Strange Days Indeed

 

Yesterday, I wrote about my first day back in the office under the new "unofficial requirement" that we be in the office 3 days a week.  It was a ghost town; even more so than usual!  There were so few people that the lights kept going off.  (They are motion detected and I guess me sitting at a workstation and typing didn't cut the mustard.)  For me, it was a long, quiet, slow day.

Cut to today.  I took the early bus again. (I knew that today the boss that has an office that overlooks my row would be in and I know that he is an early bird.)  Once again I was there just after 7:30.  As I rounded the corner, the lights weren't on in my row, so I switched them on (it took me way too long yesterday to figure out where the switches were and how to work them) and saw that the early bird boss was in (I knew it!).  So I made sure to say hello before putting down all my stuff and starting my day.  Of course, it took me a little will to get started because he is a talker (and I want to be polite.)

Then I got down to business.  A little after eight, my co-worker showed up.  It was still pretty quiet.  However it got closer to nine (and after), the place FILLED with (unfamiliar) people.  In my new space, directly behind me there are three people who manage/fix our CRM.  In pre-pandemic days (days that I can barely remember now), two of those three worked in the New York office and I met them briefly when I made a required trek to the city.  (Am so glad that I don't have to do that!  I couldn't handle that commute!)  Then in front of me (there's a divider between us) there are another 3-4 people who I believe do administrative/set up in our CRM.  So in one day I've gone from being one person all alone to being surrounded by 9 people.  (Which is more than we'd have on a good day in our old office, pre-pandemic.)  When everyone came in, it was LOUD.  So loud that I couldn't focus on what I was trying to do.  What is going on here?

My area is not the only place where there has been a population boom!  There are a couple of people working in the row where I used to sit.  The 2 ladies who sat two rows down from where I once was are still there and there is another woman there as well.  The big section that is dedicated to the education team has some people in it as well.  There are people sitting (working?) in the design studio.  There are management offices with managers in them!  What is going on here?  I haven't worked in an office with this man people in since 2014?

(One thing to note is the "executive corridor" is noticeably dark.  There is no one sitting at the "executive reception" desk.  The "executive area" kitchens [yes...though small there are more than one!] are empty.  [Does that mean I can store my lunch there rather than in the cafe/market all the way down the hall in the refrigerators that are suddenly full of lunch sacks?]  Maybe they didn't get the memo?  Or maybe the memo doesn't apply to them?)

The place is full of chatter.  I am amazed.  I will say it is nice to be in an office with people.  People who I hope to get to know.

Of course after all the years of working from home, the daily commute will never thrill me.  (Even though I like and am getting to know the "regulars" on the express bus.)  Making sure that I am out of the door by 6:30 (if I want to catch the "early" bus...although there are MUCH earlier express buses, but I definitely don't need to be in Penn Station before 7 AM!) or 7:00 (if I want to catch the last express bus of the morning) is a drag.  I will have to try the later non-express direct bus later in the month (when I have to take my husband to a doctor's appointment; normally I would just choose not to work that particular day, but it's also the week of the prom and I need to be home for that and the day after, so....).  Getting in later means taking a later bus home with much more traffic, something I'd like to avoid, if at all possible, but...

My new reality is here.  It's noisy!  It's an adjustment.  But it's reality, so I guess I'll just do my best to keep plugging along.