Only if you did it wrong, of course.
Dave
Staff member
Sucks, man. I know how much you love doing it.
M
makare
but i read to my shot gun every night....
M
makare
I was at work stienman. My shotgun stays home
Duh.
Duh.
Inclement weather has kept me from beloved New York this weekend and my friend's birthday.
What am I doing with my time? Berating my brother's girlfriend's sister for getting down on my brother's terrible written English skills when hers aren't great either. What wonderful things I do with my time.
Today was ass.
What am I doing with my time? Berating my brother's girlfriend's sister for getting down on my brother's terrible written English skills when hers aren't great either. What wonderful things I do with my time.
Today was ass.
How much did you guys get? We only got about 5 inches around Philly.
A whole 4 inches at most. They were nervous about ice that never really accumulated, but that made them cancel the buses going north. And I don't even think that was so bad compared to times in the past, but it was enough for them to stop the chinatown service until late tonight.
If there's anything Obama and I agree on, it's that the DC area is pretty wussy when it comes to precipitation.
That does not sound like Nick's Prom Night.
figmentPez
Staff member
We have a cat who likes to pee on things, and he does it when he's mad about something, but he also does it when he's eaten dry cat food. Apparently some cats love dry food, they're kinda addicted to it, but they can't digest it well and it leaves them grumpy and with behavior problems. If we can keep him away from dry food, he rarely pees on stuff.
Usually it's attention. He has a full food dish and water at all times and the litter box is cleaned twice a day. Normally for attention things I get a warning. A meow and weird running around. This time he just walked up, squat, and pee. Which is why I said "What a dick."
I went to a friends house last night, got hosed, ended up staying the night. Go to leave then next morning, get all my stuff together only to find my keys are missing. My only set of car keys! I'm assuming I put them down somewhere and just forgot about it. After hunting for a while I gave up and went home. If they don't turn up by tomorrow I'm going to be really fucking pissed at myself. Also this hangover is killing me.
Your friends hid them so you won't wake up and drive while half lit. Just wait for them to get up. Just steal some water or gatorade and watch some TV...
Left the stove going so long that the boiling water evaporated and I may have ruined a pot, because I'm a fucking idiot. Good morning! I need to actually wake the hell up before I start cooking.
I fucking hate this weekend and that's all I can really say openly. Good fucking gods.
Dave
Staff member
Moving sucks. We got most of it moved but there's still some stuff left. The cable guy left here only a couple hours ago and I'm now wired up like you wouldn't believe. My internet went up about 10 MB/s.
On a different note, we've gotten rid of a lot of stuff but as this is a smaller house we still have way too much. I think overall this has been good for us. But good God has this sucked.
Saturday we had 2 teenagers helping us. The rest either bailed or were hours late. We had a bunch of "I'll help!" no shows. The ones we got worked really fucking hard though so I got to give them all major props.
So we're moved. Shit's everywhere in boxes and we still have a few things left at the other house. We'll get it little by little until an orange sticker tells us we can't go there any more.
On a different note, we've gotten rid of a lot of stuff but as this is a smaller house we still have way too much. I think overall this has been good for us. But good God has this sucked.
Saturday we had 2 teenagers helping us. The rest either bailed or were hours late. We had a bunch of "I'll help!" no shows. The ones we got worked really fucking hard though so I got to give them all major props.
So we're moved. Shit's everywhere in boxes and we still have a few things left at the other house. We'll get it little by little until an orange sticker tells us we can't go there any more.
Got a call from my engagement manager (basically my contracts rep) on Friday and a really weird/ominous voice mail that just said something like "I want to follow up with you about... something I want to follow up with you about." Called her back and left my own voice mail, but never heard back - so I figured it was no big deal, she's usually pretty good at making contact for important things. Wrong. Apparently what she was following up with me about was the notification email she sent to (only) my work email address (cuz you know, when there's a massive ice storm that the entire region is digging out of and no one's at work, emailing their work address is a great way to get in touch with them) telling me that as of Feb 1st, I'm an hourly employee instead of salaried. Now, my actual pay rate stays the same, so at least I'm not taking a loss on how much I theoretically earn; but it's frequently difficult for me to stretch my minor little project out to 20 hours a week, let alone 40. I always try to be at work for 40 hours a week, and get here and leave at consistent times, and am constantly asking my onsite manager for more project work to fill in the gaps; but since he rarely has any work for me to do, it looks like it's time to find a new job. I can live on 40 hours a week at my current payscale, I cannot live on 20 hours a week or less at my current payscale. Just one more step in happy fucking 2012.
fade
Staff member
I walked out this morning to find my front fender and bumper scraped up. On the bright side, the guilty party left his name and phone number, and was very apologetic when I called. Could've been worse. Even my wife confessed she might just have driven off for such a minor incident.
fade
Staff member
So here's my life lately, and why I haven't been around much.
Back in June, I left my professorship to join a consulting firm in Houston that specializes in my area of expertise. At the time, this seemed like a good idea, because the pay was nearly 3 times what I made as a prof, and I wasn't able to get enough research done at the university because I was a geophysicist in a geology department. The grad students had to be pacified, but they didn't want to do the mathematical, computational stuff I do.
At first it was really boring. I immediately called back my dept. head and asked to be re-hired. He said he would ask, but the dean said they couldn't due to EEO laws. I was welcome to reapply, though. So, I said screw it. So the deal then was that my house hadn't sold, but my kids were already enrolled in summer stuff, and my wife wasn't in a huge hurry to leave. So I was alone in Houston, with my wife and kids living 3 hours away in Louisiana and the house refused to sell. Feedback kept saying the price was too high, but I couldn't lower it any more. So they stayed. School started, so then they really didn't want to move. I kept an eye out for other academic positions, but the ONLY geophysics posting I saw all fall was...my old job. On Halloween, I visited campus, and was warmly greeted, and basically asked to reapply. This was not unprecedented. Two of the other profs had done exactly the same thing...left to get industry experience (important in the geosciences) and returned. Besides, they'd only had 5 applicants (and 3 openings--one other prof didn't make tenure, and they wanted to replace a temp instructor). This was odd, because on announcing my departure, I saw not one glimmer of emotion.
Anyway, I reapplied, and then something weird happened. With the economy improving, there was a sudden rush of really late geophysics prof postings. The usual due date for apps is mid Dec, but these were coming out then! On top of that, I was moved to R&D (much better fit), and one of my friends/mentor was hired as the third highest ranking position in the company. So things got better on both fronts, which just made decisions worse. On top of that, one of the postings that came out was in New England, my favorite part of the country (albiet at a military affiliated school), and another was at a prestigious R1 school advertising for exactly my specialty. I specialize in an area of geophysics that has maybe scientists 10 Ph.D.s writing in it worldwide, and I'm one of them. I happen to know the others are happily employed. There are probably young grads, because this area is gaining commercial applicability, but I outrank them.
Meanwhile, I'm here alone in Houston. We're waiting to hear from apps, some of which don't even begin review until March. Stressed out. I travel home at least every other weekend, but I am going to miss a year of my kids' lives, and I only get 18.
Sorry for the novel. I just needed to vent a little.
Back in June, I left my professorship to join a consulting firm in Houston that specializes in my area of expertise. At the time, this seemed like a good idea, because the pay was nearly 3 times what I made as a prof, and I wasn't able to get enough research done at the university because I was a geophysicist in a geology department. The grad students had to be pacified, but they didn't want to do the mathematical, computational stuff I do.
At first it was really boring. I immediately called back my dept. head and asked to be re-hired. He said he would ask, but the dean said they couldn't due to EEO laws. I was welcome to reapply, though. So, I said screw it. So the deal then was that my house hadn't sold, but my kids were already enrolled in summer stuff, and my wife wasn't in a huge hurry to leave. So I was alone in Houston, with my wife and kids living 3 hours away in Louisiana and the house refused to sell. Feedback kept saying the price was too high, but I couldn't lower it any more. So they stayed. School started, so then they really didn't want to move. I kept an eye out for other academic positions, but the ONLY geophysics posting I saw all fall was...my old job. On Halloween, I visited campus, and was warmly greeted, and basically asked to reapply. This was not unprecedented. Two of the other profs had done exactly the same thing...left to get industry experience (important in the geosciences) and returned. Besides, they'd only had 5 applicants (and 3 openings--one other prof didn't make tenure, and they wanted to replace a temp instructor). This was odd, because on announcing my departure, I saw not one glimmer of emotion.
Anyway, I reapplied, and then something weird happened. With the economy improving, there was a sudden rush of really late geophysics prof postings. The usual due date for apps is mid Dec, but these were coming out then! On top of that, I was moved to R&D (much better fit), and one of my friends/mentor was hired as the third highest ranking position in the company. So things got better on both fronts, which just made decisions worse. On top of that, one of the postings that came out was in New England, my favorite part of the country (albiet at a military affiliated school), and another was at a prestigious R1 school advertising for exactly my specialty. I specialize in an area of geophysics that has maybe scientists 10 Ph.D.s writing in it worldwide, and I'm one of them. I happen to know the others are happily employed. There are probably young grads, because this area is gaining commercial applicability, but I outrank them.
Meanwhile, I'm here alone in Houston. We're waiting to hear from apps, some of which don't even begin review until March. Stressed out. I travel home at least every other weekend, but I am going to miss a year of my kids' lives, and I only get 18.
Sorry for the novel. I just needed to vent a little.
So my brother just nailed his dream job. He's going to be a service consultant to ridiculously rich people on their aquariums. He basically writes lists of recommendations for each of their tanks, sends it to a sales associate, who makes a phone call to get an approval and boom, he makes commission. On top of that, he's also going to be making a college graduate level hourly rate for routine maintenance. He gets full medical, dental insurance as well as paid vacation that carries over time not spent year to year.
He got there after only one year at a minimum wage aquarium job.
I'm happy for him but hating at how easy he got it.
He got there after only one year at a minimum wage aquarium job.
I'm happy for him but hating at how easy he got it.
Oh I wish it were that. I didn't even drive that night
After 2 days we have found them though. When my friend picked me up after dropping my car off so I could drink, my keys fell off my belt onto the floor. When he picked up other friends they chucked their stuff on the floor upon getting in then just picked it all up in a bunch when getting out, taking the keys with them by accident.
So I shall have my keys by this afternoon hopefully, if not tomorrow. Whenever I can catch up with him. At least I don't have to worry about telling everybody I lost their spare keys!
Thanks, doctor, for telling my wife something's up with her blood test and you need to talk to her, but you can't see her until Tuesday and won't take a phone call. I know what I'm gonna be listening to all weekend. I only wish I could force you to listen to it as well.
Thanks. I think if she still can't get the receptionist to get his ear for just 2 minutes to tell her it's no big deal, I'll get on the phone or suggest she go over there. It's harder to hang up on a physical presence. It probably is nothing, but I know it's gonna eat at her until she knows.
The not being able to tell over the phone thing is actually a law, HIPPA. Basically, they gotta see you to verify that you are actually who you are supposed to be and they're not releasing info to a scammer or the like. My wife gets a letter each time that she has blood work done, "You have some anomalous test results, please see your doctor for more information." She has Lupus, we expect the anomalous results.
I so wish that we could say that and be truthful. We've known about her Lupus now for 16 years, sometimes things are better, sometimes worse.
Exception that proves the rule.
Filed taxes, which would normally be a minor victory. While we are getting a decent amount back, it's actually hindered to be less than our combined amount last year because:
1. My wife was laid off and had to get another albeit briefly-lived job. Somehow having a second job lowered what we got back even though she declared nothing on that job's W4.
2. Maryland taxes have apparently gone up because these fuckers aren't rich enough yet.
3. I received a small raise this year, not enough to make much of a dent in the bills, but enough to change my tax bracket by a few dollars, so I get less back.
So yay for money, but yay for less money than last year. This year I'm not giving the government a free loan; we need it more than they do until my wife gets a new job.
1. My wife was laid off and had to get another albeit briefly-lived job. Somehow having a second job lowered what we got back even though she declared nothing on that job's W4.
2. Maryland taxes have apparently gone up because these fuckers aren't rich enough yet.
3. I received a small raise this year, not enough to make much of a dent in the bills, but enough to change my tax bracket by a few dollars, so I get less back.
So yay for money, but yay for less money than last year. This year I'm not giving the government a free loan; we need it more than they do until my wife gets a new job.
