I asked the doctor what would happen if, say, I couldn't touch my toes like he asked, but he didn't know.

The doctor at one pre-employment physical said it was mainly to get a baseline to have if people claimed they were injured on the job.

Can I say I'm a bit creeped out at the Orwellian level of testing y'all go through for your jobs?!

I worked in the electric utility and nuclear power industry for 15 years. Continuous random drug tests. Annual physicals. MMPIs. Background checks. The occasional whole body scan for radiation. And I was just going in and out of plants to write about them.

We had to be fingerprinted and drug tested, plus they run a background check when we are hired. Fingerprinting is redone every 5 years. (are they worried we committed a crime they somehow don't know about???) We can be subject to random drug testing. (but only 'for cause') Add to that the required testing by the state for Professional certification and for our subject area.

I guess it is supposed to make everyone feel better that the teachers are going through all this. It frequently feels more like Big Brother is watching.

Drug tested, whoa!

Okay, I just checked my bank balances for the first time since I started Xmas shopping and my Visa balance is so high that I thought there must be someone using it. But no, it's all me! Yike!

I've been finger printed and had a background check for teaching.

Now most of the questions have to do with whether or not I'm carrying $3,000,000 of general liability insurance and providing proof of said insurance and thing like that.

People, do not try to pick up a baking sheet fresh from the oven wearing a rubber dishwashing glove. Dishwashing glove != potholder glove.

Not sure where my brain was.

I worked in the electric utility and nuclear power industry for 15 years. Continuous random drug tests. Annual physicals. MMPIs. Background checks. The occasional whole body scan for radiation.

I know the world you are talking about!

My WH (wonderful husband) works for the power plants in our area. He spent 20 years at the nuclear plant as an operator. The annual physicals, drug testing, etc. were a regular part of his world.

He's been at 2 of the coal plants for about 2 years. They are still pretty strict but it isn't anything like the nuke.

He's trying to transfer back to the nuke as a procedure writer. All the nuke stuff will start again. Ah, well, at least it will mean he won't be doing shift work any more.

Oh sara!

I have to admit, I've taking pans out of the oven, put them down. and then less than a minute later tried to pick them up with my bare hands.

Oh wow! I'm sure you are both eager to get him away from shift work, those hours suck.

I'm pretty good about grabbing a cloth or potholder. I guess the sensation of wearing a glove short-circuited logic.

Luckily, the only damage was to the glove.

Oh wow! I'm sure you are both eager to get him away from shift work, those hours suck.

I would say 'you have no idea'; however, that's not totally true. It will be amazing if it all comes together. I almost can't imagine a life without rotating 12 hour shifts. He would be off on most holidays and weekends, too.

It would almost be like 'normal people'!