My last day in the office was Friday, March 13, 2020. At the end of the work day, I should’ve known what an ominous goodbye it was going to be but I didn’t have a clue. I remember telling my colleagues I would see them again in 2 weeks. Little did I know I would only see them everyday on Zoom for the next 56 weeks with no end until leadership tells us it’s safe to go back to the office.

So, what’s changed besides everything?

What I think is kind of bizarre is my creativity has hit a roadblock. It’s taken nearly four and half months just to write this post. My dear wife likes to remind me that we are social creatures and I agree with her. I get motivated by the people I meet, the places I travel, and the things I do. With all that gone, what do I have to write about? What have I been doing?

Looking back, not much. With a high risk family member at home, I’ve been extra cautious about being out of the house for any length of time. Only for groceries, the occasional Jamba Juice and Chipotle run, and 5 rounds of socially distant golf with some NIKE colleagues, where you couldn’t even touch the flag pole. I wear a mask, always. My hands are cleaner than they’ve ever been. Ho hum.

Even when I’m walking the dog every morning, we go on marathon walks anywhere from 1-5 miles, nothing really exciting happens. I track my distance on my NIKE Running Club app and while I love to see where I end up vs. my friends in my “Club,” there’s no real competition to brag about. I can never beat Thomas or Sue but it’s usually neck and neck with Raj. My colleague, Mirage, is in significantly better shape than I am but usually can’t get as many miles in as I can. She does high intensity workouts on the NIKE Training Club app. Apps have become my lifeline and my source of bragging especially to the young bucks like Murali. But, only if we’re on a Zoom call together.

My phone is one of my most critical assets. Texting family and friends, ordering food, checking on the status of my beloved San Francisco Giants, reading the news, updating my social media accounts, taking pictures, getting the scores of my Fantasy Baseball Team, “The Governor’s Gamers.” You might not know this but I share the same name as the Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. When I joined the league, I received a new nickname, so I went with it for my team name. I’m in last place, so I haven’t exactly done as well as I thought I would. Nevertheless, I don’t know where I would be without this damn Pixel 2. Sad, that my mobile phone has become so critical to my well being.

My brother Steve invited me to join this CBS Sports Fantasy Baseball League, after one of his buddies dropped out. He warned me this league was intense and he wasn’t kidding. The draft alone took 7 hours. These guys know baseball. These guys love baseball. I think I’m going to fit right in with this group. Unfortunately, the team I took over didn’t have a lot of talent so I had to build it up from nearly scratch. I have one of the best shortstops and THE best closer in the league but it’s not enough. Did I mention this is an American League only fantasy rotisserie competition? I haven’t watched this much American League baseball since the late 1990’s when we lived in Boston. Still, I think meeting these competitors in person would be a lot more interesting than look at 12 headshots on a Zoom screen.

I think I’ve come to the end of this post. I told you there really hasn’t been much going on with me but what I’m able to give right now is a quick recap of what I’ve been up to since the global pandemic hit. Working, working out, eating, and Zooming from home, playing Fantasy Baseball, reading the news, updating social media accounts, and having a few drinks in the backyard with my wife. That’s about it. I miss going to the movies. I miss being out in the world. I miss traveling. Hell, I even miss working in the office. And most of all, I miss writing.

I’m doing whatever it takes to prevent getting COVID-19. It beats the alternative but it sure is uninspiring.