People are happier when they're apart?

So interesting side effect to social distancing and lock down -- people seem to be friendlier?   Lol out walking the dogs -- people wave from the porch or front yard every few houses.   That's just not a thing usually, with the sole exception of the occasional other dog walker.  Couples walking together, families with kids, everybody always smiling and waving safely from the other side of the road ;)

I've also been impressed that the last few days, everybody I passed was observing social distancing rules; lots of people stopping to chat with each other (a safe distance away), or situations where someone is on the front porch chatting with someone in the driveway (a couple cases with both in lawn chairs - settled in for a long chat).

I pulled Sasha and Tucker up into somebody's driveway to allow a woman pushing a stroller with *three* children in it to pass on the sidewalk and she was so appreciative.  Uh of the two of us, I think it's significantly easier for me to get out of the way.  Sheesh.

Sasha's loving this but Tucker's exhausted.  lol he's super-excited to go for walks, but has about a 20 minute time limit.   Sasha, otoh, would rather play all day.   When we go for walks she knows all the decision points along the route that decide whether we're going home or continuing the walk and she consistently tries super hard to herd me in the "keep going" direction ;)

I've also learned that the walks we go on are a lot longer than I think they are ;).  Lol now that I'm working from home, I'll often take her before work or at lunch -- but then I have to be back for a specific time.  Turns out that I mentally estimate about half the time it actually takes for a walk (eg - I expect the route to be 15 mins, takes half an hour).   Oops.

I'm still working full time (and grateful for it!) so I don't have the tons of free time lots of people do.  A shame on the one hand, cause my list of things I'd love to get done is fairly long, but good otoh because - employed.   LOVING working from home, although mildly amused that I'm actually working longer hours than when I was in the office -- mostly trying to keep my team functional, engaged, and pointed the same direction when they have little to no experience working from home.

I never realized before that running a remote meeting is an actual skillset.  lol until these last few weeks when I've painfully sat through meeting after meeting with people who lack that skillset.  Also the things I've been coaching people on that I never thought I'd have to say ("mute" is your friend! and if you share your full screen instead of just one app, make completely sure your IMs are blocked ;).  Lol ah well, mildly entertaining.

I don't feel stressed, but I suspect I subconsciously am...   Little things let me know -- I've had all kinds of sleep, but still had a coma-level nap this afternoon for several hours.   In my free time I can't focus enough to read or study, which are my usual go-tos, instead am baking or cross-stitching (which I've randomly become addicted to?!?!).   Read an interesting article about why people stress-bake or craft (which apparently I'm doing both of) -- having to do with the emotional high of creating something, without the need for actual creative skills ;).  Works for me.  Only thing with the baking is, it's followed by the eating.  Oops!

Current WIP - who knew eh?