Vanity, thy name is MIO

Okay, so as I've mentioned recently, I've been battling this lab problem at work for the past several weeks. What I don't think I've said before is that the lab I've been working in is in a different building from where I usually work. This building (called the B-1 building) was built back in the early 1940's (and there's some interesting history here for those who care to read it) and it is HUGE (and old...and, uh, pretty gross, to be honest). The problem I have with having to venture over to this building from time to time is that you have to travel through these underground tunnels in order to get to the inner parts of the building (they don't really want folks wandering around on the factory floor). The tunnels are pretty creepy. When I walk through them, I'm always reminded of that scene in the movie Nightmare on Elm Street, where Freddy Krueger is walking down the alley with his arms stretched out to a freakishly abnormal length, and I half-expect him to appear at any moment. So besides being dirty, and scary, there is another problem with the tunnels, and that is that vehicles DRIVE in them throughout the day, making the air in the tunnels smell heavy with exhaust fumes. I've been getting increasingly wigged out lately over the fact that I am breathing in these toxic fumes on my way in and out of the lab (and the distance is too far to hold my breath, though I've become a master of shallow breathing). I’ve mentioned to my project lead (John) that I’d almost be willing to wear a protective mask when I’m in the tunnels (keyword: almost). I mean, besides the fact that it would probably scare the bejeezus of out anyone seeing me walking around those tunnels with a mask on, I'm just a wee bit self-conscious. But I've been looking around on-line and I've found this mask. So what do you think? Would you wear it? (Male readers, disregard the pink filters when considering the question.) ;) I'm sure John would happily fund the purchase, on the sheer entertainment value of seeing me wear it.

On a (barely) related note, I entertained myself this afternoon by reading the posts on WhoIsBenjaminStove.com (and I realize the site has been up for 5 days now, so my apologies to the internets if you're all ahead of me on this one). Even if it turns out to be a hoax or some sort of market research study, the idea sure is intriguing. Anyway, there is an interesting post in that forum about a mysterious man who was a retired engineer from Lockheed Martin. After reading about his eccentricities, I'm convinced that he must have spent his career working in the B-1 building and traversing those tunnels.