Sometimes I Miss Working In An Office...Then I Get Over It

 Yup. It's true. I was reminded of some good times when I returned to an office setting yesterday. In an area (not accessible to the public...), I spotted what you see in the photo. Yes, it's a...

Easter Mummy.

Stuff like that is great. When you work in an office, unless it's for a special company or organization, creativity is many times lacking. You go in, you do your work, you go home...ABC, 123. I know some offices are run that way and I know many in charge who want their offices to be run that way. 

Still, there are exceptions.

The key is the cubicle. It's a blank canvas. When I worked in cubicles, I wasn't one of the "extreme" decorators. I'd classy it up a bit--especially at Halloween, but in the end, it would all come down and be replaced by either other stuff, or nothing.

I walked into the office yesterday, saw the Easter Mummy, had a laugh, and snapped a picture. As decorations go, it's top shelf. I wonder if anyone in the office is offended? Do they like it and wish there was more...or gone altogether?

When all things are said and done, I'm glad I'm no longer required to go to the office everyday. I prefer my room at home where I can decorate it any way I want. For Halloween, I pull out my Ghost Beanie Baby, I set up Gobbles, the Turkey for Thanksgiving, and our Beanie Baby Santa Clause for Christmas. Actually, Christmas warrants a little more decorating and I'm happy to oblige. 

Yes, it's fun to return, every once in a while, but I get over it fast enough.

Give Thanks...For Working From Home

 The storm moved in this morning and died out in the afternoon. It left an inch or so of snow which was easily dispatched. Now, the sun has set and I'm sitting on the couch in our family room, our dog sleeping beside me. 

Sundays are wonderful, but inevitably, my thoughts drift to tomorrow morning...Monday, and all that it entails.

Back to work.

Just over two years before the world went insane, I was fortunate enough to be chosen as a telecommuter. We set up an office space in our unfinished basement and thus began a new chapter in my working life. Back then, only a few workers within the organization were allowed to work from home. I felt blessed. By the first week of telecommuting, I realized just how blessed I was. By staying at home, I shaved off two hours each day in driving, a total of eight hours, which means instead of being away from home ten hours a day for five days, I only had to work four--I was given an entire day each week. I also got to sleep in an hour later which meant I could stay up later. Throw in wear-and-tear on the car, the cost of gas, and it all added up.

In a few months it'll be five years working from home. As I consider beginning my work week tomorrow morning, I'm more grateful than ever that I get to stay home. If I had to go to an office, it would take me at least a half hour each way, not to mention another storm is expected to hit overnight. It would probably take longer to get to and from work. Before, I had access to public transportation. That doesn't exist up here.

I know there's blessings I've been given by working at home. I'm sure there's others I don't even know about. It has allowed me to be closer to my family, literally and figuratively. Studies say working from home makes a person less likely for promotion. I say, it's worth it. I can't imagine having it any other way.

Oh...The Places They'll Go

 I've worked from home at two locations. For the first couple of years, I worked in a basement. I had a window, but it was dirty and even if it was clean, I could only see a big pine tree and the sky above...

Not much of a view.

The second home, well...the view is much better. My office has a window that faces east. I can see a mountain range and another range beyond, the first range in Box Elder County, the second, Cache. There are other differences, too. My first office was at the end of a cul-de-sac...not much traffic or people walking buy. The new office...the street is busy with people walking up and down the road all the time.

I see older couples getting in their steps, and an occasional dog walker, but the most active humans are the kids. Because I clock in early, I see kids walking to the bus stop before school and I see them when school is over, and when I see them, I can't help but remember the days I walked home from school, occasionally running here and there. 

As the kids walk by, are they thinking about playing after school with their friends, or grabbing the controls of their favorite video games? Are they thinking about homework (I rarely did...)? Are they thinking about their future, what they'll be when they grow up...

Or, the places they'll go?

At that age, I don't think I thought much beyond the next day or maybe the weekend. Of course, thinking about summer vacation was too painful to begin in May...it hurts because the end of school is so close, and yet so far away.

It's easy to look at a younger generation and think they're so different from your own, that the world they'll inherent cannot possibly resemble anything like you went through. Yes, much has changed, but at least where I live, the kids play on the mountainside, they ride bikes, they laugh and run around the yard with their dogs. Much has changed, but there's a lot that's the same.

When The Zoom Call...Gets Scary

 I guess it was appropriate, to have my computer camera go blitz-o this week of all weeks. And, the Halloween jack-o-lanterns as my background photo just added to the atmosphere.

Let's be clear--my usually normal monthly one-on-one zoom call I had earlier this week with my supervisor was not "scary." For him, it was more funny than scary, and for me it was frustrating. The problem was my webcam and it would not stop flashing. I thought I had figured out the problem. It had to do with the lighting in the room. The flashing picture was not a new issue and in the past, I could turn on my office light or open/close the blinds. Whenever the flashing started I was able to fix it by manipulating the light in the room.

Not this time. No matter what I did, the flashing continued. I even tried shining a LED penlight directly into the webcam and it fixed the problem, but only temporarily. Then, the flashing returned.

I tried everything to stop the flashing--nothing worked. My boss kept commenting on how funny it was. Maybe from his point of view (because his screen was the large one...) it was--if not scary--very appropriate for the season.

I had another meeting today. This time, no flashing, nothing funny or scary (except maybe my monthly evaluation numbers...). Who knows...perhaps it was connected to Halloween in some way.

And that's a little scary.

A Fun New Game...Well, Fun For Me, At Least

Millions of people now work from home, including me. Over the last year the way we work has possibly forever changed. I was fortunate enough to be sent home two years before covid hit...I had a two-year head start. I had time to learn about about how things are different when you work at home.

Take for example...pets.

When we leave for work, we forget about pets, for the most part. We remember them when they come running as we walk through the door. But, if you're home all the time, the pets are with you, and if the cat didn't want to sit on my desk--specifically, the keyboard--while I worked, I could possibly have the huge, 18-lb rescued rag doll cat in my office with me.

With the door closed, the cat will sometimes stick his paws under the door. Today, I thought I'd have a little fun. I took a golf ball and he and I batted it around for a few minutes. I think he had fun, but I'm sure it's frustrating for him not to be able to somehow fit that golf ball under the door. I'm sure it's frustrating that he can't come in and play, for reals.

 Maybe one day, when I'm no longer working, I can have the door open and we can bat the golf ball around full-time. Then again, I plan on doing more writing when I retire. But if we can, we'll both have a lot of fun.

What Am I Going To Do With All These Clothes...And Shoes?

 A few years ago my work decided to send me home and I became a telecommuter. I was. ahead of the curve. I distinctly remember thinking, "I'm never going to need to buy another pair of dress shoes in my life."

A few years before they sent me home I discovered Dr. Martens Shoes. And I discovered they last a really long time--thick soles. I had purchased a new pair of Dr. Martens a few months earlier (because my old pair finally bit the dust...) and because I was working from home and didn't need to wear those shoes, I thought that I would most likely never wear out my new pair.

That was then. Looks like there's more things I will most likely not wear out than shoes.

We moved my daughter out of one bedroom and into another last week. This means I was able to utilize the bedroom's closet space. I think I am by nature a hoarder. Must be something I picked up from my parents who both grew up in the Great Depression. It something has value--whether or not you particularly need it--you keep it. I moved a bunch of my clothes I no longer wear into the closest, which includes a lot of shoes. I filled it up, actually. 

After I finished, I snapped a picture. It was strange looking at clothes that have miles of wear in them, but I just don't need them, at least, not like I once did. There may be one day in the future when I'll need to wear suits every day, or even business casual on Fridays. Maybe...

I can't be the only one who is experiencing this. For many, I'm sure they expect to put on the suit and tie, shine the black leather shoes, and return to the office. I hope they do, if that's what they want. As for me in my house, I'll be happy with a closet full of not the best, but well-maintained clothing while I happily work from home.

After Months...The Home Office Is Finally Up And Running

When we were looking for a new home, we needed a few things. We wanted a room for each child and because there were three left at home, that didn't seem that big of a requirement. And we needed a home office. I had been telecommuting almost two years when covid hit and I made the decision long ago that if I can help it, I don't want to work away from home again.

The home office was what we needed.

The home we chose did not have the rooms, but it had room to grow. No problem--I can work in the garage. I knew this because I worked in an unfinished basement for over two years. And so I worked in the garage. And things went well until it got cold. 

Too cold.

Since the basement was not yet finished, I moved into the master bedroom. This had its advantages--warmth, for one. And, I could literally roll out of bed and log on. And so I worked in the master bedroom.

Last week the basement was finished. The boys moved downstairs, my daughter moved out of the smallest bedroom in the house into the larger room next door, and I hauled in the big desk from the garage and set everything up. This morning, I rolled out of bed and went into another room and worked my shift.

I know it's not the biggest journey, garage to bedroom to office, but it represents a months--even years--of transition, a lot of changes. It's not a room built specifically for an office with double doors and built-in shelving, but I don't care. It's a place dedicated to providing for the family. Many have helped us reach this point and I'm grateful for that help. Tomorrow, it's off to work I'll go...only now, to the right room.

Tomorrow...Is A NEW (And Warmer) Day

 I've been working at home for two and a half years, thirty months, 913 days, give or take. Tomorrow, my work day will not begin like all the other work days that preceded it. Tomorrow, I'll work in a room that has carpet on the floor, paint on the walls, and most importantly, a room that is temperature-controlled. 

In other words, I'll be working in a finished space.

It's been a while.

When I first came home to work, I was in the basement of our previous house. Yes, it was wonderful in the summer, but got a little cold in the winter. Thanks to a thrift store space heater, I was toasty warm, as long as I didn't venture too far from my desk. But, as the only constant in life is change, we decided to move. We found a house that didn't have all the rooms we need, but it had the potential. As of today, that potential has translated to sheet rocked rooms in the basement and soon, an upstairs bedroom currently being used by my daughter will be my office, ready for a desk, my work computer, and two nice monitors.

It's been a long time coming.

In the new house, I had set up my desk in our spacious garage. And it was working well, but then the colder temperatures came. Last Thursday, it got down to 55º and that was when I decided to move inside. It never got that cold in the basement--it got cold, but the basement was underground--outside temperatures didn't change it much. In the garage, colder temperatures means a colder garage. And it's going to get colder. My little space heater can't keep up with that.

We're going to be "cozy" for a few weeks until the basement is done. I'll be in the master bedroom so my wife will be leaving earlier than normal. She was the one who encouraged me to finally come inside and I'm glad she did.

Tomorrow is a new day...definitely, a warmer one. Of course, I'll have a cat to worry about. Got to protect the keyboard.

From Boom...To Bust

 With no power at home, I had to dress professionally (collard shirt, no jeans...), get in my car, and drive to the building where I once worked, where I used to dress professionally, get in my car, and drive every work day.

It's been a while.

And, boy--how things have changed.

My first thought, as I turned at the traffic light on my way to the office is, "I'm going to have to park in the far lot." I was several hours late. We hoped the power would come back on, so I waited a few hours in the morning before I decided to drive into work.

When I pulled into the parking lot, I realized I didn't have to park far away. In fact, I could park almost anywhere. The lot was practically empty. And when I went inside, the shock continued. The place was a ghost town.

That particular call center and I have an interesting history. Back in the day, we could work in local offices, so I worked in Woods Cross, the office closest to me. Then, I moved to Clearfield--the office next closest to me. After executive changes were made, we had to choose to work in one of the newly-created call centers, in Ogden, Salt Lake City, or Provo. Since I live equidistant from Ogden and Salt Lake, I chose Ogden. I had visited the Salt Lake Call Center only a few times and the place was a zoo. So many workers were packed in small cubicles--and the noise. It was just so busy.

Those days may be gone forever.

It was so strange to be in a building that only months earlier was active, busy, involved...basically alive. Now, they even had the lights dimmed for most of the floor. There were a few people working there, but row after row of cubicles were empty. The weirdest thing was passing a cubicle where the worker left all their personal items on their desk and on their walls. The only thing missing was their computer and monitors. It was like they just vanished.

Almost like a corporate rapture had taken place.

Part of what I love about telecommuting is the serenity, the quiet, the peacefulness I experience at home. I've got to say, working in an empty building matched most of those qualities. Still, I don't know if I could get used to it.

It was just too weird.

What A Way To Start The Day...Under The Control Of Machines

This morning began like most work days...I woke up, got dressed, and headed to my work station. I fired up the computer, was met with the calming twin blue screens, and I clicked to the VPM icon.

That's where the trouble started.

I remember growing up watching movies that depicted a hellish future where computers and robots enslaved humans to do their soul-less mechanical bidding. Well, it's the future and I think we're there. Sure, my telecommuting computer doesn't look like an evil robot, but it kind of is. Because, like many of you, I work at home, and if the computer or phones or internet is down, so am I. I'm powerless, inhibited...in a word, enslaved to the machines.

When I couldn't get in, I sent an e-mail to our computer help desk people. They responded that there was an issue. I had to wait until things changed. 

I waited...

And I waited...

And I waited...

Three and a half hours later, something changed on my screen and I was able to log in and get to work. I'm not blaming anyone, and I apologize if I've given that impression. No, these things happen, they've happened before, and they will definitely happen again. If anything, I'm kind of amazed each time we have computer issues how fast they get fixed.

This is our world. Years ago weather and animals used to have control over humans. Now, it's computers and internet. Thankfully, this morning's events were an anomaly. I'm thinking tomorrow I'll wake up, get dressed, head down to my work station, and get right to work.

That is, if my machine overlords allow me to do so.

Taking A Little Afternoon Walk...

I had to run an errand this afternoon. It wasn't far--normally, I'd hop in Donk the Subaru and drive over, but today, I thought I'd go for a walk.

What a beautiful day for a walk.

Since I began my career, I worked in offices, except for the past couple of years when I've telecommuted. Don't get me wrong--I LOVE working at home. I highly recommend it. But, when I worked in an office, I used to take public transportation and I'd take breaks as much as I could. In short, I was more mobile. Now, my commute is me walking from one floor to the next.

I have some exercise equipment close by and I try to use it, but I don't work out as much as I should. I keep thinking I should go outside and just walk around. For the past couple of months, I can use the excuse that it's too cold outside, but as the temperatures rise, I hope to take more breaks out of doors.

I only snapped a couple of pictures today. Just walking, I wasn't focused on taking pictures. It's not that there's a lack of things to see. I've lived in the same neighborhood most of my life, more than four decades. Much has changed and there'll be more changes. Homes being renovated and even a couple of new houses going up.

Yes, it will be a goal for me to get outside more. And if I do, I'll be sure to snap some pictures.

The Pros...And Cons...Of Telecommuting

I'm working my second winter at home. Since last winter was my first, there was a lot of "trial by error" learning going on. I had never before spent a significant amount of time in the basement during the winter--I knew it was cold (since it's unheated...), but I didn't know just how cold.

Now, we're not talking below freezing or anything close. I mean, we have insulation in the ceiling and some of the walls. But, that first winter, it was cold. It was so cold there were times when I had to wear coats and fingerless gloves.

I'd like to think I learn as I get older. When it comes to my work situation, I learned a lot. The single biggest thing I did to improve the working conditions was to move my desk. Before, it was in the middle of the room. Now, it's up against two walls in the basement. I have a single space heater tucked under the desk. I had the same heater last year, but the new configuration has helped immensely. This year, when I'm close to the heater, I don't even know how cold the rest of the room is--I'm toasty warm.

So, a few pros and cons of my telecommuting situation. 

Pro: ninety second commute time

Con: have to supply my own treats at my desk--no snaking from others

Pro: being able to work a full shift even when office workers don't have to come in until noon

Con: having to work a full shift even when office workers don't have to come in until noon

Pro: don't have to dig out my car to go to work in bad weather

Con: surrounded by food storage and not fun co-workers

These are just some "off the top of my head" thoughts. I could go on and on, but you get the idea. Life is a balance of give and take, of advantages and disadvantages, of pros and cons. Today, it was a little chilly, but I also didn't have to risk climb in my car and take my chances on the road. For me, the pros totally outweigh the cons, even in an unfinished basement in the winter.

Thank Goodness...For Warm Pants!

One of the presents I got for Christmas from my mother-in-law last year was a pair of bluejeans. These aren't just any pair of jeans...they're special.

In fact, they're winterized.

The pants have a felt lining, all the way down. Why would I need such a pair of enhanced pants? Because I work in an unheated basement, that's why.



Last year was my first year working in the basement. The way my desk was situated, well...it was cold down there. It was so cold at times, I had to wear a coat and fingerless gloves. I didn't complain--I did have a space heater and with all the layers, I was warm enough. Plus, I was working at home, so that was great.

In the summer, we went through and re-organized the basement, and by "re-organized," I mean, threw out a bunch of stuff. We tossed so much stuff that I was able to re-orient my desk against two walls. The reason we did this was more to take advantage of the space, but I found out this winter that because the desk is against the wall, the space heater I have warms up the area so much better. I'm sure engineers or people who know more about these things can explain why. All I know is, it's been a much warmer winter for me. The pants have definitely helped.



My mother-in-law worries about us, and she worries that I'm warm enough in the basement. She found these jeans and they've been so great for me this winter. I don't even think about being warm enough down there (and down there...). I didn't even know pants like this existed. I do now, and I'm glad for that knowledge.

I pretty much wear these everyday. We're in the coldest month of the year, so I won't be wearing them everyday in a few weeks, I'd imagine. And so, they'll go in the closet, and won't be touched again for several months. And when the temperatures drop and Ol' Man Winter comes a calling, I'll be ready. Thank goodness for warm pants!

Powerless...At Work

So, there I was, working away--I was even leaving a voice-mail message for someone, when suddenly...poof. 

No power.

It was a first for me, not the power going out, but what I was doing when it happened.

I was working...telecommuting.

I'm experiencing a lot of firsts with my job. I've blogged about some of them, like how things have changed since the weather's gotten cold. Today, the power to our house and to half the town went out. Just like if I worked in a big building with hundreds of other workers, I was stuck with nothing to do.

The outage hit just before the time I usually go upstairs and get lunch. I thought, perfect timing--I'll just get lunch and wait for the power to return. One problem, everything I planned on eating required electricity to prepare.

In the past, when I worked with everyone else in the same building, when the power went out everyone knew it--including the big bosses. Today, I was the only one. After checking with the power company to see when things would be reinstated, we needed to get lunch for the family so we went for a short drive. After all, it would be at least two and a half hours before the power came back on. Thankfully, it came back after only about forty-five minutes.

When I worked with others, there was a collective gasp, when the power went out at work. Some were in the middle of writing reports, others were on the phones. Everything stopped and we all experienced the same thing together. Today, that's what didn't happen. It was just me by myself. That was the weirdest part, and something new in my year of "firsts."

I Wonder...Just How Cold Is It Going To Get?

I got the news last summer--my employer allowed me to work from home. The only space available in our house was the unfinished basement. An unfinished basement is wonderful in the summer--it's cool down there so you don't have to be close to an air conditioner vent.

We anticipated it getting cooler and cooler as autumn approached and the temperatures dropped outside. We bought a space heater and I didn't really need to turn it on until last month. When I worked in an office, the building's temperature controls had a tough time adjusting from spring to summer and from summer to fall. Because of that, I bought a little thermometer to see just how cold it got.

I brought the thermometer home with me.

It's on my desk and I check it often to see just how cold it is.

This morning, it registered around 54º. The heater I use works well so my work space warmed up quickly. I had no complaints. But something happened today. It seemed when I got just outside of my work space, it felt cold, colder than it normally felt.

When I checked the temperature again in the afternoon the thermometer showed 63º--it usually warms up to 70º. It was cold today. We usually don't get this cold until January, so it's nice to know my little heater can do it's job.

It's a year of firsts. I experienced my first winter storm where I didn't have to drive to work. I'm going through my first winter working at home. In a few months spring will arrive and we'll see how that goes. Then, later, I'll know how work will be in the basement once summer rolls around.

Telecommuting--so far, so good (even if it's a little cold...).

Things Have Been Looking Up Lately...And By Things, I Mean Me

Maybe it's because of all the smoke in the air this summer. Maybe it's because I'm now working at home. Or maybe it's because the skies have been exceptionally beautiful lately.

Whatever the reason, I've been looking up lately, looking up to see incredible beauty above. And because I have a cell phone that takes reasonably good pictures, I've snapped and posted a few shots.

Of course, they're all not wonderful photos--some are better than others--but I took each picture because at the time, I was seeing something amazing, something that made me stop and take in the view. So, without a lot of words, I'm just going to leave these pictures here. And if the views continue to be wonderful, I'll keep taking pictures.

My First Cold Telecommute...

When you live in a climate where it freezes outside during the year, there's that one day when you know there'll be more cold days than warm ones. For many, they worry about the first frost, a cold that kills crops and signals the changing of the season.

Last night was that time for us.

I knew the cold weather was coming. This autumn's different for me. For the first time in twenty-one years, I'll be working at home through the winter. And that's something to consider when you're working in an unheated basement.

When we built the house fifteen years ago, we knew we wouldn't be finishing the basement--we needed a place to store stuff. We did put up insulation, but we never put in any heating or a/c vents. Over the years we've moved stuff in and moved stuff out of the storage room and we didn't need it to be "comfortable" in there. That changed once I got the assignment to work at home.

I first began working in the basement in the summer and in the mostly underground basement room, things were nice. It was cool when temperatures outside hovered around 100º. I'm not sure how cold it got last night--possibly freezing--but it was a tad chilly when I clocked in.

When I set up my office, I knew I'd need a heater. I found one online, and another in a thrift store. As long as I'm bundled up in layers, it's okay to be in the basement.

When I found out I was I was going to be working at home, I thought about how nice it would be not having to navigate the roads in the winter. I still look forward to staying at home when things get really bad. Happy to say that the first cold day (and they're going to get colder...) was a toasty success.

It's Progress...I Guess

It's only been a few months since I had a commute longer than going to my basement. And even though it's only been weeks, I noticed big changes as I turned off Redwood Road at 1940 West and returned to my old work location for a meeting. The biggest change was any living plant that once lived on that corner is gone.

And so is the big old tree.

Whenever I took the train home, I walked by that tree and I marveled at its longevity. I even blogged about it back in 2016 (you can access that blog post: HERE). I'm not an aborist so I didn't know how old the tree was, but for it to have survived on a busy downtown corner for years, probably decades means something. I thought it was a beautiful tree.

I'm not one to put the life of a tree over progress. I understand it had to come down. Without knowing the facts, I'll bet if they even could keep the tree, the cost would be very high. Plus, it's likely they couldn't have saved it even if they wanted to. My guess is, once the project is done, they will possibly plant many trees around the apartment complex and in a few decades, they'll be as tall and as beautiful as the one that's no longer there.

Progress is wonderful, but it can hurt. Just as growing old comes with it the advantage of wisdom and experience, it also brings the downside of aging. Just like the tree (and the apartment building that resulted in its demise...), everything we now know will one day be gone, the tree, the buildings, the light rail tracks, the roads--all of it, gone, replaced or destroyed or taken over by nature.

It's progress.

In my 2016 blog post I predicted the tree would not survive if they put in a new building. I also predicted how I would feel if that were to happen. Telecommuting has advantages and disadvantages. I'm glad I won't have to drive by the corner where the tree once stood. I think it would make me sad.

Watching A Bike Race Live...Or On TV?

For the past two years, the Tour of Utah has included my hometown of Farmington. And for the past two years, the event's taken place on a Friday and since I have Fridays off, I've been able to drive the 0.3 miles from my house, park the van, and watch the action live.

It's a really cool thing to see.

This year they changed things up a bit. The tour raced through the streets of our town not once, but twice. And they scheduled the riders to race on Thursday, not Friday. If I hadn't telecommuted, I would have missed the big show, but since I was working from home, we tracked the race on the computer. When the riders were about a mile away, we hopped in the van and caught the peloton as they flew by.

An hour or so later, we watched as they group biked into Bountiful and back toward our house. I had taken my break watching them the first time. I could have taken my second break (or worked an extra fifteen minutes...) and watched them live again.

We decided to stay home.

I wondered what I liked better. On the one hand I could continue working, get all my work done as my work week drew to a close. I was home in a climate-controlled environment. On the other hand, when I was watching them I could see the bikes, hear the sound of hundred of wheels roll across the pavement, experience the thrill of competition.

Each has it's pluses and minuses. I guess we'll have to see what we do next year, as long as they race continues to go through our little town.

My "Pic Of The Day" Photos Have Become More...Localized

Earlier this month I changed offices. I moved from a call center to a basement, from cubicle walls to unfinished walls, from sharing multi-stalled bathroom to using my own bathroom. With every change, you realize how some things will affect you, but--as it seems to happen--there are things you don't know will change.

One of those things I didn't think too much about were the daily pictures I'd be posting.

I began this blog back in 2011. A few weeks after I started blogging, I decided to post at least one picture a day. I label these photos the "Pic Of The Day"(I know, original, right...?) and I've had a blast doing it. It's amazing how many interesting thing are out there, how many amazing things, just how much beauty there is in this world. I've tried to capture that beauty and some of those interesting things. I sort of wanted others to know in some small way what I saw that day.

Since 2011 I've posted some incredible photos, some funny pictures, some thought-provoking shots, and some duds. I try to say away from the duds, but not every picture can be a great one. All-in-all, I've been more satisfied than not, pleased than not. Sometimes I've found my Pic Of The Day at work, or if I'm somewhere new. And if I can't find a picture to use during the day, I've found more than enough subjects either in or around my house.

So when my home became my office, the locations for my Pic Of The Day have dwindled. This month most of my daily pictures have been around the house. I live in a beautiful part of the planet. We have all four seasons and right now it's spring, which is many people's favorite time of year (I'd love it more if spring didn't cause so much havoc on my allergies...). Spring, Autumn, and winter are especially photogenic and I do my best to let everyone see that.

I don't know what tomorrow's picture is going to be. Not knowing adds to the fun. But I do know that if I don't take a picture of something away from my house, it's going to be another shot from where I live. And that's not bad at all.