I am going to attempt to work from home today. For the past several weeks (basically since this post), I have been into the office most days, both on clinical days AND on GME-only days which are mostly admin. On the clinical side, patients are mostly telemedicine but a few are in person, based on clinical need. Also, we’ve had a resident on our service — and teaching is about 10x more effective if we are in the same place!
However, I am going to give my home office another chance today. I have a very specific to-do list (including at least 3 Webex appointments) and hope that will be sufficiently centering.
Wish me luck!
5 Things Currently Making Me Happy:
1- My Archer & Olive bullet journal. You guys, I’m kind of obsessed now. If I hadn’t made that clear by mentioning my new hobby 3753 times in the past week or so.
2- Rodham. So far, anyway. I’d rather think about past presidents than current ones . . .
3- 80 Day Obsession. I am almost HALFWAY through the 80 Day Obsession! I think my decision to complete this challenging workout series was a good one. I am definitely getting stronger and it is a nice thing to focus on each morning.
4- Day OFF weekly. We (ie, all physicians where I work) are currently required to use one Paid Leave day per pay period as a cost-savings measure. Since I already have a slightly reduced work schedule (previously worked 0.9FTE, or 9 weekdays out of 10), this means I am down to 0.8FTE or one day off per week. I had been complaining about this (mostly because I was struggling to get work done and resented it when I ended up spending some time on these “PL” days on work). BUT I have honestly started to embrace it a little bit. I’m generally off Thursdays which is perfect because by then I am always ready for a little bit of extra sleep and a break from my generally very structured schedule.
5- The kids this week. I don’t know why, but this week they were really well behaved. Especially A who seems to have hit a sweet spot of maturity (but still pre-hormonal angst). I had a lovely time swimming with them yesterday afternoon and dinners have been less chaotic. Josh is on call the next two weekends and I am not even really dreading it!?!? I would have felt so differently just 6 months ago.
As part of summer school lite, we are having C do a journal entry every day (he needs to work on writing/sounding out words). This used to be pure torture (ie: automatic tantrum) but yesterday it was almost pleasant. PROGRESS.
Dear Daddy, I miss when you play Minecraft with me. I wish you would tell me what was happening with NetNanny . Bye bye, From, Cameron. (Netnanny is the program we use to automatically limit their iPad time!)
18 Comments
Your time-blocking is so pretty! Love the idea of daily journal entries by C! I bought our 8 (nearly 9) y/o son a structured kids’ leadership journal for him to fill out during his weekday p.m. routine while his little sis is napping. It’s been so fun to read his entries!
Morning, Sarah! Question: are you using this new bullet journal in lieu of the hobonichi or in addition?
In my experience with an older child, yes, 8-10 is the golden age of childhood (for girls, anyway). I’m not seeing it with the boy… if anything 5-7 was better.
sort of in lieu . . . but i’m still looking at the weekly pages. It’s more for fun, I don’t anticipate a permanent switch unless I get really addicted!
I know you are taking a podcast pause. However, this week’s Freakonomics is totally for you! The Doctor Will Zoom You Now. Topic is telehealth and telemedicine. It was an excellent episode, and I thought of you while I was listening.
Not taking a podcast pause! Just less time to listen 🙂 I will totally listen tot hat!!
Would love to hear how you like Net Nanny… our older kids are 6 and 4 and don’t have much unsupervised iPad time BUT if school is remote in the Fall that will most definitely change, and I’d love to get ahead of it. Also, love the bullet journal 🙂
Haha I can’t do a comprehensive review b/c Josh manages it! It seems to put a hard stop on their devices at a predetermined time though so that’s good. I guess it works!
That seems useful. Thanks!!
So I do not understand how requiring you to take one paid PTO day/week is saving the hospital money??? They are still paying you for your time?? What am I missing? And I’m a finance gal! Seems like they would save money if they didn’t pay you for that day you took off each week…
Glad you are loving the BuJo. Yours is so much more pretty than mine. Mine is so basic but it’s great for meal planning and keeping track of appts.
I had my first telehealth visit with my Rheumatologist yesterday. It was wonderful. Granted, she wasn’t able to do a physical examination of my joints but it seems like 2 out of my 4 yearly appointments could be moved to telehealth? I do need lab work in August but I said my OB could order it when I’m in for my 24 week appt and she said that would be great so i don’t have to go to yet another lab that month. I do feel like COVID is forcing many industries to change their practices/embrace telehealth/remote work arrangements/etc. Our company completely eliminated their WFH program about a year ago and laid a bunch of people off who didn’t work close to an office. Then COVID happened and now they are like – ‘oh wait, people can be equally effective while WFM – or at least some areas of the business.’ So they admitted they judged things wrongly and plan to have some continue to WFH in the future. Nice to see them admit a mistake instead of digging their heels in.
The rationale is that people can do “9 days worth of work in 10” because the clinical volume is lower (which is true for some) and then they won’t have a pile of PTO later on to use.
IE: Dr X sees usually 50 pts a week but now is seeing 40. They want him seeing 10/day and taking a PTO day, not seeing 8/day and NOT taking a PTO day and having PTO days to use later on.
Does that make sense? (I’m honestly not sure myself!)
oh and also they pay for unused PTO at end of year, so if you’re doing less work due to COVID but still going to work 5 days/week they would owe you a pile of $ for not taking PTO at end of year.
this way they are forcing everyone to essentially “freeze” PTO b/c each pay period that you earn one, you lose one.
So if you get sick later on because of covid, and you have to take time off but have used all your pto days because of this policy, does that mean you don’t get paid?
You can use your disability days for covid (depending on how many you have) but once those run out yes you’d be unpaid. I think, anyway.
So happy to hear you’re enjoying 80 Day – i started it a while ago but also hurt my shoulder about two weeks in … i rehabbed it a bit and did 2 rounds of 21 Day fix real time. And have just started 6 Weeks of the Work which is way sweatier than 80 Day but also really good and challenging. But it’s still on my mind to go back to 80DO. Will look forward to your review !! (I am also a runner – and triathlete – taking a break to do strength training, just feels right with no races on the calendar to do some focused work)
Does Josh write back to him? I have read that having kids/parents write back and forth in a journal is a activity with a lot of ancillary benefits. I just ordered a special notebook so my 8-year-old and I can start doing that.
I love this idea! I had never thought of doing that.
I’m all the more impressed with your run with 80 Day Obsession now that I’m on Day 2 of 21 Day Fix (I can’t believe the program wants me to work out every day! Lol.) My 5 things making me happy… 1) my son has started giggling! It’s the sweetest noise! 2) I ordered new contacts. 3) I surprised my class during their Google Meet end of year party (when I’m not on mat leave I’m a Grade 4 teacher). 4) Getting the workout done…and 5) a good therapy session!
aww love this!!!