I haven't seen Atropa around here in a while, but if you see her around other parts wish her the happiest birthday.

OMG, doing prep for Thanksgiving. Missing so many things! Shop Shop Shop. The front desk of my building sometimes sees me multiple times a day for my deliveries.

My BIL texted and asked me if it was okay for his BIL and family to come too, and duh, of course, because they are lovely people. Then the big question was, what can they bring? Well, Pouchon is a serious chef, like executive chef for several huge chains before opening his own restaurant in Kissimmee, which was featured on the Cooking Channel. So I emailed him my basic plan of what various people were bringing and what I was making and told him to feel free to tell me to skip the potatoes or roasted veggies or anything he wanted to substitute because he was bringing some insanely tasty risotto or something instead. Or bring something he felt was a hole missing in the plan. I always love when he is at family gatherings, both because he is a beautiful person, and oh the food is so yum.

Cindy congrats to your oldest!!

So the root canal has to be paid up front and then then they'll file insurance. It's not technically my dentist office but the specialist who does this out for their office...I dunno the details. Thanks to workers comp finally paying I have the money to do this.

On top of the root canal my period started yesterday and I have really bad cramps. Mom has a new recliner that has a heat setting so I took advantage of that this morning.

I have to work tomorrow but not until 1 . So I'll drive home later today. Although if I'm feeling really bad I'll call work but I hate too because I have the next 3 days off and just had 2 days odd so it feels like I'm cheating somehow.

We get 10 personal days that don't roll over and then I can't remember how many hours of PTO that roll over until March that is both sick and vacation time and it's more than 3 days.

Congratulations to the happy couple, Cindy!

I get 4 weeks PTO each year, 2 of which can roll over, plus we've now started a policy of closing down between Christmas and New Year's. It's a struggle most years to use up vacation time before I lose it. Particularly in the pandemic when I'm not going to drive off for 3-day getaways.

OMG, doing prep for Thanksgiving.

My mom and my aunt are still having some kind of argument, so Mom keeps texting me "Don't tell Aunt B. that you're coming over for Thanksgiving!" "Please don't post about it on Facebook!" (Mom doesn't understand that you can block FB users from certain posts.)

Tim's family never has this kind of shenanigans. Because they are more or less sane and functional people. (We're going to Mom's instead of Tim's family because Mom went to Italy for 2 weeks at the beginning of the month and I really do want to hear about her trip and look at her gazillion pictures. However, the price I have to pay — other than the literal price for pumpkin pie ingredients, green beans, and rolls — is getting sucked into my mom's drama. I am just embracing the philosophy of Christopher Titus, who said [paraphrasing here] when the shit's about to hit the fan, you step to the side of the fan.)

Anyway, I make really good pumpkin pie (crustless), so there's that.

Congratulations, Cindy!

One summer I took Friday off every week for two months because I was running out of storable vacation time. It was lovely.

Cindy! Shocking that your oldest is of legally marriageable age. Congratulations!!

We’re having our 1st real cold spell which is of course when you discover that your furnace isn’t working. Luckily my apartment didn’t lose much heat over night & this morning they were able to replace a part & I have heat. Just in time for more snow this afternoon.

Aw, Cindy, lovely pictures! I'm so happy for your family!

Congratulations, Cindy and family!!!

Unlimited PTO is so much more sensible. I hate the nickel and diming of other types of paid time off.

Man, when I went from being salaried to being hourly with the same PTO I really noticed the nickel-and-dime chipping away at my accruals. Timeclocks are the devil.

I have unlimited. As a manager I’m constantly harping on people to take their PTO. Our never rolled over so I especially want people to make sure they take their time.