Advocate – Groningen Rain

11 October 202123 October 2021

The Ten Day Work Trip

[COVID Day Five Hundred Seventy]

I finally packed. The day of the flight. And I made the flight.

And flying domestically within the United States is every bit as scary as I thought it’d be – no vaccine verification, no COVID test verification, just wear a mask, pack into the overbooked plane and hope you don’t sit next to a cougher.

I was the cougher.

I mean, I knew I didn’t have COVID and was fit to fly based on several negative COVID tests and a call to the nurse, but no one else did, so I was eating cough drops like candy and doing my best to be invisible and silent.

It sucked.

But first the news:

While, no, this post will not encompass the entirety of the first work trip I’ve done in twenty months, let’s get an overview, shall we?

10 October 2021

Have You Packed Yet?

[COVID Day Five Hundred Sixty Nine]

#NO

It’s fascinating to me how when I’m procrastinating doing one thing, I will do SO MANY OTHER THINGS.

That I have been procrastinating.

For example, today is supposed to be packing and getting ready for tomorrow’s FIRST WORK TRIP IN TWENTY MONTHS I’M NOT FREAKING OUT YOU’RE FREAKING OUT.

#Ahem

Instead, I’ve assembled the gaming table in the basement. And done dishes and laundry and helped a child sit on the potty cause we’re toilet training and peeing in the pants a million times still means we have to sit on the potty again, yes, this time, yes, right now, stop getting up.

And they pee’d in their pants again.

8 October 2021

The Packing List!

[COVID Day Five Hundred Sixty Seven]

OMG OMG OMG OMG

Cause I’m going to pack Sunday which means I need to do laundry Saturday which means I need to write this list NOW.

Also, Leander, don’t forget that you need to reschedule that doctor’s appointment you have for this upcoming Friday because YOU’LL TOTALLY BE IN ANOTHER STATE CAUSE YOU’RE TRAVELING FOR WORK FOR THE FIRST TIME IN TWENTY MONTHS

OMGOMGOMG

Focus, Leander

7 October 20218 October 2021

Ready to Fly Again?!?

[COVID Day Five Hundred Sixty Six]

I am traveling for work, having not traveled for eighteen months, starting on Monday, lasting for ten days, and not going to one conference, but, technically, only two, but with LOTS of day zero events and social events and everything that goes on in between.

And working The Booth.

I don’t even have a pair of sneakers with me; they’re currently with Customs. Sneakers or super comfy shoes are an absolute must when working The Booth at any convention for any amount of time over five minutes.

THIS is why I think this cough is mostly psychosomatic, but it could legit be something physical, too, but either way, I wrote up a few tasks / routines / bullet points that I want to make priority number one before / during the next ZOMG ten days.

Starting Monday.

4 October 2021

The Cough That Would Not Go

[COVID Day Five Hundred Sixty Three]

I have had a frakin’ cough for how long now and it’s NOT COVID but damn.

Also, I am flying for work for the first time in two years.

On Monday.

I’M NOT FREAKING OUT YOU’RE FREAKING OUT

Wish me luck.