Well, hello there! Welcome to my new office with its bright, natural light, an increasing number of plants, easy access to food, and a great view.
Granted I thought moving into a new office would happen when I was being promoted, but… that promotion is still a ways off (#thanksdissertation). Instead this new scene is because my work and university pushed (almost) everyone off campus in an effort to flatten the curve — something I’m sure many of us have experienced recently. So here we are in self-quarantine, trying to re-establish our “norms” that hopefully involve more than watching more Netflix than I ever thought possible in one sitting.
At this current moment, I’m sitting outside on a rock trying to put something coherent onto this page between tennis ball throws for my dogs while also trying to make sure my cat doesn’t murder any more small animals. The other day my cat brought me a dead mouse and a live, and terrified, lizard. And now he is hunting a pidegon — fortunately I don’t think he’s fast enough to catch a bird, but life has proven recently that anything is possible these days.
Oh, hold on, dogs did not watch me throw the ball and now it’s lost, maybe forever. I didn’t watch either, but maybe if I yell “ball!” enough times, my retriever will eventually bring it back from the abyss that is my overgrown backyard.
Now, if my husband was home, these animals would be pestering him to entertain them, but instead his week off from work is over and it is back he goes being essential and all that. He is a nurse in the ER, working a week on, week off, so thanks to him I saw farewell to everyone I know while this whole situation continues to be a situation. We have been lucky so far and hopefully it stays that way.
This may be week three (or is it four?) of quarantining at home and while it has been too bad, I do admit that working from home is not at all my strong suit. I am very much in the mindset that my office is where work gets done, and home is where I resume my potato self with intermittent spats of cleaning. Cleaning that is often brought on by frustrations from earlier in the work day. Now angerly cleaning is almost socially acceptable — wait is it really social if you’re really only socializing with your pets?
Jokes aside, it has been a weird transition from work life at the office to work life at home. I know I am very fortunate to be able to continue working from the safety and comfort of my house. A number of people I know have been let go from their jobs or were forced to take leave without pay so what do I have to complain about? Graduate school is a mental game in itself and now we’re all being forced to change up our routines. Oh you found a process that works for you and you were being super productive? TOO BAD because now you’re being tested on your level of perseverence and adaptibility! Have you been able to overcome it yet?
I haven’t, but there’s always tomorrow to give it another try.
Yours in seismic solitude,
seismicprincess
PS – In case you missed it in previous posts, @geoarchandlush has been hosting weekly virtual coffee breaks and happy hours. Details are posted in her earlier posts and on our socials. Come hang out with us! Several LadyGeos have been joining us and it’s been just lovely. It’s everything I need right now and maybe you do too!
My Life in the Geosciences 