Covid happened and it changed some things. Some good, some bad and some super weird. It’s affected our thoughts, patterns and our day to day life. Here at the Kladder household we’ve learned to roll with the punches and adapt just like everyone else and I thought it would be interesting to share a bit of what it’s been like for our family as we navigate this Post-Covid Era.
My alarm is set for 5:30am but it’s not really necessary because I’ve conditioned myself to be an early riser. The first hour and a half of my mornings are reserved for ‘me’ and I chose to spend my time at The Dailey Method. I’ve been a TDM ‘super-user’ for the last two and a half years in both the Barre and Cycle Studios. It’s been a perfect fit for my schedule and preferences (i.e. proximity to home, community, class offerings).
But back in March when Covid hit causing quarantine, TDM closed its doors and I struggled to figure out how to fill my fitness void. Like everyone else I considered a Peloton but couldn’t (still can’t) pull the trigger. I thought about getting an elliptical machine and spent some time on Facebook Marketplace but the logistics of moving it seemed annoying enough to pass on that option too. As for virtual-home workouts?… not for me, and running?… I’ve tried that too and vowed never to do it again. So, for the last 6 months I’ve spent my mornings walking and listening to a massive amount of podcasts staying overly informed about the todays latest news. Needless to say, it’s amped up our dinner table conversation - I can’t decide if Jeff is annoyed or impressed.
But then something incredible happened… the Friday before Labor Day Weekend the ban on gyms was lifted and TDM was allowed to host indoor classes again making me all sorts of excited. We’re back baby!!
So the alarm… it goes off but I’m already awake because of my internal clock. The evening before I’ve already set aside my workout clothes plus one of those blue medical masks which are now required for classes. It’s the first question everyone asks, “How is wearing a mask at spin?” The answer: it’s like wearing a mask anywhere else (the office, the grocery store, etc.) … it’s annoying for the first couple minutes and then you forget it’s there. But I know what they likely mean to ask and that’s, “Is it hard to breath with a mask during spin?” And I mean, totally, but I personally find it hard to breath during spin even without a mask so to me there’s not a whole lot of difference.
Over the last two weeks I’ve gathered a few takeaways. First, I recommend the blue medical masks because they are nice and light, easy around the ears and disposable. Second, if the price for me to workout at my favorite spin studio is to have a temperature check upon entry, answer a simple health questionnaire and wear a mask then, my friends, bring it on. Jeff asked me how if felt to be back and without skipping a beat I starred him straight in those handsome eyeballs of his and said, “It’s like when you’re out with your all your best friends and you happen to find yourself out on the dance floor, lights pulsing, closing time approaching and at that exact moment your song drops and your mind drains of all things except for that very moment.” Jeff responds, “So it was good?” And you guys, it’s been SO good.
7:00am hits and both kids alarms go off. Natalie has a true alarm clock that she sets each night before bed and it works really well for her while Thomas can’t tell time yet and uses his ‘okay-to-wake’ clock. The remainder of our morning is spent prepping for school and getting out the door for work. There’s the usual things like making coffee, putting lunches in backpacks and making sure the kids don’t look homeless. But there’s also new things like taking the daily online Kent County Health Survey so Natalie can attend kindergarten at GRCS and making sure the kids have clean masks for their lanyards. The other day Nat had a bloody nose at school and she used her mask to clean it up… super gross… it went straight into the trash. We also pack water bottles to help avoid water fountain use (a school request for both kids) and each Monday Natalie brings a clean towel for her to sit on during outdoor classes and during choice playtime. The towels help them social distance.
Mrs. Jonker, Natalie’s teacher, sends very regular blogs posts sharing the progress of the class and more often than not they include photos of the kids from the during the day. Recently the photos included ones of the kids during choice playtime and both Jeff and I commented on how oddly sad the photos seemed because yes, while the kids were happy at play, they were all separated and playing independently versus together like they might if there weren’t a global pandemic. Nevertheless, Natalie is very happy to be at school and as far as we know has no complaints other than she, “Wishes she didn’t have to sit in her chair so much.” Jeff and I have been thrilled with the consistent and transparent communication coming from leadership at GRCS and while Natalie may not like sitting in her chair that much, we are grateful for her opportunity to be in the classroom now and even beyond Covid.
Until this weekend GRCS has been Covid case free. However, we did received an email from our principal on Sunday letting us know that one child in a preschool class at the Iroquois campus tested positive. We were immediately notified and assured that all health and safety measures were being taken to close the loop on the exposure. Regardless, we had zero hesitancy to send Natalie to school on Monday because GRCS has set up a system where each classroom is isolated from one another preventing the spread from class to class which continues to give us confidence.
Thomas is off and running at Grace Church Preschool and loving it. Thomas knows no difference in the classroom because this is his first year. His teachers are doing a stellar job maintaining normalcy but also respecting the new health and safety measures. The kids are encouraged to wear masks but no forced and by way of the class photos on Facebook I’d say Thomas complies about 50% of the time in wearing his. His biggest complaint is surprisingly not wearing a mask, but those adorable button up shirts I make him put on (because they’re cute as heck) but they aren’t ‘comfy’ he tells me. He says those are his ‘church shirts’ and he’s right, but church hasn’t been a thing for 6 months now which about to change very soon.
This Sunday we will return to Mars Hill Church in Grandville for the first time since March. Mars Hill closed it’s doors after the shelter in place order was released and has since been hosting online services. Early on we did well with tuning into the services in our living room but as the weather got nicer we slowly stopped making it a priority for no reason other than we just don’t like virtual church. Jeff and I agree that there is something very sacred about being physically present and surrounded by a community that elevates our motivation and focus. We’ve really missed going to church.
This weekend we’ll take one step towards physically getting back to church. From what we understand the worship portion of the service will be prerecorded which is a bummer, but understandable in omitting the risk of spreading germs through singing. We still aren’t clear on whether we’ll be allowed to sing ourselves or if we’ll simply be asked to watch the worship performance on screen. They’ll also be omitting the weekly practice of eucharist and the prayer wall but have encouraged us to bring our ‘own elements’ if those things are desired. The teaching will be done by a REAL LIVE PERSON! and is the main reason we’ll be attending this Sunday.
Another reason we’re attending this weekend is because we are simply curious and eager for answers. Outside of the changes and challenges that Covid brought, Mars Hill took an additional hit when our lead pastor announced his departure earlier this summer. This extra curveball caused some unexpected shifts in priorities and leadership and because of this we’ve recognized the need to allow Mars Hill additional time to regroup before moving forward this year. Although, patience has never been my strong suit and living in the unknown has never been a comfortable place for me personally. Summer has been a beautiful distraction from our usual Sunday routine but now that Fall is here we are hopeful that Mars Hill can become home again.
By 8:30am I’ve pulled into the Steelcase parking lot and before even entering the building I’m tackling the list of entry requirements for working in the office: face mask, ID badge, health questionnaire and temperature check. I’ve been back in the office full-time for nearly a month and I gotta say that while working from home has it’s perks (no commute and not having to pack a lunch being at the top of the list), it has been really nice to get back into the office and be around co-workers again. The Steelcase office looks a little different with reduced and spaced out seating options, cardboard personal partitions for individual workstations and new safety and directional signage. The office is slightly louder now with constantly running HVAC systems and they’ve started introducing other social distancing solutions like lunch orders from the Cafe using an app.
And although my transition back to the office has been quite seamless the experience for others has been less than stellar. Since March the company has gone through a rollercoaster of changes. Just after the virus hit, Steelcase laid off all hourly employees bringing production to a halt while salaried employees were reduced to 50% time and pay. A month and a half later production was back up and running and salaried employees were moved up to 80% time and pay. For most of the summer I enjoyed Fridays off which was good timing if there were such a thing in all this mess.
Then, just before Labor Day Weekend all salaried employees were moved back to full-time pay and hours. At the same time they also announced we’d be reducing headcount across North America of 175 employees, or 5%. Over the last month there were a slew of retirements, voluntary leaves and layoffs and to say the least the mood in the office has been very somber. It’s hard to celebrate going back full-time when there are others losing their jobs.
While sales have been low, Steelcase is on the rise. For a large, Globally Integrated Enterprise we’ve been quick to pivot and find new ways to market our current products to customers as well as engineer new ones to better fit the evolving work style of today - which, honestly folks, is nothing new for Steelcase. This is what we do.
For a short video tour of one of my recent visits to the office you can check out my instagram story found here.
Jeff continues to enjoy his work at DWH and throughout the summer he found himself immersed in PPP loan research, understanding and guidance. He excels at making sense of complicated things which has been a valuable skill as businesses navigate the current economy. Jeff returned to the office as soon as his company would allow him to (he was not a fan of WFH) and for that I am grateful because during the weeks we were both home we found ourselves at opposite heads of our dining table answering emails and making calls - it was not the greatest set up. Jeff has a personal workspace at his office which has made social distancing much easier than for nomad workers like me.
The work and school day pass and come 5:30pm we’re all rolling into home for the remainder of the evening. The kids play outside with the neighbors until dinnertime which has been a complete blessing throughout this entire year. Early on when everyone was stuck at home we were lucky to have neighbors who made the time at home more enjoyable because we had the option to share it.
Throughout the summer Jeff and I spent a solid amount of time at the golf course for our prospective league nights in addition to the good handful of outings between the two of us. Golf has been one of the only activities available to us throughout this entire pandemic and for that we (especially Jeff) are very happy. Outside of the golf course we did our best to spend lots of time at the lake this summer with family. The lake is one of the only places where everything feels normal. Even at the golf course there are restrictions but not at Lake Bella Vista… this summer truly gave ‘lake life’ a whole new meaning.
To this day we still have not been directly linked with someone who’s tested positive with Covid. Our only claims could potentially be Jeff’s Dad who actually never tested positive but was sick early winter just before Covid became prevalent in the U.S. (we all think it’s certainly possible he had it) and you could maybe count our close friends sister who had it after a weekend trip that required plane travel.
The year 2020 continues to be weird and if anything it’s conditioned us to become more agile and patient which are two things I’ve always claimed I could use work on. With Fall upon us change is quite literally in the air and I expect our new skills of agility and patience to be immediately put to the test. Here’s hoping we pass.