Thanks so much, Madeleine!
Yes, I was determined not to demonize the offender. Who could relate to that?? I just wanted him to be a well-meaning yet clueless guy.
The only studio I use is my home office; though a lovely soundproof booth would be rather fabulous. As it is I settle for a noise gate and pause a lot as I wait for the dog/lawnmower/motorcycle/plane to keep moving.
I've always recorded with an Audio-Technica AT2020 desktop USB mic. I love it, but it picks up eeeeeeverything. I recently started playing with a Yeti (popular among e-learning folk) and appreciate that I can control the direction a bit more. Like away from the computer's fan. :)