Let’s talk some more about outfitting Gibson. I’m pretty sure it was Joel who had read a book about how at Amazon, they used doors on saw horses for desks. So when we were getting set up in the apartment, we had bought a door for everyone, a chop saw, and some 2x4s, and built some saw horses and set the doors on them. Desks.

But at Gibson we were operating. and desks were for dilettantes. We needed Work Tables. (I must not have read the Global Industrial catalog too closely because apparently I was unaware that one could purchase finished work tables.) We went to Home Depot and bought some SOLID CORE doors. and some 4x4s for legs. and plywood, more 2x4s, lots of burly nuts and bolts, and a drill press. Jud had a very dangerous table saw that he loaned for the cause. I also seem to have forgotten that one can buy graph paper because I drew my own. And drew the plans for our work tables. and then built our work tables. This took a while – but this was taking place prior to us taking over the Despair fulfillment, so I had some time.

For Despair’s poster storage, we picked up some map drawers at T.O.P.S. (Texas Office Products & Supply) over on East Fifth. We built a little caddy for those drawers to sit on so that we could roll them around as needed.

In the front Jef and Joel had installed a restaurant booth – as in a full booth: table, seat on either side. I think it was pretty much the same booth as they had at Trudy’s down at Lamar and Ben White. There was a season where every meal Jef ate was a Trudy’s meal. I don’t think I’m misremembering this.

I don’t think that booth made it out of Gibson. But those work tables lasted forever (give or take). I think Macon finally tossed the last two of them into a roll off dumpster a few years back. Maybe Ron took some?