Joy of Setup

Microsoft’s Giving Campaign is an annual opportunity to focus on employee charitable giving and volunteerism. They’re not limited to a single calendar month, of course, but the campaign provides the opportunity to run company-wide initiatives like a charity auction. The auction is an opportunity for employees to donate physical goods (homemade baked goods a specialty) and services (for example, lunches with executives). Also common are “workplace goodies,” like reserved parking spots. (That’s especially popular in Redmond.)

Last October, the Giving Campaign auction had several regional offerings. One of them was the use of the “NERD treehouse” for a month as a private office. The treehouse is a small conference room on the 11th floor, above another small conference room on the 10th floor nicknamed the Jungle Room for its décor. Though I appreciate the collaborative effects of working in a bunch of cubicles, I…oh forget it, cubes are evil. No limits and I won. Even if just for a month, it’s worth it. Today was my first day in the treehouse. David, the co-creator of Lux, dubbed it The Gazebo of Solitude and the name stuck.

Here’s what it looks like from the outside:

Here’s one angle looking out on a snow-free but cloudy afternoon: