Gotta go

Stop the Presses column by Chris Graham

This getting-up-and-going-to-work thing is going to be the death of me.

We feel sorry for you. Seriously, we do.

No, really.

See, for the past five years, I’ve worked out of an office in my home.

The idea at the outset was that as we were trying to launch our publishing empire, it might be best to keep costs down as much as possible.

But as the business grew, I have to admit that the motivation changed.

I liked being able to roll out of bed and be at my desk in less than five minutes.

So when we made the decision a couple of months ago that we had grown to the point of needing professional office space … needless to say, I have been on pins and needles since.

Um, er … and we’re supposed to feel sorry for you? Why?

Good question. I don’t why I’ve been so up in arms with myself, either.

I mean, it’s not like my writing career didn’t begin with going to an office every day.

And heck, for the first two years, the arrangement was that I had to be there at 6 a.m. – I worked for a paper that was at the time an afternoon paper, which meant that it was published sometime late morning.

For those who know me, they know that I am not at all a morning person – and that for me, the alarm is best set if it’s 8 a.m. or after.

(And even that’s pushing it.)

I don’t mind working late – but that getting-up-at-the-crack-of-dawn thing has never been for me.

Again, we’re supposed to feel sorry for you?

I was digressing there. The point is, I have a very flexible schedule these days – office or not.

Which is to say, no 6 a.m.’s for me.

Some of us have to be at work at six, buddy.

Ahem …

One other issue here – my dog, Benzi, has gotten used to the schedule that we’ve been on as much as we have, if not more.

And now … we’re away from the home office most of the day, meaning she’s stuck at home, alone.

(Note from Benzi: I get free run of the house. So it’s not as bad as he’s making it out to be. Signed, Benzi.)

And then this one last item – at home, I had free run of the refrigerator and pantry and the rest, meaning I could basically eat anything I wanted any time I wanted.

Come to think of it … maybe it’s not such a bad thing to be in the office from this perspective.

Hmmm … that could explain how I gained 80 pounds from the time I started working out of the home office to now.

That’s why they pay you the big bucks, genius.

So looking back on it … maybe this isn’t such a bad thing after all.

Yeah … I could get used to this.

 

Chris Graham is the executive editor of The New Dominion. His goal for 2007 – to become sleek and aerodynamic.