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The perils of working from home

530 am...wake up and plan to do a whole lot of work

530 to 6 - snooze all alarms

6 to 7...rush hour. Kids are sent to school...Wife is off to work

7 to 9...a morning walk, breakfast and just about time to open the laptop. What a beautiful day apt for working...

9 am...Wife calls. I am in a meeting. Please tell the maid what has to be cooked for lunch.

9 to 10...start work by checking email - click some random link and browse 71 sites in the name of research (but actually twitter, news, random social media)

10 am...Maid walks in complaining about traffic. Instructions are passed on to her on what is to be made.

10.01 am...Maid returns with a list, saying, unless these items are purchased, cooking wont happen for the day.

11 am...1 hour wasted in shopping for essentials. Day is saved.

11.05 am...Maid wants to share stories of her life - all pointing to how she badly needs a raise after last months raise. In the spirit of employee engagement, give her a patient ear.

11.30 am...message from wife. Many bills to be paid. Some plumber, pest control, water purifier repair,  <insert any handyman> is supposed to come. Anyway today you have no meetings, so I have asked them to drop in.

11.30 onwards till 3 - try to do a bit of work, but lunch and post lunch hibernation have to fought, plus various people are ringing the doorbell

3 pm...All service people have been seen off. Kids are back from school.

330pm...They dont like anything that the maid has prepared for snacks. They protest by going on hunger strike. Negotiation skills deployed.

4 pm...Maid protests that kids are not having milk now and want it give it all to the cat. On arrival to event site, cat is overjoyed and is purring loudly while kids are pleased. Negotiation skills deployed again. Cat is clearly displeased with this turn of events. Pass some milk to the cat as well...remaining milk is quickly finished by the kids...Open laptop again and get distracted by being called to referee three impossible to decide arguments for the next half an hour...

430 pm...Kids want to go out and play. What about homework? They will do it later it seems...not that I was interested, so permission is granted - anyway they were only informing.

430 to 5...irritated that no work is done since morning...realise one courier has to be sent...Go and courier said invoice.

5 to 6 - Realise that there was an email that came in a few days ago that wanted 23 corrections in one invoice that was sent two months ago - and make those corrections - check, double and triple check.

6 pm..Wife is back...

6 pm onwards...Now I get to work

6 to 10 - work, hover to the kitchen, munch, work, browse, reply mails, payments, invoices among other things

10 pm..wife - you are never available when you work at home...
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