Cats&Grammar

Thursday last, as luck would have it, I worked from home whilst a nor’easter storm blew through my part of New England.

The dictionary’s definition of this kind of storm is, “is a macro-scale cyclone. The name derives from the direction of the strongest winds—as an offshore air mass rotates counterclockwise, winds tend to blow northeast-to-southwest over the region covered by the northwest quadrant of the cyclone.” What it means in plain (New England) English is, “wicked windy, snowy, and ya can’t see shit!”

No filter, folks! The storm’s turned the day all shades of grey.

Smart people tend to stay in on these days. Those that don’t find  themselves in traffic snarls that will extend their typical commute from minutes to hours. Visibility is terrible, the road surfaces are worse, and no one – no matter how many years driving in this type of weather – actually remembers how to drive competently. We New Englanders, while generally quite intelligent, sometimes forget that the warning is for us, too. Out we go, trusting our hardy natures and snow savvy…. and get ourselves into trouble too.  Snow brings out stupidity in the most sensible of people.  Hence, my working from home.

My bosses prefer that I be a) alive and b) productive on such days rather than stressed trying to get back and forth to the office.  I give them a lot of credit. I remember my early days in corporate culture, when bosses weren’t as thoughtful. Instead, they expected us at our desks, on time, for the duration of the day, focused entirely on work.  That’s a tall order for a twenty-something who hasn’t quite adjusted to the fact that “snow days” are gone forever.

(For those unfamiliar with the term, schools would cancel classes on stormy days resulting in an unintended day off for the students. We thought they were a treat. Our parents thought they were evidence of Hell.)

Now that I am “a mature adult,”  one of the best things about working from home is having my furry babies close at hand. They have always been quite “helpful.” I once had a beautiful tortie/tabby mix named Mog who would act as supervisor or paperweight, whatever was necessary.

Thistle was also a helpful hedgie. His remit seemed to be more security related, as he would pad back and forth across my desk, snuffling curiously at whatever was in his path. Here his is pictured proofreading for me.

My current kitty, Lexie, enjoys napping and provides white noise with her gentle purr so that I can drown out traffic noise and concentrate.

This is Bramble’s first opportunity to lend a paw. He’s having a bit of trouble finding his niche, but I suspect he will find his role soon.

All and all, getting to spend a day doing what I normally do, but doing it from home, in my p.j.s, with my fuzzy friends, and without having to brave the elements is the best perk a boss could offer…

Now!  Back to work!!