Work From Home – Sassy Dreams Awake

Today is Pandemic Social Distancing Day 655 or so. It’s hard to gauge these days. I just spent a staycation of nearly two weeks at home, not doing much because, COVID.

I did manage to fit in a real vacation to California in November in between COVID waves. I was super careful, wore my mask dutifully, and had received my third full Moderna vaccine (and the flu vaccine) before I went.

I felt safer in California. Everyone wears masks. To get into an event, you have to present your vaccine card and ID and wear a mask 100% of the time inside. Nobody fights it. People do what they need to do to protect themselves and their neighbors. I still don’t understand why this basic thing is so difficult for some, especially since it’s the main reason we are still in the midst of this pandemic and it’s the worst it’s ever been.

I try to stay positive. I get outdoors, I talk to people, I work. I routinely allow myself self care – everything from splurging on nice wine or buying facial products to pamper myself. I do what I have to do, but I’ll admit, it’s difficult sometimes.

Last year, I felt like we’d be closer to “normal” at this point than we are. We are so far away from it and so many don’t want to admit it, but it’s true.

As I close in on my 53rd birthday, I try not to get angry or mourn what I’ve lost the last couple of years. This is no way to live for a person like me. I need to travel. See people I love. Meet new people. Experience. Feel.

Whatever 2022 brings, I’ve decided one important thing – whatever normal was, I don’t want it back. I want a new normal that doesn’t include a pandemic. I know I need to live differently, try a different path, do whatever it takes to feed my soul. I’m closer, thanks to this pandemic, to figuring that out, because I’ve done without my normal long enough to know I don’t want it back – not completely.

For me, 2022 will be me bringing about my new normal regardless of what is happening around me, and as always, moving forward no matter how tiny the steps are.

May this new year bring you peace and hope.

I finally have a home computer, which makes it much easier to do updates to just about everything, because I’m wordy and I like to type. As much as I love and have been grateful for my iPad the last couple of years, I’m so happy to have a computer again.

I’ve been away from the office, working from home, since March 14. More than two weeks! I’ve had staycations before, but nothing like this. Nothing like this mind-numbing isolation. No good morning chats, no phone calls, no interactions of any sort.

The social distancing has been extended until April 30th. I’ll admit I cried when I saw that news. Being alone like this, even as introverted as I can be, is not optimal. Even if I go out for walks, I can’t interact with anyone really. Most people are scared to come close enough to talk to each other. I have my groceries delivered. I’m trying to see if I can get my prescriptions delivered as well.

I have to be careful. I’m one of those who could be classified as immunocompromised. It’s not something I talk about often. I had admitting any vulnerability but after a good talking to by text by my beloved cousin/doctor, I had to go into my boss and ask to work from home (about a week earlier than most ended up doing so themselves. Of course, my company cares about its people, and they loaded me up with monitors and a full desk setup and off to my home office I went.

Working from home sounds like fun, and it is nice to work from home every now and then. To work from home for WEEKS ON END without any social activity in between, is not fun. It’s not. I don’t hate it, but it’s difficult. If I had social time after working at home all day, that might be a different story.

I started doing a video blog on my first day of working from home. To be honest, I’ve been home a couple of days longer than that. I decided to start posting them to Facebook and to my YouTube Channel as an outlet and as a way to let people know I’m ok. Or struggling. Or both.

I’m hopeful that, now that I have more tangible creative outlets, that I will endure better. Until then, I am Pandemic Social Distancing, at least until April 30th. I’m hopeful that will be it, but as we inch closer to 200,000 people infected, I doubt it. Before it’s over, I’m sure we’ll all know someone who succumbed to COVID 19.

Until we’re out in the sun again together, less than 6 feet apart, let’s keep lifting each other up, even if it is from a distance.

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