A few months ago, a wind storm hit Pasadena. I talked about it here, here and here (with tons of photos). The hurricane-force winds tore shingles off our roof. At first, we thought the damage was minimal; but the next time it rained, we discovered some fun new drips.
Long story short, we are getting a new roof. We have our roofer lined up, but it might be another week or two before the construction starts (they have to get permits, survey the roof and other boring stuff).
As a telecommuter, I cannot tell you how excited I am to work in the house while a new roof is being installed. It is going to be awesome! So much fun! I bet I'll barely hear the roofers as they pound thousands of shingles into the beams above my head. (In case the tone is lost in print, my words are dripping with sarcasm. And hey, does anyone know what sarcasm looks like when it drips? I bet it's a dark gooey substance that smells like roadkill.)
In the meantime, we had our roof tarped. This was a smart move. It has already rained several times this month, and water was dripping into the light fixture in my bathroom. But now, the vent in our roof is covered with a heavy sheet of plastic. Guess what happens when the plastic gets hit by the afternoon sun? The house smells like burning plastic!
Many products are scented with a pleasing smell. You can buy laundry detergent that smells like lavender, soap that smells like citrus, and candles that smell like vanilla. But have you ever seen a product that is made to smell like "burning plastic"? Of course not! You know why? BECAUSE THE SMELL OF BURNING PLASTIC WILL MAKE YOU THROW UP IN YOUR MOUTH.
Our house's Eau De Burning Plastic has put a slight damper on my telecommuting gig. But not really. If I had to choose between working in an office that smells like fresh citrus or working from home in a house that reeks of burning plastic, I'd choose the burning plastic in a heartbeat.
I just hope the plastic fumes are not poisoning my brain. I'm quite fond of my brain cells and don't want to lose too many before our new roof is installed.
