“We like to give people the freedom to work where they want, safe in the knowledge that they have the drive and expertise to perform excellently, whether they are at their desk or in their kitchen.” ~ Richard Branson

This has been a week of teleworking, team conference calls, curriculum review, PowerPoint review and of course . . . being at home with two children who are also doing their schoolwork virtually.

As with any situation, there are Pro’s and Con’s:

Pro’s –

• Spending time with the kids
• Being able to work at my own pace
• Not having to drive – it was odd to actually get in the car three days after being at home, having walked everywhere we needed to go
• Not having to drive meant I saved on gas.
• Being able to wear shorts and tank tops while working.
• Taking breaks to peel wallpaper off the wall.

Con’s –

• Spending time with the kids who are tired of being cooped up in “social isolation”
• Missing the face-to-face interaction with my co-workers
• Listening to my partner talk to himself for an hour while he attempted to set up a Zoom meeting session
• Three people using the internet at once, causing it to move very slowly
• Food – not that food isn’t good, but when they are bored, the kids eat everything that isn’t nailed down

Now for the giggles . . I mentioned this in a previous post. I love to laugh. I enjoy laughing and joking around with my children. I frequently get the giggles at work, listening to the conversations of my co-workers. The other day I was peeling wallpaper from the wall, teetering on the ladder, leaning towards the wall as I was on a conference call (fortunately my phone was muted) — and I got the giggles because I was “working” as I was “working” but the incongruity of it all just got to me.

I do miss my students as well, interacting with them and networking with them since they come from all over the nation and all types of backgrounds. I miss the interaction with our contract instructors as well, but I am happy that I am able to work in our local ER helping out with the staffing shortages and COVID concerns. I enjoy taking care of the patients and easing their concerns and doing the little things to go the extra mile for their comfort. Something to do with my motto of: do the most good for the greatest number of people.

So there you have it – the pros and cons of the past week.

(And that photo up there . . .definitely not me!)