what are you doing right now?

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

My dumbass brother got caught driving while smoking a certain substance.  With my nephew in the car.  He is lucky the cop wasn't great at his job because he didn't find the main stash so all he got was a citation.  At worst he will have to pay a $150 fine because Iowa isn't really interested in having more people incarcerated for small drug offenses.

My dad was livid.  First it's his car that would have been impounded.  Second nephew was in the car!   Dad said that sure as hell wouldn't help your custody case now would it?  And what if they had decided to arrest him and dumb butt mom was passed out somewhere?  Now neither one of you have custody.

God how dumb can you be?!

[giramomma]

I'm still digesting. This week was a weird one at work.

Some things are so bad that all you can do is laugh. Because why wouldn't an organization market a product that doesn't exist?

We are now on the radar at the VP-level of our whole organization. That has some worrisome implications about the longevity of our unit. Once, they told us we had two choices, do it well our way, and take care of ourselves, or let the VP types step in...and things would be done their way (which we likely wouldn't like). They've started stepping in.  I can't get a sense of what folks think about this, because we are a unit that promotes toxic positivity in the workplace. 

I also was handed a win. Not in an adversarial way, but I was heard and considered sort of way. It's a step in the right direction.

[daisylu]

Oct 12, 2023 7:04:33 GMT -5 andi9899 said:

Oct 11, 2023 14:47:18 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

how have your parents managed to raise grandchildren that are ready to launch, but not your sister? wow! my sister and I were both like you - get out as soon as possible and launch. yes, I moved back home for a little while at 25 or 26, but it was a strategic thing and I got out real quick. I'd been travelling most of my time for work, and it made more $ sense for me to store my shit there and travel. 

By coddling her. Her whole life she would cry when things didn't go her way and the solution was "be nice to her, she's sensitive." Mom and dad want her to move out but neither will force her. The kids want so badly to be out that my nephew already has and my niece is trying to.

She's also someone who gets comfortable and stays there. She's comfortable at the house so why would she try and leave? She could probably make a lot more money if she looked around. She won't because she likes where she works. Sorry, but I like money, so if I can find a better situation, I'm out. Instead she works various side hustles.She still never has any money.

Why does she not have any money when she has a job and pays no bills? Her kids. Her kids always have the newest iPhone, my niece had the gall to ask for a $1,200 prom dress. She settled on a $500 one which she asked my nephew to help pay for. I told him not to, but he did. She's constantly taking them out to eat so she can spend time with them because she has no friends. When she's not doing that she's going to the winery with my cousins. If she's at home she's eating fast food and drinking.

There's more but that's the cliffnotes.

This could have been written about my sister, who is 4 years younger than me, except for the making good money part. She would happily move in with men, but always returned to mom and dad - at least until she got married. It pissed me off to no end that she made good money but never had any, even though her only bills were car payment & insurance and her cell phone.

ETA - My parents lost a baby to SIDS at 2 months of age between my & sister, so I kind of understand my parents coddling her. I will also admit to having babied her. Hell until she got married I did her benefits enrollment every year.

[daisylu]

Welcome back soupandstew

[daisylu]

Just had an interesting call with my manager. We had been being nice to the facilities to try to get them to buy into the improvements we are trying to make, because nobody trusts when corporate shows up at your door. Well, I have been instructed to bring my b*itch back out, and just lay down the law and anybody who does not want to follow can find another line of work. 

Lawd, this man has no idea what he has unleashed.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

A tad annoyed.  Okay a tad more than annoyed.

Someone got promoted here so her associate position opens up.  I already heard through the grapevine that a certain someone (my manager) does not think that I am qualified to be an Associate chemist.

Yet the intern we had here last winter, who will have just graduated, has no work experience and really didn't do jack shit in the lab will be hired as an Associate if he wants the job.  The argument is well this comes out of the R& budget not our department.

So what the company is saying is if I want to be promoted I need to quit, come back as an intern and THEN I'll get a position I am significantly more qualified for than a 20 something brand new graduate.

WTF?!

I have HPLC experience, I've written protocols and methods.  I have overall 15 years in the industry.   The only freaking difference between a chemistry bachelor's and a biology bachelor's is P-Chem.  A case can actually be made my education was more rigorous because I was required to take extensive math courses and other 200+ classes Chemistry majors did not.

I am applying anyhow.  Make them say no to my face.  I want to see what pretzels they turn themselves into trying to argue I couldn't handle being an Associate which if you take out the metrics for titles in academics that is essentially the job I have been doing most of my career.  I actually qualified as a step above.   

I had the experience to be a Research Coordinator I just didn't have the stupid piece of paper.  

[finnime]

Glad you're back, soupandstew.

[cooper88]

I'm glad to see you again, soupandstew.

[notagain]

Am I missing something?I don't see anything from soup but I'm glad she's back!!

[Pink Cashmere]

Oct 12, 2023 2:13:13 GMT -5 Works4me said:

Oct 11, 2023 21:33:36 GMT -5 Pink Cashmere said:

I think our bottom oven is going out. The top oven got wonky a few years ago, it only works if the lower oven is on.

My plan today was to bake some potatoes, and top them with shredded chicken breast I also baked. I’m not an expert cook, but I’ve baked both chicken breasts and potatoes many times with no issue. It has never taken several hours for either of them to cook. I gave up over an hour ago and asked Mister if he wanted me to just fix him a salad.

I had my heart set on what I’d planned to eat, so I still haven’t eaten. Dinner was supposed to have been done and consumed way before now.

Mister looked in the oven, and the element has some dark spots on it, so he says he will investigate further tomorrow.

When the top oven got crazy, we were going to just replace it all, but measuring to make sure whatever double ovens we could buy fit just right in the space got tricky. Then we discovered that the top one would work if we needed more room than what would fit in just the lower one, as long as the lower one was on, and we just rolled with that, instead of replacing them. 

I hope he can just fix it and that the parts are available for him to replace whatever, so I can deal with replacing them at a later date. It’s old, and the parts needed for the top oven were no longer available when it started acting up. I remember how stressful it was back then, looking to replace them with ones that fit in the space, and I wasn’t even already stressed tf out about other shit, like I am now. I do NOT want to add replacing the ovens to my plate right now.

Does the top oven get hot enough to use for baking? If so, have you tried turning both ovens on and using the top one for baking? If all that matters is that the bottom oven is on, this could be a work around for now.I agree that the last thing you need is to replace those ovens right nowl.

I have another idea: because temperature is so important when baking,.get an oven thermometer. I use one all the time and it really helps. Knowing the real oven temp.has kept me from the frustration of burning or under cooking more times than I can count. There are hanging ones available for less than $10 on Amazon.

ETA - The other thing we are doing for now is to  use a toaster oven. J found one that is made by Cuisinart that is curved in the back to bake a medium size pizza.

I was thinking the same thing, see if the top one would work. I didn’t notice anything wrong until yesterday.

An oven thermometer sounds like it’s useful even when the oven isn’t acting up. I’d never thought about getting one, but I will now.

CCL also suggested a toaster oven, and I see you second the idea.

Thank you for your suggestions!

[notagain]

Pink pick i only use a toaster oven and have for years. It won't cook a big turkey but just about everything else and doesn't heat up the whole house

[giramomma]

Oct 12, 2023 9:38:45 GMT -5 daisylu said:

Just had an interesting call with my manager. We had been being nice to the facilities to try to get them to buy into the improvements we are trying to make, because nobody trusts when corporate shows up at your door. Well, I have been instructed to bring my b*itch back out, and just lay down the law and anybody who does not want to follow can find another line of work. 

Lawd, this man has no idea what he has unleashed.

What kind of change management tactics are you using?

[daisylu]

Oct 12, 2023 10:44:03 GMT -5 giramomma said:

Oct 12, 2023 9:38:45 GMT -5 daisylu said:

Just had an interesting call with my manager. We had been being nice to the facilities to try to get them to buy into the improvements we are trying to make, because nobody trusts when corporate shows up at your door. Well, I have been instructed to bring my b*itch back out, and just lay down the law and anybody who does not want to follow can find another line of work. 

Lawd, this man has no idea what he has unleashed.

What kind of change management tactics are you using?

Mostly the 7 Rs. But this particular project was rushed, IMO, and keeps evolving.

[Artemis Windsong]

I'm watching the zoo tv show  train a king cobra to switch rooms. They succeeded.  Also the female kiwi is rejecting the males presented.  Someone has to stay up all night to watch them.  LOL  Dating game.

I'm taking the day off exercise.  Yesterday afternoon my power switch turned off after I'd cleaned the shower.  I was so tired I could barely get dressed.  I usually shower around noon after exercise.

H. just told me a joke.  I am of the age where if you text me at 10:17 p.m.  I will text you back at 5:13 a.m.

I was toying with the idea of taking ranch management online course.  My late Dad when I was early 20s said he'd get me a ranch if I took the course.  Well, the local college threw a fit that I wasn't in ranching already and wouldn't let me in. Anyhow, I told Dad I'd hire a manager.  He did buy it. 

Go down the road 15 years and his sugar baby did take the course, goes to the ranch to claim it, and the ranch manager (owner?) told her to get lost.  So I am now 60 years down the road.  The extension course from Penn is $139 and 19 hours.  I didn't check further.  I expect the 19 hours is 4 courses for a semester or year.

[lurkyloo]

Whirlwind of a week, I hope it’s slowing down now.  DS picked up a cold as a souvenir, nasty enough I kept him home Tues (and the teacher thought he needed to come home an hour early yesterday? despite DS and the nurse both thinking he was fine? whatever, he was there for most of the instruction and has been tiring easily).  DH was headed right back out of town for work; I had arranged for the babysitter to stay late, except shades of pandemic and she accepted when I offered the option of skipping bc catching a cold sucks.  Thing is I can’t take PP on his customary two hour nightly walk without sitter coverage.  Wound up equipping DS with his Apple watch and texting his number to the neighbor mom of classmate while I took PP out for a 20 min walk.  Long story short, he is now a giant fan of texting neighbor kid and they have nefarious plans to make a kiddie pool full of slime this weekend    

Like I said, life is going to be very boring when he goes off to college 

Good news, his ankle is basically healed although he’s banned from high-impact stuff another week or three.  He chose to wear the boot a little longer and promptly validated that by whacking it on a chair leg on the way out of the doctors office.

[Cookies Galore]

Oct 12, 2023 9:43:36 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

A tad annoyed.  Okay a tad more than annoyed.

Someone got promoted here so her associate position opens up.  I already heard through the grapevine that a certain someone (my manager) does not think that I am qualified to be an Associate chemist.

Yet the intern we had here last winter, who will have just graduated, has no work experience and really didn't do jack shit in the lab will be hired as an Associate if he wants the job.  The argument is well this comes out of the R& budget not our department.

So what the company is saying is if I want to be promoted I need to quit, come back as an intern and THEN I'll get a position I am significantly more qualified for than a 20 something brand new graduate.

WTF?!

I have HPLC experience, I've written protocols and methods.  I have overall 15 years in the industry.   The only freaking difference between a chemistry bachelor's and a biology bachelor's is P-Chem.  A case can actually be made my education was more rigorous because I was required to take extensive math courses and other 200+ classes Chemistry majors did not.

I am applying anyhow.  Make them say no to my face.  I want to see what pretzels they turn themselves into trying to argue I couldn't handle being an Associate which if you take out the metrics for titles in academics that is essentially the job I have been doing most of my career.  I actually qualified as a step above.   

I had the experience to be a Research Coordinator I just didn't have the stupid piece of paper.  

There's you answer!

[Pink Cashmere]

Oct 12, 2023 7:21:12 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

Oct 12, 2023 7:04:33 GMT -5 andi9899 said:

By coddling her. Her whole life she would cry when things didn't go her way and the solution was "be nice to her, she's sensitive." Mom and dad want her to move out but neither will force her. The kids want so badly to be out that my nephew already has and my niece is trying to.

She's also someone who gets comfortable and stays there. She's comfortable at the house so why would she try and leave? She could probably make a lot more money if she looked around. She won't because she likes where she works. Sorry, but I like money, so if I can find a better situation, I'm out. Instead she works various side hustles.She still never has any money.

Why does she not have any money when she has a job and pays no bills? Her kids. Her kids always have the newest iPhone, my niece had the gall to ask for a $1,200 prom dress. She settled on a $500 one which she asked my nephew to help pay for. I told him not to, but he did. She's constantly taking them out to eat so she can spend time with them because she has no friends. When she's not doing that she's going to the winery with my cousins. If she's at home she's eating fast food and drinking.

There's more but that's the cliffnotes.

ugh. I can't fathom that kind of mindset.

Me neither. When my ex husband and I split, I had 2 toddlers. My Mom kept trying to get me to move back in with her. I appreciated having somewhere to go if I absolutely had too, but no thanks. I liked having my own place, where I was the Queen of the household. 

I was fortunate that my Grandmother let me live in a house she owned, even though the neighborhood had become terrible. I preferred to live in the ‘hood, by myself with 2 young children, until I could do better, over moving back in with my Mom.

I was a SAHM while I was married, so I didn’t have a job when he left, and he took the car. When I was fretting about how I was going to find a job with no car, my Aunt told me not to worry about that, I’d have a way to get to work. She let me drive her car when I had an interview, and I had a job at a bank in less than a month after he left. My Grandmother still had her husband’s car after he died, and she let me keep it so I could get back and forth to work. It was an old Buick “Deuce and a quarter”, a big boat, but it was reliable. I drove it for a few months until I got mad and went and stole the car back from my ex-husband lol. 

When I got a job in a different department at the same bank, working in the daytime and making a little more money, I put my children in daycare so my family didn’t have to keep babysitting for me.

2 years after we split, I got hired at my current job. 3 years after that, I bought my house. I was 29yo.

My family helped me a lot after that, with childcare and getting my children back and forth to school, because of my work schedule. My ex’s parents and sister helped a lot too with that.

But at least I was trying to be responsible and moving forward when my family was helping me with transportation and a house to live in, and as soon as I could do better with both, I did. I wanted my own stuff and my own place for me and my children to live in. 

[Pink Cashmere]

Oct 12, 2023 10:42:31 GMT -5 notagain said:

Pink pick i only use a toaster oven and have for years. It won't cook a big turkey but just about everything else and doesn't heat up the whole house

I will try to see if the top oven will still work if the lower oven is just on low. 

I don’t have much counter space, but I will look into toaster ovens and figure out where to put one if the above doesn’t work and Mister doesn’t see if he can fix the lower oven. That’s a better option than feeling pressure to hurry up and figure out replacing the double ovens and possibly having to modify the space the current set are in. 

[andi9899]

Oct 12, 2023 8:37:09 GMT -5 giramomma said:

Oct 12, 2023 7:04:33 GMT -5 andi9899 said:

Why does she not have any money when she has a job and pays no bills? Her kids. Her kids always have the newest iPhone, my niece had the gall to ask for a $1,200 prom dress. She settled on a $500 one which she asked my nephew to help pay for. I told him not to, but he did. She's constantly taking them out to eat so she can spend time with them because she has no friends. When she's not doing that she's going to the winery with my cousins. If she's at home she's eating fast food and drinking.

There's more but that's the cliffnotes.

Damn.

I need to hug DD1. She kept homecoming to about 150. That included the dress, acrylic nails, dinner, and earrings. Her boyfriend (ok, I giggled at that) bought her homecoming ticket. 

That's about how my kids roll. Don't get me wrong, I do a lot for mine and probably help them out a little too much. I just can't believe how entitled my niece is. I'm sure I told you guys this but one Christmas my nephew asked her what she wanted as a present. She said a Prada bag. I would never think to ask someone for something like that and neither would my kids. He told her no. Her response was "why not? You have money." What?! Even if someone had boatloads of money I would never ask for something like that. She didn't get it. Instead my sister got her a Guess bag. She also got her this expensive jacket that I wouldn't have gotten her. You know what she got from me? Makeup that I bought with Ulta points and $50. My kids got makeup and $100 each. The adults got a bottle of booze and $50 each. Prada bag my ass.

[giramomma]

Drama,

Let me know if you want interview tips when you are trying to transition into a different position.

This is one of the things the career counselor talked to me about.

[andi9899]

Oct 12, 2023 8:38:04 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

My dumbass brother got caught driving while smoking a certain substance.  With my nephew in the car.  He is lucky the cop wasn't great at his job because he didn't find the main stash so all he got was a citation.  At worst he will have to pay a $150 fine because Iowa isn't really interested in having more people incarcerated for small drug offenses.

My dad was livid.  First it's his car that would have been impounded.  Second nephew was in the car!   Dad said that sure as hell wouldn't help your custody case now would it?  And what if they had decided to arrest him and dumb butt mom was passed out somewhere?  Now neither one of you have custody.

God how dumb can you be?!

Wow. He very well could have gotten arrested, dad's car impounded and had the kid end up in foster care. I hope you actually smacked him. If not, you want me to?

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Oct 12, 2023 12:06:28 GMT -5 andi9899 said:

Oct 12, 2023 8:38:04 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

My dumbass brother got caught driving while smoking a certain substance.  With my nephew in the car.  He is lucky the cop wasn't great at his job because he didn't find the main stash so all he got was a citation.  At worst he will have to pay a $150 fine because Iowa isn't really interested in having more people incarcerated for small drug offenses.

My dad was livid.  First it's his car that would have been impounded.  Second nephew was in the car!   Dad said that sure as hell wouldn't help your custody case now would it?  And what if they had decided to arrest him and dumb butt mom was passed out somewhere?  Now neither one of you have custody.

God how dumb can you be?!

Wow. He very well could have gotten arrested, dad's car impounded and had the kid end up in foster care. I hope you actually smacked him. If not, you want me to?

No my dad ripped him a new one.  He told him he would have come to get the car then left his ass in jail.

I'm assuming that either my dad and/or we would be contacted about Archie if it came to that.  I've heard they usually prefer family take them first.   We are the most stable but don't have a separate room for him.  He'd have to live across the street with me as his legal guardian.   Her sister isn't all there mentally and I don't think she has many other relatives.  

I'd be immediate family as his sister.   My dad, Dh and I have had these conversations before which sucks but I figure better to do it now while it's hypothetical just in case.

[weltz]

Oct 12, 2023 8:38:04 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

My dumbass brother got caught driving while smoking a certain substance.  With my nephew in the car.  He is lucky the cop wasn't great at his job because he didn't find the main stash so all he got was a citation.  At worst he will have to pay a $150 fine because Iowa isn't really interested in having more people incarcerated for small drug offenses.

My dad was livid.  First it's his car that whave been impounded.  Second nephew was in the car!   Dad said that sure as hell wouldn't help your custody case now would it?  And what if they had decided to arrest him and dumb butt mom was passed out somewhere?  Now neither one of you have custody.

God how dumb can you be?!

In Canada, that's a felony, not a misdemeanor with a ticket.  He would've had his car impounded, and would lose his driving privileges for a year.

[weltz]

I just spoke to Simon. The police left at 2 in the morning. There was a whole police bus there, and hostage negotiators. They ended up breaking the door down and tasing Jordan. Simon is terrified at what going to happen when he comes back.

[daisylu]

Oct 12, 2023 13:33:48 GMT -5 weltz said:

I just spoke to Simon. The police left at 2 in the morning. There was a whole police bus there, and hostage negotiators. They ended up breaking the door down and tasing Jordan. Simon is terrified at what going to happen when he comes back.

I hope that he gets the help that he needs.

[seriousthistime]

Poor Simon has a lot on his plate, weltz.

[daisylu]

I will not be surprised if DH loses his job next week. A coworker texted him to "congratulate him on a his new Lead position" that DH never applied for or had any discussions with his manager about. New manager in place for about a month, that DH has had NO direct conversations with so he is now pissed off and plans to tell him that he does not want the position and is unhappy that this all was announced when he was not there. I will not repeat the colorful language, though it sounds like he wants to get fired - maybe it will actually make him look at other opportunities. He has been there 28 years, since he started as an intern at 16.

And this is all based on 1 person's information which may or may not be accurate, but DH is in a mood so I'ma let that be. He is on PTO this week. I told him that is why you never contact people while they are on vacation - the manager is prohibited to by the company, but not regular workers.

It would not be the worst thing to happen, as he has been super hesitant to look for better employment elsewhere and we live an in area where his skills are in high demand, but dammit I do not need to worry about this while I am out of town. And I can't do anything about it anyway.

[weltz]

Oct 12, 2023 13:55:02 GMT -5 seriousthistime said:

Poor Simon has a lot on his plate, weltz.

Yes, he does. He's not doing too well. I'm worried about him. I'm worried about Melody. It's all too much.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Oct 12, 2023 12:06:04 GMT -5 giramomma said:

Drama,

Let me know if you want interview tips when you are trying to transition into a different position.

This is one of the things the career counselor talked to me about.

 I will if I ever get the opportunity.

I took a small step in shifting my skills in the hopes of maybe leaving the lab.  Our Main boss wants to make a name for himself and has formed all these "squads" to improve things under his umbrella.

I decided to reach out and join the customer complaint one.  I thought I might bring a unique perspective because I handle a lot of our products before they are on shelves and I've noticed the things I bitch about have popped up on the quarterly customer satisfaction emails.  

I figured it would help me develop my soft skills more and also get me more exposure to corporate speak.  Also I can make connections in other non-related departments.

They are actually excited I joined because one of their goals is to hopefully start pairing closer with R&.  Because what looks really good to the scientists or label developer or packaging design doesn't always translate on the market.   They want to try to address it on the bench before it gets to the plant before it gets to the customer.   The fact that I am a part of that group gives them that perspective.

I am nervous because they decided to put me in charge of one aspect since I will be "fresh eyes" on it and that is reading and reviewing the protocols in place already for handling complaints.

We'll see.  I gain nothing if I don't try and the fact that I am uncomfortable is likely a good thing it means I am forcing myself to grow.

ETA: And for poops and giggles I decided I am applying for a different department that has an Associate position open.  I was toying with the idea then passed thinking it was too out of my wheelhouse but if they are going to keep considering me ineligable to move up down here I might as well see if other departments feel the same.  Maybe they don't. 

[soupandstew]

We have lovely weather today, dry and lower 80's - a great change from our horrid summer.  We had some good rains over the last couple of weeks so they have lifted the burn ban in much of our county.  Tomorrow is supposed to be back to 90 degrees, but a nice cool-down is expected for the weekend.  I plan to throw a Cornish hen on the grill Saturday with some applewood chips.  

I finally finished the last 53 chapters of the autobiography I transcribed and I'm trying to reach my old man author to deliver them; it really worries me when he doesn't answer his phone.  I'll try again tomorrow.

It's been a busy couple of weeks with various repairs being made, meetings, and just routine stuff.  Got an arborist coming out next week to talk about trimming and feeding our trees, and I need to schedule the annual check-up for our heater.  Tonight we're going out to dinner for DH's 84th birthday.