Half Way

It is July 2020..
It has been a very strange year. The pandemic has restructured our lives. Many things have changed, some things are still the same.

I have not had to make too many changes, but the few things I used to rely on for my sanity, are either not working the same way or are no longer available.

Seven to eight months of daily contact has dropped from several hours to a few minutes to sometimes just an emoji. I am not sure if I have pulled back, trying not to over do, or make the isolation changes more evident..because they are... cancelled travel plans and availability, on each end. Some of that is finally changing, hotels are opening again, airports and airlines are going to be more available. Now just need to see what plans will be made.

So..something to look forward to..

I just wonder if the overall attitudes have changed, including my own. I don't think so, but a lot of that depends on how I am received going forward...a friend at arms length? ... I sort of expect that.. Not what I want, but I have history of that track..

Fine, I can if I must. I didn't let 35 years matter, should 8 months and a viral outbreak be any different? Again, I don't think it is up to me, I don't think it is ever up to me.. maybe once or twice...
But only as the last resort. Sorry J and K... it went down that path and that was the decision that had to be made.


I am still going to work 5 days a week, with my odd weekends, and still driving the 110 miles per day to do that. The past few months have been really light traffic, but with the lessened restrictions and Summers arrival, traffic to and from has increased almost to the norms, not quite back to the worst traffic in America, but getting close again. Without my normal stress relief, not sure how much this is affecting my attitude.  I have been reminded that I need to take some of my time-off..
If I wait, I will end up losing paid time off again, like last year, but probably more.  I hate taking vacation time just to stay home, but with the travel restrictions still in place, probably for the rest of the year, that may be my only option. Sure, I have plenty of things I could get done, working around the house...even in the hot weather... Maybe if I took a week, I could actually do some of it...or at least have a really clean and organized house.. or at least get caught up on my sleep.
I will have to think about doing this, really. Of course I have to co-ordinate with my co-workers and with the work black-out periods... I think that gives me 2 months out of the next 6 that I cannot take time, then split that between the other 3 guys I work with.. it narrows it down a bit. Even for a 'Stay-Cation' ..  Also since L will probably be working, Not having any paid time-off, I would be spending that time mostly by myself.. with no where to go.. at home.. Just me..

I think I see why I have been putting this off.

Maybe a few daily road trips, 8 to 10 hours to and from home..? For a week.. Hmmm.

Half way to the end of this year..

R 7/5/2020