Y2/D296 - In Office

When I arrived at the lobby to my office today, there was a line stretching out of the lobby and down the hall. I threaded through and asked what was going on? Everyone had a visitor pass.

Security: "Testing"
Me: I just want to go to work. [ETA: We have to swipe in at a Time Clock no less and no more than six minutes before or after our allotted time. I had gotten off the train at 7:55, my allotted time is 8:00, and I have until 8:05 to sign in.]

Security waved me ahead.

I waited for the elevator with two lines of men on either side of me.
When it arrived one line filed in. So, I jumped ahead of the other one for elevator two. When it arrived, I got in and so did twenty other people. Everyone had masks on. And it was a quick ride - 3rd Floor. I was the only woman in the elevator. I got off, and the lobby in front of our doors was crowded with people. I used my pass to get in and a few minutes behind me, a woman appeared and led the group of people to the conference rooms.

Unsettled by this turn of events, I went to my manager, Breaking Bad, to see what was going on.
( Read more... )

**

Lots of people out sick at crazy org. The latest? Our lawyer, the one who has to approve practically EVERYTHING right now, is out sick.( Read more... )

It's bad folks. I am not exaggerating. ( State of COVID in my part of the world )

***

I also made the mistake of watching the news this morning and reading the NY Times briefing on the train - so I was raging again. (Today's the anniversary of the January 6th Insurrection - a Day that shall live in infamy. It's also the day my mother broke her hip and my Dad entered the long-term facility. They've been separated ever since that day.)

I did get past my rage - music helped. I was wearing my Bose headphones and the song "This Little Light of Mine, I'm Going to Let it Shine" came up and in my head, I was dancing around the train and dancing my demons away.

So that cleared the gnarly mood away for the most part.

***

I did get stuff done today at least. Surprise. Surprise.

Halfway through my Dad's book "Beach Walk". It's actually pretty good, I'm enjoying it far more than I expected. And it has my Dad's voice. In one section his characters discuss perceptions of reality, and how reality is different depending on who is perceiving it.

Excerpt:

"In retrospect the problems then seem a lot simpler than today's. But then, everybody says that. I wonder if it's true. It's all perception and, of course, perception is reality."

"So, reality isn't reality," Charlie said.

"What people think is real is real. It doesn't matter whether it is or not. A person's behavior is based on what he perceives is real."

"So action can be based on unreality."

Reading this passage today, after seeing my father and knowing his perception of reality is constantly shifting and kind of - off course, was an odd feeling. I found myself grieving him - that's Alzheimer's by the way, you grieve the loss of a person in stages, they are there but not there at the same time. I can no longer pick up the phone and just call him. And even if I did, I don't know what I would get on the other end.

The grief seems to have taken up residence in my body, along with the grief of so many other things since 2020 began. I barely notice it at times, it's almost as if its some sort of appendage that I've become used to like the masks I wear to and from work, and most of the day at work, or every time I leave my apartment, as does everyone else.

Photo of the Evening...

( My Dad )