July 2020 – wrgross.com

100 Days of Meditation

The mind is a beast that must be tamed.

The hum of the tires forms the score to the predawn scene. A gray specter of trees passes by to the left; a brown blanket covers open prairie to the right. The stars fade as the sky wakes from deep blue to turquoise. The roof and doors are off and the temperature is perfect. I am at ease.

Slowing, I turn left into a break in the trees. There is a small parking area, perhaps just big enough for two cars. I’m in a favorite weekend outfit – fleece over a long-sleeve t-shirt, shorts and hiking boots. A trail leads South and I begin to follow.

Maine 2020 – Episode 1

A cure for four months in isolation? A month in Maine!

Every year we head to Maine for, traditionally, two weeks. This year we’ve come up for the month of July. I could NOT be happier. I worked for the first two weeks (while we were doing our mandatory quarantine), and the kids have been taking online classes. Despite quarantine, work, and school, we have had some fun!

Naturally – the view from my temporary office is MUCH nicer than at home; though I absolutely miss my 27 inch curved MSI MAG27CQ! My eyes are old 🙁

Breaking Quarantine

After 14 days of quarantine, it’s time to get some!

Jocelyn and I have been extremely careful during the COVID-19 crisis. We have three young kids and do NOT want to get sick!

Beginning mid-March we barely left our yard. In today’s age virtually anything can be delivered, so there was little need to go out. With me working from home and the kids taking classes online there was little need to leave the house. Sure, we would go on afternoon walks (with masks on), or play in the yard – but there was little venturing out. Live contact with other humans was virtually nonexistent.

So when it came time to head up to Maine we didn’t think twice about the two-week quarantine we’d have to do when we got here. Two weeks – that’s nothin’!

Lost!

Staying calm in a scary situation turned potential disaster into a rewarding adventure!

For more than a decade Jocelyn and I have come up to Maine for a two week summer vacation. We stay at Jocelyn’s grandmother’s place on the rocky cost of southern Maine. It is right on the water, 8-10 foot tides, cool air, cold water, the whole package. I absolutely love it up here.

COVID-19 has brought great challenges and new opportunities. My employer implemented a remote work policy and Jocelyn and I are taking the opportunity to bug out to Maine for the month of July. I’ll work for two weeks and relax for two. On top of that, being an early riser, I fully intend to “get out there” before work if I can!

The first week has been very busy at work and I have only been able to look out at the grand view. Wednesday, however, I completed two big work efforts that were consuming my quiet early mornings – and Thursday was my day to get out and play!