Are people in other countries as coy as we are about salaries?

It is possible that one of my thermometers is down for the count. It suddenly switched to Centigrade and told me my temperature was 33.3. This seemed unlikely and I found another thermometer that reassured me that my fever was normal. I miss mercury thermometers. They either worked or were a puddle of mercury on the floor to play with.

Good thing you have an extra thermometer!

I am at the airport. Was afraid I'd be late because I got in my car and suddenly remembered that I needed gas, but had thought I'd fill up yesterday only then I didn't drive anywhere yesterday. Oops. Thankfully, had just enough time to grab a water and get in line.

Are people in other countries as coy as we are about salaries?

I dunno. I think we did a little salary reveal on Natter once and I recall it being very hard to do.

It was a hard and very busy weekend. After the move, my grandmother is back in the hospital and my mother is worried that my grandmother won't every live in her apartment even though there isn't any seriously wrong right now. We'll see how it goes. I'm scheduled to do some cleaning out of her old place a couple of weeks from now.

I'm feeling stressed about work, personal matters, finances, and all the tasks that need to be done around the house. I'm spending zero time on R&R or on working on my book Cog, but I still seem to be failing at all fronts. I just feel like I can't take any more.

Ooh, good one. I was just looking at that in the huge new comprehensive Art Deco book that came out this year.

Seeing it in person was one of the high points of my recent visit to the Crystal Bridges Museum. It would also be perfect for the fine art component for which I've been scoping out replacement images, if not for the fact that the price tag would be way above our budget.

I'm sorry, Gud. That's a lot to have to do, and I'm not surprised it's overwhelming, but I wish it didn't feel like you were failing. You are doing an awful lot successfully whether it feels like it or not.

Gud, I don't know what to say except you're not failing, you may be treading water right now but you're not failing. And you're not alone. You've got a bunch of friends and a bunch of us know what it feels like to feel that way. We're always here for you. Is there anyone there you can talk to? A therapist, a helpful friend? You sound like you could use someone to talk to.

The valley is filling up with smoke again, this time from a fire just on the other side of the mountain. So this smoke is full of the heavy particulates as well as just the haze. The winds have shifted, and it's coming in towards the building. It's already getting in through the building's air filtration system. I just love working with the feeling of my lungs being squeezed. I don't think there's anywhere within thirty miles I could go to get away from it.

Aw, Gud, that's tough. You totally aren't failing, even though it feels that way.

Are people in other countries as coy as we are about salaries?

As a public servant, my salary is posted in the statement of public accounts. Here it's any salary over $30K, but in some provinces, it's only salaries over $100 K.

Ask a Manager taught me that it is not illegal to share salaries with coworkers, and in fact it is illegal to have a policy against it!

However, in practice, everyone here thinks it is illegal (or immoral) and we don't even know salary ranges. If you call HR or Payroll, they can't share and tell you to ask your manager. My "manager" doesn't have access either, and our school accounting says that they are not allowed to share. It is really bizarre-- I am not sure what knowing the potential range you could make would do-- or the potential range of a job you might apply for!

It may be illegal, but it's a firing offense in my company.