This morning was nice… my husband brought me a cup of coffee in bed! A rare treat. We’ve been getting along pretty well as co-workers — especially since we started using the trick I read on-line. We invent an imaginary co-worker to blame things on, as in, “That Felix! He left his coffee cup on the table again!” We’ve decided it should be a different name every time, making us laugh instead of being annoyed.
Here are some of the things I’ve discovered during my two weeks at home:
Now that there is only the Starbucks drive-through (10 minutes away with a line-up of cars that takes 30 minutes), I have mastered a reasonable facsimile of my “cup of happiness” to get me through the day, caffeinated and content.
Skim milk powder, low-sugar Nestle’s Quik powder, 1 cup of water, 3 shots espresso (1/2 decaf), and a whole lot of ice!
A few of the normal habits help to get us through.
Given that my commute is only to the next room, my audiobook consumption has decreased to practically zero. It was my entertainment while driving. So, sorry Richard, I won’t be sampling the books recorded in your home studio for a while. Add to that the fact that I need to listen to our Prime Minister’s press conference each morning for work, and my available time for audiobooks is effectively nil. Maybe that will change soon so that I can get back to my listening.
- On the other hand, there is a benefit to not driving — my hip and back are healing, as apparently the pain has been in large part due to a repetitive strain injury. (It’s my right leg or driving leg.) It took me around a week to realize that I didn’t need to have my car keys in the pocket of my jeans anymore.
- Of course, now that most of us don’t have to drive, the price of gas has gone down to around 96 cents per litre! Compare that to one year ago, when it was 172.9 cents!
- Did you know that you can actually see through windows when you clean them? This innovation worked on my home office window, and I might actually try this on a few more windows in my house! Here is the view from my home office — I’ve taken over my younger son’s old bedroom and I plan to make this space mine, permanently.
Now if only I could find a way to get the neighbours behind me to take down that #@%&$! tree, I might just see a beautiful sunset!
I did go into the office for a bit on the weekend. Apparently cherry blossoms bloom even when we are not there to see them! Who knew?? (Although there are, in fact, a lot of people out photographing them. I also saw people playing Pokémon GO in front of some of them…. why??)
- Are you a person who likes to work in your pajamas? Not me. I need my usual routine to start my day — shower, get dressed, put on make-up. Then I feel like I can get on with things. (This isn’t just about working, either. Years ago, my travelling companions were astonished that I sat beside a stream at our campground, putting on make-up in front of a small mirror. Makes me feel like me.)
- One thing I really am enjoying about being home is that no one takes my stuff from the fridge. About a week before I started working at home, someone used the last of my clearly labeled coffee cream, returning it to the fridge empty. In fact, that was the second time that happened. I mean, who does that? Luckily, no one in my household.
My husband has discovered Disney+. Unfortunately, this has caused him to embrace his inner child and escape into the world of cartoons. Not for me.
But I remembered that we subscribe to Crave TV and I’ve started watching Amy Adams in Sharp Objects. I read the book, but long enough ago that I don’t really remember what happens. I remember I liked it, even though I found it unsettling, and I didn’t like it quite as much as Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn’s other top seller. Sharp Objects seems pretty good so far, after one episode, and certainly more appealing to me than Spider-Man cartoons.
- My dog has discovered that there are even better places to stare at me from, such as the arm of the couch, while I’m sitting at the dinner table.
He also discovered a wonderful patch of sun, today, to warm his old bones.
Have I mentioned before that he is now a cancer survivor? Last summer, he developed a lump on his neck that turned out to be a carcinoma. In doing tests before his surgery, they discovered he had a bladder infection and needed antibiotics. After that, they realized that he has an enlarged heart, and recommended he be put on heart medication. Between the medication and the surgery, he seems years younger, with so much more energy than he had had for a long time. You can see it in the look on his face above, when he was standing up on the couch. Nice to see.
Well, that’s it for now. Tomorrow for work I have a 3-hour Zoom meeting with 20 people, and one of the agenda items involves me sharing my screen for a PowerPoint presentation, which will be a new experience. Wish me luck!
I'm Feeling This 
Thank you for the brilliant tips, Sue. I must try the cleaning-windows to see out – no wonder it always seems misty inside!
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Lol. Indeed!
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Sue
1Thank you for the Starbucks coffee recipe
2 Bless your dog who’s name is ____\ he is probably wondering why are you people home in my house????
3 Beautiful sunset pics and tree pics very calming!!
4 ShArp Objects I watched last year
Very good. Much better IMO than Gone Girl the movie haven’t read either book
5 I’ve listened to zero audiobooks except the 3 Heyers and Lords of the North because they were on cd and I could listen in my car
6 gonna try a home improvement project small potatoes in the bathroom this week
7 good for you on the makeup
I only put foundation on when I went to grocery store on Saturday it’s tees and jeans for me
Stay safe stay well!! ❤️❤️❤️😘
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It’s not quite Starbucks, but it’s pretty satisfying. The dog will remain nameless, as will the humans in the family. My husband always works part of the time from home, so maybe the dog isn’t too concerned.
I’m really enjoying Sharp Objects. Amy Adams is excellent in it. I also liked the Gone Girl movie.
Good luck on your home improvement project. Stay healthy!
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Definitely one benefit of no work is that it’s giving my dodgy shoulder and foot a chance to heal…shoulder is def work related and foot from driving and using pedals at work!
Just thinking about the coffee cream issue at work….how would you feel about putting a drop of food dye in it? 😂 visually it might put the thief off and it would probably dye their tongue! It’s petty maybe, but they’re being bloody rude!
Your dog is a cutie..is he a pekingnese?
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Yeah, who needs physio when you can just rest!
Now there’s a plan… food dye! I don’t think I’d have the nerve to do it, though. I just wish someone would just say they were desperate and that I could use theirs the next time.
The dog is a Japanese Chin.
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LOL – I like the idea of adding a co-worker to the mix to blame things on! That’s great that you’re not feeling pain anymore in your back and hips. Even if that means no more sessions with Richard. And that you have enough energy to wash windows too! Nice. BTW – Your dog is adorable. My little guy is 15 years old and has become attached to my presence. He follows me everywhere. He is now slightly blind and deaf, so he uses me for navigation unless he’s following his nose outside, then the challenge to call him back falls on deaf ears. Thanks for sharing the lessons you learned – you’re clever in your approach and it was fun to read! Take care and stay safe.
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Well, to be honest, I have only washed the one window so far. Lol. I’m pretty busy still with work. And my hubby wants me to work on the taxes on the weekend to see if we might get a good refund.
My dog is around 12, I believe. (I lose track.) So he’s earned the right to sit in the sun. I didn’t realize your dog is going blind and deaf, poor guy. Lucky he has you to navigate by!
Glad you enjoyed the post. Stay healthy!
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One window less you have to clean the next time the urge strikes you. I hope you were able to get your taxes done and turned in. I turned ours in early March and we haven’t heard anything yet, so I’m guessing our extended deadline until July is part of the problem.
Yeah, I feel sorry for my little guy. He does rely on me, and for the most part he’s doing okay.
Yes, I enjoyed your post! Stay healthy and well!
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Still working on the taxes this weekend. We have a few new things this year to take into account so it’s a bit more complicated. I did wonder if our refunds would be late this year, partly due to the extended deadline, but also I think all our federal revenue people are occupied with getting emergency payments out.
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I think you’re on to something that things will be delayed for quite some time. 😉
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My Sbux closed — it was creating too much of a traffic hazard, apparently. However, it was a prompt to get me to visit this little coffee shack (there’s no other word for it) about a half mile further; it’s an old lady who only *ever* does drive through coffee but has a big parking lot. I did buy coffee to make cold brew at home but I haven’t done it yet. Dad’s done something to our regular coffee machine and now it leaks when it’s on. I don’t even want to think about it.
I used to work in pajamas all the time when I work from home (have for years). However, I don’t like to cook or do chores that might scar my flesh while in pajamas, so I have sloppy clothes for that. Different clothes for when I leave home but honestly most are not much dressier than t-shirt / nice top / nice jeans. Nobody expects much from humanities professors. I have had makeup on my face maybe 3x in my whole life. I hate the way it feels on my skin.
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There definitely is a long line of cars holding up traffic on the main road! So far no one is trying to move it away though.
Nice that you could try out a local business! I like cold brew, too, but since I normally drink half-decaf, I find it has too much caffeine for me! Too bad about the leaking machine.
I wear jeans at t-shirts mostly at home, and usually one or two days at the office. Not when I have to go out for meetings, though. But never skirts or dresses.
I only wear enough makeup to look healthy and give my eyes some definition. I started wearing makeup in grade school, to get the teachers to stop asking if I was sick or didn’t get enough sleep, etc. My colouring is fairly pale. I don’t ever wear lipstick, though, as I can’t stand the smell.
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You’re keeping yourself busy!!!!
Right now, I”m looking out the back yard. Spring has sprung. You can see the pollen wafting through the air.
I just had a video phone conference with my endocronologist. Things are gonna be a-changin’.
Hugs to your puppy! Hoping the good health continues.
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Allergies are not fun. Our trees have been budding and blooming for a while.
Isn’t it great that they’re finally moving to remote medical services? Makes a lot of sense.
Thanks for the good wishes for my dog. I hope so too!
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I don’t really mind working in pj’s but I need to get dressed too and put on my mascara as I do have video meetings every day. How did the screen sharing go for you? We do that here as well, not in Zoom but in Microsoft Teams.
Love the views to the mountains that you have! Not a mountain to be seen here in The Netherlands… everything’s flat. And those cherry blossoms, wow!
Glad you have found a way to enjoy your coffee. 🙂
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Yeah I have video meetings every morning now. The screen sharing went well. I did a PowerPoint presentation for around 15 minutes. We’re moving to Microsoft Teams in the next week or so.
Yes, the views here are great. My house is on higher ground which means I can see the city too. Spring has definitely arrived here — although last week we had some brief snow flurries!
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Sue
Got it! I’ve started the home improvement
You stay safe and stay well too ! ❤️🤗
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Had to laugh out loud at your new habit #4, the windows. I have had the exact same insights, pun unintended. In my case, it was actually my husband’s doing who cleaned all the windows while painting them. OMG, what a difference.
As for the question to pajama or not to pajama – full disclosure: When I was still working a daily early morning shift writing news (between 6 and 8am), I thought it was saving me time *not* to get dressed but to simply sit down at the computer and do my work. In practice, I often didn’t get out of my pajamas until 10 or 11am. And felt guilty about it. During the quarantine, I have been getting up at around 8am – and I always get dressed. It somehow makes me feel that my day has started and that I can do *anything*. Well, *almost anything*…
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Other than my new home office, I haven’t actually cleaned any yet and in fact it may be my husband who does ours too!
See I just don’t feel awake until after I’ve had the hot water of the shower hit my head… so if I’m going to do that, then I might as well get completely ready!
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For me it’s not the shower that does it. Just being in clothes is what gets me on my way…
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Very witty and helpful indeed, Sue! 😉 Plus I think I know that skyline… Pity about that tree indeed! Stay safe and healthy!
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Thank you! You too.
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Those trees are absolutely GORGEOUS! That’s what I love about spring, all the flowers everywhere that suddenly come bursting out.
Agreed on the petrol – super cheap, but we already had a full tank since before lockdown started and we haven’t been driving much since mid-March so no point in filling up and make use of the cheap prices. Think it’s gone up again now as well, but we still don’t need to fill up.
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If only they would stay that way for longer! Instead, all the pink petals become a carpet on the ground and the trees are left green. That’s pretty too.
Our gas prices have gone up again, for sure. I am going into the office on the weekends when there’s no one else there, so I’m using some gas that way. Although I’m under 15 km from work, so it’s not too bad.
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