It's Monday!

[mae0111]

How was the weekend?  What's happening this week?

[mae0111]

It was a quiet weekend. I wound up sick again on Friday afternoon - norovirus-like symptoms. So I don't know if it was the same flu that I've had, or if I picked up something in addition to what I already had. I didn't feel good again until Sunday.

Friday my kids had school. I spent the morning cleaning and getting Easter baskets ready, and I was sick by early afternoon. So we didn't do much on Friday - just lots of basketball and hanging out. Saturday morning DH took DD2 to her last indoor soccer game because I still didn't feel well and didn't want to leave the house. DD1 ended up going out with a friend last-minute for the day, which was really nice. DD2 and I hung out and took the dog to a local park and a short walk.

Easter was quiet. I finally felt better and the weather was great, so we took the kids to the local high school for a bit. DD1 went to the baseball batting cage to practice hitting for softball, and DD2 played soccer with DH. Then I took the dog for a walk and made a nice dinner. We didn't see any family - I just wasn't up for it.

It's kind of a weird week. DD2 has 2 practices today, but then we're supposed to get a huge storm starting tomorrow and lasting until later on Thursday - mostly rain for us, but possibly some snow. Spring sports games are supposed to start this weekend, but I don't know how the fields will be. Everything feels up in the air.

DD1 has been doing pretty well with her behavior lately - very helpful, trying to be nice to DD2. DD2, however... oof. Incredibly disrespectful, very short-tempered, just not nice to anyone in general. Things blew up last night and she had a meltdown over dinner, ruining it for the rest of us. Just a bummer. I'm hoping things improve this week.

[librarychica]

Easter was a, well, it was fine but only because my MIL, H, and I busted hump to paper over all my SIL’s drama for all the kids. Plus it is a 2+ hour drive. And after I said a dozen times “I do not want to get home at 9pm again, let’s leave early” we got home at … 8:45.

I told H I will not be doing mothers’ day with them. None of this nonsense is his fault, or even is parents, and certainly not my nieces and nephew but I need a break. If he wants to go, if he wants to take the kids, fine. I have rarely spent a Mother’s Day at home or with my extremely patient mother in 15 years of marriage, and this year my birthday falls on the same day, and I will not be dealing with this shit. He wisely said “of course, honey. You let me know what you want.” Good man.

This week is busy. Last week’s work was a dumpster fire and I’ll be catching up there before traveling next week. DD1 has an orthodontist adjustment, DD2 has a talent show, I have a PTA commitment, and H and I need to sort out summer daycamp after missing signups for the usual neighborhood camps (they opened earlier than usual and by the time I noticed three days later they were full — whoops!)

[twinmomma]

We had a solid weekend. DH and I went out for dinner in the city on Friday night and had a great time. We tried somewhere new and trendy because I had seen it on Instagram and the food was delicious! They even had gluten free churros, so we ate some for dessert and I took the rest home to eat with my coffee for breakfast on Saturday. Yum! Saturday was a "get things done" day. I got my hair cut and got all of my homework for the next couple weeks completed so that I don't have to worry about it while we're traveling. Also tackled all the laundry that's been piling up to be folded in our bedroom. On Sunday we had zero Easter plans. We ended up swinging by a friend's house to say hi and enjoy the beautiful weather outside before heading home to relax and watch basketball on tv.

We are supposed to be flying to California on Thursday, but there's a massive storm getting ready to roll in this week. DS is supposed to fly home from vacation with his mom on Wednesday and I'm not even confident that will happen. It's very stressful to try and figure out what's going to happen. We don't have any wiggle room with this trip since we're flying out for a wedding and then immediately back home again. Ugh.

[supertrooper1]

The weekend started off good. We had a group of 7 for riding. The weather was beautiful and I was feeling pretty good on the trails. There are picnic tables scattered throughout the trails and we stopped about an hour into our ride at our usual table. Beau's 3 cousins told us when we stopped that they had enough time to make it back to their truck and head out for an Easter event. It was odd that they didn't tell us they were short on time before, especially since it's an hour drive just to the offroad park for them. We assumed that they were already tired and ready to go so they just made up an excuse. Beau, his son, brother, and I continued on for another 2 hours of riding. Everything was going well until Beau hit a root and crashed. He seemed fine and just had the wind knocked out of him, but by the time we got back to the truck, he was in pain and could barely move. At one point when we got home I thought I was going to have to take him to the ER but he stuck it out with just Tylenol.

We didn't do anything Sunday because Beau's back was still hurting him. It was nice to enjoy the sunshine and not have to rush anywhere. He seems better today, but I'm not sure he's gym ready. This week will be getting ready for our motorcycle "race" next weekend. DS comes home Wednesday night and I'm taking Thursday off to do something fun with him for spring break before we head to Eastern Washington Friday.

[k3am]

I took everyone's advice and started leaving work at 2ish, logging back in at home by 2:25ish and finishing out the day there to avoid traffic. It's been working out great - kids have been getting where they need to go on time, I've been getting what I need to get done.

Today we got a notice that Work hours are until 5pm, and need to be adhered to. Because it's about optics. Le sigh.

[erbear]

The drama continues. I was discharged from the hospital on Wednesday but continue to feel the same symptoms -- chest pain, back pain, shortness of breath, rapid heart rate. Then I managed to pick up a cold that has me coughing and have had complete laryngitis for 3 days. I just want to feel better!

Kids have a bunch of sports this week and I'm hoping for rain so some of them get cancelled. My older DD is trying out for a new soccer team. We like the kids and the coach...but they practice twice a week 35 minutes from our house, from 8:15-9:30. I don't know if I can sign up to do this for a year until she drives...

[mae0111]

k3am, "optics" piss me off. Can you take it up with your manager? If you can work that out, who cares what the optics are?

[k3am]

mae0111, manager is the one who passed the info along. And he would not have passed it along if he didn't have to, since he generally leaves the earliest. He's also on shaky footing. He's already told me he'd quit if he had a place to go.

[librarychica]

Apr 1, 2024 11:32:29 GMT -5 k3am said:

mae0111, manager is the one who passed the info along. And he would not have passed it along if he didn't have to, since he generally leaves the earliest. He's also on shaky footing. He's already told me he'd quit if he had a place to go.

Good lord. What a mess and what a shitty, unnecessary thing to do.

[k3am]

librarychica, it is definitely a mess. My operations person looked like she was ready to cry since he made a big deal about "work hours are until 5pm" and she generally comes in early and leaves early. I'm glad she corrected him on that! If work is getting done, who cares when it's getting done? And yes.. we are open until 5. But 95% of the clients we support are east coast - so operations rarely get calls after 2:30. (I rarely ever get calls that aren't scheduled in advance or that I at least have a heads up that its coming)

I wish I could say I'm logging in at 6:30 to accomodate, but I don't/can't/don't want to do that anymore.

[rere]

k3am that stinks. I really don't know why companies are so short sighted to realize it's not 1960 and the workplace will evolve. I leave at 330 most days and when someone challenges that will be the day I put my notice of retirement. Even if it is 2 years out. And probably look for something different.

Good weekend. Bought some ferns for my porch at the farmers market and came home with ddvand dh to a fire, hotdogs and stores.

We endured Easter at moms where 80% of the people I barely know. I asked my brother if mom is now mom, but on another level, like mom Xs 10, or if she drinks early in the day. His response was yes.

[k3am]

rere, I think that's where I'm at. I need to tell them that if they're not okay with that accommodation, I'll need to drop down to 30 hours a week so that I can make my life outside of work work. DH makes significantly more money than me (which I appreciate, but I made more for a while!) and his job has limited flexibility (1-1.5 hour commute each way, tied to the bus schedule), so school drop off, pickup, and all activities fall to me.

[rere]

Apr 1, 2024 13:20:18 GMT -5 k3am said:

rere, I think that's where I'm at. I need to tell them that if they're not okay with that accommodation, I'll need to drop down to 30 hours a week so that I can make my life outside of work work. DH makes significantly more money than me (which I appreciate, but I made more for a while!) and his job has limited flexibility (1-1.5 hour commute each way, tied to the bus schedule), so school drop off, pickup, and all activities fall to me.

That was Dh. Very inflexible schedule so all of the things were me, so I appreciate the flexibility I had and one reason I stayed. Now I'm the breadwinner and he has alllllllllllllll the flexibility in the world. Plays golf for networking, "worked from home" Friday, but really just needed to check some emails. And now the kids are independent. Of course.

[sdlaura]

I hope you’re both feeling better soon mae0111 and erbear, and ugh k3am, that’s super annoying!

We’re currently flying back from the east coast. Such a long flight with kids….it feels like we’ve been on here forever and still two hours to go. Luckily they’re doing pretty well. Thank goodness for tablets. Our good friends just happened to be on this same flight so DD is happy to be sitting with her BFF. We went San Diego to Charleston SC last Sunday and stayed at a nice resort (Wild Dunes on Isle of Palm) for four nights with my sister’s family and then all flew to MD for four nights with all the extended family.

We had an overall good trip. The kids love being with their cousins and aunts and uncles and grandparents so much, and DH and I both got some nice time with our sisters and BILs, and I got to see a couple friends from growing up.

Of course there were hiccups - we briefly lost our 3-year-old on the crowded DC national mall which took years off my life, had a couple illnesses, overtired kids, DS1 lost his iPad on one of our flights, crappy weather, and DH and I exhausted from 10 straight days of family togetherness But I know we’ll forget about all that stuff and remember the good stuff!

[k3am]

FINALLY got to chat with boss's boss. Ready to say I need to shift to less hours if it's that important where I'm working from.. I barely get my first sentence out and he told me to just keep doing what I'm doing. I stressed about this all day. AND missed the no traffic window.

[186momx]

k3am, I'm glad the boss's boss was happy to let you do what you are doing. Sorry you missed the magic drive window.

Today has been insanity. I've locked the door as we finished up with the last client and now am hoping to get some actual work done.
Weekend was productive work wise. I also with the help of a friend got all the medals opened and sorted/counted Friday night and my 8 boxes are ready to head to the event center Friday night.

[k3am]

My Tuesday be Mondaying.. What does WP say about the stupidest of office situations?

Last Friday, my operations manager (A) came and told me that boss had requested her to tell the other operations person (B) that she’s not allowed to stretch at her desk. A felt uncomfortable telling B, but felt she needed to because her boss told her to. I told her I don’t see a problem with it and if boss does, he can tell B himself.

B walks on her lunches. She spends maybe 2 minutes doing really light stretches in their bullpen – there’s no inappropriate downward dog or anything happening, it’s literally just pulling her arms across her body, or quad stretches while standing.

I assumed A wouldn’t say anything. Yesterday we got the “butts in seats until 5” memo. B seemed particularly unhappy. I asked A about it, and apparently, she’d told B about the new no stretching rule right when they got in because the office is empty/more private. And then she gets the “don’t you dare use flexible work accommodations or leave early even if you don’t have any work to do” lecture… I know how that hit me and I am assuming B is feeling particularly targeted. (My job never ends. Operations can only work on the work they have – if clients aren’t sending them stuff, they have nothing to do. I have no issue with them leaving early. I also know they can pop online remotely if they’ve left and something urgent comes up.)

I’m not sure if I get involved or not. I stretch in my office all the damned time because I’m a fidgety person. I’m not sure if the two gentlemen who sit (stand) near their bullpen were uncomfortable and went to their boss who then went to mine. If boss is just doing another spectacular job at “managing” or something else. I’d like to pick his brain, but he hasn’t been in the office since (maybe text would be better anyways? He’s generally better when not face to face). Just ignore it and let B wallow or figure it out on her own? Something else?

[supertrooper1]

k3am, I vote for stay out of it. It sounds like the stupid micromanaging I used to have to deal with on the government level in the office every day. If it's anything like my office, upper manager will make a stupid request, people will grumble and adhere for a bit, and then everyone forgets and moves on to the next stupid issue and coworker B will start stretching at her desk again.

[186momx]

Comcast shut our phones and internet off around 10 this morning for routine maintenance without notifying us ahead of time. Oh boy has it been a day and a half of crazy and we really can't work without either of those.

k3am, I do shoulder stretched against the doorframe of the copy room every time I walk into it. I have a 3-set series that I'm supposed to do at least 3 times a day. Now I don't do the funky neck stretches at my desk because they make me feel like a dork so I only do them in the bathroom.

[supertrooper1]

186momx, That sucks during your busy tax season! I had to walk my coworker step by step a couple weeks ago on how to use her phone as a hotspot because Comcast shut her internet off during the middle of our work day for maintenance. I know they have regular work hours too, but when our lives run off the internet, it seems like they should do outage maintenance during the night.

[186momx]

supertrooper1, I agree with you. Or at least email business 24 hours in advance to give them a heads up. When we called they wouldn't even let us talk to an agent as we had no service for the agent to help us fix. It is going to be a long night.

[sdlaura]

k3am I find your office stuff very interesting. Who cares if someone wants to stretch at their desk??

[rere]

k3am my reaction to this is ...what?

I can't imagine the level of absurdity that brought this on. I couldn't say if I'd get involved or not because it's so ridiculous?

[k3am]

It is absolutely absurd. B has been with the company for longer than some of our employees have been alive, I'm sure. She's moved from department to department as roles she was interested in came up. I would like to keep her in my department - she has a great attitude, she does the jobs I *hate* with a smile, takes stuff off my plate, clients love her, and overall just makes my role easier to manage. She is very non-confrontational though - if she ends up being pushed hard enough, she won't push back, she'll just look for (and find) another role within the company.

That is the main reason I am considering getting involved. Because mismanagement of this incredibly dumb situation could impact our entire department (and selfishly me).

[k3am]

Apr 2, 2024 22:47:25 GMT -5 sdlaura said:

k3am I find your office stuff very interesting. Who cares if someone wants to stretch at their desk??

I wish I could say it was isolated to this company. My last one was.. something else. But they got sued by employees. A lot. 

[mommyatty]

k3am- I would put the age discrimination bug in your boss’s ear. An older lady stretching at her desk? In a way that’s non-offensive? Older people in particular are encouraged to move throughout the day to avoid stiffness. Including specifically stretching. He would have been better off encouraging everyone to get together for a mid-day group stretch. It’s healthy. What a moron. Really.

[k3am]

Welp. I just couldn't help myself. I sent him a text. "A told me she had to tell B she can't stretch anymore. What is that about?"

He just "didn't think it was a good look." I told him I'm only bringing it up because my spidey sense is that she's feeling criticized on a couple personal fronts and it's an awkward situation. He's "glad I brought it up."

Amusingly, at yesterday's manager's meeting, they announced a company wide initiative for fitness and health that... includes being more active!

[186momx]

k3am, you should go out and stretch with B. Your boss's are very out of touch with the inner workings of your division.

[waverly]

k3am, start a wellness committee/ initiative and present desk stretches as part of the initiative. This is partly TIC, but I’ve actually been on a wellness committees in the past.