Tuesday Randoms

[lavenderblue]

I'm in the office today and I'm not happy about it LOL I'm wearing a cute dress with tights and a scarf and I think I look cute, but I have no idea if scarves are still "in". I don't actually care that much though because it's freezing in my office and I'm happy for the extra layer. 

[noodleoo]

DD1 is home sick AGAIN. We're going on 12 days straight of having at least one sick kid home.  DD2 had it first and as soon as she was well enough to go back to school, DD1 got it.  This fever better break today because otherwise I might.

[lilypad1126]

I have this stupid lingering cough from a cold I had a couple weeks ago. It’s so annoying. Don’t mind me eating cough drops like candy. 😣 I just hope I can get through my presentation this afternoon without having a coughing fit.

[blondemoment123]

DS has his last soccer game tonight. I'm so proud of all of the progress he's made. He even said he wants to play again in the Spring!

I'm also going to try to make a friend (see previous post) 😜

[karinothing]

I am the PTA president at my son's middle school and on the executive board at my other kids' ES. The MS has a PTA meeting tonight. It is in person. Last night people were being really rude and mean because I didn't provide a virtual option. To be honest, I don't like hybrid meetings. The sound never works right, virtual folks are often unintentionally ignored. They can't participate in the activities we have. We are often moving around the room and it makes the camera and sound difficult. It is just not the most ideal set up so I would rather do all virtual or all in person. We are trying to rebuild a community after covid and use the PTA meetings as a social event (there is foot, etc).

ANYWAY, people were just really rude and accused me of hating single parents and sick people and it's just frustrating. I put in SO MANY HOURS of volunteer work and then people just criticize and make me feel bad. Guess how many people volunteered to take on executive board positions last year? ZERO

People just want to tell me what to do and not help and its frustrating.

[meanie]

We are back home from a long weekend in GA and absolutely dragging butt today. We got home at midnight, and I was up at 6 making school lunches.

DD got her first period while we were there. I brought stuff so we were prepared, she was excited to get it (lol) but now she understands why I kept warning her that it would suck.

H has said in the past that we would get a cake to celebrate so when she got it, which is so ridiculous but 10000x better than my dad's reaction when I got mine (running out of the room covering his ears).

[beerlover]

Blah, I hate Tuesdays. They seem so long because H has class in the evening and I'm solo parenting all night. It's not like one 8 year old is hard to parent but it's just nicer having him here.

I know I'm a broken record about cat related things, so apologies in advance. I just feel sad for the cat I've had for 11 years. After getting a second cat in June, they're still not getting along so elder cat spends almost all of her time upstairs in my office to avoid the new cat, who mostly hangs downstairs. I am 90% sure she is terrified of the other cat and dealing with a lot of anxiety. For awhile, she was pooping multiple times a day which I assume was from anxiety. That has subsided a bit, thankfully. It just makes me so sad that she is staying in the same room and won't go downstairs and snuggle with us at night anymore. I haven't been letting her in our bedroom anymore since the cats had fleas, so I'm sure she is also bummed that she can't sleep with us anymore. Is cat anxiety a thing that can be treated at the vet? I feel like an idiot calling and saying my cat isn't herself and seems anxious but they are also pretty nice over there, so maybe I should. IDK. She eats and drinks normally and is comfortably sleeping in the couch in my office right now so maybe I am overblowing this, but I hate that she won't leave this room basically.

[karinothing]

beerlover, have you tried those feline pheromone diffuser things? They supposedly help with anxiety. Otherwise, they do make anxiety meds for cats so it is worth talking to your vet. I am sorry that is hard. Sometimes cats just take a while to warm up. We got a cat in May 2020 and it has NEVER let my youngest pet him. Much to his dismay because he LOVES cat and all he wants to do is pet the cat and love him.

Well, we went away on vacation for 2 weeks this summer and it was like a switch flipped and suddenly the cat is fine with him. This was also the cat that hid in our ceiling for weeks until deciding he was obsessed with me and now never leaves my side.

Hopefully your cat adjusts soon. Can you lock cat 2 up some night for a bit and get cat 1 snuggle time in?

[fluffycookie]

This is truly random...lol. I was influenced recently about Bay's sourdough english muffins. Several people I am friends with were all talking about them in a post so I bought them this weekend and eh, they aren't that good. Give me my thomas's sourdough.

[circa1978]

meanie, the cake to celebrate a first period from dad is so wholesome. It's giving First Moon Party vibes: www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEcZmT0fiNM

[deadwing]

beerlover, yes, anxiety meds for pets are definitely a thing. It took my cat (who was 1.5 y/o at the time) a full year to accept my XH's kitten. They ended up being best friends, but it was a long road.

Work just announced that open enrollment this year aligns exactly with my 2 weeks off. Usually there is some overlap, but I've never had to log in on my time off to deal with it before. HR has already confirmed there is no way to make an exception for me the day before or after my vacation. I'm very annoyed.

[cville]

A colleague and I sort of split work for a particular client. It makes sense from a workload perspective.

HOWEVER, he and I have massively different work styles.

Me: let's get shit done; evaluate risks/rewards,make informed decisions, implement, handle consequences both intended and unintended; herd the cats; answer questions; prod non-legal folks to make decisions after laying out options but opine on best course as needed, multitask/juggle competing claims on our time.

Him: let's deeply contemplate matters, examining from all sides; let's make presumptions based on entrenched understandings of what we "think" the other side will do; let's ask lots of questions to root out every possible outcome/related issue; being very careful to stay in the purely legal arena and always present pro/con on everything when asked your opinion

These are both good and needed perspectives/approaches. But makes comanaging projects or consulting with one another on issues so frustrating. For me. Because I'm like OMG HURRY UP WHO CARES ALREADY.

Which is not the right reaction. I should be patient and consider angles I may not have thought about.

But also WOULD YOU PLEASE STOP TALKING AND MOVE FORWARD

[followyourarrow]

I'm in PA for work this week. I got up at 3:30 yesterday morning and they kept us at the office until 6 pm. I was so freaking tired and fell asleep at 8:30 pm.

Stepdaughter got hurt this past weekend. She went to the ER and then an ortho surgeon yesterday. Her knee and ankle are still too swollen to tell exactly what's going on, but it looks like a torn meniscus and a broken ankle. She's in a brace and a boot for now. I feel terrible I'm not home to help. FI was able to take her to the dr yesterday, but he leaves to go back offshore tonight.

[konapoppy]

Oct 22, 2024 9:13:06 GMT -5 karinothing said:

I am the PTA president at my son's middle school and on the executive board at my other kids' ES.

Liked in solidarity. Not the president, but all the same issues. Crappy hybrid options suck for everyone. Either all virtual or all in person is my vote if you don’t have the right setup.

[wildrice]

I am in the office today, too. I am supposed to meet up with a coworker after work and check out a nearby museum exhibit, then go to dinner. I am looking forward to catching up with her, but I wish it was another day - I am so tired! I was up late last night watching football and stupid me decided to have drinks while watching so I am extra dragging. My sinuses have been irritated for the last week, too, so that doesn't help.

I saw a job posted yesterday that looked interesting, but they offer only 10 vacation days per year for the first 5 years! WTF. They do have 7 personal days, whatever that means, but if I take a new job somewhere it is going to have to have MORE PTO, not less. Something tells me that I'm just going to keep my current job forever and should stop being curious about others, lol. Every time I think about applying for something else, there is some good reason not to. I do get kind of bored in my role but I just had a good performance review, so maybe I need to just keep on keeping on and find other things to entertain me.

[karinothing]

Oct 22, 2024 9:40:33 GMT -5 konapoppy said:

Oct 22, 2024 9:13:06 GMT -5 karinothing said:

I am the PTA president at my son's middle school and on the executive board at my other kids' ES.

Liked in solidarity. Not the president, but all the same issues. Crappy hybrid options suck for everyone. Either all virtual or all in person is my vote if you don’t have the right setup.

Right? Some guy was like "you mean you passed a budget and didn't bother to address this issue" like WTF. FIRST, you had the budget you could have raised the issue. SECOND, a real system to set up proper hybrid meetings is not going to be something we are paying for. THIRD, why are you bringing this up to me less than 24 hours before the actual meeting. 

over it lol. Plus, we had hybrid last year and would get 2 people on the meeting. It is ridiculous. 

[maudefindlay]

I'm home and showered after my colon xray. That was awful, they don't put you out for it likely because it is quick and they need you to change positions a lot, but I'd rather have been knocked out. My stomach is so crampy now. Thanks to an ablation 9 years ago, I haven't had a period since, but this feels like period cramps and I'm annoyed.

Picking DD up in an hour to go to lunch and then her 12 yr well visit. Then DH and I are meeting our builders at our lot to go over locations before digging begins.

[meanie]

Oct 22, 2024 9:33:57 GMT -5 circa1978 said:

meanie , the cake to celebrate a first period from dad is so wholesome. It's giving First Moon Party vibes: www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEcZmT0fiNM

Bahahahahaha omg that is amazing, I can't wait to show her when she gets home. When H brought up the cake it was so adorable and weird, but it is definitely going to be a THING now.

[plutosmoon]

I had a dentist appointment today with my new dentist. Apparently, I have a couple of cavities that need filling. I know my last dentist was watching a spot or two, but she was a watch and wait type of dentist and not so quick to fill. I have dental trust issues, so I'm a bit nervous about this, but it's the only dentist left that takes my insurance within an hour drive, so I'm going with it.

When I got to work I had a letter from one of the government programs I manage. We have a one penny overpayment, it cost them more to print and mail the letter! Accounts payable is going to be so annoyed with me when I request we cut a one cent check.

[hermione]

My kid has basketball tryouts today. She has worked so hard, we've paid for private lessons, and she is a really good teammate - always upbeat and encouraging. If she does not make JVA (as opposed to JVB), she will be absolutely devastated. I have tried to make sports not important in this way but here we are. Please cross your fingers for us in the hopes that her nerves don't get the best of her.

[ssmjlm]

There's a nationwide VPN/network outage. Even if we went into the office, the network is a mess.

It's been a fun morning.

[sometimesrunner]

I got a mouth guard on Thursday and it has been way more difficult to get used to than anticipated. I feel like I'm sleeping super light since I got it, and last night I woke up at 2 and tried to go back to sleep until 4 am. I finally ripped it out, but wasn't able to go back to sleep. When is this going to get better??? Ugh, I know I need this thing, but I NEED to get used to it ASAP.

[mae0111]

Oct 22, 2024 9:53:18 GMT -5 karinothing said:

Oct 22, 2024 9:40:33 GMT -5 konapoppy said:

Liked in solidarity. Not the president, but all the same issues. Crappy hybrid options suck for everyone. Either all virtual or all in person is my vote if you don’t have the right setup.

Right? Some guy was like "you mean you passed a budget and didn't bother to address this issue" like WTF. FIRST, you had the budget you could have raised the issue. SECOND, a real system to set up proper hybrid meetings is not going to be something we are paying for. THIRD, why are you bringing this up to me less than 24 hours before the actual meeting. 

over it lol. Plus, we had hybrid last year and would get 2 people on the meeting. It is ridiculous. 

There wasn't a lot that I liked about my kids' last school, but one thing that worked... The PTA met once a month, and they switched off having it in person and virtual.  In person meetings were in the morning immediately after drop-off, and was kid friendly.  No dial in option, but minutes were published.  Then the next month was an evening virtual meeting, and it was usually a whole different group of parents that could attend.  Calls were recorded and minutes and replay available.  It was a nice way to include everyone that wanted to be there.

I totally agree that the hybrid meetings don't work right, ever.  So it was nice to have both options, and just attend whatever worked.

[pinkdutchtulips]

I fell asleep on the bus on the way home yesterday and missed my stop. Thankfully I was able to get off only 2 stops after my usual one and a 10-15 min walk to my car. 

[fernweh]

We have a work location in Canada- I have been asked to report here for the next month or so. It’s not a terrible drive but the more days I cross the border the more difficult the border agents get about letting me cross. I don’t have a work permit just a letter from the company stating I’m on American payroll and will not be displacing any Canadian workers. I don’t think I’m going to make it the entire month before they start turning me away.

[spindle92]

Oct 22, 2024 10:46:11 GMT -5 fernweh said:

We have a work location in Canada- I have been asked to report here for the next month or so. It’s not a terrible drive but the more days I cross the border the more difficult the border agents get about letting me cross. I don’t have a work permit just a letter from the company stating I’m on American payroll and will not be displacing any Canadian workers. I don’t think I’m going to make it the entire month before they start turning me away.

This is very interesting and something I never thought of.

I have a friend who lives just across the canadian border but has a PO box in North Dakota that she comes to regularly. I've never asked her about the border agents questioning her but now I'm going to.

 

[1confused1]

My dog is acting very strange so I decided to work from home today. He spent a lot of yesterday chasing lizards so I’m hoping he’s just sore.

[shauni27]

Oct 22, 2024 10:30:25 GMT -5 sometimesrunner said:

I got a mouth guard on Thursday and it has been way more difficult to get used to than anticipated. I feel like I'm sleeping super light since I got it, and last night I woke up at 2 and tried to go back to sleep until 4 am. I finally ripped it out, but wasn't able to go back to sleep. When is this going to get better??? Ugh, I know I need this thing, but I NEED to get used to it ASAP.

I remember that for months I would wake up and my mouthguard would have been in my bedding somewhere because I ripped it out in discomfort in my sleep. I finally told that to my dentist and he made adjustments to it and now I cannot fall asleep at night without it! Maybe talk to the team to see if they can make it more comfortable?

[midwestmama]

The eye drops my eye doctor recommended last week and the Rx ointment she prescribed for the inflamed skin around my right eye have helped so much in the last week I've been using them. Essentially, it's allergies of some kind, so I'll just keep using the eye drops from now on.

A random regarding vacation days...we have unlimited PTO, but there are guidelines for # of vacation days per year based on years of service and grade level. My guideline # of days is 15, but I've decided that I'm going to plan on taking 20 vacation days a year. Shouldn't be an issue as long as I'm getting my work done. (And I'm sure my boss won't care either, as long as I'm getting my work done.)

[Bad Dingo]

I just got a notice that the 911 systems are down throughout Connecticut.  My first thought was this is hackers preparing for a bigger event on election day...


www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/police-departments-across-ct-reporting-issues-with-911-routine-phone-lines-or-both/3415101/