Working from home and the Mass. special election

I assure you this is not a political post.  The only thing I will say is it was nice to have voter turnout in some cities/towns as high as 78% yesterday, especially after the dismal and truly embarrassing turnout of less than 15% statewide for the primary.

Now on to work/life.

I work from home.  I love it.  It has its challenges.  Some of them are self-imposed like the fact that I love living in the city…which is rather expensive…which means our house is not a palace.  It is a modest 2-bedroom condo with no office.  I may be one of the only people who actually uses their laptop on their lap, most of the time.  I’m not complaining – I like being in my PJs on my comfy bed talking, writing, blathering away to you all.  But it really does have its challenges.  Like right now as I’m writing in the dark so as not to disturb the sleeping household.  Other work from home fun includes:

• Little one who feels it is her right to have access to her mommy 24/7 – knocking on the door before barging in is a big improvement though.

• A television set that mocks me on days that I’d rather not work – sorry cable, you had to bite it, “True Hollywood Story” was just too much to resist.

• Home-based childcare – what’s not to like about having your child’s laundry done for you?  But the machines are in the master bath…which really means the bathroom everyone needs to tromp through my “office” to get to.

• A consultant hubby who is curently “on the beach” which is consultant speak for no active client.  So he’s been hanging around the house looking for a project, a playmate, a lunch date or just someone to talk to.

• A busy building where I know and like the vendors like the UPS guy whose family we’ve gone camping with, seriously!  So the buzzer of my unit rings a lot – even if packages aren’t for me.

• Neighbors children who know I’m home and have extra keys when they lock themselves out, or call on me when they can’t get their parents car out/in to a tight parking space or have recently baked cookies and want to share (this last one is actually quite a nice perk!)

So I’m used to distractions…but I also like to read, think, read more, think more, think more, think more and then write.  It’s a process which can be easily derailed so the fewer distractions the better when I finally get around to putting fingers to keyboard.

Unfortunately a heated political campaign takes precedence – at least in the minds of the candidates and their managers.  Apparently political campaigns don’t have to pay attention to the do not call lists.  Did you know that?  I didn’t.  But it makes sense…I mean hey why not give yourselves the power to not only make the laws but also the loopholes that benefit you.

In a typical week my home phone never rings.  In fact there are times I completely forget it exists.  But that was impossible in the last week and a half.  Starting a week ago Sunday my home phone received roughly 5 calls a day…per candidate!  Now don’t get me wrong being called by the Leader of the Free World is a little heady, even if it is a recorded call.  Did you hear from President Obama this week?  That’s what I thought.  And I know my Dad would have gotten a kick out of Curt Schilling calling.  I mean that bloody sock game is the stuff legends are made of…especially for us dramatic, long-suffering Red Sox fans.  That was fun and all but the calls kept coming and I couldn’t take it.  So I did what I do…I was a twit…which means I sent a message to both candidates on twitter last Tuesday:

@leanneclc:  I’m serious @marthacoakley and @scottbrownMA stop calling my home – at this point you are harassing us and now I don’t like either of you!

And it worked…the calls stopped for the rest of that day and the next…I got some work done…but then they just couldn’t help themselves anymore and needed to reach out and touch my home again, and again, and again.

The election is over…but I think I’ve learned a powerful lesson…there is a volume button on the ringer and clearly I need to use it more effectively.  Especially during the political season in Massachusetts.