Home Sweet Home Office

 Monday morning. After 2 days at home, wearing the same PJ’s, eating like a mad person and watching series, movies and all the different “lives”, it is time to get back to business. I am up earlier than yesterday, even though I do not have any meetings, I mean, conference calls to attend. I have the option to shower and shave, but I decide to stay status quo. I check my calendar one more time, and I do not see a need for a shaving. No calls, no meetings. Just another “regular” day at the office.

It is week 5 of home office. I look around my place and all I see is a big mess from the past few days, just a perfect scenario to begin the day. At least it is quiet. The family are still in bed. My wife is out of job, as her dental practice has been closed off since quarantine was declared by the government. She does not need to wake up that early. She is so lucky. My boy, who is almost a teenager, refuses to wake up, unless he has “online” classes. For him, it is the best time of his life. No need to go to school. Online classes are quite sporadic and very little homework is required. He is practically on his Summer vacation.

Back to my new routine. I go to the kitchen and things are about to get out of control. It will not be a typical quick breakfast. Before the quarantine, I had no time. 15 minutes max. Now, I can relax. I check my watch and it is 7:15. If I am going to start working at 8 am, I have plenty of time to enjoy a decent meal. Which means, eating, eating and eating more. I have never done that before. Coffee, milk, yogurt, bread, butter, even a muffin. Yes, I am now addicted to morning muffins.

It is now 8:10, and I am still in the kitchen. My wife just joined me, and I am having my second breakfast. I have the computer on, going through my emails and things to do, but I cannot ignore her. There is no social distancing inside our home. She just woke up and is now complaining about being bored. And it is still Monday morning.

I feel a bit of anxiety, what makes me attack the second muffin. I am not hungry anymore, but I can’t control myself. She is talking to me while I am eating and trying to concentrate to my emails. I had to learn a new multitask technique. I don’t have option B. All places are closed, including the party room/ office room, located downstairs. It could be a good option if I was looking for piece and quietness. But it is not, and therefore, I must face the new reality.

Breakfast is over. I am now moving into the living room/dinning room/ TV room, a new concept of bundling everything together on the new condo models. And my wife follows me. She has nothing to do, so she decides it is time to watch a new episode of the series she was watching last night. That’s fine. I won’t argue with her. As I am still wearing my PJ’s from the weekend and I am not planning to get dressed up, I take my “office” back to my bedroom.

I lay down comfortably in my bed, and it is time for business. Just one small detail. My wireless connection does not work very well on my bedroom. The signal is weak. Unless I keep the doors open, it will be a pain to open files and download information. I have no option but go back to the living room.

My wife smiles at me, asking if I already miss her. She is eating her second muffin of the day and I asked for a bite. Why did I ask for a bite? I must be 10 pounds heavier, but I can’t notice that, as I am wearing PJ’S and t-shirts for the past 5 weeks. When was the last time I wear a proper shirt and a tie? I don’t remember. It’s been so long.

Ok, let’s concentrate. Back to work. Emails, files, inquiries from my boss, my wife watching TV and food. Is it the new reality they are talking about? I don’t know. It works well for a lot of people, and I envy them. But it is not working well for me. I need the office environment, I need to talk to people, to drink the same “regular” coffee, and talk about the game from yesterday. My “old” routine. You can call me and old school, and I take that as a compliment. I would be open for a mix of working from home and coming to the office, but not 100% at home.

However, for now, that’s what we have available. Be grateful you have a job and you can do it next to your family. It is a temporary scenario. Wait a minute! I just got a chat from my boss. He wants to have a video call with his direct reports in about 30 minutes. I’ve got to go. I need to shower, to shave and get dressed up. The worst part is to convince my wife to turn off the TV, while I am on my meeting. It is what it is. Wish me luck.