One month in (or more accurately, out)

When the Pandemic happened, there was a question at work about how long it would last and what we would need to take home with us (aside from our laptops).  I was naive at the time, thinking that we would be back in six weeks and probably left a lot of stuff that i missed (particularly shoes).

So when the current shutdown was announced, my coworkers and I were opining on how long we thought it would last and what could be safely left behind. There was a clear divide between people thinking this would be essentially a long weekend and those that thought we would be gone for a while. And while I tended to fall in the latter category (I definitely brought home shoes and candy), I really didn't think it would last this long.

As an intermittent excepted person, I assumed that I would be out for the long haul, but shockingly, there actually was a statistical issue regarding employee benefits involving human life or property, and so I was called into the office for a few hours 28 days after I was I was told to leave.

It was quiet at the Department of Labor. Most of the workers deemed essential are allowed to work remotely during the shutdown so there was only a skeleton crew in the office. This also meant that most of the entrances are closed and it took me four attempts to get inside the building. Once there, I spent a few hours working and also catching up with my boss, who was scheduled to retire the end of the month, but has extended his tenure until the end of the year in the hopes that we'll have reopened and transitioned back to regular days by then.

We shall see...