The Empty Streets of Philadelphia

The title of this was going to be Wednesday is Weird except today is Tuesday. I am in my office today in the city for the first time in 103 days because I have a dentist appointment. It is super convenient to have all of your doctors within walking distance of your office until you are abruptly not in your office anymore for a long period of time.

Coming in today felt a little like coming in for my first day here in August 2008. Ahead of that day I thought what will the commute be like? How will it be going into the building? Will I know which elevator to go to? What if I get there and no one is in the office yet? 

I thought all of those things last night and today, but fast forward nearly 12 years. 

I have realized what is missing at my home office is a third monitor and an office chair, which I'm perusing on SunPan. 

I have missed walking around the city, but it's very weird to be in a city that is very empty of people and cars and movement compared to what it usually is, with lots of construction and what looks like temporary steel bridges, tables set up to service unhoused people, tent cities self-declared as autonomous zones, very few corner newspaper vendors or food carts, and just a lack of things I am used to seeing. Lots of things have changed in 103 days. Comfortable is not how I'd describe coming in today. I wouldn't use uncomfortable either. Bizarre? That might fit. 

The intro photo was taken at 11:30 when people are busting out of offices to take a walk, get lunch, run errands, etc. It is wild to see most things closed, stores that were boarded up that have not reopened still boarded up, and nearly everything empty of people. 

I misplaced my mind and looked into grad programs that I am not even interested in and now I am getting things from everywhere including medical (https://allsaintsuniversity.org/admissions/transfer-students/) which is not in my wheelhouse. 

I have not misplaced my fear of the dentist. That's still here, and it's amping up as my appointment at 1 pm to have the filling that partially fell out in the third week of quarantine approaches. 

How are you?