Road Work, Part 1
How I get things done outside the office
Two years ago I had a nice little series going on this blogletter, but I just couldn’t keep up the pace.
Last year I came back. “This time it will be be different”. And it was - I got a new job, and my time became even more compressed.
Now it’s been another year. I just got back from an amazing weekend with friends, and it’s sitting with me just how much I want to write. I don’t know how long I’ll be able to keep it up, but here’s a start.
Working from my car
There are times when I need to be fully present on a video call while I’m still on my way to work. Other times, I may leave the office early to miss traffic but still have a couple hours before my kids finish after-care. This is how I get work done.
Here are the items I’ve highlighted in that photo:
2021 Toyota Prius Prime - I love this car. The 25 mile / 40 km electric range is more than enough to get me to work in the morning, and there are chargers there where I can recharge for the ride home. When I last refueled, I’d traveled 2830 miles / 4530 km on 7.8 gallons / 40 liters of gas.
Macbook Pro. It sits perfectly on the dashboard above my steering wheel at an ergonomically correct height.
Steering Wheel Desk - I bought this almost five years ago, and although I’ve tried several other options, I still prefer this over the others for its size and lack of fussiness. I adjust the steering wheel all the way in and down and scoot my seat all the way back and it’s just about perfect for typing.
Logitech Pebble 2 Keyboard – Great little keyboard that can switch between three Bluetooth devices. Great for switching between laptops and phones quickly.
Logitech Pebble 2 Mouse – Same idea as the keyboard but in mouse form. I wish the scroll wheel supported side-to-side movement.
Kirkland Signature Bottled Water – when placed here, it allows the Keyboard and Mouse Case (#7) to stay wedged between the console and the armrest storage compartment.
Keyboard and Mouse Case – This keeps my keyboard and mouse from getting banged up in the trunk and serves as a nice mousepad for while I work.
MagSafe Phone Clip – I’m super proud of this hack. I use this clip to mount my iPhone to the sunglasses holder in my car, which positions my iPhone camera ideally when I need to take a video call from a parking lot. The clip came with a metal ring that can be attached to non-iPhones, but I attached this to the back of the inside of the sunglasses holder so that the clip wouldn’t bang around in there while I drive.
iPhone – Used especially for video calls and tethering. I use Continuity Camera to use this as my laptop webcam instead of the built in camera.
Anker USB C Car Charger – It’s not visible on the image, but it’s located directly under #7 just to the right of #6. This adapter is more than powerful enough to recharge my laptop and phone if I run low, and I never worry about draining my car battery.
AirPods Pro 2 - I use these for hours every day. With noise canceling on and a little music, it’s enough to make me feel like I’m sitting in a phone booth by myself.
Next time: working from an airplane