Monday. Back at it. Was not looking forward to it, especially after talking to my sister about work on the phone yesterday. Had to go in anyhow. Bill was up and out at 1:00 AM I think. Hours later I lay in bed not fully awake telling myself not to open an eye to see what time it was but it turned out the anxiety that did not allow for rest.

I wound up being up earlier than usual. So early that I decided to head to the gallows about a half hour than what I used to leave at. When Bill is around he runs down a list to make sure I have the necessities- wallet, phone, keys, teeth, vape pen, flare gun, life preserver, orange. We have to add water bottle to the list since I remembered that I did not have it halfway to the train.

I was early enough to be able to go to Whole Foods a few blocks away from the office and buy a 79-cent bottle of spring water. Then it was off to the office with a stop at Dunkin Donuts for my coffee and free donut. But the usual Dunkin was closed for renovations and I had to go a nearer one to my office and as usual, it was pandemonium. To my surprise though they remembered me and shouted, asking me what did I want over people in the line in front of me. And I got a free donut.

It being a Monday, a lot of people worked from home with a couple of dozen people out on vacation, or in office-speak, PTO. It was relatively quiet so that was pleasant. Summer days in the office aren’t going to last obviously and a decree came down from on high that working from home will only be permitted on Fridays. Everyone will need to be at their desks from Monday to Thursday.

On one hand that will be OK since a lot of people (millennials) will more than likely take advantage of that dictum and be out of the office on Fridays, that is if they don’t band together and revolt. They’re in their twenties and thirties so getting a new job shouldn’t be that much of a problem should they threaten. But they won’t. They don’t seem to be the type to rock the boat so the WFH (work from home) set will do just that on Fridays more than likely.

I’ll adapt, that is if I’m still around. Still playing the Mega Millions and hoping for the day I can call up and say goodbye. On the periphery, employment search engines are reappearing and nowadays they are catching my eye somewhat. Good to know they’re there, but then again, now I am 61. Feels like 41 if I don’t do anything strenuous, but I didn’t do much strenuous things when I was 41 so go figure.

I guess I’ve been writing again for a week now. Still haven’t told anyone yet, except for Bill.

Sunday. A very nice day much like yesterday. Another bicycle ride. I live for this, especially during the colder months when all I do is daydream about riding. And with it being another nice day I had to go. This time in the opposite direction, north to North Bergen. Along the river, since nice views on the Hudson River Walkway. Not connected south of Weehawken. Nah, that would make sense and add convenience.

I pedaled about 13 miles today. At one point I passed an older woman who looked like the older women I knew when I was a younger man. She was probably 20 years older than me today whereas back in the day she was probably 40 years older than me. I made eye contact with her as I went past and she yelled if I had passed her earlier.

I clearly hadn’t since she was walking south and I was bicycling north. I yelled ‘no’ about 20 feet past her and I heard her say that someone nearly hit her as they were passing earlier. She was that loud, enough that I heard her 30 feet away. I rode up to North Bergen in the shadow of the Galaxy Tower. A modern-esque tower on Boulevard East, a block away from where Julio’s Mother lives.

After a short spell to chill out an hydrate, it was back down to Hoboken, riding through neighborhoods that did not exist 30 years ago. I avoided the walkway just for a different scene and in case the woman who was passed was still wandering around and shouting at bicyclists. And there were quite a few bicyclists out today, mainly all men. And the occasional head nod as we cycled in different directions.

Roads that were closed off for construction for a number of years had opened since I was last riding in these parts. I took a chance and followed a hastily designed ramp which was probably created as an afterthought, though it wasn’t designed for bikes it seemed quite narrow for a wheelchair. Hoboken is woefully not designed well for bike riding on the Hudson, unlike Weehawken to North Bergen.

There have been summers in the past when Sinatra Drive was closed to cars on Sundays, making it a pedestrian plaza for a few hours on Sundays, but the drivers made a lot of noise, leaned on their horns, and nowadays are able to drive through on Sundays. Hoboken is trying though. Most of the piers and walkways are now shut off to the public as they are under construction again. I guess they went with the low bid 30 years ago and here we are re-doing it since it started to fall apart again.

Back to work tomorrow. Back to the tumult. I’m glad I’ve taken to applying Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’s theory on the five stages of death five stages of death to my situation at the job that I once enjoyed. If they’re going to let me go then do it. It’s the acceptance part of Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, the final stage. For those playing at home, the five stages are denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.

Just get on with it will ya?