As August fades away to September, the remote work program comes to an end in my office after Labor Day Weekend and it’s back to working downtown five days a week.

In some ways I’ll miss “phoning it in” (lol, but often working hard) from the Adirondacks and Green Mountains, there were many a good day working from Spectulator – both the library, the town park and the beach. Sometimes working from the hammock or the screen tent using my phone or laptop over the hot spot with a cold beer in the opposite hand. Those days happened, nobody knows if you are a dog on the internet.

It was kind of a racket during the pandemic, kind of fun and kind of crazy making sure I always had good cell service and batteries kept charged. I took remote work to the extremes one summer week last year, literally phoning it in from the wilderness in the Green Mountain National Forest in Vermont. But it wasn’t like I was just goofing off – that week I actually wrote two large reports for work using my work laptop. Working remotely, I always make it a priority to be very responsive and provide the best service to clients.

Then there was that week I started at Mason Lake, heading up to Horseshoe Lake and the Bog River Flow, Primary Night 2020. Done remotely from camp, next to a big ol fire. Working 9-5 the day after primary night and then hiking Lows Ledge after work.

What an adventure that year and a half of the pandemic was for me. But it’s back to work downtown full time once Labor Day has passed, no more phoning it in. I guess it’s good for the local businesses and the transit authority, much like car crashes are good business for hospitals and television reporters.

And I kind of like keeping work and pleasure separate – the Adirondacks will go back to being vacation land, none of this focusing on work 9-5 then trying to squeeze in some fun and sleep and ordinary camp duties before the next day of work.