Requiem for a Lap Desk

In the early 90s, I worked in a bookstore for a few years, and one of the purchases I made with my employee discount was a lap desk. You know the sort of thing, a solid surface and then a cushion below, to give yourself a table-like option while sitting on the couch.

Not that many years later, one of my cats* chewed a little hole in the bottom, but some duct tape fixed that right up. You can see it at the bottom, unmoved after all this time.
*Hmm, that was Harold, who I got in 1998, so, yeah, it could have been more than a few years. Time is an illusion.

If you want to point out to me that the 90s is more than a few years ago, I will reluctantly agree with that math. And that is illustrated by how last year, I noticed bits of styrofoam started falling out, and I realized that the fabric was wearing out at the side.

I put packing tape on it, but this month, the same thing started happening in another spot, and I realized that the time had come. I did some comparison shopping online (there are many many options in many sizes and with lots of features), and I ordered this one:

I like the handle!

It's roughly the same size as the other one, but differently shaped at the corners. I'm getting used to it.

So it is time to bid a fond farewell to the old one, and thank it for its many years of good service.