Esty,
You're really organized. My house looks like Bag-end at the beginning of the movie with books and papers scattered all around!
The crazy thing is this. I have multiple copies of most of Tolkien's works as well as various critical studies but many of them are kept in my bedroom or living room on bookshelves. There's just not enough space in the room where the computer is.
I quite frequently post very late at night when everyone else in the house is snoring away. I do keep a one-volume LotR near my computer, but lots of times I need other things. The problem is if I creep to where the books are, the dog in my son's room starts barking (a giant standard poodle that looks like a mop) and everyone wakes up! My husband has to get up at 5:00 am and he somehow does not appreciate being woken at 1 am.
So, in the interests of family peace, I sometimes post without my books.
Cami
P.S. These various "excuses" for posting without the books are really quite creative. In their diversity and cleverness, they remind me of the tales I used to tell my teacher when I didn't have my assignments.