Working From Home

My Top 7 Reasons Why Telecommuting Makes Sense

1. Let's start with the obvious; it's good for the environment and my wallet.
Every day I work at home (and don't have to commute to Hartford) saves me from driving 64 miles...that's less fumes in the air we breathe, one less car adding to commuter congestion, less wear and tear on my car/tires (which means they will last longer and become landfill later), and it actually allows the dollars paid to me by my employer to add to my quality of life in myriad ways.

2. Seamlessness between life and work.
When I work from home, the needs of my life and the needs of my job become integrated. I am moving it all forward simultaneously. My work, which I care deeply about, can just exist alongside the objectives of me and my family. Because I don't have to put one area of interest down to focus on the other, both benefit. Both get the best of me, my energies and my brain, all the time.

3. Less distractions.
While I love my co-workers, sometimes the pleasantries of an office environment are counterproductive. While they add to the enjoyment of a workplace, they do slow me down. When I work in my own home, I have a pace and a groove that is my own. It is comfortable and completely designed by me for my maximum efficiency. Things like light, temperature, sound, fresh air, etc. can make a huge difference. For instance, I am one who like to move from place to place and I have comfortable work spots set up in different rooms of my house; some with standing desk options and some sitting.

4. Fitness.
When I work from home, I am always able to fit in time to exercise. Essentially, the hours that I would spend commuting get utilized for health and wellness. That never gets to happen when I commute.

6. Wear what you want.
I take the idea of business casual to a whole other level when I work from home. I often tell my family, "Thank God no one ever wants to Skype with me." I am a big fan of comfort and often will work from home in my pajamas, sweats or running clothes. Again, not wearing dry clean only options every day helps my wallet and the environment.

7. Happiness.
As Dorothy says: There's No Place Like Home. I am happiest when I am in my own home. I can function on my own schedule, surrounded by all the detritus of life that brings me joy. Honestly, one of my absolute favorite aspects of working at home is getting to work while my pup is in my lap. It seems silly, but sometimes it is the little differences in life that make the most impact. Honestly, wouldn't you be happy if you got to have Brutus as your office mate?

Captain Destruction

Hi my name is Brutus. I am a Halloween baby. Right now, I am just over 9 months old. I was adopted by my family one week before Christmas and in addition to offering an abundance of kisses and cuddles, I have reigned a daily dose of destruction down on my home.

Here's the list of items I have destroyed so far:
• I chewed the linoleum in the kitchen off the floor in large sheets...so much so that we now have a new kitchen floor (you can see the beginning of the wreckage in the top right photo). Secretly, I think my mom is happy.
• I gnawed on the hose that connects the toilet to the plumbing coming out of the wall. Mom was having a party. I heard her say to dad, "Is something running?" When she came in the bathroom and saw water spraying from the hose all over the walls she wasn't very happy.
• I have worked steadily on all four corners of the wooden step stool my mom has had since she was a kid. I think it looks very rustic now.
• I also enjoy the feel of the wicker laundry basket between my teeth (I am sitting atop it, above middle). Whenever mom takes the lid off, I am pretty sure she is handing it to me to consume.
• Whenever I am not in my crate, I like to chew on that too...all aspects of it actually: the clips, the sides of the opening (it's all good).
• The toilet plunger was also quite yummy. I shredded that baby!
• My latest project is peeling the wallpaper off the walls in the downstairs bathroom. Not only does it taste good and provide some fun for me, but also I think it is time for a change in that room.