The Funky Monkey is closed on Sunday, much to my chagrin. I’m hunkered down in the nearby Cheshire Dunkin’ Donuts, which I will never come to again because of:
a) four different video screens playing continuous news/sports/ads.
b) not enough tables and chairs, although there’s plenty of floor-space
c) a bizarre conversation pit arrangement with tempting, super-comfy chairs which, once you are in one of them, force you to stare at the random total stranger who happened to sit across from you, while providing only one place to put your drink, that being the big low coffee-table between the two of you, which you must lean far forward to reach, thus forcing you to basically hold your coffee in your hand the entire time, rendering writing either by hand or laptop utterly impossible.
d) songs like “You Are My Sunshine” played continuously over the loudspeakers.
This last can be mitigated somewhat, thank goodness, due to an app I discovered, about which I cannot say enough good things:
Mix yer own!
I’ve found that I can use this to block out an awful lot of unwanted noise. I find it difficult to not notice sounds around me, which can make working in public a problem. Once I’m swept away by what I’m doing, I’m good — but getting there can be hard if I’m automatically paying attention to conversations, background music, etc.
This little app exists both as a website (http://gomix.it/), and as an app you can buy for your smartphone or iPod. The app version has a timer, too. It costs.. I forget, two bucks or something like.
Worth it.
In other news: Last Monday, Mom & Dad swallow were flitting all around the warehouse, twittering, looking for the kids. By Tuesday, they’d given up. They don’t know, but we know, that the kids are in good hands.
