Confession: I was sooooo happy to be at work yesterday.
It was a clinic day and I had lots of catchup to do, but we ended up having several no-shows (I guess because it was first day back after Thanksgiving break?) and I caught up on E V E R Y T H I N G and it was calm and there were no children asking me for anything and I had a great resident and basically . . . it was glorious.
I worked steadily for about 9 hours total and left at 5:15 pm feeling really content.
So, that was good!
TODAY:
❏ Set up Apple Watch. I succumbed last month and bought the 7, and it arrived yesterday. However, I am already feeling ambivalent about my purchase because I’m starting to want to run more again (probably fueled by better weather!) and I know Garmin’s GPS is superior.
I mainly wanted to be able to do quick things without picking up my phone, plus the aesthetics are nicer/more professional. I will try it out and see — I’m sure I could always resell it for a decent $$$. I guess I will still wear the Garmin for runs! (My 235 was purchased in 2016, was replaced TWICE by the company, and still works. I will definitely replace it with another Garmin when it dies in part due to brand loyalty). I’m not convinced I really want two watches in my life.
❏ Work from home. Currently I’m at ~3 days in my office / 2 days at home. It works well. I am not sure if I will be officially permitted to continue this pattern forever but I think I will see how long I can make it work! There is also the option of going to an office at a different hospital on GME days that is closer to my house. That could also be a viable option. (Side note: I heard this NPR piece yesterday from Anne Helen Peterson and want to read the book! Wonder if we could get her on BOBW . . . )
❏ Hanukkah, night #3. Josh took an 11th hour trip to Target/Michaels and we have warned the kids that most nights are low key and NOT TO COMPLAIN ABOUT IT OR THEY GET NOTHING. It has mostly worked. They already got several fantastic gifts from relatives and as far as I’m concerned they have everything . . .
Night 1 = they each got bath bombs
Night 2 = Annabel got hair chalk (she asked for it), Cameron got a geode kit, and Genevieve got a cake decorating tool set (real) + pink/purple food coloring
Night 3 = tonight. Something tiny . . .
Oh! And this happened on Saturday:
PS: Omicron, right?! I’m following Emily Oster’s advice and basically not thinking about it yet since there is nothing actionable to ‘do’ about it. Will wait for more info.
12 Comments
Oh I love those super productive days where you’re just in the zone. I hope you’re able to keep WFH, it just seems socially, environmentally, professionally untenable to require everyone to be in the office 5 days a week. You could reduce fuel consumption, emissions, expenses for staff, probably medical care costs.
I’m trying not to worry too much about the new variant but think I’m failing. We’re headed to my parents’ for Christmas and we’ll have to test when we come back and self-isolate until we get results, but that’s only 2 days, so should be fine. The tricky bit if if we have to self-isolate for longer, then do we cancel? Or just treat it as the price of admission? If there are any signs that schools will close after the holidays, I’m just staying there, at least I’d have some childcare help.
I love the sort of day you describe – very much a “flow” state. Yesterday I had the exact opposite and…it sucked. It has been raining forever (it seems) and I didn’t have a lot of actionable to-do’s, just more nebulous could/should to-do’s. Oh well. Today seems brighter, even if it is now snowing outside.
I LOVE my Apple Watch, but my sister who is very, very into fitness swears by her Garmin. For my walking/running workouts it is great and I love the aesthetic of it, but I think it fits a specific niche of wearer for sure.
Omicron. There’s literally nothing more I can do, so I’m just waiting and praying and trying – as much as possible – to avoid daily exposure to the news.
I also had a nice first day back at work (after a week off) and I think the time away from my own kids was absolutely part of why I enjoyed it. I also planned a low key day and that definitely helped. Today will be more intensive AND I have a staff meeting so I doubt I’ll be as pleased with it all at the end of the day. We shall see…Yay for the good days! We gotta revel in them when they present themselves!
Oh yes there is something so nice about sending the kids off to school and having some space. Even for work! I am with you.
I am a Garmin devotee – i got my first one the 305 which was monster in size and you could only use while running in 2007 and was hooked! I have now had the 310XT (got me through Ironman), a vivoactive which was super cute and then now the 735.
I got sucked into the DC Rainmaker rabbit hole the other day reading the reviews for all the sport watches. I don’t *need* a new watch but there are a few features of the newer devices that I would like to have. But then I am a triathlete and the versatility of having a device that can track pool and outdoor swims, runs of all variety plus biking is amazing! They have some that are in the rose gold and white and I really want one. Both stylish and useful.
It’s good to document how great you felt about working yesterday – you can go back and read that post on days when you question if you should work outside the home! It’s been awhile since you’ve mentioned pondering whether you are meant to be a working parent, so maybe you’ve moved past that rumination? I 100% know I am meant to be a working parent. I am a much better parent because I work. I know some may think that is awful, but surely my children get more out of their time at school with professional teachers who can actually focus on teaching them/doing art projects/doing sensory stuff! I know I’ve said this before, but we say TGIM in our house… weekends are just really hard right now w/ an almost-1yo (bday on Friday!!) and a 3.75yo… So yay for having a great day at work!! Kind of nice to have those no-shows so you could really get caught up!
I was thinking I should have gotten an Apple watch instead of upgrading my FitBit this past year, but this post tells me i am better off to have my inexpensive FitBit and my Garmin for running. I can’t remember what model of Garmin I have but I love it! I’ve had it for 4+ years I think? I can’t remember how long I’ve had it, it might be even longer than that! It’s been a workhorse and I’ve gotten my money’s worth. I really like the FitBit I have because it is very small which is key for someone like me with the teeniest wrists! I have such small bone structure (my ring size is 4.25!) so most watches feel way too bulky on me!
We are supposed to return to the office on 1/11 but we’ll see if that gets pushed back because of Omicron. I am also trying not to worry about it. I can’t do anything about it and we are already being cautious. My company announced that vaccines are mandated so I feel good about that! We get $200 for uploading a photo of our vax card by a certain date in December. My company has been really good about assessing the situation and adjusting if they feel it’s too risky to bring in employees and they also seem willing to make accommodations. So if the data shows the vaccines aren’t effective against Omicron, I feel like I could ask to continue to work from home since I’m immune compromised.
I think apple has a 2 week or 30 day return window so you could probably still get a full refund on your watch if you feel that way about it? Just my two cents but it seems like a lot of money for something you don’t necessarily want. I personally don’t think the Apple Watch looks any more professional than the Garmin. If it were me I’d pick just one. However, that’s me! I’m mostly basing this on my own purchase on an iPad a decade ago. I wasn’t sure I needed it but got it and never really used it. I wish I hadn’t wasted that money. Oh well! Lesson learned.
Anne Helen Peterson would be a great BOBW guest! I read her substack newsletter (Culture Study) and it is fantastic.
I feel the same way today! My kids were still off for Thanksgiving yesterday (Monday) as well as my husband who works at the school. Today is like a dream, I’m getting so much done and feel so calm. Feeling a little guilty about that though 🙂
I used to wear two watches when I ran which felt silly or have less accurate data. When my Fitbit died, I got a Garmin Venu Sq. Very happy to be able to have Garmin running accuracy and never have yo switch my watch!
I have the exact same combination of watches and I readily admit to almost always wearing two watches when I run (because I want the information from the Garmin, and full “activity” credit from apple, which is glitchy about importing move ring data from the connect app). If you are not compulsively annoyed by the apple watch not giving you all the credit, swapping watches to run is not a big deal. If you are bothered by the lack of credit…putting on a second watch is even simpler, you just have to not let yourself feel silly about it. FWIW I’ve noticed if I run on a fairly straight path like a beach or riverfront the watches agree pretty well, generally <0.01mi/mile difference, but the more turns there are the less accurate the apple watch gets. On the other hand I find the apple watch a million times more functional for everything else.
I confess I was so happy to go back to work yesterday too! Thanks for keeping it honest. I LOVED the Thanksgiving break and enjoyed tons of quality time with my kiddos, but it was exhausting. We had no travel and our family is far away, so it was only their high energy. I loved it, but was also a good reason to appreciate my day job. 🙂
Yay… vaccines for the 5-11 crowd!
I have been tempted to try the Apple Watch but if you are talking “professional”- I am an attorney and looooove my Garmin Vivomove. I like buying new things but this one has lasted and was nice enough to begin with that I can’t justify another. ALSO- the battery life is amazing. I can’t read texts on my phone but that is good on the weekend? During the week… I need to be checking my phone for work email anyway… I would be tempted to try Apple except I know it will be defunct/outdated soon… i want full sleep data and I can just charge while showering every other day and that’s good… and it feels lighter and looks way more professional. I used to swap watches like jewelry; I love them. This helps with not having that. It is pretty