Shut Down: Best and Worst
Mates,
Well the stay-home order may not be totally lifted but today's lifting is a nice step. And while it may get put back sometime in the future, hopefully that won't be necessary.
But despite the craziness of the last few months not everything was doom and gloom. Lots of folks have made comments about family ties, less travel and other benefits. Unfortunately there were costs to all of this for almost everyone - financial and social, isolation,and assorted anxieties.
Simple question: what are/were the best and worst parts of the shut-down for you?
p.s. No politics. We've had enough for a while.
Take care and Go Blue
XM
Best: I didn't have to really teach high school seniors in April and may. Remote learning is garbage for the average k-12 student.
Worst: The kids missed out on their prom, commencement, and spring sports among other things.
Mrs. Lhglrkwg is a teacher and feels terrible for her students. So many of her seniors had their school career and to some degree their childhood (esp. for those not going to college) cut short so suddenly. They try hard to be good teachers still, but there's only so much you can do. Sucks for the HS seniors, college seniors, etc.
Same boat. At least I teach mostly juniors so I could console them that they'll have one hell of a topic for an admission essay.
Best: learned a ton and built a new business. Worst: Also drank some great bourbon.
Cool. What type of business?
It is a company that builds on stuff I was already doing but it leverages the new openness to virtual work arising from Covid.
In short we help clients to get more done by solving problems with diffusion and distraction.
My original approach focused on the disciplines of business execution for individuals and teams.
The new company addresses the aspects of life for professionals that don’t get as much attention as revenue and growth, but that can diffuse focus and energy. Our content and support is designed to help people be more intentional and aligned.
Our goal is to offer a ton of free help with an option to hire us for more involved work. We’re just getting started but we are already building a community.
Your worst thing was that you drank some great bourbon?
Definitely sounds like Humble Brag!
Best: the sweet new desk and chair I bought to make my WFH setup a lot better.
Worst: I took the plunge, joined a gym, and was JUST starting to see actual results when they closed. I'm not doing bad at home, on the treadmill, but the gym is better. Also no March Madness. It was such a wide-open year I was really looking forward to it. Also am seriously thinking about making the hour drive to Toledo for a haircut.
I’m going to be honest. There has been nothing about the shut down that I have enjoyed. I guess, in that, lies a silver lining. I really, really liked my life and hope it resumes to the degree that it can. I had far more balance in my life than I realized and had carved out a pretty nice spot for my family, kids, etc. Seeing how much my kids have missed “the old normal” made me realize I had been doing a far better job than I thought.
I struggled, too. Luckily, i have job security. Staying at home isn't for me, though. Cant wait to get back to an active lifestyle.
Best-my wife and I reconnected pretty well after being together for 10 years and married for 5. Time just flys and you don’t appreciate it when your both working
worst-wife got her tv show stolen from her for a bigger name. Been working on it for 5 seasons. She’s a tv producer.
Wife connection >> fancy show
Theft of ideas is one of the worst corporate hazards.
Best: hey, I can be productive working from home
Worst: My son’s Marching band trip to DC for the Cherry Blossom parade was canceled. That was also supposed to be a family reunion. First one since my dad died 7 years ago. Maybe next year.
I've noticed suddenly that many of us can be just as effective managing our own hours vs feeling the burden of a pseudo-mandatory 40 hour work week. Some weeks we work 30 hours, some weeks we work 50. Would be nice if that flexibility could continue, but I very much doubt it continues once we're back to normal
I don’t think my company is going back to normal. They’ve told us if you are more productive at work, they will bring you back this month. If you are 50/50, you can come back in July, or not. If you are more productive at home, stay at home, maybe come in occasionally starting in August. My company is very aware of the cost of office space. If they can reduce square footage, they will. It sounds like the big surprise to leadership is that productivity is as good or better than before. I suppose working from home could get old for some, but we’ve been figuring it out for almost 3 months now. I remember hearing from somewhere that it takes 6 weeks for a habit to form. Well, we’re well past that by now.
This is a genius plan...if you function productively from home and it's possible in your industry why not. And some just need to be somewhere like an office. I'd say many companies will adjust like this.
Double post. Guess I support your work efforts
Best- spent a lot of time with my two college freshmen when it looked like the start to an empty nest. Also completed a ton of home remodel projects and brought some life to the old domicile.
Worst- obvious...and the lack of sports particularly my son in his first college season that just got off the ground only to end. A lack of normal where days just blend and so much unknown ahead. 2020 shaping up to a very ugly start.
Ugly start is right. We’re already half way through the year!
This is a fairly deep question in some ways, but I'll keep it simple for now:
Best: I learned that it's possible to give yourself a decent buzz cut with a $14 beard trimmer.
Worst: I live in a high-rise. Our in-house gym (not luxurious but adequate) has been closed since mid-March.
Re: haircut, we have all the equipment for that with all the kids, and since my wife gave me the first cut in April I have been trimming my own. I'll only say that I've been doing well enough that nobody would probably notice.
Not having to worry about getting a haircut is one of the few benefits of being bald. I have been giving myself haircuts for the last 5 years with trimmers and have saved a lot of money. Now, it only takes a few minutes to give myself what I like to call "The Picard."
22 years ago, when Great Clips went from $11 to $12 for a haircut, I bought a $24 electric razor and haven't paid a cent for a haircut since then.
Best: Home improvement projects, decided to go on a diet and start running.
Worst: Self-inflicted buzz cut that didn't quite end well.
Best : my hospital department was mothballed/did not see corona census expected, as a result flew kids from west coast back to family farm in U.P. .....plane was empty/flights cheap... kids were able to help their cousins with maple syrup... normally they are in school and have only seen photos heard stories....also, got every scheduled fall chore finished in spring
Odd:... cracked into emergency food I received as a gag gift from brother several x-mas ago... thought I threw it out....holy shit, the carbs....
Making syrup with family that's pretty awesome.
We did not do syrup this year, between sports and then rolling right into C-19, we just didn't get it in gear.
Making syrup with family that's pretty awesome.
Best: bank account is the healthiest it’s been in awhile - been working, stimulus check, a raise in January, and boss got PPP , so always a 40 work hour week (plus wife isn’t spending (or me to be honest)).
Worst: all my extracurriculars are cancelled - working UM sporting events, ushering UMS concerts, and singing in the choir.
hey everybody, scanner is buying the first round!
Ha! The old monthly statement was looking pretty bleak in late 2019 ...but I probably owe you and maybe one offspring a redpop and a dessert. Et tu XM? (Answer your own question.)
Wife not dragging me out to eat has been such a bonus on the bank account.
I make up for it on Amazon.
Best: Spending every waking moment with my wife.
Worst: Spending every waking moment with my wife.
I was going to put something similar, but with my kids. I also really progressed on learning to play the guitar. Still would not want to do it in public, but I am happy to feel like I am playing a basic version of how the song is supposed to sound.
Best: tons of lives saved. Got to spend a lot of time with my wife and daughter.
Worst: nothing really for me. Maybe the weather sucking at the start.
Best: spending everyday all day with my toddler
worst: spending everyday all day with my toddler
Worst: Missing Vegas for watching nhl playoffs and a Golden Knights game
Worst(er): Missing March Madness in Vegas
Best: Deepened my faith, started doing yoga, and learned to slow down.
Worst: Worried about my son and daughter.
Best - free $1800 from the government money printer
Worst - softball league is cancelled
so I have few problems fortunately. Hope all of you guys and girls (and your families) are doing ok
Best: Bought a house!
Worst: Bought a house!
Best: time at home with my wife and son + huge gains from investing in the market when the country was driven by fear
Worst: a few colleagues that I know were let go + no Big Ten Tourney/March Madness/The Masters
Best: Watched my 3 nieces, 5, 8, 14, 3 days a week because their mom is a nurse. Cooking, homeschooling, the whole 9 yards. Discovered I would have made a kick-ass house husband.
Worst: Watched my 3 nieces. Man they could be a headache.
Best: We’ve saved a lot of money not going out to eat, not taking Uber anywhere, been experimenting a lot with cooking, making some interesting desserts like some cheesecake and bread pudding, and just grilling a lot. Finished the bathroom remodel, connecting more with my wife, all of this has been great. Getting ready for a baby.
Worst: Watching 20% of my company get laid off via email and a Zoom meeting with HR because there was no way to do it in person with 120+ people. My department being completely phased out, doors shuttered and not coming back for at least a year and a half. Wondering if I’m going to have a job after my most recent project ends at the end of July. With no sports, all of our news cycle is DOMINATED by politics and nothing but politics and it’s fucking exhausting. I’m so sick of hearing about it. I wish there was a way to just shut it all off for at least a week. Having the excitement of my son being born into the world muddied by a pandemic.
Congrats on the birth of your son!!
My recommendation, turn off the television. I'll listen to local news radio and they have the national breaks and that is enough to stay informed. We got rid of YouTube TV as soon as March Madness was cancelled. Don't miss it at all. Stream our entertainment and to be honest I think we are much better off.
Best: found I can be productive working from home and do so for two months
worst: was downsized during the pandemic
Best: found new job three weeks later
worst: new job has little chance to WFH and has crazy long commute, having me change from home all day to gone from 6a-7p
all in all I’m counting my blessings, no doubt. Just not how I’d hoped things would go.
I will keep this intentionally light and breezy...
Best--reconnected with guitar playing. Put together a mini pedal board and am having fun recreating some sounds. Tone is a curious thing!
Worst--my bball league ended, and I was having a great season. Top 5 scoring, led the league in 3's.
Best: being cooped up with my family for 3.5 months
Worst: being cooped up with my family for 3.5 months.