What works at home doesn't work in a cubicle!

I started thinking about some of the things I do in my home office I've begun taking for granted that just wouldn't translate well if I were forced back into the cubicle life I escaped from a couple of years back. Then I imagined how funny it would be if the next time I visit head office I do all of these things:

-Set up an aquarium and feed the fish while I wait for my computer to boot up.
-Let my 80 pound dogs chew on large bones while sitting laying beside my chair.
-Sleep in until 11:30 and then wander into work unwashed, teeth un-brushed, wearing nothing but boxers and a t-shirt.
-Let piles of dirty dishes accumulate on my desk to match the overflowing recycling bin full of pop bottles (oh wait - I DID do that when I worked at head office.)
-Hang my swords and other assorted Kung-Fu weapons from my cubicle walls.
-Work with a large ratty old blanket on my lap during cold winter months.
-Blare loud music and sing along loudly (and badly) to profanity laced classic New Wave tunes a la the Pixies and the Violent Femmes etc.
-Do a little dance when a particularly good song comes on.
-Fart and burp loudly, then turn to my dogs and say "wow, that was a big one!" while they look at me with cute puzzled doggy expressions.
-Leave the office periodically whenever I feel like to run errands or whatever
-Scratch wherever it itches
-Make loud inappropriate comments to no one in particular about the phone call I just finished
-Update my Facebook status multiple times a day
-Write a blog entry about how much work sucks while at work
-Pull out a laser pointer and get the cats to run around and climb the walls chasing it
-Decide it's a nice day and I feel like working outside - so take my computer outside (might be hard with a desktop model!)
-Take an afternoon nap in the corner
-Look at the call display on the phone and say loudly "Go away, I don't want to talk to you right now!".
-Set up a dart board with pictures of some of my favorite agents on it (I haven't done this at home yet, but I will eventually).
-Yell at my dogs to stop barking and chasing the cats around the cubicle
-Do a few loads of laundry in between files
-Mock the Internet radio commercials (especially those stupid E-surance ones!)
-Stop by the living room to watch part of "So you think you can Dance" on your way back from a washroom break - this might take while as it would involve returning to the hotel!
-Catch up on a few cases in front of the TV during commercials.
-My wife and daughters occasionally coming into my cubicle to ask questions or just chat
-Playing fetch with my dogs on a break


Note: Yes, I am kind of a slob. But, just so you don't think I'm totally unprofessional - I do get my work done and when I take time to do various non-work things I make up the time. Part of the joy of working from home is the flexibility of the schedule. None of these things has any negative impact on my actual work performance. (there - had to put that just in case my boss reads this blog :o)

My outdoor office

I know some people work at coffee shops on their laptops and things like that, so the novelty of this may not appear to be that exciting to everyone. But for me, this is a really exciting additional perk of working from home. I underwrite life insurance remotely by connecting to my employers network over the Internet.

Let me explain. We don't have a deck yet (that's in the plans for Phase 2 of renovations), so I made a quick temporary one tucked up against the house underneath an overhang - what would have at one time been the "front" entrance. And I ran a phone line outside and built in a little desk and presto - hook up my laptop and I've got an outdoor office overlooking the yard. In this wonderful summer weather it's just fantastic. I can watch the dogs laze around (or run to the fence to bark at a passing motorcycle - why do Harleys get them so riled up???). The light and fresh air are rejuvenating. Taking a break is a matter of looking up from my work and taking a deep breath. Its better than any corner office! I highly recommend it! My view includes a lush carpet of lawn, mountains across the valley peaking out between the greenery of the maple, Linden and Cherry trees whose foliage offers ample shade, and the nice cedar fence I installed earlier this spring (but haven't quite finished yet and certainly haven't paid for yet!). In this moment, life is good!