It's time to say goodbye to the guys repointing the fascade of the building. They've been hanging around my windows for months now, fifteen stories up, in the howling winter wind, singing songs in Spanish and pounding on my walls. I wake up early to close the windows, but still a layer of fine cement dust settles. I have to remove the air conditioner and window guards and windowsill plants in case they get to the airshaft wall before I come back. Should I knock on the window today and give the guys sandwiches and cokes?
i used to work on the 10th floor of a loft on 12th + 5th, and twice a month the window washer would climb out the window with his strap in hand- not a harness, mind you, a fanny strap- and my stomache would drop, and i couldn't imagine being able to do that. so i finally asked the guy one time, as he's climbing out the window, "are you ever afraid of falling?" and as he swings his other leg out the window, perched 100+ feet above bustling 12th street, he says, "i'm more afraid of starving." ouch, babe!
ReplyDeleteso definitely leave the sandwhiches and cokes......but careful about knocking on the window!
Does this mean the scaffolding is going bye-bye too?
ReplyDeleteThe word in French for work on the facade of a building is "ravalement." Get to the point that you know this kind of thing and it's time to start over with another language. How about Nepali?
I thought you were going for Italian next.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to see some real action, you should give them rum and cokes...
ReplyDeleteYou don't give people in danger of falling rum!!! Ay carumba!
ReplyDeleteYou mean ay, cuba libra!
ReplyDelete