The Christmas collection page has been growing fast this year, it will likely be our largest annual collection of Christmas Flash EVER! Thank you to everyone who has been spreading the holiday cheer!
I was on the phone today with a receptionist from one of the many companies I've been in contact with lately to deal with various office building issues. She ended the call with "Merry Christmas" and I actually felt... SHOCKED! I was thinking, "Woah... No Happy Holidays? What if I don't celebrate Christmas?" Everyone says "Happy Holidays" nowadays...
It reminded me that there are plenty of other holidays to celebrate this season, so HAPPY HOLIDAYS everyone! Unfortunately for you, tons of people are submitting Christmas Flash, so don't let it get to you too much.
We had tree work done out back behind the office today. There was a giant nasty tree which at some point decided to fall over and make a huge mess, so we're getting it chopped up and removed. We're also getting lots of other mess cleaned up back there. A masonry guy will be coming in as soon as next week to fix some bad bricks along the top front of the building. Water had gotten in behind the bricks, frozen, and eventually pushed them out - the new roof solves that problem. We're also getting the left side of the building stuccoed to protect it from all the wind and rain damage that has been wearing at the porous concrete. All the windows are getting resealed and the remaining walls (back and right side) are being painted with light grey waterproof paint. The left side gets hit hardest by the wind, hence the stucco for added protection.
I'm meeting with the structural engineer next Wednesday to discuss the oil tank removal (whether they are too close to the foundation for safe removal) and stream retention, to stop the water from eroding towards the building. In the back area, the stream has actually curved in and out towards the building. If we can cut it straight along the back, we'll reclaim a nice bit of land to some day make use of. Dealing with this stream won't be easy or cheap; there is a ton of regulatory issues involved when you're dealing with the flow of water. It's also gonna be tough to get any machinery back there - it's not a job for a shovel.
This week we got the keys to the first floor of the building. Since the former owner let us move in to the second floor a month early, we gave him an extra month to move his stuff out from the first floor. The exciting news is, we already have a tenant for the winter! A guy from the township came by and asked if they could make use of the garage to park a truck that has been freezing up when left outside overnight (it has crazy water-pump equipment involved). We don't have any immediate plans for the first floor, so we're renting it out as indoor parking for the winter. It helps offset all the crazy expenses this building has been generating!
I knew it wouldn't be easy and I'm still glad I bought the office. The roofers said you could park a tractor trailer on the roof because the support beams are so big... I love that sort of crap. Despite the flaws, it's an amazing, solid building that should serve NG well for years to come. It was built for housing heavy machinery on both floors, which is completely unecessary for us, but very cool nonetheless. It's the kind of building NG deserves. :)
Finally, I'd like to drop a plug for NGCOLLABS.COM! It's a great site for anyone who is interested in getting involved in a Newgrounds artist collaboration, or anyone who would just like to learn more!
