what are you doing right now?

[raeoflyte]

Dec 22, 2022 9:38:05 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

I talked to my boss I'm staying home. She said not worth it in this weather.

I let boss boss know too.

We should get lucky with no submissions today so that will leave me what I already had. It gets done when it gets done.

I could use the rest and it gives DH and I time to deal with the cars.

The thing is above technician a lot of our lab can work from home. My job is one of the handful that can't and it sucks. Even if I went in likely most everyone else will be home so nothing is getting done anyhow.

And we're so backed up it's not like me coming in today is going to make a difference.





Speaking of tone deaf an email went out last week from corporate praising all the hard work of the office people and as a reward they can all work from.home.

We get nothing. The least they could have done is tossed a snow day for the people who have no choice but to come in.

Nope instead it was a lecture about the importance of work.

Clueless. I told DH I can tell his company EXACTLY why they can't get production staff if I thought for a second corporation's would actually take the feedback.

I'm glad your boss is on board.

[TheOtherMe]

Drama, I'm sorry.  I hate when a day goes like this.  I also know you are mourning your mom and Christmas is high stress.  

Please get some rest and take care of yourself.  

[TheOtherMe]

Since I'm at a DoubleTree, I am going to the lobby and get some warm cookies.  

[giramomma]

Dec 22, 2022 9:41:07 GMT -5 raeoflyte said:

Dec 22, 2022 9:03:54 GMT -5 giramomma said:

I'm sorry, I feel all of this. I wish I could make it better for you somehow.

Thankfully, we me being sick, I've been out of meetings where I get to hear folks say that no one works between Christmas and New Years. I could work now-when the kids go back to schools straight through every day and still not get caught up.

And there is just more coming.

I don't know why folks are so tone deaf.

There's a comparable unit on campus to my little team that announced they have shut down completely. I am amazed.

The department that closes has it right and is the manager I'd be clamoring to work for.

My industry is notorious for poor work/life balance. I hate how much I've given them, but I'm employed right now when thousands aren't.

Yeah. I thought about it. But, I'd have to probably take a pay cut. They were looking to hire a junior level worker for about 20K less than I'm currently getting paid now. That unit also serves an entire college. We don't. They are/were staffed at the same levels we are. And there's some weird consolidation going on at the college level.

 I would have to negotiate 50% salary increase to consider the job. That's not practical in the public sector for staff. Maybe if I were teneured faculty bringing a couple million in research grants.

[mollyc]

Drama, sorry about the cars. I feel your pain. We got lucky yesterday. One of DH’s friends was able to come by and try boosting both vehicles. DH’s van didn’t start but my car did. That was unexpected. The plug for my block heater broke a month ago so I’ve been using the van this week. I guess my engine wasn’t as frozen as I thought. DH thinks his gas line froze so a boost did nothing.

And the one night we both forgot to leave a tap running just in case the heat tape failed, the pipes froze. Now that DH and my brothers can’t easily do this work, he was supposed to line up repair people but he didn’t. I guess I’m missing work again this morning ☹️

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Dec 22, 2022 9:53:26 GMT -5 giramomma said:

Dec 22, 2022 9:41:07 GMT -5 raeoflyte said:

The department that closes has it right and is the manager I'd be clamoring to work for.

My industry is notorious for poor work/life balance. I hate how much I've given them, but I'm employed right now when thousands aren't.

Yeah. I thought about it. But, I'd have to probably take a pay cut. They were looking to hire a junior level worker for about 20K less than I'm currently getting paid now. That unit also serves an entire college. We don't. They are/were staffed at the same levels we are. And there's some weird consolidation going on at the college level.

 I would have to negotiate 50% salary increase to consider the job. That's not practical in the public sector for staff. Maybe if I were teneured faculty bringing a couple million in research grants.

If it makes you feel better probably not even then. Universities only pay a percentage which is usually fixed and you make the rest of your salary off those millions in grants. No grants and you are up a creek having to figure out how to live on 40% or less of your salary.

It's A LOT of hustle. It's part of why I decided not to go for my PhD after all.

I'm sure there probably are researchers who can command their university share but there aren't a whole lot of them.

[lurkyloo]

Professorships are not for people who are interested in any work-life balance.  One collaborator of ours is a professor, and an excellent fit for the job...he seemed legit kinda bummed at the concept of taking Christmas off   Not the week, the day.

So glad your boss has your back, Drama.  

[andi9899]

Well, the blizzard we were supposed to get ended up being a dusting. Thank God! So after work I'll go sweep off the steps and put salt down. Much better than shoveling snow! It's cold AF, so I'm going to be working quickly. Hopefully one of my uncle's will have already done grandma's by then so I don't have to do that too.

[raeoflyte]

Dec 22, 2022 10:18:31 GMT -5 lurkyloo said:

Professorships are not for people who are interested in any work-life balance.  One collaborator of ours is a professor, and an excellent fit for the job...he seemed legit kinda bummed at the concept of taking Christmas off   Not the week, the day.

So glad your boss has your back, Drama.  

Sometimes I wish I felt more personal fulfillment from my job. Id like to wake up looking forward to at least parts of my job. But I will never understand people who can't take even a day (a weekend day even!) off.

[MarionTh230]

Finishing my coffee while I wait for the drizzling rain to stop.  That local news meteorologist says it'll stop by noon and the cold won't move in until midnight.  If he's right, I should have an opportunity this afternoon to finish my outdoor preparations.  It's a short list.  But, it has to be done and I can't exactly do it in the rain.

[Deleted]

Dec 22, 2022 10:03:33 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

Universities only pay a percentage which is usually fixed and you make the rest of your salary off those millions in grants. No grants and you are up a creek having to figure out how to live on 40% or less of your salary.

It's A LOT of hustle. It's part of why I decided not to go for my PhD after all.

I'm sure there probably are researchers who can command their university share but there aren't a whole lot of them.

Wow. I knew about "publish or perish" and I knew that universities had been skimming off a percentage of grant money for "overhead" but didn't know that compensation had shifted partly to "you eat what you kill". I tried rainmaking (getting new clients) in my consulting jobs. I was NOT good at hustling.

I drove up to Des Moines yesterday before the snow hit- we got maybe 8" overnight which isn't too bad here. They're used to it. I was reading everyone's stories about late deliveries of Christmas items and was glad I didn't have anything in that category- and then found my financial advisor sent me a gift basket of fresh fruit which was supposed to arrive Monday, then yesterday, and now this afternoon (fat chance). My neighbors across the street should be able to pick it up if the porch pirates don't get it first. Then they have to open it up and refrigerate the fruit. If it's like past baskets it will be pears, apples and oranges, so they'll tolerate some delay but if they get frozen in a warehouse somewhere they'll be a mess.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Wonderful the extreme weather managed to kill our car batteries and both need replaced.

Fucking awesome. Have I mentioned yet how much I hate this year? I don't think I've fully managed to convey that to the universe yet.

[bean29]

Dec 21, 2022 14:33:37 GMT -5 weltschmerz said:

Dec 21, 2022 11:37:30 GMT -5 bean29 said:

As I mentioned yesterday, we will be in Cancun, Mexico for 5 days for the New Year with friends of ours.  Doggie daycare will be shared by my Kids and my in-laws.  We have a fenced backyard, and my in-laws have a fenced backyard.  If my one dog does not get walked, he sometimes will decide to go on a run/walk himself even if it is freezing cold outside.  I am thinking they need a second set of tags with Grandma and Grandpa's addy on it, and some kind of Bluetooth tracking tag.  I think there are some made specifically for dogs- has anyone used something like this for their pets?

My Son lives just a few blocks from my in-laws and DD said she could stay at my house for a few days.  She will also have to feed her Rabbits every day, but I am sure it is going to be very cold and possibly snowy - so idk how far my dogs will get walked.  My Teddy bear will be ok either way, but the Schnauzer needs to walk every day. Because I know I have to walk the dogs every day, I have 2 long down coats and heavy gloves and mittens, and now I even have a pair of heated gloves.  Idk if DD will wear my coats or not as she is about 2 sizes smaller than me.  

I have something like IBS, when I recently looked at a list of foods to avoid if you have IBS, it was something like Milk, Corn, Sugar, Wheat.  I am lactose intolerant, have avoided sugar since I was about 25, although I have not eliminated it entirely, and within the last few years, decided I have very adverse reactions to corn.  I do not eat anything with corn or high fructose corn syrup in it.  The idea of eating 3 meals a day for 5 days made by someone other than me or DH makes me pretty nervous.  I should probably start intermittent fasting before the trip, so I get used to eating less often.

IBS-D or IBS-C? The diets are very different for both of them   I have IBS-D and the diet is very restrictive.  I just make sure I have Immodium or Lomotil around if I eat at a restaurant or somebody's house.

I will have to google both, as I indicated it is "undiagnosed".  I just keep adding foods to what I can't eat as I go along and react adversely to them.  My reaction is so bad that I may not have time to get to the bathroom.  It made a big difference when I realized I needed to avoid corn in all forms including high fructose corn syrup.  I was tested for allergies once in my Mid 30's and they said I was not allergic to corn at that time.  It is interesting b/c my Dad was tested for Allergies in his late 30's early 40's and they told him he was allergic to Corn, Chicken, Pork and our Cat and Dog (from what I recall). So, I am unsure if it is allergies or just IBS.  My endocrinologist wanted me to investigate it a few years ago, but I never followed up on it.

I ate 2 wings on Saturday afternoon.   They probably had Butter and High Fructose Corn Syrup in the sauce.  I did not have an immediate reaction, but later that evening I had serious issues and had to spend quite a long time in the bathroom.  I took about 3 doses of Imodium before everything settled down.  Constipation is not my problem; my issue is I get violent Diarrhea.
 
I guess I can add trying to diagnose the issue to my New Year's Resolution list.  LOL.  It could also be celiac disease - It has crossed my mind before, but I hate to add more onto the list of foods I can't eat.  I guess there is a genetic test for that - It makes me nervous to have your genetics out there for some nefarious party to use for unknown purposes, but my DD and bunches of nieces and nephews have done it, so it is not like our family history is not floating around out there.

My kids were in early grade school when I realized I was lactose intolerant-they are now 26 and 29.  I eliminated corn and all byproducts about 3 years ago.  So, I have been dealing with this for a long time.  



  

[saveinla]

Dec 22, 2022 8:58:53 GMT -5 toomuchreality said:

I've been awake all night. Haven't slept yet. It's going to hit me like a ton of bricks, before long, I think. Then I'll sleep the day away, without getting anything done.
This is not a good time of year, to sleep your day away, when you have so much to do. I did get 3-4 loads of laundry done and put away, last night. So that's good. But my closet door fell off again, and that's not good!
I hope they come fix it, today. It creates an issue getting my bathroom door open and closed, when it's off and I can't access my washer and dryer either, or the things in that closet.
(I only have 1 bathroom.) 🤞

Fingers crossed for you @toomuchrealty

[saveinla]

bean29 - I have become allergic to things after 50 that I never had issues before. I have been told to avoid them as much as possible. I would suggest to try the allergy tests again just to make sure.

[andi9899]

Dec 21, 2022 21:18:27 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

Dec 21, 2022 20:53:26 GMT -5 giramomma said:

I would be OK with a drink. Or let's hang out at such and such a place. Or let's celebrate. But, not let's go out and get drunk enough that we can't drive.

We also don't know each other super well. There's a few people I would feel. comfortable getting flat out drunk around. Only one of them is a co-worker.

I guess I also err on being conservative. If I don't know someone well enough to know if suggesting a night of drinking is OK, then I'm not going to do it. (Unrelated, its the same reason I no longer suggest actual food gifts to folks you don't know well enough to know if they have a limited diet for (medical) reasons.

I don't know.  There's been a lot of talk of going out and getting drunk as a team after we're done with this project.  I've worked with most of these people many years and I'm not sure anyone really means falling over can't drive drunk as much as just hanging out at a bar and celebrating and if some have some serious PTSD and did mean it, well, it will make for good stories.  

This is the way I would take it too.

[bean29]

Dec 22, 2022 8:27:26 GMT -5 finnime said:

Dec 22, 2022 7:35:14 GMT -5 toomuchreality said:

I hope your heated gloves are fabulous! I had some heated mittens years ago. Even on clearance, they cost me a small fortune. I was SO disappointed! Although they were heated, they didn't even come close to keeping my hands warm. They kept my hands dry, that was about it. Hopefully, the technology has come a long way, since those days! Please post back and tell us what you think of them!
Thanks!

The gloves are perfect! They have 4 different heat settings and keep fingers toasty. I can remove my glove, take a few shots and get the glove back on with no pain setting in. I'm really pleased! I know DH did a great deal of research before he got them, settling on Savior Heat. He was anxious to know how they worked.

I just got a pair too.  I purchased on Amazon; they are Day Wolf heated liners.  I think Day Wolf and Savior are related companies.  I only have 3 heat settings though.  I am somewhat sorry I did not just order the Eddie Bauer heated gloves.  Those connect to your phone, and you adjust them via your phone.  They won't work without the Bluetooth connection.  I don't usually walk without my phone so that is not a problem.  My issue is that the gloves are liners, and almost need another pair of gloves over them.  Right now, I am using a pair of DH's gloves.  The liners are XS, and DH's gloves are M/Lg.  The EB Gloves are leather, or synthetic leather.  By the time you buy gloves to go over the first pair, you might as well pay the extra $$.  

[finnime]

Best to you all struggling today with work, and family, and vehicles, and weather. I hope all is resolved quickly and with little pain. I wish I could improve your situation.

It isn't fair or right for some people to get dumped on at work, with no time off on or near major holidays at all, because they're too important or someone wants to look good. It's bullshit. Everyone deserves to live a life.

[minnesotapaintlady]

Dec 22, 2022 11:16:25 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

Wonderful the extreme weather managed to kill our car batteries and both need replaced.

Fucking awesome. Have I mentioned yet how much I hate this year? I don't think I've fully managed to convey that to the universe yet.

That was me a couple weeks ago! All three vehicles dead in one day and 2 out of 3 batteries needed replacing.  I'm like, really?  Three cars and they're ALL dead at once.

[ken a.k.a OMK]

Car batteries will freeze at certain temperatures related to level of charge. So it's a good idea to keep them charged.

[Deleted]

Dec 22, 2022 11:48:05 GMT -5 bean29 said:

It made a big difference when I realized I needed to avoid corn in all forms including high fructose corn syrup.

That must be a major challenge HFCS is in everything. I just try to avoid it because it's evil. One doc whose opinion I trust said, "I think there are some things the human body wasn't meant to handle". Since ketchup is an ingredient in many BBQ sauces and practically every brand of ketchup includes HFCS, it's not surprising that you may have had some in the chicken wings.

[MarionTh230]

Just finished reading 3 books with kiddo. Eating lunch then outside chores. Kiddo is consistently at or above grade level for reading. Despite this, at 6 years old she is not interested in reading for fun at home. Normally requires a good bit of prompting and prodding to get her to read a book. She decided on her own out of the blue that she wanted to read three books this morning. I'm calling that a win no matter how the rest of the day goes!

[andi9899]

I really don't want to go outside and clean up the snow. It's so cold!

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

We are hanging out in the lobby of the hotel right now.  Our room access should have been in 30 min, but apparently the Coast Guard had to do an inspection and there are regulatory issues with paperwork.  In the meantime, 2 busses have gone to the cruise terminal, unable to board.  We were told an hour 30 min ago, but who knows.  

I guess I’d rather hang in a hotel lobby with internet connection and a/c than a terminal.  Hopefully something will get moving soon.

I was reading last night that Quantas canceled a flight from Sydney to DFW.  As a result, someone who was supposed to get in the evening of 12/20 is now arriving tomorrow morning.  The game plan is she is catching the ship in Cozumel.

[chiver78]

Dec 22, 2022 12:22:52 GMT -5 @athena53 said:

Dec 22, 2022 11:48:05 GMT -5 bean29 said:

It made a big difference when I realized I needed to avoid corn in all forms including high fructose corn syrup.

That must be a major challenge HFCS is in everything. I just try to avoid it because it's evil. One doc whose opinion I trust said, "I think there are some things the human body wasn't meant to handle". Since ketchup is an ingredient in many BBQ sauces and practically every brand of ketchup includes HFCS, it's not surprising that you may have had some in the chicken wings.

this is all I'll buy for my house now that mooch isn't part of it. Simply Heinz 

I don't use a whole lot of ketchup, but it's a food group for him. I'd buy the huge bottles in bulk and he wasn't allowed to touch "my good stuff" lol... 

[chiver78]

I'm procrastinating, while trying with all my might to will the damn Ozempic jingle out of my brain. I hated the original song long before Novo Nordisk picked it up for these ads. ugh! 

on the agenda this afternoon - fill out a redundant Product Quality Review form for a specific market, and tackle my expense report from last week's trip. there might be an adult beverage next to my keyboard, since it's now afternoon.    

the IP is working on the leaky package of BSCB, I'll shred those when they are done. I also cleaned up/repackaged some containers of leftovers and figured out how I'm going to work with what's still in there. I think I'm in decent shape on pup meal stash, I might need to pick up a protein for myself before everything closes on Saturday. 

[countrygirl2]

Bye everybody, sure I will check back in, but have a Merrry Christmas.

Will be in Tumwater, Washington

[alabamagal]

We’re getting the bad weather tonight and tomorrow. The high temp tomorrow will be 4. Meanwhile my mom is not happy that they have predicted lows of 49 on Christmas Eve (Miami). DD and her family still in Hawaii have lows of 71. I need to retire soon and move.

[alabamagal]

I just had a fortune cookie with no fortune. Is that bad luck?

[saveinla]

Dec 22, 2022 12:52:25 GMT -5 countrygirl2 said:

Bye everybody, sure I will check back in, but have a Merrry Christmas.

Will be in Tumwater, Washington

Safe Travels countrygirl2. Hope you have a great time with your family.