This Gray Goose doesn’t come in a bottle.

Fall arrived right on time yesterday with cool temperatures and brisk winds. It was downright chilly most of the day — a welcome change after a hot summer (and new-to-us humidity courtesy of Wisconsin). There are plenty of signs that the new season is upon us already.

I’m so excited to experience fall foliage in this part of the country! Spearfish Canyon in the Black Hills was always gorgeous…at least if you like the color gold. Out here, there should be a little more variety. Peak colors don’t hit for another few weeks yet, but we’re hoping to see some nice foliage up north this weekend.

Yesterday, I shared some photos of my workplace on Instagram.

The office is nicknamed the Gray Goose (no relation to the vodka) and, as I mentioned previously, was built at the turn of the century to serve as HQ for the Greene Bros. Leaf Tobacco House. Once upon a time, it even had a twin brother. Sadly, he was lost in a fire.

The Gray Goose sits on a small bluff overlooking downtown Janesville. It’s pretty unassuming from the outside, but the interior is another story. It resembles a Chicago loft complete with high ceilings, exposed original wood beams, and industrial ductwork. During renovation, every board was categorized and returned to its original location.

After posting that, one of my friends commented, You sure do find work in cool buildings! She’s not wrong. This is the third place I’ve worked that was a renovated historical building; the other two were former automobile dealerships (one in Camas, WA; the other in Rapid City). All three buildings could be classified as “industrial chic.”

I guess you could say finding cool old buildings is my superpower.

Fat lot of good that does me. Personally, I’d rather be able to fly or turn invisible.

What would your ideal superpower be?

42 thoughts on “This Gray Goose doesn’t come in a bottle.”

  1. Both envious–and excited!– to see all your fall foliage pics. I’ve started nagging spouse about Madison being a good place to retire or live someday. Be hard for it to top NH scenery, though.

    My chosen superpower would be the ability to speak to everyone in their first language.

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    1. Oh! Does that superpower include talking to animals, too? 😁 You’d turn The Arrival into a 5 minute movie, though, so there is a downside there 🤪 (it was a good movie…)

      One wonders if Gray Goose (the vodka) was so named so people who don’t have the find-cool-buildings-to-work superpower COULD buy it in a bottle… Enough Gray Goose and you’ll believe your house is Neuschwanstein Castle and you work on a ship …

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  3. I love the idea of working in a renovated historical building. The closet I came was when I was the director of marketing for a restaurant chain, and we had a location in the old Studebaker mansion (Tippecanoe Place) in South Bend, IN. I loved visiting that old building.

    There are so many superpowers I’d love to have. Unfortunately, the only one I really have is parallel parking.

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  6. I love the Grey Goose a ton. I always wanted to work in a “repurposed” building like that. Clearly, finding cool old buildings like that is not my superpower. If I could choose, I would want to be invisible. That way no foe or enemy or nemesis could see me coming. (Is that a bit dark…?)

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  7. My ideal for a historical building would be to take it back to as original as possible and own my own B&B- rather that be a Victorian estate or a southern plantation. I do however enjoy any historical structure that is being repurposed rather than simply torn down and paved over or made ultra modern. Super power choice- flying- hands down.

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  8. My superpower would be having the ability to slip into someone’s mind when they were dreaming so that I could influence their subconsciousness. I’d be called Snooze– and known for drinking Grey Goose martinis. I may have missed the point of this post… 🍸

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  9. Being that I have worked in the same building for two different companies (doing the same work) for 23 years. Within those 23 years the interior has changed significantly including two building additions but still doesn’t compare to your job. 🙄

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  12. The building resembles a bourbon distillery to me and I mean that in a good way. My superpower is noticing anything that is out of place in my house or anywhere I frequent regularly.

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    1. For all I know, they had a bootleg bourbon operation going on in there during Prohibition. What better to enjoy your tobacco with, you know?

      At least with your superpower, I imagine you never fly into a panic because you can’t find your car keys!

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  13. I wrote a short story about having a superpower – it was oxytocin (the love hormone). I’d be happy to have that 🙂

    Loving the pictures of autumnal colours (sorry, not sorry, for being determinedly European in not calling it fall 😀 ) Grey goose looks dull af on the outside, but what a gorgeous interior. You are one lucky camper for sure!

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  14. I love old architecture and always appreciate a building that has been renovated while still maintaining the historical aspects. I also appreciate the pictures of fall foliage since we don’t get many autumn colors around here.

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