the coming unmasking
I watched a really fun, A-minus movie last night—something that hasn’t happened since eleven movies (or about three weeks) ago. It was a Danish film that I learned about from the Big Picture podcast, which I had only listened to just yesterday morning, but their description of it perked my interest enough for me to go ahead and rent it VOD for seven bucks ($7.71 with tax—totally worth it.)
The movie is called Riders of Justice, and I found it to be a unique blend of genres. It's generally described online as an "action comedy," except any American who hears that phrase will think something more along the lines of, say, Bad Boys for Life. This movie is really different from a movie like that, and I found it to be more like a drama that also included bursts of well-choreographed violence and frequently very funny parts (which happen separately). I said some of this same stuff in the review, but I enjoyed this movie so much I think it's well worth advocating for; it's both about real issues, giving all the stuff happening a genuine weight to them, and also a really great time.
Anyway, I started the movie only a few minutes after I finished my work day, although I did take a few minute break to make myself a sandwich for dinner and heat up some leftovers for Shobhit. I even made him toast and presented him with a plate, to save him time as he left his scheduled work shift early to barely make it in time for his Project Management class online at 5:30. Then, I ate while getting back to the movie.
By the time I was done writing the review, which I rather had fun writing, it was close to 8:00. That's when Shobhit's class officially ends, but he went to his news programs and I just hung out for a while scrolling through social media in the bedroom until bedtime.
I spent so much time in yesterday's post on nearly passing out at my lab appointment at Virginia Mason the day before, I never had time or space to mention the latest big news at work: office staff has reached 70% COVID-19 immunization! So, there was an official office announcement: as of July 1, vaccinated office staff can return to the office, face mask optional.
Some people might be totally hesitant about this. And I don't necessarily blame them. I am not. Although I spent most of the pandemic finding myself surprisingly adaptable to working from home, as of a couple months or so ago I am fucking done with this shit. I can't take it anymore! I'm going to be right back there on July 1. That's a Thursday, and I'm not even going to, like, wait until the following Monday. The minute the opportunity is there, I am taking it.
It should be noted that I have the choice to work in the office even now, and have for a while. The difference is that, until July 1, face masks are required for office staff. And as much as I have long, longed to return, the ability to work all day at home without a mask on still made that the preferable option. This is the key change that is making me take the plunge.
Mind you, they are still asking that anyone not vaccinated wear a mask at work. And they have kind of gone out of their way to say that if you are vaccinated but still want to wear one, that's totally fine too. (I won't. If masks are requested elsewhere in the building, I'll wear it there, but once on the fifth floor, I'll take it off.) They're even asking us to sign an "attestation form," which was sent out yesterday and I already filled out digitally (after I had to get Andrew in IT to remote-access my computer and download Adobe Reader) and sent back yesterday afternoon. It reads that
I hereby attest to the following:
•I have received an FDA authorized COVID-19 vaccination.
•I have received the full number of vaccine doses required
•It has been at least two weeks since my final vaccination.
•I no longer wish to wear a mask while working.
•I understand that if I want to continue wearing a mask, I may do so.
It should also be noted that this does not yet apply to store staff (or office staff visiting stores), where the full-vaccination rate, disappointingly, remains just over 50%. I don't imagine the policy there will change until the Washington State rate has reached 70%, given how much interaction with the general public there is in stores. But office staff is in a much more manageable, not technically but kind of functionally private space, at least comparatively.
In any event, I'm excited and eager to go back. My full intention is to finish my work day on Wednesday, June 30, and then pack up all my work equipment and take it all to the office that very evening, so I can go right to the office Thursday morning on July 1 and set everything back up on my office desk.
This is going to impact the weekly virtual Office Lunch Meetup as well, of course—being at the office, I'll no longer be attending. I just finished with Meetup #45 (my 43rd), and I noted to Rebecca that it appears there will be just three more of these and then they'll be done. So many of them lately have been largely just her and me, and there's no reason for her to just hang out on a Teams call by herself.
Noah did join us again today, although apparently he had just lost track of time while working at the office, so he didn't join until 12:45. We were all three on long enough, though, to establish that both of them intend to continue with working from home at least two days a week even after July 1. Not me! I have no pressing need for that, and I like having a separate place to go for my work day. Besides, with enough people taking that approach, it does mean many days even at the office going forward will still have fewer people, and thus make the space generally more peaceful, than it was on average in the "Before Times."
[posted 1:06 pm]