the forecast is bleak, dreary and miserable

Nov 1, 2020

I’m not talking about the weather when I say the forecast is ‘bleak.’ I’m instead talking about the COVID forecast. Seriously… will this EVER end? Will life EVER return to normal?

I’ve pretty much figured out my work life as I knew it for over 15-years is gone. Gone forever. By the time companies are ready to have big meetings again, my favorite brother will be too old and I’ll have decided enough is enough. I don’t foresee 10-20 thousand people gathering in one enclosed ballroom happening for a very, very long time.

big meeting 2019

I pride myself on being one of those people with a Plan B for almost every situation. Typically, I have a plan C & D, as well. But who would’ve ever thought something like this could happen? Not me, that’s for sure. The only thing left to do is shift. A whole lot of shifting goin’ on ’round here.

Virtual meeting presenters – the pros – are commanding $7500-$10,000 for a gig instead of their in-person fee of $30k-$35k for an hour. The trickle effect means I’m commissioned on the new rate. And, because the situation rapidly changes, even spending $7500 on a speaker for a meeting is being reconsidered — other things are more pressing to companies right now.

virtual meetings

Within the first 15-minutes and with my morning coffee, I read…

  1. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announces nationwide lockdown in England
  2. For the first time since the Pandemic began, the US has reported over 500k cases in 1 week
  3. In Poland, patients are lying in the entrance hall for ambulances because hospital beds are all full
  4. The US breaks 100k cases in 24-hours
  5. Dr. Fauci says the US is still in the 1st wave of COVID
  6. El Paso, Texas issued a stay-at-home order (and closing of all non-essential services) because the COVID surge has put all hospitals at capacity

This too, shall pass. When? Who the Hell knows!

In the meantime, I’m grateful to be able to pay my bills, live in a decent house and have food to eat. Having said that… and at the risk of sounding like a full-fledged prepper… buy some extra toilet paper, order dog food to be shipped right now (shipping was so slow in March/April), and stock-up on what groceries you can.

TIL (Today I Learned):  When the Eagles broke up in 1980, Don Henley said in an interview that they would play again together “when Hell freezes over.” 14 years later, the Eagles released their comeback album, Hell Freezes Over. Read about it here…