This is the bane of our existence – a construction project directly opposite our condo, across a canyon that amplifies and reverberates each clang of the jackhammer. We greatly admired the way that Len, when he was visiting, would sit out on the deck each morning with his cup of coffee, studying the scene with philosophical detachment. He mapped out each worker’s role, their relations with each other and what progress they had made that day. Allen and I, on the other hand, clapped the pillows over our heads and tried not to notice that it was not even 7:00 am yet. This goes on all day long, for 12 or more hours, with a second site just around the corner from this one competing for attention. (Anyone who has ever suggested that Mexicans are anything less than dedicated and hard-working is obviously a few bricks short of a load.) Since we spend most of our days sitting in our dining room-cum-office, sliding glass doors wide open, tapping away at our computers on our respective screenplay and nutrition book, this can sometimes be quite a distraction. On the positive side, it reminds us to get out and go for a walk – once we get out of the hills to the town below (a 5 minute walk), it’s 10 degrees warmer and 100 decibels quieter!