“Remoted” Day 300 (Sunday)

Day three hundred. Holy cow. Where has the time gone?

Never in my wildest nightmares did I ever think I’d be mostly at home with minimal trips out for, well anything, for 300 days. At least not until I’m retired and/or elderly and infirm. Once the reality of remote work and staying at home sank in, it was never imagined it would last this long. Years of believing I could never work from home because it would be too lonely were proved wrong. Surprisingly, not only have I not totally lost my mind, the shocking truth is I don’t mind it. I like it. Quite a lot.

Sure, the past 300 days had no traveling. Or concerts, plays, or art exhibits. And vacation week and all long weekends were spent at home. But it hasn’t been all loss and sacrifice. Benefits emerged.

The BungaLowell, the largest purchase of my life and credit report, is being fully utilized. I’m no longer compelled to do things on the weekend just to participate in the office post-weekend chit chat. I finally had my first pizza delivery in the spring (after 3.5 years at the house) and now I enjoy deliveries from there every couple weeks. Maybe someday I’ll even branch out and try a new place, but there is no pressure.

Grocery delivery is still the top favorite luxury. Expanded grocery options mean trips to the store are by choice and therefore much more tolerable. The dogs get along better with me being home with them all day every day, and at night, we each sleep in our own bed. I can roll over without risk of accidentally launching a pup off the mattress of tranquility. 

Bordello office?

Nesting activities in the BungaLowell resumed after a stretch of abandonment and furniture, décor, and artwork are in various stages of rearrangement. A charitable donation is scheduled with a curbside pickup, so the clothing and linen closets will receive the regularly scheduled annual cleanout. Sheer curtains were added to the home-office space in an effort to block window drafts. The color is darker than I expected, but Mom likes it. In team video meetings it looks like I work out of some purple palace or maybe a bordello and it amuses me. Hopefully, the nesting momentum will continue and some weekend the spare room will finally be dealt with and become a functional guest room. If not, it won’t be the end of the world, just like it hasn’t been the end of the world for the more than four years up to now.

The 300-day writing streak is a definite first, and even though quitting was considered more than once, I’ve stuck with it. There has also been a 188-day streak of online Finnish lessons, so maybe by the time travel opens up again and I can actually go to Finland, all those ten-minute lessons will have produced something useful to say. It’s nice to have something to look forward to, because this won’t last forever. I hope.