Snow Day

Even though the storm didn't hit as hard as expected, we took advantage of the option to be "on call" - the office-politically-correct term for working from home. I have to admit, if it isn't for appearance sake I would stay home to work at any opportunity - slight chance of flurries, bad case of flu, anything remotely acceptable to be an excuse that would render me unable to leave the house. I mean, not to rub it in or anything - but there are just so many perks!

• No commute - no need to stress out about sharing roads with the vast majority of people who shouldn't even be on the road to begin with. Changing lanes without signalling, changing into a lane where there's less than a car's length and people behind have to hit hard brakes to avoid collisions, signalling to change lanes then swerving to the other lane and back - you name it, I've seen it since I've started to have to commute to work.
• Not having to change out of the more comfortable pajamas into the stiffer dress shirt and pants. And not having to worry about dressing warm enough for the freezing cold temperature in the office - somehow it seems the thermostat is always set to lower than comfortable, and most of my co-workers can be seen working in their jackets.
• Not having to worry about hair - who cares about a bed head if you don't have to smile and greet your co-workers?
• Also not having to worry about make-up - a nice break for the skin and a huge time-saver.
• Working from home means the kitchen is only steps away - how nice is it to enjoy a warm full breakfast other than instant oatmeal!
• The coffee at home is definitely much better than that unpalatable stuff at the office. And I can put on a pot of tea if I wanted - no need to rely on teabags for the sake of convenience.
• Snack galore!! I do have my stash at the office but working from home promotes healthier snacking because I can choose fruits and veggies without having to worry about the frequent trips to the kitchen (washing and prepping then garbage disposal).
• I get to play my music however loud I want rather than hopelessly trying to lock out the chatter and other noises at the office with ear buds. Actually, I may not even need to play music to begin with because there would be no noise I would need to try to cover.
• Working from home actually yields higher productivity - so much less time wasted on chit-chats and weather-talk, much more time left for the actual work. Nobody lingering around your cubicle trying to strike a conversation means less time spent nodding and smiling out of politeness.
• The increased productivity also extends to home chores since break times can easily be utilized as laundry time or cooking time.
• Think of the gas savings!! And savings on coffee and lunch. It's so much more economical to stay put. As Dad puts it, it's better than getting a raise - especially gas price is hitting an all-time high and doesn't look like it's gonna come down any time soon.