Work zone

My ultra-professional work environment.

I happened to have my camera with me at work the other day, so I though I might snap some pictures of my lovely office and take you for a tour.

I've been working in this space for nearly eight years now. It is literally a converted storage closet. Actually, there is still a lot of junk kept in there that has nothing to do with me. About nine years ago or so the station was looking into buying its first non-linear editing system for the news department and work began to turn this old closet into an edit bay. But we wound up not buying the system. When my position was created it was decided to make this "room" my work space.

Note the slanted ceiling. I often joke that I feel like Greg Brady working out of my parents' attic. It's actually because my room is tucked away under the stairs. That of course has prompted comparisons to Harry Potter, who was forced to live in a closet under the stairs.


The main entrance to the WNYT.com World Headquarters.

There is no door on my office. And the way my desk is situated, I have my back to the doorway, which means that unless I install a rear view mirror, I never know who is sneaking up on me. Fortunately there is a small ramp right outside the doorway that usually makes a noise when someone steps on it. That serves as my early warning system to alert me when someone is approaching.


My gallery of geek art.

I actually have three computers in my room, although I really only use one of them. The sole purpose of one of the computers is to power the system at the Pepsi Arena that displays headlines from our site over the concession stands. It's an automated system, so I rarely have to do anything with it other than to just jiggle the mouse once a day and make sure it's actually working.

The other computer is probably the oldest in the newsroom and doesn't work very well (ironically it once was one of the best in the newsroom). The only time I really use it is when I need to capture video of whatever is going on on the monitor (e.g.: if we wanted to show moving video of a Web page or transfer an image to tape). It's also the machine people who don't have a desk of their own often use to check their mail when all of the other desks in the newsroom are taken.

You'll note some of the pictures on the wall. The "Raiders of the Lost Ark" poster I purchased in college. When I had my first apartment, this was my idea of nice artwork to hang in the living room. After getting married it moved from the living room to a spare bedroom and eventually to the basement where it started collecting dust. So I brought it here.

The Fox Mulder "I Want to Believe" poster was a gift from our entertainment reporter, who received it in a press kit promoting the final episode of "The X-Files."

The American flag was one of several passed out to employees at the station in the days after 9/11.

There is a poster of a couple of Starfleet ships that came out of a Star Trek calendar a couple years ago. The calendar was given to me as a thank you from one of our anchors. He doesn't have cable at home. So I used to tape "Voyager" and "Enterprise" episodes each week and bring them in for him.

The autographed picture of Bob Costas was a Christmas gift from Michelle Scanlon, one of my best friends from college. After graduating, her first job was working for NBC affiliate relations. She knew I was a Costas fan. So she simply called up his office and said she needed an autographed photo, and presto -- I've got a super-cool Christmas gift. The autograph reads, "Chris, I hope you enjoy this candid, unposed photo. Bob Costas."

The certificates hanging on the wall are Affiliate Excellence Awards I received from MSNBC.


Gumby and friends.

An assortment of figures hang out on top of my computer. The Derek Jeter bobblehead doll was Christmas gift from Kris' parents. This is a favorite item of mine, despite the fact it looks nothing like Derek Jeter. Andy Petit? Yes. Tino Martinez? Maybe. Derek Jeter? That's a stretch.

The Jason Giambi bobblehead, which doesn't really bobble at all, came in a box of cereal. Personally, I blame the steroids for making its neck too thick and keeping it from bobbling properly.

Gumby and the robot were freebie items sent to the newsroom for one reason or another that I snatched up. The robot used to wind up with a key and walk around, but I lost the key. So now he just kind of stands there and looks grumpy.

Not pictured is my lightsaber pen that really lights up. That was part of a set of pens sent to the newsroom with a box of "Attack of the Clones" cereal three years ago.


Photos and works of fine art.

Along with some family photos, I also have a picture of Rudy Giuliani shoving Hillary Clinton in front of a subway train, a chart comparing Johnny Damon of the Red Sox to a caveman and one of Nolan's earliest works of art.


The ever-watchful eyes of the baseball Silly Slammer.

My baseball Silly Slammer is always a hit with any kids visiting the newsroom. Whenever you slam him he says one of three exciting phrases: "Play ball!" "You're outta here!" "Going, going, gone!" It also plays the "Charge!" music.

I complain a lot about my office. For a long time I've been dropping hints that I would love it if we could have the room remodeled to look more like an office and less like a storage closet.

And yet there are plenty of people at work who tell me often how much they like my room. They seem to think it has a certain "charm."

I just have to keep reminding myself that there are still plenty of people in the news department who don't have a desk of their own, and even those who do are all sitting together in cubicles. So I should be appreciative of my own little space, even if it is a closet under the stairs.