Wednesday, June 23, 2010

The Perks of Working from Home

It’s bike to work day so I’m going to bring my bike into the house and ride from the kitchen to this computer. In my PJs.

Ken did ride his bike. 17 miles into Boulder. Stud.

I love working from home. I’ve been doing it since Sam was born – over 12 years. It lets me be professional and really stupid all at the same time.

Most days I can be found at the computer writing really important things while I watch Lucky lick himself. You don’t get that in an office unless your boss’ name is Lucky and he is the most fortunate man in the world.

Here are other things I do whilst working in my home office that I might forgo in a cubicle in a real office setting:

  • I sit around in my disgusting running clothes after a particularly hot and sweaty run. I don’t even want to know what germs and smells my office chair harbors
  • I fart and lots of them. No need to take a class in fancy fart concealment:

  • I make and take personal phone calls galore during which I use bad words. Lots of them.
  • It is casual Friday everyday in my office. Clothing is optional especially when the running clothes get too gross. Again, If my chair could talk it would say “eff you, smelly girl.
  • If I feel the need for that nooner beer, no one judges me.
  • I can pick and scratch parts I wouldn’t in public.
  • Need a Cheez-It or 105 of them? I’ve got my own personal vending machine right in the pantry.
  • There are no anonymous crap takers in my bathroom. Any stench is my own.
  • Coffee breaks? Constantly. Interruptions to read your blogs? All day long.

P1060900 View from my desk. A rare non-licking moment. Don’t get all flattered. He’s not winking at you. He had his eye removed. Seriously, do you not remember anything I’ve told you???

It’s true that sometimes I miss the camaraderie of being in an office. I’ve met some of my best friends in that setting. But I get too distracted with all the pranks I need to play. Ex-Lax in muffins. Breast milk in the half and half container. You get the picture.

What’s the view from your desk?  Or…What’s your best work-at- home perk? If you don’t work at home, what do you wish you could do at work but can’t?

40 comments:

  1. You had me at "sit around in my disgusting running clothes after a particularly hot and sweaty run." If this isn't the best reason to work from home, then make me spend all my time at the customer site!

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  2. Right now my view is a Kroger balloon and Dr. Oz. I looooooooooooooooove staying at home with my girls! Being a bit of a control freak I like the fact that I'm in charge :)

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  3. Being unemployed means that "working" is finding a job. My view is the living room and it's getting old... change of scenery is desperately needed! *Fingers Crossed*

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  4. I LOVE working from home. I also count cleaning up the house as work because if I worked in an office they would keep it clean for me, so I figure if I have to clean the office (and bathroom and kitchen) myself, it should count as work hours. I also sometimes count short runs as work hours because I'm setting a positive example for the youth I work with.

    Today I do have to go out to visit a project. It's 120 kms away. I won't be biking.

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  5. I work from home one day a week, but somehow your sounds so much better!! :)

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  6. I've been working at home for about the same amount of time and I have to agree that the sitting around in nasty running clothes part is pretty sweet! The downside, I think, is having that vending machine called a pantry within easy reach. But you'll never find me working in an office again, unless forced to financially!

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  7. -there's the guy who sits in the opposite me and comes to work drunk occasionally... I'm convinced he driks at work also, though I'm not sure how he conceals it. He has glassy eyes and a nice lean going on most of the time

    -the guy who sits next to me is the NOISIEST eater no the planet. Smack, smack, smack.

    - and then there's the guy at the other end of this hallway who complains non-stop about how cold/hot it is in here depending on the season (it is neither)

    Needless to say, I'm JEALOUS!!!

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  8. Can I be your personal assistant? Your job sounds fun!!! :-)))))

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  9. Office window looks outside to neighbor's haus. Yup, I work from home too. One of the best perks is working whenever I want, whether it is 5:30am or 10:30pm. But YUCK!! I COULD NOT sit in my office chair (even if the back is mesh) after running. SERIOUSLY YUCK! Plus, there would be a puddle from the sweat. UCK!!!

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  10. I just got back into the working world and the next best thing to being home all the time is self employment. I am a contractor for nuun and I love what I do. I don't technically have a boss since I am a contractor. I don't work very often so
    most days I get to do whatever I want......depending on what the kids and hubby have to say about it!

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  11. Best perk: flexible hours! I concentrate better in the evening, so I frequently use the morning to go to the gym/library/grocery and then get work done later on.

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  12. I'm a lil jealous of all you "at home workers". I haven't yet figured out how to follow suit...until then I'll be thankful that the dress code allows for me to wear jeans on a regular basis, break a sweet in the free gym 2 floors down, and and and...ok that's all I got.

    The view from my office/desk...when there's no smog...is the post office. If I stand up, move closer to the window and look down I see the metra. If I leave my desk and go to the other end of the building and up one flight of stairs I can see Busch Stadium (where the St. Louis Cardinals play).

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  13. Was spinning through some blogs during an interminable conference call (multitasking is good...no?), and got busted when I hadn't hit mute and busted out laughing when I read "You don’t get that in an office unless your boss’ name is Lucky and he is the most fortunate man in the world."

    Best work-at-home perk for me has always been taking the laptop out on the screen porch for some fresh-air working in Spring or Fall. Not doing that much lately since it's 99 degrees today in Raleigh, with 732% humidity.

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  14. After a year working a "real job" I have decided that I need a job where I don't have to wear pants. Ever. No pants = no problems. So basically I need to work from home! :)

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  15. I work from home and it is the best thing that has ever happened to me EVER.
    perks:
    -7:59am wakeup, at my desk by 8.
    -I am much more casual about showering now that no one sees me. I mean, I'm just going to get sweaty all over again, right? right?
    -set my online status to "available," crank the volume on the messenger, late afternoon nap on the couch.
    -I can go to the gym when no one else is there. it makes me cranky when I go late in the day. go away, people!

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  16. I love that I can get my dinner started, bake cakes and fold washing all in my work hours. I don't like the days where I get little human interaction but at least the chooks keep me entertained.

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  17. My computer lab is atop a six floor tower over looking the campus green. Needless to say, over the summer I curse the young and free lounging in the sun. I'm jealous of your setup! I wish I could drop what I was doing and go for a run. Or fart really loudly without feeling judged.

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  18. I would LOVE to work from home :( I would actually settle to work closer to home as well....commuting sucks big time :( but I do have flexible hours & for the most part non-annoying co-workers...oh and I have windows! Even I am not outside I don't feel as left out of what's happening in the outside world :)

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  19. I have pretty much worked for the past eleven years. After getting laid off a few weeks ago, I am enjoying the perks of "working at home". I already have a slipper tan from all the lovely time I have been spending outside with my kids. I love waking up and not sprinting around the house scrambling to get out the door. I can enjoy the coffee and morning news and eggs at my own pace while still in my pjs.

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  20. Sometimes I wish I had a job where I could work from home, or at least make my own schedule! But, I love my job and should be thankful for it!

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  21. hahah i'm working from home now aka studying. i liked it when the siblings were still in school!

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  22. Your set up sounds like absolute bliss!

    I have yet to find a way to take care of patients remotely from home - I'd be all over that!

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  23. I fart at work...I just warn people not to come into the cubical for a minute. haha. Stop by my blog if you want...I'm having a giveway

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  24. I'm every other week right now - client site vs home. Working from home is fun, although I'll admit that it is slightly less fun now that my wife is home for the summer...now I have to use all sorts of random reasons to fart. *cough*

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  25. haha! This post is hilarious. I am at a crossing point in my career and I trying to decide whether I should be a full-time freelancer (which would mean working at home) or keep trying to go corporate (in office, obviously). After reading this post, I'm really leaning towards the work at home option :) Thanks for making the decision easier!

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  26. I wish I could sleep in and exercise during the day :( What is your job?

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  27. Ha ha..your posts always make me laugh! :)
    Right now I'm staying home to be with my boys, so I guess you could say I work from home. Sometimes my boys and I don't get out of our PJ's until after lunch..ha ha. It's great!

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  28. I mostly work at my desk at the department, but sometimes from home. My work view is a busy street with a theater and a big ass museum where a lot of large tourist buses stop to load and unload the hoards. At home I have to contend with builders on one side and my crackhead neighbor and her antics on the other. It's a toss up really as to which is more soul destroying. Thankfully I'm moving soon.

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  29. That is perhaps the funniest work from home story! I love not wearing a watch! It's the best thing ever.

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  30. For some reason (I must be blog stupid) I can't post under my profile...

    I work from home, and would love it so much more if I could get all these kids (esp. my own) to nap everyday! :) That being said, I wouldn't change it for a second!

    Brooke

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  31. I would totally LOVE to work from home. I do it every now and then and I wish my company would allow me to do it more often. I get more done at home and I'm not as distracted. Plus, it would be nice to scratch yourself freely whenever you wanted and run around in nasty running clothes.

    I have a great view of the mountains from my office, which is nice.

    Rick and I biked to work yesterday too!

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  32. a nooner beer sounds perfect right about now!

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  33. I know you work from home, but what is your job and can you hire me? I stay home too, but don't get paid for it.

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  34. The clothes are my favorite part of working from home. Heels suck.

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  35. We have a program at my office where we get to work from home once a week. I am not eligible yet, but I have worked from home a few times and I love that I don't have to drag my stuff (food, gym clothes) all the way to Chicago (50 miles). If I want to have a snack, I just walk to the kitchen. And yoga during my lunch break!

    My view from my office in Chicago is of Lake Michigan :)

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  36. Yes, yes on working from home! Working in my robe = heaven. Except when the UPS guy shows up and needs me to sign for a package.

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  37. I envy you so much. I wish I could work from home too. I just hate the frantic morning run to the office, trying to gete there on time. I'll never get used to it!

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