Working from home

Like most employers, mine has asked us to work from home if we can.  That will let them put the employees that can't work from home in our desks so that they skip every other desk and leave at least 6 feet between them.  I left a note on my desk that said "welcome to my space.  I hope you are comfortable here.  Thanks for all you do to assist our customers.  Please water my plants on Fridays."  I'm almost certain to have someone in my space because the alternating desks in my row of cubicles are very cluttered, but there's a definite pattern of clear desks, partly because I cleared off desks of my teammates while they worked from home on Friday,  I'm part of the team that writes the plans and executes them when an emergency happens.  This is our biggest response so far and I am glad to say that we are prepared (so far). 

We spent the weekend preparing for social distancing.  We had to have supplies around so Rob could do things if his office closes.  Their work is not really 'work from home' ready.  We needed things for him to do so he won't be under my feet.  We also went to the grocery on Saturday morning, where we found more people than groceries.  I had my hands on a four pack of toilet paper and Rob said we didn't need it so I sat it down and someone else picked it up before I could get to the end of the aisle.  We also picked up things for him to be able to build if he's stuck here for an extended time.  I will never run out of supplies to keep me busy, but because I'm on the disaster response team, I'll have priority computer time.  I'll be working. 

Dot asked a while back how I choose thread color for quilting.  I complained that I had used matching thread to quilt a quilt and the quilting disappeared.  Now I use a thread that's close, but not an exact match.  I'm working on choosing thread for the arc quilt.  I'm starting with grey thread, but the decision isn't made yet.  I bought two spools.  One was obviously too light so I haven't opened it yet, but I made a sample and am testing the darker shade. 

Even though that silk thread is a dark grey, it looks white against a black background.  That's not my thread color.  Every mistake will show and scream "look at me, look at me!"  I used a black thread in the bobbin.  It looks better, and I'm still hoping to find a thread that's a darker grey.  But, there aren't that many choices in silk thread and finding a really dark charcoal grey might not be an option.  If not, then black will have to do. 

The black thread really doesn't show.  It's just the sheen of the thread that catches the light and has a little shine to it.  I'm still shopping.  I think I'm going to try a cotton thread that might offer a better selection.  I might even settle for a heavier thread, like a 60wt just to get the right color.

On the gardening front, here is that orchid that I showed a few weeks ago when it had just three flowers.  It looks great and I'm very happy that I've been able to get it to bloom again.

This is a torenia.  It's a mounding annual that I'm growing in this trough, hoping it will hang over the sides. 

I got my first Poppy bloom.  A friend from work shared a couple of poppies with me, but this is the only one that thrived.  I'm hoping the other one will catch up, but in case it doesn't, I picked one up at the hardware store. 

The mock orange has started to bloom.  This will put on a huge show of white flowers that will last a couple weeks, then it will be a large green shrub the rest of the year. 

 

Remember this hanging basket?  I constantly confuse pansies and petunias and meant to type petunias.  Others knew that was wrong and took guesses at what it was.  Turns out that it is calibracoa.  Calibracoa should thrive for most of the season, so this could keep going on for quite a while.  It was a very good purchase.

 

 

Last week was the anniversary of the day we met.  Before marriage equality, like many other gay couples, we celebrated the day we met.  Twenty years together.  It sounds like a long time, but it hasn't felt like it.  We created a healthy relationship and we raised a child and now we are empty nesters, just like so many others our age.  When I came out in 1984, I'd never have thought that so much would change for gay people.  But, it has and we've paid a heavy price for the rights millennial gays take for granted.  And, they are disrespectful enough to call us names like boomer.  That's what comes from giving children trophies for minimum participation so they can all feel special and not spanking them when they deserve it.  I blame the parents. 

 

I talked to a trump supporter last week.  The level of mis-information was shocking.  The defense of the administration in light of what is happening took me off guard.  It was pretty clear that a decision had been made to watch the news, but not listen to what was being said.  I did what I could to provide correct information, but really, it was clear that despite the warnings about older adults being hardest hit, she still planned to attend several events with groups of other people over the weekend.  I hope she eventually understands and stays home.  But, there's really nothing I can do about that.  All I can do is try to protect my family through what is going to be a very difficult time. 

And, speaking of my family, Syd came for dinner last night.  I'm not sure she came for dinner as much as she came for the last of her kitchen tools and all my recipes.  She sat down with my favorite cookbooks and took pictures of anything she likes.  And, we reinforced that if her work closes, she can come stay with us for the duration (but she has to bring whatever food she has left).  The shocking thing is that there are still customers at her retail location.  Fortunately, she's been relocated to their stock room, unloading trucks and unpacking the stock.  That reduces her exposure by a lot, but even so, I asked her to be sure to shower and wear her hair up when she came, which she did and seemed to do respectfully...that made me more proud than you can imagine.  After dinner, she and Rob and I sat at the dining table while she flipped through the cookbooks and we talked about food. 

Well, that's the highlights of my week.  Except for the anxiety I'm feeling.  Every time we've taken what felt like an overreaction at the time, it turned out to be the recommendation a couple weeks later.  We are listening to Dr Fauci.  He seems to be the only one that can speak the truth, and we understand that to maintain his ability to continue to serve, he has to temper the truth to suit the orange lies.  But, he's still managing to get the truth out there despite all the gaslighting. 

Everybody have a good week.  Stay busy.  Stay out of crowds.  Don't touch things when you go out.  Please be safe.  I don't think any of us have seen anything like this in the US in our lifetimes.  This should change how we feel about being part of an inclusive society that watches out for those in need. 

Be well.  Lane