One of the things I really like about the Cracker Factory is the privacy. It’s got thick concrete floors and brick walls (mostly), so I don’t hear my neighbors (much — although the guy upstairs using the power saw at midnight recently is a notable exception). I have big windows, but they don’t face anything except some abandoned buildings across the street (one under renovation, in case anyone wants to be my neighbor eventually), so no one can really see inside and play Peeping Tom.
Except for the guys who showed up on scaffolding outside my big, curtainless windows this morning. I guess they’re sealing the exterior brick, judging by the fumes and the paint rollers. That’s awfully nice to see (the Swanktuary had many charms, but the landlord’s attention to the health of the building itself was not one of them), but it’s very, very unnerving to turn around and see two guys suddenly appear outside my second-story windows. My desk faces away from the window, so it’s a creepy feeling to have them watching my back while they putter around. Granted, it makes me focus on my work, like having the boss stand behind you urging you to be productive, but still…
Of course, those guys are my new best friends, and not just because they saw me in my underwear this morning. (Are you jealous?) No, just as I started thinking about this entry they tapped on the window to offer to fix my heater, with which they noticed me struggling this morning. So now I have heat, waterproof exterior walls, and two new friends who speak Russian and look like the Super Mario Brothers. Awesomeness! (No sarcasm there, by the way — it’s awesomeness!)
i also had that problem of curtainless windows & scaffolding right outside of said window. it didn’t have the same affect on me though, i was as unproductive as ever.
i would really like to see you soonish, uncle dan!!