Uncertainty and the Un-Single Male

As some of you may know, I am a federal employee.  And these past 10 days have been an adventure in chaos. I have been working a hybrid telework schedule for the past 2(ish) years.  Officially, we are in the office 3 days/week with scheduled telework the other two days.

I have a supervisor who is very supportive of telework and will approve situational telework on our in-office days if we have a legitimate excuse.  For example, I am sick and don't want to infect my colleagues.  Or, my water heater exploded and I need to wait for a plumber.  Or, I am in virtual meetings and trainings All Friggin' Day and I would rather do that from the comfort of my own home than from a tiny little, poorly-designed cubical.

Our cubicals are so terrible.  There is barely enough room to move.  I have to roll my chair almost to the back of the cubical in order to be far enough from my screen that I don't get eyestrain.  It makes typing difficult.  And, don't think I can take notes, because there is not enough room on the "desk" to fit a keyboard and a notepad comfortably.  I am constantly shifting them around to figure out a good way ... and there just isn't one.

Going in a few days/week and dealing with that nonsense was doable.  However. starting sometime soon (No one is quite sure when) there will be no more telework.  We'll be 100% in the office.  People will come in sick.  I will get sick from their disgusting germs and habits.

I will need to start being more intentional with meal planning, because I can not afford to eat out breakfast and lunch 5 days/week.  Please feel free to leave a comment with your favorite vegetarian meal prep recipes.

Anyway, it is the uncertainty of this whole situation (including will I have a job for much longer?  I hope so) that is causing a lot of stress.  And how do I react to stress?  I shut down.  LOL.  Like, it is VERY hard for me to find the motivation to do my job ATM.  Which is not good for the whole "will I still have a job" stress.  It's a vicious cycle.

And, that's where I am.

Also, I am thinking about doing Dry February.  Because why not make my life even MORE miserable?

(And, as an aside, I realize I am bitching about a problem that a lot of people can't even do.  I understand that.  I think it's the whole "killing a gnat with a sledgehammer" approach that bothers me the most.  Yes, there are people who abuse telework.  Yes, there are people who have jobs in which they can't telework. But that doesn't mean everyone shouldn't telework.)

Now, excuse me while I go mix another martini.