MaDDI: Where to Get Your C-Legs

There was a time when I just didn't get C tables (also referred to as laptop tables). The C-shape formed by their legs struck me as awkward and I thought it would be intrusive to have a table top jutting onto your sofa. I think my biggest objection is that a side table is an opportunity to have fun; to add an interesting accent-- hence the term, accent table. C Tables looked too strictly functional to me, so I never gave them much thought.

Until this happened...

It's an interesting challenge trying to blog on a laptop with a 22-lb ball of fur occupying prime lap real estate. Hektor is half beagle/half pug, but the lap dog instinct runs strong in this one. The second I sit down to blog, he sprints to the couch and plops himself down for a lap nap.

Whenever I'm tempted to remove him from my lap in frustration so that I can get some work done, I remember the first night we went out to dinner after adopting him. We chose a sidewalk cafe where he could sit under the table while we ate. By sheer coincidence, a couple we knew from our doggie obedience class was sitting at the table next to us with their Shiba Inu, who was the same age as Hektor. While Hektor spent the entire evening trying to jump up into my lap, the very aloof Shiba Inu couldn't have been less interested in whatever her humans were doing.

When I, embarrassed by Hektor's antics, apologized to the waitress and couple next to us, the woman looked at us with the most poignantly earnest look and said, "Does he really love you so much that he wants to be in your lap all the time?" Message received! I suppose I'd formerly assumed all dogs were like Hektor. But her comment made me realize how lucky we are to have a sweet and affectionate puppy who wants nothing more than to be close to us.

So clearly an alternate solution was in order. That was when I saw the beauty of the C table. Not for dog-owners alone, this table also works well for anyone with cuddling cats or an older laptop model with a battery that heats to scalding in .01 seconds. Although the surface area is typically small, you could also use it as a modern version of the TV tray table for movie nights at home.

Here's a round up of C tables to work with any aesthetic and budget: