I know I complain about Mac a lot here. He got up early this morning for some reason and came out to the garage as I was leaving just to hug me. Sometimes he just a big 17 year old kid.

Mac, you big sweetie.

In continuing news, the white house is having problems hiring people ... they had a booth at a job fair. Story.

Aww, go Mac! Maybe working for a living is giving him a greater appreciation of all you do!

Also, has someone here talked about Meniere's disease?

I don't think I've talked about it, but my mom has it. She gets attacks sometimes (vertigo, nausea/vomiting) but is mostly fine. I think there are some things he could try diet-wise that might help, but I don't know if they'd be the same for him as for my mom -- it might be a matter of figuring out what his triggers are. Good luck to him!

I knew nephew was having a lot of tests done, and this is what they finally decided. They are going to start him on steroids. His grandmother was surprised they didn't do diuretics first. Now that he has a diagnosis we hope he will try the many dietary suggestions. Six month leave from work is pretty major I would think for a young man in his mid 20s. He has disability insurance that will pay him 50%, but still. I'm letting my sister do the advising him part so he doesn't have too many people coming at him with ideas.

msbelle! Thank you very much for the books!

You are welcome!

I am only sure Jesse reads it, but I posted an anonymous thing very late on ask a manager and I don't have a lot of responses, so I want to ask here. It is more of an "am I crazy to be annoyed" but I would appreciate practical advice.

At my job, I am being offered a huge promotion from Program Coordinator ( admin assistant) to Instructional Designer. The pay grade for that is several levels above mine. It actually sounds a little more boring than what I do,but whatever.

Because of the rules of where I work, I can't just be pro over-the-counter furthest create a position and post it, but the plan is to close the posting as soon as I apply

The other rule, which I know to have been broken, is that internal transfers can only ever get 10% raise. I know this is broken, because I have gotten a larger raise in the past.

A 10% raise would place me below the salary and for that job,but more importantly it places me below the exempt threshold for NYS by 500 dollars (starting in devember). The best part of my job is being able to work at all hours and come in late if I need to

They are so adamant that it is against the rules to give me that additional money so I meet the threshold. I am irritated. They also forbid any working from home or outside hours work for non-existent smog staff, so I will have to change the way I have worked for close to 20 years

I know that answer is to suck it up because as soon as I get my first COL raise it will be a moot point, but can I be irritated? Or is their any technique that can get entirely rule bound people to see the light? I would literally write a check for $500 to them to pay me in order to have a flexible working environment.

Weird autocorrect. They can't just promote me. They have to create a position for me to apply to.

I don't understand all the fine points, but that certainly sounds like an annoying tangle of red tape and bureaucracy.