Today, and for weeks to come, we at Westword will receive daily reminders about the contraction currently taking place in the media industry. The paper has been based for years at 969 Broadway -- but as times have gotten tighter, the staff has gotten smaller, making the space too large for our needs. Instead of deciding to relocate, however, the powers that be negotiated with our landlord to allow us to squeeze into a space roughly half the size of what we've used up until now. Hence, a major remodeling operation is underway, and while I can stay in my current office during what's termed "phase one" of the project, some changes have been made. Because the corridor leading to the office entrance is now off-limits, my door has been removed -- and for the next several weeks, I'll be getting in and out through a giant hole hacked into another wall. All of this was supposed to have been completed yesterday afternoon, but no: As I write this, two men are installing drywall over the doorway in an attempt to dampen the noise. Which is deafening, by the way. But that's no surprise given that a guy with a power drill is about three feet away.
Want to check out more images of disaster and revel in my pain? Click "Continue" and enjoy while I gobble a few more Tylenol....
