Good morning one and all. Today it looks like there is actually a little sunlight peeking through. That’s right for the first time all week it isn’t raining. Admittedly I think the rain stopped sometime in the night, but as floods had already been reported by bedtime I am glad the rain just stopped for a bit. Not sure how long the bit will last, but I should be able to get the tree limbs out of the yard even if they are a bit soggy. And I won’t feel bad for the garbage men when they come by for today’s pick up. On the days when it rains the man riding on the back just looks so utterly miserable. . But not today. And for now it is time for the Friday writing prompt. Are you ready? Good, then let’s go.
I like this one. I am not sure what the thump is, but I think it is going to give Frank something to do after Wednesday.
Friday, December 9th: The thump came from the outside.
The thump came from the outside. It shook the house and rattled the windows. Frank looked up from his keyboard blinking blearily. It took a moment for his thoughts to leave the numbers he was imputing and register the sound. He waited for it to come again. And it did. The windows rattled in the glass. Taking the sound as an excuse to get up and stretch, leaving his papers behind for the moment, Frank stood. Knees crackled and his spine popped.
‘Clearly time to move around,’ he thought. He rubbed his neck. Working at home had the advantage of no interruptions, but it also had the disadvantage of no interruptions. In the course of his normal work day there were always people asking him things. There were questions he needed to ask of others. There was the occasional meeting to attend and other office related maneuvering. Here, he had his pile of paperwork, delivered by courier once a week and any questions were sent to him electronically. He was getting through a larger volume faster with fewer interruptions. As a result he was finished with his week’s work by Wednesday. At least the imputing part. He still followed the upload schedule but after Wednesday, he mostly answered e-mails and waited until the schedule told him to upload before sending in the work he already completed.
While he was pleased with the amount he was getting through, he didn’t really like what it was doing to his body. His focus was absolute when he was working, it always had been. It was why he generally only took breaks when someone interrupted him and he had to set meeting alarms on his computer or he would work through them. Here, without those interruptions he just kept working until it was done or the day ended.
He knew if he mentioned it to any of his friends they would just tell him to enjoy the free time he had. It was easier said than done as he felt guilty when he stepped away from his desk after completing his work. He never told them that though. He knew that for many of them working from home wasn’t going as well for them. They had spouses and children and completing everything while still dealing with the other people in their lives was taxing. He lived alone. No spouse, no children, no in house interruptions.
‘Just external ones,’ Frank went to the window and feeling like a nosy busy body, he lifted the blinds to look out into the street in front of his house.
Ten til Midnight 