The first two hours back at work yesterday felt very weird. But after that, it felt completely normal. Just took me some time to rediscover my at-work groove, but once I did, I was super productive. And my best dog buddy Marley was happy to see me, so: win/win.
My work station kinda resembled a time capsule of sorts. My wall calendar was still turned to March, which feels like a lifetime ago. So much (and so little!) has happened since then. I was bummed too, because April’s photo featured this really cool tornado touching down on the Plains, but alas, I only got to enjoy it for the two seconds it took to flip to June.
So I reconnected with the coworkers who were there, and that was great, but honestly I was thrilled to just be downtown again. I’ve been stuck inside this peaceful suburban bubble for so long, it felt good to walk the familiar city streets again. I was back home today, which felt kind of strange but also normal at the same time. Being in limbo is weird, guys—it’s like being caught between two worlds. Regardless, I was on a roll, getting shit done, when there was a sudden BANG a few minutes after 10 a.m. It was so loud I literally jumped in my seat, and that is something I’m not prone to doing. I’ll hop, and even skip on occasion, but I’m not a leaper. Whenever we watch even a mildly frightening or tense movie, Tara always succumbs to the jump scare while I sit there stoically (and if I’m being honest, chuckling a little over her easily-frightened nature). I then realized that both the power and internet were out. How appropriate was that for Blackout Tuesday?! It sounded like a transformer had blown, but the neighbor’s porch lights across the street were on. I checked the circuit breaker for a blown fuse, but nada, so I walked next door to Peggy’s house to see if her power was out. It was. Then a guy across the street told us that we’re on a completely different power grid; apparently our street is the dividing line. Who knew? In any case, it was a transformer, but the power company was quick on the scene and everything was back to normal two hours later.
In the meantime, I was unable to work on the shared file I’d been editing, so I took advantage of the down time by putting up patio lights in the backyard. I’d ordered them from Amazon and they’d just been sitting on the kitchen table because that’s a chore that takes some time and effort. Well, there was suddenly an abundance of the former, so I hauled out the ladder (do you like what I did there?), figured out how and where to mount them—a process involving trial and error and cup hooks and a quick trip to the hardware store for more cup hooks—but got the task completed.
Tara came home for lunch and asked if I’d tested the lights out before putting them up. I’m no dummy; it’s common knowledge that one should always test out lights before putting them up. We’ve all seen how not doing so worked out for Clark Griswold (in a nutshell, not well), but…ahem: I was installing them in the midst of a power outage and thereby operating on blind faith. Fortunately, when I plugged them, they all lit up just fine and I was able to exhale.
Whew.
By then the power and internet had been restored (obviously), so I was able to finish up the document I’d been working on. All in all, it was a surprisingly productive day, from both a work and a house standpoint. I even scooped the litter box and took out the garbage. I freakin’ killed it today. Where’s my gold star?
Tomorrow I’m going back to the office, but only for half a day; I’ve got phone interviews scheduled in the afternoon. Thursday I’ll be there all day, and Friday I’ll be home. I have to admit, I like the balance here. It’s the best of both worlds.
Yesterday, the Rapid City Police Deparment sent out a memo to downtown business owners encouraging them to take precautions such as bringing loose items inside, storing large amounts of cash in a safe, moving valuable items out of window fronts, and checking for loose bricks around curbs and gutters. Fuck all this craziness, huh? We’ve only had one small, peaceful march, but everybody is tense with all the crap going on in the country and erring on the side of caution. I am so over everything. I listened to Joe Biden’s speech in Philadelphia calling for unity and condemning that orange-haired monster in the Oval Office and thought, THIS is the leader we need. Biden is a calming presence who can heal our country and, with a little effort, help restore our standing in the world.
Can it please be November already?
Mark My Words 
Hi Mark, You describe it well “a time capsule.” Also, “in limbo.” Yay, I did hold my breath for a few seconds. I am glad all lit up. Striking up a balance with work is often the goal. I am very sorry about all of the craziness. No true words on this one. Take care, Mark.🙏
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Your words are enough, Erica/Erika/Ericka (yes, I added the third). These are crazy times, but my lights lit up, so I’m choosing to see that as a beacon of hope in these trying times. Take care and be safe!
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You did make me smile, Mark. A lot of syllables to type. 🙂 You and Tara, take care!
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So me being me when the power went out I would have briefly thought to myself:
Thanks a lot, 2020. A power outage is the beginning of yet another crisis, isn’t it? (Kind of like the first few episodes of Fear the Walking Dead). 😳
But alas, it sounds like all is well.
Also, clever word play with the ladder. 😀
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Honestly, I thought for a second something had blown up in the basement. The fact that it was JUST a transformer (and the power company was quick on the scene) actually made me feel hopeful. Today was a good day, all things considered!
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My prediction is that we’ll have protests in November, too. If Trump loses, his followers will say the election was rigged, don their guns and body armor, and take to the streets. That will be the best case scenario. If Trump wins, the people who are protesting now will have absolutely nothing left to lose. They’ll make the current protests look like two introverts accidentally bumping into each other in the mall.
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We’ll have protests no matter what then. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. I just want him GONE.
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You called it, Lisa!
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Hooray for it being peaceful on your end!
And yes…I would like for it to be November. Or, better yet, February. Let’s have the orange fiasco out and not have to deal with the 3 months of tension of dealing with him if/when he loses.
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Yes! February of a year that ISN’T 2020 sounds pretty amazing!
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⭐️ Here’s your gold star. I like how you think. Like all rational people everywhere, I’m all for peace, unity, and voting Cheeto Mussolini out of office. If he’d like to leave office sooner, that’d be fine with me, too.
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Haha…Cheeto Mussolini. Best nickname I’ve heard yet!
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My husband had no sooner started getting comfy back at the office last week to once again, being forced to work at home this week. Our downtown is on lockdown. No one who can’t show prof of residence is allowed in and all the exit ramps into the city are blocked. The city basically resembles a war zone right now and protestors are now moving to the outer ring suburbs. I’m over all of this, too and I’ve had it with the masks already.
Biden needs to pick a normal running mate and then the DNC needs to lock him in a basement if he wants any chance at winning. He says stupid shit as well. Can we please just get some candidates who are closer to 40 YO than the grave? Even I’m saying, ‘OK, Boomer’ now.
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Wow…I didn’t realize things were so bad for you there. That’s the most idiotic thing about these protests: do we really need all this on top of the general pandemic BS?! Crazy times for sure. Be careful out there and stay safe!
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Trump is heinous. Trump belongs in prison. But Trump is only directly responsible for the escalation in DC with his either mercenary thugs or his Border Patrol in camo in DC. (Plus the helicopters taking down tress.)
All other law enforcement is local, and the states and cities need to come to terms with their complicity in hiring/ enabling white supremacist police departments and never holding them accountable. The meeting of the LAPD commissioners was packed last night (on Zoom!) with thousands watching and hundreds calling in to demand the chief resign, the police be defunded and restructured, and the racism of the department be addressed. Maybe they’ll manage more than a bandaid this time.
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I sure hope so. L.A. has been a flashpoint (one of many) for far too long now!
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This time, though, the organizers of the protests are bringing the protests to white, affluent areas.
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Mark, I remember when you posted photos of your work station, which looked so COOL. I think it’s awesome that your company allows for people to be themselves.
Having lived in Florida for so many years, things like that would happen a lot. We’d lose our power at least every other month for one reason or the other. That’s why I always had candles and flashlights.
I was just going to say, you have the best of both worlds when it comes to your job. A little of both.
Hope you’re having a fabulous week, my friend!
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I’ve been lucky over the years and always had steady, reliable power. I can count on one hand the number of blackouts I’ve experienced in my life.
But, with the crazy winds, heavy snow, and thunderstorms here, they do seem to be a little more common. Not to mention overhead power lines in our backyard! I always panic when the power goes out, worried about everything in the fridge and freezer, but luckily they seem to respond very quickly each time.
Enjoy the rest of your week!
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ladder – latter… nice. 🙂
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It was unintentionally intentional…
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I can tell you like getting lit. (And bring on November. We can fast forward – I don’t mind.)
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I see what you did there. And I approve.
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I’m beginning to wonder two things about November’s
election. One – will the Cheeto in Chief try to postpone it due to Covid, or protesters, or because it’s a day the ends in Y.
And two – if he loses, will he actually leave or are we going to have to call up the National Guard to remove him while he screams mail in ballot fraud?
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Almost two months post-election and the jury is still out on #2!
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