Working from home

Every once in a while, usually when I have a lot of writing to get done, I spend the day working at home, because I convince myself that there are fewer distractions here than in the office. And usually this is true -- I'm able to plow through my to-do list, largely because, even though I'm working, people are much less inclined to interrupt me with stupid stuff when I'm not physically in the office.

So anyway, I had a boatload of writing projects and other stuff that I was getting behind on, so I decided to work from home today, and got a ton done, although I can't say it was a distraction-free day.

First, as I wrote earlier this week, Tucker is confined to his Elizabethan collar, and although he's getting used to it and is slightly less lethargic now that (a) he's feeling better and (b) the disgusting weather FINALLY broke today, he's still somewhat mopey and difficult in the collar. So a few times today, I took a break and set him free in the back yard, or just in the living room, which made him enormously happy.

However, during one of my conference calls, he plopped down on the living room floor, placed his paw on the back of the collar and managed to get it off in one swift motion. Miraculously, I managed to continue holding the phone -- and discussing my project's media plan -- as I maneuvered him back into the collar.

So Tucker was Distraction the First.

Distraction the Second was more Annoyance the First, but at least five times today, my work server booted me while I was in the middle of typing or editing or researching or doing whatever, meaning that I not only had to spend a bunch of time re-logging in, but I lost the stuff I'd been writing (although I'm an obsessive saver, so it wasn't too much).

Distraction the Third was all my doing, because I decided that the Smelmooo and I should have Pizza Thursday during lunch since I was in San Diego last Thursday and he's at a work thing tonight (which, by the way, is right near my parents' old house, and when he went to this same function two years ago, he stopped by to visit them on the way, to ask for their blessing before he proposed to me. Yay!), so I went to get the pizza and then ate with the Smelmooo until I got a work call.

Distraction the Fourth was the most surprising. Almost every time I work from home, there's some sort of delivery for the Smelmooo, so I'm accustomed to the postman or the FedEx guy ringing the bell and asking for a signature. Around 5 o'clock today, just as I was leaving a message to wish Leslie a happy birthday (if you read this, Happy Birthday, Leslie! Sorry I missed you!), the doorbell rang, so I collected Tucker (now back in his collar) in my arms and opened the door to...two soldiers. Like, decked out in their United States Army gear, and I'm like, "...the hell?" and they're smiling and poor Tucker and I'm wondering if they're here to ask how I feel about the war, and I'm thinking through how to frame my message that I so, so, so disagree with the war but support the military, and how I should be thanking them...and then they ask if the Smelmooo's home.

So now I'm thinking...isn't he too old for this? At 31, isn't he really past the age where they should be checking to be sure he's registered? And wouldn't he fail the physical miserably because of his eye problems? And do they believe me that he's not home? And you're here...why?

"He signed up and asked for some information about the Army."

He did? Of course I launch into the "He's 31 and has terrible vision, and I think he's flat-footed, and..."

"So he didn't mention this to you?"

"Uh...nope, he sure didn't. Can I just take that pamphlet and let him know you stopped by?"

"Sure. Are you his sister? Or his wife?"

"Wife."

"Oh...well, you know, sometimes people just sign up to get a free t-shirt or something."

THAT explains it. Phew!

p.s. -- I just talked to the Smelmooo, who said that he signed up at the NASCAR race (of course...) to get dog tags. "It said they'd send me information...it didn't say they'd send two Army representatives to our door to hand-deliver said information!"