The US doesn’t have a lot of religious holidays, but it does have plenty of, let’s say, political (?) holidays. One of them just passed by – Martin Luther King Jr, or MLK day. Since this holiday happened to occur in the weekend this year, we all get an extra Monday off. Or, at least the non-researchers get an extra day off. I’m sure that if I went to the lab I’d find people there…
What then is MLK day? Honsetly, I have no idea. Last year I remember that I worked on MLK and on campus I saw banners about it. But this year I’m trying to get as much work as possible from home so that I only need to go to campus if I have something I really need to do in the lab. Although we have been allowed back in the lab since last August, I still try to stay away from it as much as possible. One reason is to give more space to my co-workers who really need to be in the lab. And the other one is that going to and from campus is probably the riskiest activity when it comes to contracting the virus. Although the Bay Area has started the vaccination program, only the elderly and people who work in healthcare have received their vaccinations. The rest of us are still under the Stay-at-home order, so we aren’t really supposed to go in unless we really have to…
As this long weekend is nearing its end, I think about how nice it was. Although it is only mid-January, the sky cleared and the sun came out and made the outdoors feel warm. Spring is in the air, and spring here in January really feels like Swedish spring in April or early May. Isn’t that interesting? I miss the Swedish spring, and summer, but I guess as we’ve already arrived at spring here, summer will soon arrive too. I’ll be happy to wake up in a room that isn’t freezing in the morning. And perhaps I’ll be able to spend more time working remotely out on our balcony?
Anyhow, happy MLK!