what are you doing right now?

[chiver78]

basic winter frost white, 1qt round serving bowls. I'm just trying to avoid going to Walmart at this time of year, unless I absolutely have to. I probably will end up having to go there anyway, so I'll just grab bowls when I'm there. 

thanks for the sanity check, soupandstew. unfortunately, I'm seeing ~$40 in more places than just Amazon, so that may just be the price these days . 

[anciana]

Nov 30, 2023 10:21:11 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

basic winter frost white, 1qt round serving bowls. I'm just trying to avoid going to Walmart at this time of year, unless I absolutely have to. I probably will end up having to go there anyway, so I'll just grab bowls when I'm there. 

thanks for the sanity check, soupandstew. unfortunately, I'm seeing ~$40 in more places than just Amazon, so that may just be the price these days . 

Yeah, it just might be the price these days, everything has gotten so expensive. But as far as Walmart, you might be able to check online if any of your local stores carry that particular style. I would then order them online for pickup so no need to even go inside. 

ETA: OK, I just checked Walmart online and those specific bowls are not available in my local store but they’ll ship them. A set of 3 is $29, yikes. 

[azucena]

Chloe - sounds exhausting. What happens if you just ask boss directly why she's mad? Seems like you don't have anything to lose if it's already that bad. Plus asking now gives you both a break with the holidays.

[andi9899]

Nov 29, 2023 23:19:26 GMT -5 Knee Deep in Water Chloe said:

Hi! 
So, job -wise:

The first goal is to make it through December 15th. 
After that it's Winter Break until June 2nd. 

So far:
On Monday, I met with a colleague who is supposed to check on whether or not I'm doing the thing that I have a philosophical disagreement with. I asked him to give me more specific guidance because our boss will not explain what it is she wants done except that I need to stop doing *A* .  (*A* part of the thing.) I showed my colleague the memo I'd sent to my staff explaining to stop doing *A*. His response: "But that's how we're all supposed to do it. You must have misunderstood." I showed him the single example she's shown me of *A*. He responded again with "But that's how every school in the district does it." He assured me that I misunderstood. I said, but she put it in writing. He said he'd go talk to her. I assured him that I wasn't trying to argue but that I was asking him to help me do what she wants done. He went on his way. 

On Tuesday, our boss called me and said that colleague was in the room with her. She said she had just emailed the directive she gave me last week and told me to open it. She said that she didn't understand what colleague was saying I was not supposed to do. I read her the part in the letter that we're talking about. She said, "Oh yes, you need to stop doing that." Colleague started to politely explain to her that I was doing exactly what I was supposed to be doing. Boss still couldn't give another example of how I'm not meeting her expectations. Colleague tried to explain again that he didn't understand. Boss just started saying "do what's in the letter, do what's in the letter." He said but the other schools are doing this, why can't Chloe?  Her response, well it's not working for her. "Chloe, just do what I said in the letter." Colleague and I are still confused. 

Today, she came for our weekly check-in. She sat down. She asked me how far I was with *X*. I said I'd finished it ten days ago, and she was confused. Last week she tried to tell me that I wasn't doing *X*. I tried to tell her last week that it was done. She just couldn't even come up with anything to say. She literally faked an incoming phone call and  left. We met for an entire  seven minutes. 


I cannot comprehend what it is that I've done to piss her off so much. 

Is this person new to management? She seems to not be able to take criticism well at all.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Got to thinking about the $43,00 coffin again.  Apparently that counts as a legit expense and I could have spent grandma's money on that without question.  A $43,000 box that is going to be buried in the ground for eternity.  That raises no red flags that I am trying to hide money from Medicaid.

But if I were to reimburse myself for my time/labor and gas which doesn't even come close to $43k, that would be hiding assets and get me in trouble for fraud.

What is wrong with this picture boys and girls? 

[lurkyloo]

I bought my set of Corelle at the outlet mall nearly 20 years ago and remember that the bulk buy discount was substantial but when I tried to go back and buy pieces here and there the individual bits were $$$$.  Maybe it’s just their business model.

Is ebay an option?  I tend to be just a touch leery of getting dishes and utensils there esp stuff that can get scratched or otherwise show wear but Corelle might be ok.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Nov 30, 2023 9:48:50 GMT -5 daisylu said:

Nov 30, 2023 9:41:00 GMT -5 lurkyloo said:

Are you sick, or just enjoying the vast bounty of physical quirks that comes with two X chromosomes?

Not sick, the joys of menopause at 48. It has not happened for a while though, not sure what brought it on.

Black cat crossed in front of you earlier?  Full moon?  Groundhog saw his shadow?  As far as I am concerned, these are all equally valid reasons where you get a power surge.  

[minnesotapaintlady]

Nov 30, 2023 11:18:17 GMT -5 lurkyloo said:

I bought my set of Corelle at the outlet mall nearly 20 years ago and remember that the bulk buy discount was substantial but when I tried to go back and buy pieces here and there the individual bits were $$$$.  Maybe it’s just their business model.

Is ebay an option?  I tend to be just a touch leery of getting dishes and utensils there esp stuff that can get scratched or otherwise show wear but Corelle might be ok.

That's where I would look.

www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2334524.m570.l1313&_nkw=winter+frost+white+corelle+bowls&_sacat=0&LH_TitleDesc=0&_odkw=winter+frost+white+corelle&_osacat=0

[daisylu]

Nov 30, 2023 11:19:51 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

Nov 30, 2023 9:48:50 GMT -5 daisylu said:

Not sick, the joys of menopause at 48. It has not happened for a while though, not sure what brought it on.

Black cat crossed in front of you earlier?  Full moon?  Groundhog saw his shadow?  As far as I am concerned, these are all equally valid reasons where you get a power surge.  

It had been at least 6 months since the last night sweat. So, yeah I will blame the full moon. This one is called the "Beaver Moon" so that applies. 

[minnesotapaintlady]

Ok.  I'm fed up.  I've been waiting for the music store in town to fix DS's trombone for a year.  A YEAR.  All it needs is a screw for the spit valve.  I'm going down there today and just picking it up.  The place is hardly ever open either so I can never stop in after work as they're closed already.  We walked down there a lot and would just look in and see it still sitting next to the register.    I'm going to waste my lunch break today to go there.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Coffee grinder croaked…..again.  At least the Krups lasted longer than the other burr grinders we have.  I think we got 4 years out of this one.  Cuisinart only lasted 2 years.  We had another one in there…..much more expensive….that croaked a month after the warranty ended.

At least we have enough coffee ground to get another one in.  

[Empire the P.A.]

Enjoying this right now.   


A 4 ingredient Greek frappe. 
Greek frappe

[finnime]

Coveting Empire the P.A.'s drink.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Nov 30, 2023 11:24:02 GMT -5 daisylu said:

Nov 30, 2023 11:19:51 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

Black cat crossed in front of you earlier?  Full moon?  Groundhog saw his shadow?  As far as I am concerned, these are all equally valid reasons where you get a power surge.  

It had been at least 6 months since the last night sweat. So, yeah I will blame the full moon. This one is called the "Beaver Moon" so that applies. 

Power surges for me were very uneven over the years.  They probably peaked when I was 52-53,  but every now and then I’ll have a mini one and I’m 64.  IME, they went out the way they came in, in dribbles.

[lurkyloo]

Nov 30, 2023 11:13:03 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

Got to thinking about the $43,00 coffin again.  Apparently that counts as a legit expense and I could have spent grandma's money on that without question.  A $43,000 box that is going to be buried in the ground for eternity.  That raises no red flags that I am trying to hide money from Medicaid.

But if I were to reimburse myself for my time/labor and gas which doesn't even come close to $43k, that would be hiding assets and get me in trouble for fraud.

What is wrong with this picture boys and girls? 

JFC.  I knew funerals were a racket but 43K for a coffin?

We have posters here that were rep payees or otherwise helped handle the business of life for those who were no longer capable; it sure seems like you ought to be able to hire someone to do this and have it be allowable if you can’t reimburse yourself directly.  But, I am sure you’ve already looked into all this.  

[empress of self-improvement]

Nov 30, 2023 10:17:14 GMT -5 anciana said:

Nov 29, 2023 19:35:41 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

1 - I'm well stocked from HD, bc I keep buying when I forget that I already have two big boxes in the basement. 
2 - same, Penzeys 
3 - Christmas Tree Shops (I'm a Make-a-Wish volunteer, always needing gift wrapping options....) 

I actually left the cart hanging out. the one thing I needed that was time-limited wouldn't have gotten here til after I needed it anyway....December 9th, really? it's not even December yet. whatever. so, I'll just add to the cart as I remember things. the one thing I did remember that pissed me off, is that I wanted to add a few more 1qt Corelle serving bowls to my cabinet as I've been using them more for salads, soup cans, whatever I don't want splashing over a plate like linguine. I found a 4pk of these bowls for $40 on Amazon. I do not remember paying $10/ea for the ones I already have, but I could be wrong...? the Corelle I do have was all bought at the outlet, so that and time may skew my memories there haha... 

Are they very specific bowls that you can’t find anywhere else and that’s why you’re looking at Amazon? I have found some more moderately priced Corelle dishes at Walmart and our local big grocery store of all places.

You do realize Christmas Tree Shops went out of business, right? The are all closed now.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

I am so fucking tired.  

I am being run ragged at work.  And my moral is in the toilet because it has been made crystal clear it does not matter how hard I work or what I do I will never be promoted because I have yet to "prove" I can do the next level job and I don't go "above and beyond" (which has never been clarified what that means and I've been told even when doing extra work that's just "part of doing my job") and I have a biology degree which makes them skeptical I can handle it.  

I haven't found anything else out there at the moment.  I looked at one but the salary range was quite steep and I know from the university most places don't offer you the top range.  It went from $40k-$80k that is A LOT of in-between salaries.  Plus I had to take a 15 minute personality test before it would accept my application.   Know from experience that is a red flag.

Especially when some of the statements you were asked to "relate to the most" were things like "I never use company supplies (pens, paper) for personal things", "I never spend time on my work computer doing non-company things".   Yeah . . .Red flag #2.   I am not going to work for a place that I have to worry about putting a pen in my pocket and walking off with it.

Even if that is not how they operate then they should look at the types of questions they ask and realizing they make people not eager to apply.  Red flag #3

[Cookies Galore]

Nov 30, 2023 11:25:20 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

Coffee grinder croaked…..again.  At least the Krups lasted longer than the other burr grinders we have.  I think we got 4 years out of this one.  Cuisinart only lasted 2 years.  We had another one in there…..much more expensive….that croaked a month after the warranty ended.

At least we have enough coffee ground to get another one in.  

That's crazy. We've had the same Cuisinart burr mill for 10 years! It doesn't get daily use but still. Husband was exclusively French press for a few years and would grind beans almost daily, and I make cold brew (grind beans 2x weekly) from roughly April to October/November. I guess I will never let this one go.

[andi9899]

Nov 30, 2023 9:15:23 GMT -5 bookkeeper said:

Nov 29, 2023 23:19:26 GMT -5 Knee Deep in Water Chloe said:

Hi! 
So, job -wise:

The first goal is to make it through December 15th. 
After that it's Winter Break until June 2nd. 

So far:
On Monday, I met with a colleague who is supposed to check on whether or not I'm doing the thing that I have a philosophical disagreement with. I asked him to give me more specific guidance because our boss will not explain what it is she wants done except that I need to stop doing *A* .  (*A* part of the thing.) I showed my colleague the memo I'd sent to my staff explaining to stop doing *A*. His response: "But that's how we're all supposed to do it. You must have misunderstood." I showed him the single example she's shown me of *A*. He responded again with "But that's how every school in the district does it." He assured me that I misunderstood. I said, but she put it in writing. He said he'd go talk to her. I assured him that I wasn't trying to argue but that I was asking him to help me do what she wants done. He went on his way. 

On Tuesday, our boss called me and said that colleague was in the room with her. She said she had just emailed the directive she gave me last week and told me to open it. She said that she didn't understand what colleague was saying I was not supposed to do. I read her the part in the letter that we're talking about. She said, "Oh yes, you need to stop doing that." Colleague started to politely explain to her that I was doing exactly what I was supposed to be doing. Boss still couldn't give another example of how I'm not meeting her expectations. Colleague tried to explain again that he didn't understand. Boss just started saying "do what's in the letter, do what's in the letter." He said but the other schools are doing this, why can't Chloe?  Her response, well it's not working for her. "Chloe, just do what I said in the letter." Colleague and I are still confused. 

Today, she came for our weekly check-in. She sat down. She asked me how far I was with *X*. I said I'd finished it ten days ago, and she was confused. Last week she tried to tell me that I wasn't doing *X*. I tried to tell her last week that it was done. She just couldn't even come up with anything to say. She literally faked an incoming phone call and  left. We met for an entire  seven minutes. 


I cannot comprehend what it is that I've done to piss her off so much. 

Sometimes all it takes, is to be intelligent and well liked for a supervisor to act jealous and wonder if you are looking to take their job.  I have personally been in situations where the supervisor refused to work with anyone they considered more capable or intelligent than themselves.  

Yep. I had a manager that was awful! She didn’t know anything and was threatened by anyone that was good at their job. She hated that I learned so fast and was so good that people came to me for help and not her. I will admit, I did take a little pleasure in asking her questions that I knew she didn't know the answers to in meetings just to make her look stupid.

She targeted me, and I eventually got fired. She'd picked at me enough that one day I snapped. Once "the problem" was gone, her incompetence really showed. There were customers and managers that were furious that I was fired. She eventually got fired, but it took 20 or so employees quitting because the didn’t want to work with her. The employees all quit within her first year being a manager. It was bad.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Nov 30, 2023 11:42:19 GMT -5 lurkyloo said:

Nov 30, 2023 11:13:03 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

Got to thinking about the $43,00 coffin again.  Apparently that counts as a legit expense and I could have spent grandma's money on that without question.  A $43,000 box that is going to be buried in the ground for eternity.  That raises no red flags that I am trying to hide money from Medicaid.

But if I were to reimburse myself for my time/labor and gas which doesn't even come close to $43k, that would be hiding assets and get me in trouble for fraud.

What is wrong with this picture boys and girls? 

JFC.  I knew funerals were a racket but 43K for a coffin?

We have posters here that were rep payees or otherwise helped handle the business of life for those who were no longer capable; it sure seems like you ought to be able to hire someone to do this and have it be allowable if you can’t reimburse yourself directly.  But, I am sure you’ve already looked into all this.  

Yeah.  It was the ugliest thing I have ever seen.   I called it the "Fuck you if you think you're getting an inheritance" coffin. 

By law apparently grandma has to have a POA on file.  I could try to abdicate but it would probably come back on me again since dad can't do it.  He got a nice surprise with GU after trying to not be responsible.  The nursing home made him responsible anyhow and sent him the paperwork announcing he was GU's POA.  Since GU consented to it that was that was far as Nebraska was concerned.

I am guessing it would happen to me as well because nursing homes refuse to do anything regarding Medicaid or social work.  There is no profit in it.

So I am stuck until she passes.

[chiver78]

Nov 30, 2023 11:43:29 GMT -5 empress of self-improvement said:

Nov 30, 2023 10:17:14 GMT -5 anciana said:

Are they very specific bowls that you can’t find anywhere else and that’s why you’re looking at Amazon? I have found some more moderately priced Corelle dishes at Walmart and our local big grocery store of all places.

You do realize Christmas Tree Shops went out of business, right? The are all closed now.

I know. I was saying I'm fully stocked, and that's where it all came from.

[TheOtherMe]

Drama, I think you said you needed the 2024 Social Security amount for Grandma.  

Mine was available online yesterday.  

Because my SS is a mere pittance and they don't lower your net amount, I will not be paying the full price for Medicare this year.

In this area, the nursing homes are acting as rep payee for their patients.  All they have to do is put the $50 in the patient account and they keep the rest of the money.  I don't know what they do if there is pension income.

I love my rep payee nursing home clients on SS.  The health insurance was deducted.  On my monthly visit I either gave some cash to them (some wanted the cash) or put it in the patient account.  A check was cut for everything else to the nursing home.

[countrygirl2]

Hubs was allowed to take $1200 a year out of MIL's account for expenses. He felt funny doing it, but once I found this our from our attorney I wrote him a check annually, didn't even touch the money he spent for gas and other things, but it was something at least.

[busymom]

Nov 30, 2023 11:45:54 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

I am so fucking tired.  

I am being run ragged at work.  And my moral is in the toilet because it has been made crystal clear it does not matter how hard I work or what I do I will never be promoted because I have yet to "prove" I can do the next level job and I don't go "above and beyond" (which has never been clarified what that means and I've been told even when doing extra work that's just "part of doing my job") and I have a biology degree which makes them skeptical I can handle it.  

I haven't found anything else out there at the moment.  I looked at one but the salary range was quite steep and I know from the university most places don't offer you the top range.  It went from $40k-$80k that is A LOT of in-between salaries.  Plus I had to take a 15 minute personality test before it would accept my application.   Know from experience that is a red flag.

Especially when some of the statements you were asked to "relate to the most" were things like "I never use company supplies (pens, paper) for personal things", "I never spend time on my work computer doing non-company things".   Yeah . . .Red flag #2.   I am not going to work for a place that I have to worry about putting a pen in my pocket and walking off with it.

Even if that is not how they operate then they should look at the types of questions they ask and realizing they make people not eager to apply.  Red flag #3

     Christmas season is probably the most difficult time of the year to find a new job.  Options will open up again after the holidays.  At least, that's been my experience.  

[countrygirl2]

I ordered some additional white Corelle bowls, they are not cheap, but I needed them.

I'm about done with the last available recon. Than have some papers to go through and book items. So this will at least give me some breathing room. Still have RMD's and things to pull docs for.  I need to make a list of items I need to finish before leaving.


Hubs is taking us out for dinner this evening, a place we really like to go. It's an amish buffett. 

[daisylu]

DH is being needy, work is being a b*tch, and I am puking again. DH just left to go to town to get salt for the water softener. I would prefer to take a nap but I have a vendor meeting in 2 hours that I need to prepare for. I am logging off after that meeting and calling it a day.

[wvugurl26]

I can't wrap my head around a $43k coffin. Since my uncle had previously helped himself to a large chunk of grandma's money, he paid the funeral home. The day we had an appointment to finalize it, he signed the check and sent it with me. I wrote it out. $14kish which included the coffin, viewing, grave side service a good 45 minutes away from the funeral home and we fulfilled grandma's wish of moving the baby daughter to the same cemetery.

I still think it's a racket but all of that was still only $14k. We skipped some things like a family meal and we drove overselves to the cemetery.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Nov 30, 2023 11:47:11 GMT -5 Cookies Galore said:

Nov 30, 2023 11:25:20 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

Coffee grinder croaked…..again.  At least the Krups lasted longer than the other burr grinders we have.  I think we got 4 years out of this one.  Cuisinart only lasted 2 years.  We had another one in there…..much more expensive….that croaked a month after the warranty ended.

At least we have enough coffee ground to get another one in.  

That's crazy. We've had the same Cuisinart burr mill for 10 years! It doesn't get daily use but still. Husband was exclusively French press for a few years and would grind beans almost daily, and I make cold brew (grind beans 2x weekly) from roughly April to October/November. I guess I will never let this one go.

I know.  We use a French press, so go through a LOT of beans.  I think we grind a little over 1 lb/week.  With my sister here, there is now a second pot being made daily, and sometimes a third.  It used to only be one pot, with an occasional second pot.  

[saveinla]

Nov 30, 2023 10:21:11 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

basic winter frost white, 1qt round serving bowls. I'm just trying to avoid going to Walmart at this time of year, unless I absolutely have to. I probably will end up having to go there anyway, so I'll just grab bowls when I'm there. 

thanks for the sanity check, soupandstew. unfortunately, I'm seeing ~$40 in more places than just Amazon, so that may just be the price these days . 

If you have an Ikea - they have similar ones - maybe a bit smaller for 1$ each- check the ones made in france rather than china

[soupandstew]

So far today I've made breakfast, spent another $200+ to get the sink sprayer installed (this one doesn't leak!), calmed down from Defcon 3 to 1 over a fellow director's social media post, and had lunch.  Now it's junk tv time