This business is starting to become routine now, which I guess is good, because I’m pretty sure we’re in this for the long-term, at least through June, if I’m reading the tea leaves of state government and the scant information coming out of the office.

I’ve been working from home for the last week (even if I’m considered “essential” because my organization supports the national manufacturing base and is driving the economy forward or something, to paraphrase the Big Boss™’s all-hands briefing yesterday), which is not awful, even with all the bodies stuffed into this small house. I might go into the office for a few hours later this week to water the plants and grab a few things, but I’m kind of okay with saving the gas. I push electronic documents and sit on conference calls just as well from here as anywhere else.

As I said, though, it’s kind of become routine. Wanna know what my day looks like? Here’s a basic rundown:

I wake up at 6am, pop on the work machine, check the schedule and deal with any pressing emails or other concerns, and throw my own requests for the same back at the rest of the organization over a cup of coffee. After that, I step away, take a shower and get dressed (I joke, but yes, I put on pants…) by which time the regular home-office (aka the bedroom) is free of sleeping spouses. From there, I spin bullshit, sit conference calls and such until lunchtime, where I go out to the kitchen and grab a quick bite; then more of the same until my eight hours or so are up (around 230 or 3pm), at which time I put the work away. If there are errands to run (grocery, beer run, prescriptions, whatever), I take a quick drive out to do, and if the weather’s nice like on the weekend, I maybe hit the park to hike my 5k route in the back country (where nobody else bothers going – the front area’s a little too crowded with people not following proper pandemic protocol); all while practicing social distancing and completing daily Pokemon Go/HP Wizards Unite tasks. I then come home, make some dinner, then open up a beer and watch a mindless movie, Masked Singer with the kid, or play an hour or two of Witcher 3, then settle in around 9 or 10, read myself to sleep, then start over again in the morning.

This is my life. In between time, I do scan the headlines and check social media to see what the world, and the lives of my friends, look like, but I’m doing my best to maintain proper social distance from the news as well, as it is better for my mental health. I also pet cats; Phoenix and Lebowski take turns being my co-worker throughout the day.

My life probably looks pretty much the same as yours. This is the way it is now. And will be for a while. Might as well get used to it.