WFH: Week Fifty-Two

There was a hint of color in the sky, on my evening walk. I've been encouraging down-in-the-dumps colleagues to get outside. Even if they just take a walk around the block. Fresh air, sunshine ... it's not hard to give a wide berth to others you might encounter.

It's been a full year since I transitioned to working from home. Our team has demonstrated good productivity, despite all challenges. Structured social engagement (video calls for morning coffee, afternoon tea) has mostly withered away. There is an expectation that we will return to the office, in some form, this fall; my position on that is: Wait and see. If it entails wearing a mask for the entire day, that would make me miserable. If it means sitting in a conference room on video calls with remote colleagues, well ... I can do that at home.

To brighten my days, and mark the passage of time, I decided I wanted a page-a-day calendar. Torn between two (birds, and nature scenes), I picked up both.

My last haircut was in February, 2020. By the second time restrictions were relaxed, I didn't see the point. I fully expected another lockdown, leading to another awkward growing-out period. [I was right.] My hair may soon be longer than it has ever been. I'm kind of used to it now, and some people have commented that it looks good.

Cheerful sidewalk chalk art is a thing of the past. Face masks (cloth, or single-use) litter the sidewalks and roadways.

I'm trying to bike more regularly; when our club couldn't host rides, I'd plot a simple route and my chief ride buddy would join me. That way, we could look out for each other. All the spring and summer cycling events have been canceled, postponed, or gone “virtual.”

I continue to minimize my time indoors around other people—because, I can. For me, the calculus has been straightforward: “If I do Thing X, permanently wreck my health or die as a result, will I have thought it was worth it?” Not surprisingly, the answer is: No. No weekend getaways. No restaurant dining. No social gatherings.

I'm not eligible to be vaccinated, yet; there isn't enough vaccine, still, for everyone who is eligible (and wants the shots). I know at least 11 people who have been vaccinated; their reactions have ranged from nothing, or a sore arm, to headache, fever, and fatigue, to much worse. I also know at least 12 people who contracted the virus (and recovered). “Do. Not. Get It.” they counseled. [Well, that's my plan.] Of those 12, at least one person tested negative, but subsequently had antibody results that were off the charts. At least three were presumptive cases (not tested, but symptomatic—two with family members who did test positive). I have not lost any friends or family members, but I know people who have.

The week closed with 111,839 reported cases of COVID-19 in our county, and 1,859 confirmed deaths. Which [see above] is an undercount.