Big, Fat, Full One

Today was a jam packed affair and I opted to carry that forward into the evening hours. I was up with the sun for no loveable reason and found myself able to take in a slow, deliberate breakfast before starting work a half hour early. I figured I might knock off early to get some business conducted at a local shoppe.

We’ve got a big meeting this week with our US counterparts. It’s their Catalina Wine Mixer. Usually it’s in a massive hotel and there are five hundred customers there amongst a large swath of employees. They have moved it completely virtual and have a record number of registrants. The customers we’ve talked to are telling us how impressed they have been with the experience. They appreciate the efforts and the option of not having to travel. That portion takes up my mornings this week and the afternoon is consumed by smaller meetings with our Canadian customers. It makes for full days. The regular riff raft of my job also crams in around all of that. Meals have been of the extremely quick variety and eaten on mute with my camera off. Speaking of cameras, my integrated camera is no longer recognized by my computer. It happened mid-call today. Microsoft Teams froze for a second and then restarted and poof, gone. That will be a problem to solve tomorrow. After work I folded laundry then went to take advantage of a sale at Canadian Tire that my Mother suggested I hit up. There was some boat accoutrement on sale and I needed to start stocking up. I dropped a couple hundred bucks and barely got started. Boat gear is crazy expensive, at least at Crappy Tire.

The paddles were half off so I got an extra one. The safety kit was affordable and the seat was on sale. I was wandering around waiting for the lineup to dissipate and saw the strap which will come in handy. The dock rope seemed like a good idea. The rest was there and I was buying. When I got home I decided to cut the lawn. it was getting shaggy and I won’t have the chance tomorrow and it’s looking like rain after that. It might be days before I get another good chance to trim it, so that got done and I got sweaty. At this point, I should confess something, something that is making me feel guilty. I didn’t wear my mask in the store. I had it in my pocket and was planning to pop it on at the door but when I got there, there was no one around. In fact, as I walked in to the store I didn’t see anyone. I didn’t have another human with 30’ of me until it was time to check out. I followed the arrows on the floor so I got a bunch of extra steps in. Everything but the strap was in the same aisle. I kept my distance at the cash. No employee or patron wore any kind of PPE. It was a bit shocking to see. I did wipe down the cart handle with my Clorox wipe also, several times. I’ve wiped down the merchandise upon returning also. I only wore my mask 3-4 times but that covers my outings for the last month and half. I have to be honest with you, I was also fairly anxious to go out to the store, maybe nervous more than anxious. I’m guessing it’s from the uncertainty about appropriate behaviour and the new risk of contracting the terrible virus on any outing outside of my safe, isolated nest. I think I’ll be smarter next time and make sure I sport the mask. Taking a leadership position, working to break the stigma.