Mom got here yesterday for her week long visit. I'm so excited. Today started with me finally getting bloodwork and I saw my shrink. He's going to increase my Klonopin to .75 mg for 2 weeks and if I need it then increase to 1. He's very conservative with med changes.

Mom and I went to the Champlain Islands, stopped at a snack stand, went to some antique stores, then back tracked to 2 apple orchards. We got fresh cider, dried apple rings, and Vermont Gold apples at one and cider doughnuts and vanilla ice cream (locally made) at the other. Then did more sight seeing.

It was oddly tiring. Tomorrow is stay at home and kinda organize, go to the yarn shop, and my therapy appointment.

I spent today grading quizzes and going to meetings, none of which was even remotely fun. And now my ear hurts. So I'm whiny.

I'm not really Snoop. Though I do spend a lot of time wondering how my hair looks and plotting to kill folks...honest mistake.

That sounds great, askye. Good for you.

Whine away, Hil. That's not a fun day.

I made it to the grocery and the post office and then I got panhandled while I was waiting for the other panhandler to meet me at the McDonalds. But I was in a good mood because I came in under budget at the grocery, so they both got what they asked for (lunch & a bus pass). I need to go back and buy more bus passes, because I used to carry them for this purpose, but I ran out and never refilled them.

I missed my own lunch, though, and came home and snacked, but I really should eat something real.

Besides blackberries, I mean. I can never have berries. I bring them home from the grocery store and eat them immediately. I love berries.

What do folks do on staff retreats? Are any of them practical?

Our local city council uses staff retreats for actual long term planning. In general staff retreats are a good place to do actual work stuff that you normally can't do at work because of having to put out fires. And the relaxed atmosphere contributes in theory to creativity.

What do folks do on staff retreats? Are any of them practical?

What Typo said. It's good to be able to get away and focus on how the department is doing and what it can do better. And, of course, play games and eat good food and drink wine and whatnot. There have definitely been parts of retreats that have felt like wastes of time, though, mostly the touchy-feely HR stuff.

Vicodin has gotten my ear pain down to manageable levels, but it's also made me want potato chips.

I have been on many staff retreats, and they've all been excruciating wastes of time.

Enforced "fun" almost never is.

My RA staff retreats in college were super fun. Which... not surprising, really. On the other hand, I did not enjoy the Outward Bound-type thing we did in the pouring rain all day with the entire group of RAs. Except for the zip wire. That was fun.

I don't think I've ever done an office retreat in business life. Just day-long HR touchy-feely stuff. Some of it was enlightening, but there were no rocks involved a la Allyson's experience.