They tell us to use hand sanitizer religiously. Fine…done. But they fail to mention that hand sanitizer can, under the proper circumstances, splash up into our eyes when opening the lid if we aren’t careful, causing sheer agony and momentary blindness. Not a good combination when you’re driving in your car.
Or maybe this is the type of thing that only happens to me…
Irregardless (which is too a word!), it burns like a mo-fo. In case you were wondering.
Yesterday, I made an unexpected trip into the office. I’d been watching the battery level on my work-issued MacBook drop precipitously low…even though it was plugged in. I’d been using the power cord for my personal MacBook Air, but a quick Google search confirmed this was a no-no, because the wattage requirements are different. When I left the office nine days earlier, I hadn’t bothered grabbing the cord, because I’d always just used the one I had at home. Which worked in a pinch (i.e., the few hours or occasional day spent working from home), but this extended WFH period obviously necessitated more juice. By the time I reached 76 percent, I figured action was required.
No big deal. I’d planned on making a trip to Target on my lunch hour anyway, and Ye Olde Media Company is basically on the way. So I pulled up to the building, and the first thing I saw was our office manager diligently disinfecting the door handles. Good for her (us). When I walked inside, there were only four other people there; over half the office was WFH. My boss joked (?) that I shouldn’t be there since I was exposed to the world, but I needed that power cord, man. It was nice to catch up with everybody, and I was able to give my best dog friend Marley a hug. They say she moped for a couple of days in my absence. Aww!
Afterward, I drove to Target. Two observations: I have never seen it so empty…or so clean. It was like a ghost town in there, one with sparkling floors so shiny they nearly blinded me.
There were only a handful of other people; I’m pretty sure employees outnumbered customers three to one. I found most of what I was looking for (Halo Top ice cream, Spindrift® sparkling water (remind me to write a separate post about my love affair with this product!!), wine, popcorn), but the paper towels and tissues that Tara coveted…not so much.
My next stop was Ichiban for sushi. Like I’ve mentioned, I am trying my damnedest to support local businesses during this crisis. I phoned in an order and it was ready for pick-up when I arrived ten minutes later. I was pleased to see another to-go order alongside mine. I tipped them generously on my way out the door, giving them much more than I would have under normal circumstances.
Got home, ate sushi, knocked out a bunch of work.
For the record, I really like working from home. I’ve always tended toward introverted-ness, so pandemics are right up my alley (weird thing to say; hopefully, you know what I mean).
But I also miss my coworkers and the office dogs.
They say “April is the cruelest month” (they being T.S. Eliot), but it’s always been one of my faves. It’s my birthday month (shout out to April 27!), though it’s looking like this year’s festivities are going to be very low-key. The nice thing about April is, the weather is usually* very pleasing — not too hot, not too cold. There is nothing extreme about April; I think the only other month that can make that claim is September.
*Then again, the normal rules don’t apply to South Dakota…
Because we woke up to this today:
It started snowing last night, and by the time we went to bed, it was practically a white-out, snow so heavy you could barely see across the yard, and winds gusting to 45 mph. The type of night not fit for man or beast.
Which meant over half a foot of snow on the ground this morning and a windchill of -10°. But on the plus side, I got to use the snowblower for a third time this winter (wait, it’s spring)…third time this season. All told, it took me about an hour, and I had to break my own rule and start work before showering. But at least I don’t have to go out anywhere today.
By the way, my last post was admittedly different. I wanted to try something new and step way outside my comfort zone, stretch my creativity almost to its breaking point. I make no allusions to being a poet or possessing exceptional literary skills, but it was a fun exercise. One that I may try more often.
Has spring sprung in your neck of the woods yet?
Mark My Words 
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