Snow day number 4 in the last two weeks. At least this one is real snow and not just a thick layer of ice, but it is playing hell with the fun class engineering project I had planned for this week and next.

We're closed and we were given a leave charge code to charge up to 8 hours to today. That's kind of unprecedented.

Of course, it doesn't actually mean that I can take the day off. If I don't work today it's just pushing off a crisis for later. I am working on a team on a special urgent project right now and I think I'm going to have to be the one to tell the others we probably really should do our planned work today (which will mean being on a call together for hours). Sorry, guys!

Everyone's favorite Boston weather blogger explains that we've beaten the amount of snow fall for the winter, but not for the season (or something; it's all very technical). Basically, we've had the most snow in Dec-Feb, but not yet July-June. [link]

I'm sorry for you guys stuck in the house and especially if you're still working on a day off!

Morning, all.

Sorry I've been grey -- The February Black Dog took its annual stroll through my psyche, right on schedule, and while the Black Dg was smaller than usual, with the crazy reno and the 19,800 people scheduled for showing, when I wasn't too busy doing 8000 tasks, or falling down stairs (twice), or falling on the floor (help, I've fallen and I can't get up!) last week because the crazy post-reno cleaning and moving stuff totally made my back go into lockdown, I pulled myself into my snail shell of depression and am just now coming out.

February is normally the WORST month for me, but hey, at least it lasted 3 weeks instead of 2 months! PROGRESS!

I lurked, so I'd like to wish belated birthdays to all whom I missed, and much -ma and sympathy to those who need it.

On the upside, my house reno is done, and the house went back on the market Saturday!

SO I just wanted to say howdy. HOWDY!! Missed you all!

Timelies all!

Work is closed due to snow. I do wish that we didn't get woken up at 5:30 by the phone call telling us that. (Gary's work follows the government's lead on closings, and calls it employees.)

Erin, I missed you! Glad things are looking up.

I have a Bartleby of an author today. When we send authors the edited manuscript to review/answer questions, we give them a 2-day turnaround time.** The majority of authors return their articles in this time frame, although some need to be poked with a stick to remind them.

Bartleby!author's article was due back today. She replied to the email with "I am out of the country on vacation and cannot return the article until next week." And I am sympathetic to the plight of vacation, but like a call center representative, I have to follow up with the next scripted response, which is: "Thank you for letting me know, etc...We have very stringent deadlines, etc...could one of your co-authors review and return the article?"

Bartleby!author replied this morning with "I have spoken to my co-authors and we will return the article next week."

That is a very polite pain in the ass, you special out-of-the-country-vacationing snowflake. Damn.

**(I think 2 days is a VERY short turnaround time, but I am not the one who came up with that policy. Feel free to dislike/decry it, but I can't really argue about it because it wasn't my decision. I'm just the enforcer.)

That'll be me in a week, responding to everything (if I respond) with "I'm out of the country on vacation".

I am not an author, though, so there's that.

I keep singing Graceland with altered lyrics - "we're going to Iceland, Iceland, Reykjavik city, we're going to Iceland [doodle-doodle deedle-deedle-dum bom bom] Amsterdam's on the way, and then there's an eclipse and we're in Iceland" etc Should be doing my self-eval that is due while I'm gone, but my brain won't stop with the singing.

t /totally taking the wrong message from Tep's tale

I am not an author, though, so there's that.

Which makes things SO much easier! I do get that the conflicting schedule is a pain for the author, but that's why we ask if the co-authors can review the article.

Oh well -- this allows us to engage in the time-honored editor tradition of badmouthing our authors. (And, in turn, our pestering emails allow the authors to grouse and vilify us as well. It's a win-win!)

That is kind of a crazy turn-around time. Is it 2 business days, at least?