For those of us here at ASI, it’s been seven weeks since the coronavirus pandemic sent us to our collective homes to work, play and stay. Our staffers continue to find the bright spots in the new normal, from Blue Angel fly-bys to honoring front-line workers to socially distanced drive-by birthday parades. Plus, we’ve found some time to read some great books and binge on high-quality television. (Catch up with our ongoing Work-From-Home series by reading last week’s installment here.)

Samantha Humes, Marketing Content Manager

Highlight of the Week: I took a day off to go for a much-needed mental-break hike (while social distancing, of course). It was nice getting out into nature for a bit!

Content Recommendation: I just finished reading Long Bright River, a new mystery novel that takes place in the Kensington section of Philadelphia. So good!

Elizabeth Italia, Executive Director, Marketing Content

Highlight of the Week: No surprise here. I’m fostering a badly neglected cat from a nonprofit in NYC. They transported her to me last weekend. I’ve gotten her to purr and play – major progress in only a few days after months of sporadic aggression. Her name is Sunshine, and my goal is to help her better fit her name.

Content Recommendation: I just finished a book by former homicide investigator Joe Kenda. Well, my, my, my.

Jake Krolick, Executive Creative Director, Marketing

Highlight of the Week: This past weekend, we had some distanced outdoor hangs with masks with our neighbors. It was nice to start to re-socialize a bit.

Content Recommendation: There are too many to list, but here’s one from today: 68 tidbits of advice from someone who just turned 68.

John Corrigan, Senior Writer, Editorial

Highlight of the Week: My new neighbor offering his weed whacker while I was yanking crab grass out of the yard.

Content Recommendation: The Sopranos Sessions. It’s written by two TV critics from New Jersey’s The Star-Ledger and dives into the symbolism and behind-the-scenes details of every episode, including a new interview with creator David Chase where he elaborates on the controversial ending.

Joe Haley, Product Editor, Editorial & Education Director, Human Resources

Highlight of the Week: Those few minutes my son Shane and I stood outside in the sunshine waiting for the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds to fly overhead. It was brief, but still pretty cool and a nice way to break up the day.

Content Recommendation: The Philadelphia Inquirer sports staff has done a phenomenal job filling the sports section with great articles. With no sports right now, one would think it would be an irrelevant section, but I’ve enjoyed the throwback look at teams, games, playoff victories and defeats, and star athletes. It’s been a nice break from all the COVID-19 news.

Rebecca Young, Senior Web Designer, ASI Creative Labs

Rebecca’s children created a banner for the family’s social-distance birthday parade.

Highlight of the Week: A social-distance parade we held for my aunt’s 70th birthday. About 15 cars paraded past her house, and then we all parked and sang “Happy Birthday.”

Content Recommendation: A few days before ASI’s offices closed, some books were left up for grabs in the break room. I ended up snagging Into the Water, by Paula Hawkins, and really enjoyed it. So, to the ASI employee who left the books – thank you! I’ll be sure to pay it forward once we’re all allowed to have contact again.

Rick Angeloni, Design Director, ASI Creative Labs

Rick is celebrating 23 years of marriage to wife Lisa.

Highlight of the Week: Celebrating 23 years of marriage to my intelligent, beautiful soulmate, Lisa. We were married on one of those perfect, sunny, but not-too-hot spring days in April – three days after the season’s last snowstorm. My luck started that day and continues on.

Content Recommendation: The series Ozark and the tongue-in-cheek book A Woman First: First Woman. Both great, but at different ends of the spectrum.

Lindsey Stewart, Copy Editor

Highlight of the Week: Baking some vegan cookies for my sister and sending them on their way, and FINALLY getting through online to buy some wine.

Content Recommendation: My reading so far has all been plague- and disease-based. I think The Plague by Camus has been my favorite, though. People always groan and roll their eyes when I tell them that, but I loved it. There are some crazy parallels to what’s happening now, and it was weirdly reassuring even if it’s not bursting with positivity (and it definitely isn’t). It’s about what it means to be human. My other picks: The Ghost Map by Steven Johnson, about the 1854 cholera outbreak in London, and next up are The Great Mortality by John Kelly, The Corner That Held Them by Sylvia Townsend Warner, and The Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio, which are all about or set during the Black Death in Italy and the rest of Europe.

Melissa Newman, Social Media Manager

Melissa’s nephew celebrated his 7th birthday during the pandemic.

Highlight of the Week: Celebrating my nephew’s 7th birthday this week! He’s grown into such a sweet, little boy. It was a great time for my family and some much-needed normalcy. We ate cake, played games and enjoyed each other’s company.

Content Recommendation: Have you seen Insecure on HBO? If not, you must! One of my favorite shows. Totally obsessed. The writing is incredible, and Issa Rae has created a series that is truly unique. I think she has elevated the space for other creatives to make better art, and I truly thank her for that.

Dawn Shurmaitis, Public Relations & Corporate Communications Director

Dawn’s best writing buddy perked up her day with a surprise delivery of tulips.

Highlight of the Week: Out of the blue on a gloomy day the UPS truck pulls up. Bring in the odd-shaped oblong box (with gloves on!) and open it to find lovely tulips and a note from my best writing buddy. We spent our best times at an outdoor café on the Asbury boardwalk, trading ideas and editing each other’s stories (the martinis REALLY help the editing process). I’ve posted little dispatches on Facebook throughout all this, and the flowers were to say she enjoyed my posts and missed me. So sweet, so simple. So very much appreciated. Human connection, from afar.

Content Recommendation: I reread Where the Crawdads Sing. It’s perfect because it’s about an abandoned little girl, alone in nature, taking solace in the plants, birds and animals that live in the desolate marshes that surround her.