Solitary Confinement

I often whine here about the long hours and weekends I spend at my job. And the truth is, there are far worse jobs than mine. You might say my job is even "cushie." (But don't tell my boss I said that.) Still, it's hard to think that way when you're working until four in the morning on Sunday. One of the "perks" that made those hours tolerable was the fact that I had a really nice seat by a window overlooking Cary Street. No matter how long I was at my computer, the view always made me feel somewhat connected to the outside world. My seat was also in a nice, open area where I and a few other coworkers could either enjoy our privacy or easily communicate with each other if we figured out a cool new way to do something or just wanted to chat. It was a nice, communal atmosphere.

At least once a week, someone would walk by and admire my workspace and say, "Wow. Nice window. Hmmm..." And I'd laugh as the gears turned in their heads, secretly hoping that was as far as it would go.

Well, apparently, someone finally took it a little further and last week my boss came over to our area and, in one breath, asked us to work the weekend and then (almost offhandedly) told us to move our stuff to other, smaller desks right in front of her office. Another department was expanding (while we're constantly compressing) and they needed the seats. After eight years, bye-bye window. My friend looked over at me and said, "Dude! Did we just get Lumberghed?"





Anyway, the move was completed yesterday. I'm a bit of a nester, so I've made the best of it, closing off most of the opening with some tall shelves and creating almost a homey feel to the space. One of my new neighbors commented all I needed was a foyer. But now I'm more isolated and it feels a little like they "broke up the band." It seems a little childish to get so broken up about losing something so insignificant as a window seat when people all over are losing their jobs (or even their lives...!) but I hate change. Plus it feels like, after almost eleven years, I'm getting a grapefruit in my face. Hopefully, the next move won't be out the door.



Still, since Suzanne always claims I'm a glass-half-empty-with-a-hole-in-the-bottom kind of guy, I decided to look at the bright side. When I was moving my stuff, I came across a bunch of cool stuff I thought I'd lost or had even forgotten about. Some of it is advertising-related so I can't show it. But one of the items was a page of character sketches I did when I was all hot and heavy about ENCHANTED. I almost don't remember doing it. I was left scratching my head at why I started what looks like a Spider-Man sketch and it somehow ended up being Enchanted character studies. I like how they came out (except Richie's weird right eye...what's up with that?) and wish I could draw with that kind of energy and enthusiasm now. I have managed to do some sketching at work but with everything going on, I didn't have time to post. So I'm saving those for a rainy day. But I hope you like the lost-and-found sketches. They almost make me want to pick up my keyboard and finish that story. Almsot.

Later.