Ugh, Dana, that's no way to start the new year.

Bed~ma and snoozly resty-uppy vibes to you, -t!

And today I'm helping megan walker pick up her xmas tree. Ho ho ho!

Just popped in to say Hec helped me get my tree! But now I see this has already been covered.

In any case, courtesy of the Buffista barter system, I am now in the Christmas spirit and he is in the regular spirit(s).

Happy holidays to one and all!

I am trying to work on making Xmas presents still. I had this great idea to make a Hummingbird themed book (basically cutting out images and gluing them to an existing book, in this case a kid's book) but I only have images from Birds and Blooms it seems. Not that they are bad images but I really wanted some variety. Also I'm not sure I have enough hummingbird images to fill everything so I am going to fill in spaces with flowers I guess. And then I'll add some details with pen. It's kind of like a homemade coffee table book, only smaller but that general idea. (Something just to look at or flip through when the mood strikes).

At work I ran into my co worker, H , who looked terrible. She's sick -not the flu and not Covid but she said it feels like the flu, only worse. And she's at work (instead of being at home) because the store manager is a dick and won't give her a break on unexcused (aka pre approved) absences, I don't know the details but she's already on her final warning for unexcused absences and missing anything more for however long means she'll be fired. The rules are different for Covid (and god I hope the flu). I'm also not sure if they are still doing the thing where if you are sick for 1 thing (like strep throat ) and you have to miss 5 days that would count as 1 occurrence or if they would count each day separately. Hopefully as one, otherwise that would get you to a final warning right there. It's 3 absences before you are written up, then 2 more get you a 2nd write up and then 1 more after gets you fired. Under the manager we had when I started they would work with people but we also won't so severely understaffed. However, people keep quitting because they don't want to work here anymore, especially when the managers are dicks. This is how we lost almost all our Assistant and team managers due to the last store manager. And last week someone who has worked at the store for a really long time quit in the middle of her shift, I haven't heard why , but apparently the store manger treated her in a way she said "I don't need this job" (I think that is the actual quote) and walked out.

Sorry for you guys the pup got adopted but I'm going to assume that means the doggo for y'all is still out there and waiting to find y'all.

I need to step up my hand sanitation and keeping myself safe.

Timelies all!

Meh. It’s Monday.

I don't know the details but she's already on her final warning for unexcused absences and missing anything more for however long means she'll be fired.

That's the exact wrong way to deal with being severely understaffed. (And also just all-around shitty no matter what the staffing levels are.)

The fact that customer service jobs have no to minimal sick leave in the US is exactly what public health doesn’t need. I’m sorry your coworker has to deal with this, askye.

Steph- I know. I think even without being under staffed the store manager would be a dick but right now it's just hardline on the corporate absence policy. Not that it's helping but I think there is also the feeling that if they aren't hardline then people will just call out and so they aren't going to make exceptions. Or the store manager is just a dick

Oh and that food service has no minimal sick leave. And if you start talking to certain people about how there needs to be guaranteed sick leave ESPECIALLY in customer service and food service people get pissy and talk about how it will just be abused and it's .. socialism or something like that.

I had today off from work for a doctor's appointment and various utility-related moving errands. The former went great, All my blood work looked good, my BP was 127/75, and I've lost 6 pounds since my last visit 6 months ago, mainly through getting more exercise. Supposedly the lack of stair climbing at the new home will help my achy Achilles tendon, as will continuing to lose weight.

The utilities errands were mostly a bust, I waited a half hour at the power company to find out I need to come back closer to moving day with a copy of the finished house purchase contract. (I also need to return to the cable company the day before the move to switch addresses, but at least I got to talk to a customer service rep immediately and was able to get pricing info for services at the new house.)

Then I finished culling my videotape collection and have started hauling trash bags full of old tapes down to the dumpsters. Next up, packing books and gaming supplies.

Productive, Matt!

I am the opposite of that so far today.

Met an old friend for lunch in Baltimore yesterday, and it was so much fun catching up. This is the one I felt really guilty about losing touch with, so, yay! Re-established contact.

Today I have a bunch of work to do and very little oomph, so I need to get on that.