in administration at the City of Hamilton and I helped out on a project where they did ergonomic optimizations on everyone’s workstation. My workstation was absolutely ergonomically perfect. It was a thing of beauty, and to duplicate it, honestly, would take over a thousand dollars. So for now, I’m happy with what I have. But I know that there are better possibilities. Someday. Somehow. I’m picturing certain catalogue items.)
