Tag: work from home

Posted in Moments and Musings

August 2024

Posted on by Vikki Lynn Sorensen

Happy September! I don’t know about you but I’m so ready to see the end of summer. I know the official start of fall isn’t until September 21, but I tend to celebrate the meteorological calendar a bit more. It just makes more sense to me.

That means Fall is here!!

I have to tell you; out of all the seasons, summer is my least favorite. As a 55-year-old woman living in the heart of her menopause years, the heat and I are not friends. The idea of walking outside and breathing in water is not fun. I’m not a fan of the oppressiveness high humidity lends to a hot day. August always feels like it’s the hottest month of the year for no good reason other than just to be August.

You may have guessed by now – August is my least favorite month. I’m way too antsy for Fall. Around halfway through the month, I suddenly get a craving for pumpkin flavored things. I want to wear boots and scarves and curl up in oversized thick sweaters on a rainy day.

William Faulkner said:

“Some days in late August at home are like this, the air thin and eager like this, with something in it sad and nostalgic and familiar.”

That pretty much sums up my general emotional state except the air was not thin. It was very hot and humid with heat indexes up to 115 degrees. But it was nostalgic, in a way.

I feel like I’ve come full circle somehow. When my mom was alive, my girls and I would join her every Saturday evening for Mass at St. Gilbert’s church. Then afterwards, we always went to a neighborhood restaurant for dinner. Living out my faith beside my mom was very special to me, especially during the holidays.

Living so close to my dad and stepmom, I’ve started to attend Saturday night Mass with them along with my sister and occasionally my daughter, Shelby. Afterwards, we find a local restaurant and enjoy a meal together. It’s amazing how much comes back to me and how much of my Catholic faith never left. I feel my mom sharing this with me in a way and I absolutely love how much it means to my 91 year old Dad to have his kids and grandkids attending with him. It’s changed me.

Of course, I will always love my other church, and I watch the recordings of services during the week online but being with my dad and sharing this with him is something I know I’ll remember and cherish long after he’s in the arms of Jesus.

As I stated earlier, August is not my favorite month. Covid visited me at the beginning of the month, so that was fun. I felt like death warmed over and the congestion was just great (insert sarcasm). Mucinex was a huge life saver for me as was my sister who, during her time off work, took my daughter to work and picked her up for me so I could get as much rest as possible. She also took care of my dog so…huge shout out thanks to Kathleen! She was the MVP of my covid week. I joked that I went back to Mass and came home with Covid but I’m not too sure people thought that funny, so I stopped. It must have just been a coincidence that the first time I went to Mass since my mom’s passing and the next day, I started feeling ill.

I also stayed down here in my room in the basement for a whole week which was a very hot week at that. Thankfully, as my fever broke, so did the weather and it was total joy to be back in the living room with my family.

Just a quick note. I was very careful to stay away from my family as much as possible however, I would do that regardless of whether it was covid or a simple cold. We all lead busy lives and a huge part of that includes my 91-year-old dad, who doesn’t need to get sick. Plus, being sick sucks and I’m not interested in spreading it around. There are more people living with me now, so I felt it best to be prudent.

But enough of that! I’m much better now, Praise God!

August did bring me the sweetest news ever.

I am going to be a grandma!!

Yes, my daughter and son-in-law are expecting their first child in March 2025. I’m beyond thrilled and so very excited for them. Emilie is truly living the life she’s prayed for all her life, and I am so thankful to God for all the blessings pouring out on them. They also bought their first house! God is just so good.

It’s times like this when I wish my mom was still here. Of course, I always wish for her and always will. Since she died, everything good that happens, every joyful moment, is always tainted with a tiny particle of grief and longing. I imagine it always will be.

Nevertheless, this baby is already a blessing and will be the first of a new generation in our family. I can’t wait to meet him or her! I can’t wait to be “Grammy”! Now more than ever, I need to get serious about getting into shape. I want no restrictions on the number of activities I can do with my grandbabies. I want to do it all with them!

Which brings us to the goal-setting part of this gab fest. I love setting goals! I love to plan out what I want to do with my life. I love to write it down on a list and then cross off tasks as I complete them. Therefore, here’s some goals I have going into September.

Be content. I love my new home so much. It’s not perfect. It doesn’t have to be. This house has brought me the best of both worlds. I can be alone, if I want some alone time. Or I can be with people. Before moving here, I decided living alone was really not for me.  

Now, I’m not talking about being in a relationship. I’m NOT relationship material. I’m not interested. I’m way too old and romance isn’t really my strong suit, so I steer clear. If I want romance in my life, I’m more than happy to grab a mug of tea and embrace the couch life while watching the Hallmark channel. There, I can stream romance at any time of the year and in any season.

Prioritize my health. I’m not joining any diet culture or keeping track of everything I eat. That really only stresses me out which leads to more unhealthy eating. Just taking longer and longer walks as the days grow cold. Encouraging those in my household to do the same. Focus more on portions than the actual contents of my plate. Forgive myself for bad food moments.

Be a better steward of my money. The closer I get to 65, the more I realize that I do want to experience some retirement years before going home to Jesus. I want to crochet, embroider, travel all over, and be at my grandbabies’ beck and call. That’s my plan. Some changes I’m committing myself to make may seem small, but everyone has to start somewhere.

For example, I’ve been able to cancel some streaming services and started using my library more. Hoopla is a wonderful app and much of what I like to watch is available for free almost anytime I want.

Coffee is a huge expense for me. Not only do I like all the frou-frou coffees, but I also tend to buy a pastry to go with it. Thanks to the wonder of Pinterest, I’ve found some easy recipes I want to try. I also discovered a few cool techniques. That, combined with the fact that Shelby used to work for Starbucks and knows several tips and tricks herself, should help save money.

Finally, I’m declaring a yarn buying ban in September. We’ll see if I actually meet this goal. I have so much yarn!!

Increase my skill as an artist. Artist! I choke on that word! I still cannot define myself as an artist of any kind since I’ve never really created anything original. I do want to be praying on that, though. I know there’s a purpose for this desire to create something. I want to be a blessing and am actively seeking opportunities.

Enhance my personal sense of style. Working from home so much really has put a huge dent in my sense of fashion. I have no idea what I like anymore and would like to put more of an effort into dressing up more for Mass, other church events and even going out to Friday night dinners.

For far too long, I’ve looked in the mirror only to see a fat, frumpy, middle-aged woman looking back. I’m ready to change that. I see plus-sized women all around me who are beautiful having a strong sense of classical fashion and I want in on it. I’ve always prided myself on being a Walmart girl and you know what? There’s nothing wrong with that when that’s all your budget allows. At this time of my life, I want a little more. I want to make quality purchases on quality clothing that will carry me into my grandma years. I want to be beautiful, and I want clothes that make me feel beautiful.

Take one Pinterest idea and make it a reality. While it’s fun to scroll through Pinterest and pin idea after idea, I find doing too much of it makes me restless. I want to be a doer, not just a pinner. I want to make my dreams a reality even if it is just something decorative to hang on a wall.

Well, the coffee pot is empty now as is my coffee mug. I hope you enjoyed this first gab session! Maybe you have a cool coffee recipe or a crochet pattern. Feel free to drop me a note and share anything that’s on your heart. Prayer requests included. I’m happy to be praying with you and for you for anything you may be believing God for.

Happy September!

Philippians 4:13 (NLT)

“For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.”

    Posted in Moments and Musings

    The Work From Home Deliberation

    Posted on by Vikki Lynn Sorensen

    Late last year, my company moved to permanent work from home after three years of being remote which started during the pandemic.

    As excited as I was for this decision, I was also instantly sad. I’m going to miss it. I DO miss it! There’s something to be said for going into an office, bouncing ideas off one another, seeing people outside of your home and feeling like you’re connecting with humanity. (Ya know, if you like humanity.)

    So I decided to make my own pro-con list on the whole work-from-home subject. Keep in mind, these are just my opinions comparing 23 years of in-office experience to 3 years remote experience.

    Let’s get the cons out of the way first:

    1. Training is harder remotely – I’m a smart girl and can definitely learn via online. However, there’s something to be said for someone being live, in front of me and being able to see exactly where I’m pointing to when I have a question. Quite often, my folks will come to be for help because something went wrong only I’m not physically seeing how they got there in the first place.
    2. Supervising is harder – Being confined to an office sure makes it easier to find that one person who always seems to be missing from their desk. Usually, Mr. or Ms. Roam-A-Around can be found either in a bathroom or the breakroom. Now, I have no clue where people are at.
    3. Lack of team work – Not being in an office means it’s harder to promote a team atmosphere and easier for folks to develop a “every person for themselves” attitude. Being face to face can often product a sense of compassion, empathy and comradery that is otherwise lost when one is secluded.
    4. Distractions are abundant – I’ve sat in countless meetings and trainings where someone’s dog was barked, someone’s child needed immediate help, a baby’s diaper needed immediate changing (yes, it actually happened along with the commentary from Mom on how bad it smelled), the UPS or Amazon person came to the door…just to name a few. Distractions often make it hard to stay on task and harder still when new concepts are being developed or discussed.
    5. No immediate feedback – When we were back in the office and I needed help from a peer, I would go to them and get help. Now I instant message or email…wait…and sometimes wait some more….and then I wait again. Rarely is any situation quickly resolved that involves more than one person.
    6. Communication can be misconstrued – Without seeing my face and hearing my voice, it’s all too easy to misinterpret an instant message or email. This happens all the time. I give information and in my head, I sound sweet. However, if someone is having a low self-esteem day, they’re reading it in a completely different voice and before you know it, the checkered flag has dropped and the argument has started.
    7. Missing celebrations – Celebrating a birthday or special event virtually isn’t the same as getting everyone together in a breakroom for a slice of cake and taking a moment for some fun. I’ll miss the office parties the most.

    Now let’s talk about the pros:

    1. No traffic – This is an obvious one. Less wear and tear on my car. No more white-knuckle driving through blinding snow storms or bad rain. No scraping ice from my car at 5am or hour-long drives home.
    2. More budget-friendly – No more eating out for breakfast or lunch. (Yes, I know it’s possible to bring these things to save money but I’m including it anyway.) No more Starbucks runs for a $6 or $7 cup of coffee. No paying for gas traveling back and forth to work.
    3. Opportunity for greater concentration – If you’re able to have a space away from family and any distractions, being able to control your office space can produce greater concentration for better productivity. For me, I am able to have my home office at the temperature I like and play some classical music. And no smelly cologne from Ms. Cigarette Smoker Who Likes to Wear Heavy Perfume to Cover Up the Fact That She Smokes!!! Ugh! I will not miss gagging on someone’s perfume or cologne. My sinuses won’t miss it either.
    4. More family time – Without having long commutes to and from work, you get to spend more time with your family. I’ve had more dinners at the dinner table working from home that I ever had driving back and forth. Even getting an extra 30 minutes each evening matters where family is concerned.
    5. It’s a healthier lifestyle – Working from home allows for more control over what you eat, more time for exercise and some important self-care. Your office day is literally only 8 hours which means there’s more “day” for you. I’m more apt to take a long walk on my lunch. Or after a hectic, stressful meeting, take a stress break and spend some time with my dog. Or, every once in a great while, have a good 5 minute cry out before the next meeting starts.
    6. It’s a healthier environment – We can’t ignore the fact that working from home means less exposure to germs and illness. No more offices with poor ventilation systems turning them into one huge Petrie dish nurturing sickness and disease. I don’t miss the cacophony of coughing, nose-blowing or sneezing. I don’t miss germs flying around from folks who cannot or will not stay home when they’re sick.
    7. Less absentee-ism – This is another one that cannot be ignored. Honestly, when I was sick, I hated going into the office. Being sick was more about not wanting to be around other people and just wanting to be home than the illness itself. So when Covid did catch up with me, I actually still felt able to put in a few hours of work and save my PTO for something fun. Don’t get me wrong – if you’re sick, it’s best practice to do what you need to do to get well. For me personally, however, I’m now apt to work through a migraine that would have kept me out of the office (bright lights, icy cold temps, perfumes clogging my sinuses, loud buzzing of office life) in the warmth and quiet of my own home office.

    My list is pretty much neck-in-neck as far as pros and cons go. But one pro I didn’t list has become very important to me – I get to choose to live anywhere I want. Next year, I’ll be buying a house with my sister and it’s so nice not to have to worry about the commute to work – at least for me. There is a certain freedom that comes with working remotely that I didn’t expect. I’ll always miss the office. And I hate that I find myself more a homebody with each passing moment. It’s harder and harder to get me out of the house to socialize. I would imagine I’m not alone in that.

    So work from home or go back to the office – which do you prefer?

    Last look at office life….

    Home office!