Much to my chagrin (and the amusement to the maintenance staff at Wistar), my beloved standing desk has been laid low. Or lower, at least. Read about my former state of excited expectation here.

When I started work here in early spring, 2010, I used my New Guy privledge to equip my closet-sized office with a standing desk. A year later, I asked them to remove the old fancy press-board executive desk that blocked my easy path to the door (replacing it with a beaten-up desk of sufficient length to go across the wall).

The standing desk was a joy to use. I felt more energized during the workday, and hardly acquired that mid-afternoon lethargy that used to drag me down. I loved the standing desk and extolled its virtues to my coworkers. I experienced every benefit proclaimed by articles at Forbes (I could forestall death by up to three years!) or Lifehacker.

I stood all day, every day.

Until today.

Today I realized I was experiencing one of the infrequently mentioned possible side effects of standing desks. Varicose veins. Yes, it turns out that whole “all things in moderation” axiom applies to standing desks too, dammit. I’m 38. I exercise. I eat (mostly) right (apple, as I type!). And I am acquiring my 68 year-old father’s legs.

I’m blowing out the veins in my leg in an awfully itchy and annoying fashion.

So, today I sit. So, special warning to folks considering jumping on the bandwagon–get an adjustable desk and, for god-sake’s, adjust it on occasion!

Mine isn’t conducive to regular up-and-down motion (should have gotten one of those swinging-arm jawns), and now it wobbles a bit as I type.