The downside of WFH

Since arriving in Florida, I have been working out of the RV using my Verizon hotspot.  This has worked pretty well overall, despite the cramped quarters.  I am able to access the servers that physically reside in Burlington, MA, just as I would if I were working in Cambridge.  And I can participate in meetings – including group assemblies – using Skype and the company’s conferencing software.  The worst thing about not being in the office is that I can’t get to the free coffee and snacks.  But I have my own.

There is, however, one big downside to WFH (working from home, in case you didn’t know): an inability to escape.  Having the computer right there, all the time, 24/7, means that I am actually connected more than I would be if I were in Massachusetts.  Not having to spend 3 hours a day commuting means that there are 3 more hours a day to be online.  On Thanksgiving weekend – ostensibly a 4-day holiday – I monitored a series of tests that were running on two servers.  I actually checked on them at 3am one night and always checked on them around 5am when I usually get up.  I was pretty much connected to those servers all the time, all four days.

This week had a lot of fairly urgent issues to deal with, so I worked long hours every day.  I didn’t keep a detailed timesheet, but I think I averaged over 10 hours per day – over 50 hours for the week.

If it wasn’t for the need to walk the dogs 3 times a day I might never leave the RV.

So much for “fun in the sun.”