There is a new Joe in town

We have been doing some work around the house this summer, which has meant a lot of moving stuff around. As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, we are trying to eliminate some stuff (treasures or junk?) from our house. A couple of weeks ago, I wrote that our three daughters, Jordan, Megan and Ryan, were going to have a bonfire and just burn all of our stuff once we are gone. Ryan responded this way: "In my defense, I said I'd burn your wood crates, not all of your crap!" So there you have it. Weenie roast at our house when we are gone. I am getting tired of moving up the stairs, down the stairs, into the garage, out of the garage. Every time I pick something up to move I ask myself, "do we really need this?" But the end is in sight. We started Monday night moving all of our stuff back into our living room. I recently got a recliner and I am now able to enjoy watching football the way it should be watched — feet up, shoes off with a Diet Coke and chips at my side. During all of our work, I moved my desk to the basement. The desk is coming back, but my computer is staying downstairs. I am now the second Joe who has moved into the basement. The other Joe made going into the basement a big thing a couple of years ago. The was written by Matt Viser of The Washington Post and posted on Nov. 21, 2020: "Joe Biden spent months of his presidential campaign safely ensconced in his basement, communicating to the country via a television camera. His convention speech was delivered to a near-empty room in Delaware. His remarks after being declared the 46th president were given before a distanced parking lot full of honking cars. "And now, as candidate Biden transitions to President Biden, he is planning an inauguration ceremony that, like his campaign, will look like no other in recent American history. "Discussions are ongoing about requiring everyone to wear masks and stand at a social distance, according to interviews with a half dozen people involved in the planning. Those allowed near Biden for the inauguration ceremony will likely undergo coronavirus testing. The traditional post-swearing-in luncheon, held in Statuary Hall with members of Congress, could be scrapped altogether. There may not be any inaugural balls. Crowds, in all cases, will likely be severely limited." If the other Joe can do all of that from his basement, why can't I do the same thing? Down there I have everything I need — a smaller desk, a lamp and a nice chair. Nobody bothers me. My dog, Sparty, comes down once in awhile to see me. He sometimes will jump into my lap and sit for a couple of minutes. Jody rolls through if she is doing the laundry. Other than that, I have my own little space in the basement, just like the other Joe. The one thing I don't have is a television, and that is the one bad thing. We used to have a cable hookup in the basement, but a couple of years ago Spectrum started charging extra for every TV you have. That is something I can live with. I do most of my work every day in the office, but have to finish up my pages when I get home. This job is a lot different than what it was when I started some 43 years ago. Back then everybody worked from the office — from writing to paste-up to printing. Now, people can work from their home, from the local McDonald's or even their basement. Every morning when I see the paper I can proudly stand back and say, "I did that." There is a new Joe in town. Joe Centers is Reflector community editor. He can be reached at jcenters@norwalkreflector.com.