I am working 18 days between now and January 5. Only two full 5 day weeks.

Bob, also on a use or lose PTO plan (but one that's been in place for a a couple of years), is working 16 days between now and the end of the year. This is his last full work week. Crazy! I'm taking a couple of days here and there but am hoarding so I can take more time off next year. (I can carry over 40 hrs.) Also, we have a ton of deliverables due between in December. Basically impossible deliverables but still ones that require a lot of work.

I might actually have a couple of days to use or lose, which would be exciting.

This is why I don't like AT&T humans.

That is standard operating procedure for Comcast here. Every time the cable goes nuts, which is often, the support person tries to sell you stuff. Of course they are all subcontractors here too.

and he can't tell me if I'd still get the Personal Hotspot.

Which probably means no.

Nom, I am full. Got my brows done, did some window-shopping, emailed Dad's doctor, went to design firm & scheduled a consultation on my kitchen, took Dad out to dinner at The Macaroni & Cheese Place. (Which was a poor choice: packed & LOUD, despite it being 5:30 on a Tuesday.)

Dad bought a new Kindle, for reasons. (What those reasons are, I couldn't get him to explicate.) But he can't set it up, so I have to go help him with that tomorrow after work. Before work, I have a consultation with a vet for TNG's surgery. SIGH.

Theodosia, good on you for the Uber thing. That sounds promising, if also challenging. But also good luck on the interview.

I finally just got the guy to fix my texting. So I can get non-iOS texts and use Google 2-factor authentication again. Yay!

That is standard operating procedure for Comcast here. Every time the cable goes nuts, which is often, the support person tries to sell you stuff.

I've been planning on canceling my Comcast cable TV, and am dreading that call.

But on the plus-side, awesome iPhone 6 plus! It's grey with a black leather case.

I can carry over 40 hrs now ( but use by April) but this is a new lower limit. Between July 2 and Jan 1, I suddely had to burn all else. Which worked out to about 6 weeks. I used to be able to carry over 4, which given this year's schedule, was workable given the way this year was. I was planning on banking it since this year was a clusterfuck. Instead, I get to make it more a clusterfuck. And get fucked.

Yes, I am really, really bitter. I'm burning the time, not losing it, but it isn't how I wanted to use it. I'm going to the head of Dev and asking him to complain. Because we (me) are impacting his schedule. My boss is good about managing us, but she softshoes a bit to division. She's the Optimist to my Eyeore in the team, which usually works, but... I've made it clear to the mission, but I'm not a manager. M, dev head, is a hothead no filter who respects me and has lost 2 developers to this shit.

I want to set fire to CSC's hr. So over it.

We have a limit to how much we can carry over year-to-year, but we can cash out extra vacation time in September rather than needing to burn it at the end of the year.

Oh, we could cash out. On 40 cents on the dollar.

That doesn't seem like it oughta be legal.

Probably is, but shouldn't oughta be.

the support person tries to sell you stuff

Having done that job, they don't have a choice except to try to sell you stuff. We got penalized if we didn't try to sell something to the people who were calling because they couldn't afford to keep the cable on. And there were sales goals that were never met and which management always screamed at us for not meeting.

It's not a happy job, but sometimes you need a job. Then there are the sadistic fucks who enjoy it.