Category: COVID-19

  • These are the flowers I walk past on my way to work! They line the walkway leading to the main doors of the Empress Hotel. I love the colours! They look good as I approach, and then they look good close up too! Some of the tulips are starting to fall apart, but that adds to the chaos of colour that’s going on. Part of me wants to do a painting of it, but it is already beautiful and perfect in real life. A painting, even this photo, can’t recreate my delight of seeing these flowers every morning, in the context of the world right now.

    Or maybe it can. Is that flower bed six feet across? To be considered later. Is that doorway always roped off? I think it is, but what if it wasn’t?…

    Work has been happening, as regularly scheduled. I spend the first part of the week working at home, and then Thursdays and Fridays I’m in the office. This is my rotation so far – we only get a couple weeks’ worth of schedule at a time, because these are strange and unpredictable times.

    Friday nights I’ve been getting take-out hamburgers for dinner on my way home. Earl’s has been good to me, but today I found that Bin 4 has a vegan dessert, so they win for now. They also have an app, so I don’t need to make a phone call* – though I did have some human interaction at the door of the establishment when I picked up my order. I think maybe I won’t be so interested in getting take-out if it’s raining, as both places I’ve gone to so far have us waiting outside.

    *I don’t like making phone calls, even for burgers. However, making phone calls for burgers isn’t too bad. “I’d like to order a burger for take-out,” is how I started usually. And it went well from there.

    Other things I’m thinking about:

    I’m tired on the days I go into the office. My job can get physical on some days: I work with files- ordering them in to send to various requestors. These might be single files, but they might be boxes full, and moving them around for the day, or part of the day, can make for tired times. And then because I’m working at home for half the week, by the time I’m in the office there’s lots of files to organize. So it might be that I’m doing that for the whole two days. And then on top of this. I’ve been walking to and from work to avoid public transit (I totally meant to drive today but I completely forgot. It wasn’t raining, I guess? But parking has gone cheap downtown.) That’s about a 40 minute walk one-way. So I’ve been tired after work when I get home.

    I keep meaning to watch Sense and Sensibility again. This BBC one. I will soon. It’s a good, meaty version. I keep finding other things to do instead of watching TV, like reading, writing, listening to podcasts, sitting and thinking, playing with my phone. New goal of trying to read book instead of playing with phone so much. Should maybe re-read Sense and Sensibility. I’m making my way through Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie. It is rich like black forest cake, so I only consume a little at a time.

    Socks of the Day

    I needed socks to wear for doing ballet barre exercises in my living room. These work very well- not to mention the colour coordination I’ve got going on there.
  • Working from Home

    Working from home is fine. I’ve been doing it once a week since last summer, so I have everything set up already. Three days in a row is a new experience, however. I have not been left alone, however, as there have been group calls with my team both yesterday and today. You know, just for fun, and also to discuss work stuff a bit.

    I keep breaking down anxious today. The logical part of my brain keeps telling the anxious part to chill: there’s enough food… and what ever else that set me off before that I can’t remember anymore?! Not implying that my anxiety isn’t 100% valid, just working through it. All your anxiety is valid. I hope you’re able to work through it, or with it.

    I remember. Because I got a new credit card, and for the first transaction I’ll have to sign my receipt, or maybe just enter my PIN instead of just tap? Either way, will have to take a pen, or touch the keypad? I should remember because I just got a new card a few months ago. I didn’t have to worry about it then. Just take your own pen, no big deal. Still. I might not activate it yet.

    Other stuff too. A person who normally has anxiety about small things has heightened anxiety in current times. Share your things. You’ll feel better.

    Socks of the day

    Photo Story! I found these socks on the couch…
    And I put them on my feet!