Monday, March 23, 2020

Recap: Spring Break 2020

Spring Break 2020.  Had a week and a half vacation time I'd lose if I didn't take it - so I took 6 days off work.  Kids were on break. And COVID-19 was up - all indoor activities closed down. Weather was cool to cold and damp, so indoor activities only.

For the week, we all stayed home.  I went to the store several times to get food, supplies.  People have stripped the shelves of everything storable.  Fortunately, we plan ahead and prepare and only needed fresh goods. By the end of the week, the panic in people's faces was replaced with amused resignation as is common in Midwesterners. 

My mom had a car accident - a 20 something girl blew a stop sign and hit my moms' car just in front of the front wheel.  Totaled out her 1998 Ford Taurus.  Just 5 blocks from home. Learned a lesson - I'd been leaving my phone on 'vibrate' to quiet the spam calls and annoying app notifications.  Mom wasn't able to get through to me.  We changed that up, adding her and a few key contacts to our favorites in the phone and setting 'Do Not Disturb, except for Favorites'.

She's fine; got her home and settled, insurance claim made with State Farm.  They very quickly settled the claim for far more than I expected they would.  Kudos to State Farm! 

We're now entering a mandatory 30-day quarantine for Johnson County, Kansas.  No teeth behind the quarantine, just asking people to follow the shelter in place rules.

Work is scrambling to change all the rules of the game to encourage customers to do all of their business online or through the handset app. So everyone has been busier than a one-armed wallpaper hanger.  3 our of the 6 vacation days I was on calls, helping with reporting, identifying impacts to changes and learning about upcoming changes.

So, that was my spring break PTO.  I didn't even get a clear day to ride the motorcycle around the block.

- Will England

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