The Desktop Run

I balanced an iridescent glass marble at the high end of a fluted brass pen tray, testing its trajectory. To give it some real speed, I wedged a firm rubber eraser beneath the tray's top edge, creating a clean, angled ramp across the walnut desk. With a careful push from both hands, I set the sphere loose. It glided down the metallic groove with a smooth, resonant hum before clicking decisively into a neat bumper formed by a pad of pastel sticky notes. Engineering a miniature rolling track might just be my new favorite pastime.