Wow!!! It's been a minute since I've posted... It's Monday, April 7, no, April 6.  I sometimes lose track of time because I'm working from home. Yes, we are under a Stay-at-Home order due to this corona virus or COVID-19 as it's many times,unaffectionately called. 

Yes, I'm allowed to work from home. It's a good thing being home, but the rigid rules I must follow and the IT surveillance I'm under to be in compliance doesn't make it the walk-in-the park it's perceived to be. My Supervisor, in a meeting he had with us to explain how things worked, stated that we are to start work in the same flex-time window as if we are coming in to the office as well as we are required to take a 1-hour lunch break within the time frame of 11:00 a.m and no later than 1:00 p.m.  I was under the impression that as long as we were working our eight hours, it didn't matter what time we went online.  I was down for being up late night in my pajamas chuggin' away... Oh well, I can still work in my pajamas (unless I'm in a video conference). I'm still a bit tied to my desk, but I am at home.

I can definitely say that my car has never maintained 3/4 tank of gas for so long even though I drive what's coined a fuel-efficient vehicle.  Despite the strict WFH rules, I DON'T miss the 13-mile commute which feels like 50 miles when I don't get out of the house at the exact time it takes to miss the heavy traffic. I don't miss the crazy drivers that cut me off, run up behind me too fast or outright run red lights because they're rushing to work themselves. I don't miss a steady flow of driving only to be slowed down by another traffic jam. That's referred to as "hurry up and stop."  I don't miss the stress and tiredness it caused. Because when I got to work I'd be so tired sometimes.

I would say that I don't miss spending so much money for lunch because I actually brought lunch from home many times. But at home, that's another story.  I feel like I was an economic stimulus package for the grocery stores. It seems like, at first, I was going to the store almost every other day, and spending at least $30 to sometimes $100 a trip! Now I'm not rich, but I was doing my best to have all that was needed for my family in case we couldn't  go out again.  I wasn't sure what to expect if we were told to quarantine.  Sure enough, our County had enacted a Stay-at-Home order, but it wasn't as rigid as I thought it would be.  We are still allowed to go to the grocery store and "essential" businesses such as the doctor, pharmacy, our essential jobs, and we are also allowed to pick up food for take-out. We cannot eat in restaurants because of Social Distancing guidelines.  It's good (in a sense) that these are guidelines, because if they became mandatory, it could get pretty scary having law enforcement and the military enforcing those rules. 

My family, by God's Grace, is well, and so is my Church Family and close co-workers. We have been informed that some employees but, "not many", were affected.  For people still having to go to work at my Company, which is an essential business being in the energy sector, temperature checks are being done before they are allowed to enter the office spaces. My grocery shopping, etc. has leveled off, and I have been staying in.

People are referring to this event as a "new normal".  I will not accept this as normal because it is not.  I'm holding on to the notion that:  This too shall pass.