Year 2 - Day 133
Jul. 29th, 2021 05:27 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkatHumid today. Worked remotely - which was good, considering I was notified of train delays. It's not really rained, so much as threatened to rain constantly.
I've barely walked around Greenwood Cemetery the past few months - should probably do a walk over the weekend. I think I finally burned out on it?
Spent a good portion of my lunch hour forwarding a scope of work to a vendor and coordinating a meeting to go over it. The project team took almost three weeks to develop a one-page scope of work and seem to think that a modification can be negotiated, written up, processed and approved in two days. I'm ignoring them. As are my managers, who like me are laughing at them.
The coordination of the meeting was entertaining...
ME: Well the only two days everyone in the group is available is Tuesday and Friday. I'm grabbing Tuesday.
Consultant: Can't do Tuesday - have to do it Friday.
Project Manager: I can't do it Friday, can we do it Monday-Wed?
Me: Whose more important - you or your senior manager (chief project manager)?
Project Manager: The Senior Manager. I can work it out.
Chief Project Manager: I'm not needed - you can move it.
Breaking Bad: you can kick me or the Chief out.
Senior Project Manager: I'm not sure you need me - you can do it when I'm busy.
Me: uh, guys? I'm not sure the consultant can do it Monday or Tuesday.
Breaking Bad: Just tell them how urgent this is and it's at the behest of...
Me (to myself): if this is just going to be between me and the consultant, I'm cancelling it entirely.
So I set it up on Monday. I'm in the office on Monday. Teams actually works better from home. But it won't be for long, at least. I'll start writing up the mod tomorrow. I try not to be the one delaying things.
***
COVID
People weren't wearing masks in the elevator (apartment complex) while I went down for laundry- but I gave up and just shared the elevator with them. I figure I'm vaccinated and wearing a mask, and we're not in close proximity - so things should be okay. The laundry room itself was more or less empty.
Per the Governor's email:
1. COVID hospitalizations rose to 611. Of the 103,159 tests reported yesterday, 2,567, or 2.49 percent, were positive. We believe that as many a three-quarters of these positive cases are the Delta variant. The 7-day positivity average was 2.17 percent. There were 126 patients in ICU yesterday. Of them, 57 are intubated. Sadly, we lost two New Yorkers to the virus.
2. As of 11am this morning, 74.9 percent of adult New Yorkers have received at least one vaccine dose, per the CDC. Over the past 24 hours, 18,314 total doses have been administered. To date, New York has administered 22,128,025 total doses with 68.3 percent of adult New Yorkers completing their vaccine series. See additional data on the State's Vaccine Tracker.
3. The State Senate and Assembly will also require vaccination or regular testing of their staff. Local governments including New Rochelle have also joined the State in announcing that they will implement similar requirements. I thank them for taking this smart step to fight back against the threat of the highly contagious Delta variant.
4. We announced up to $125 million in student debt relief to CUNY students affected by the pandemic. The newly announced "CUNY Comeback Program" will eliminate up to $125 million in unpaid debt for at least 50,000 students who attended a CUNY school. Students were among those most impacted by COVID and this plan—one of the largest student debt forgiveness plans of its kind—provides them with much-needed financial relief.
5. Patient-facing healthcare workers at State-operated hospitals will be required to be vaccinated by Labor Day. There will not be a testing option for unvaccinated employees. Our healthcare workers carried us through the worst of this pandemic—and we owe it to them to do what we can to keep Delta under control and more people out of hospital beds. This requirement will help keep both patients and workers safe.
6. New York launched a tax credit program to help restaurants recover from COVID. The $35 million Restaurant Return-to-Work Tax Credit program is designed to help expand employment opportunities for workers and provide financial relief. Qualifying restaurants could receive a $5,000 tax credit per net new hire, totaling up to $50,000 in tax credits per business. Learn more.
Crazy Workplace was looking for volunteers to help with rent relief applications. The State Housing Agency is overwhelmed and asked other agencies to step up. I don't know - I'm busy now with work and not certain what this entails exactly.
They are now paying the dingbats who won't get vaccinated, a $100 per dose. I don't ask folks in the apartment complex, at work, or in the area, if they are vaccinated, mainly because I'd want to kick them.
My area is 47% vaccinated. Sigh.
Manhattan - the rich white educated areas - are 90%, same with the rich white areas of Brooklyn. Queens, weirdly, is also at 90%. It's very odd.
**
Good news? They lifted the quarantine for the vaccinated US and Europeans regarding entry into Britain. Now, with any luck, niece will get her visa and they will be good to go.
Aunt K apologized for missing my phone call on FB messenger, and explained she was feeling poorly due to Red Tide Syndrome - which I had to look up.
(Caused by eating shell fish polluted by the red tide in Florida - the red tide is caused by an algae that releases a toxin into the water that is harmful to humans and fish. She gave me a lot of useless advice regarding airport transportation to and from my parents house - I'm not certain that shuttles or limos are available from Savannah to Hilton Head. I know they aren't in NY, it's why we have the air train, and cabs, and car services.
**
I keep dosing off. Last night I made a cucumber and avocado and scallion salad with lime and lemon juice, along with some herbs. Got the recipe from the NY Times. Was relatively easy to make. You just peel and chop up the cucumber, put in a colander, soak in cold water, salt, and put to one side. Chop scallions, put in ice water. Chop avocado - put the chopped avocado with the cucumber and the scallions, dress with lime and/or lemon juice. Salt. Pepper. Serve.
I'm looking forward to doing relatively little this weekend. Back in the office again on Monday, and have a meeting. Then out of the office Thursday for regular doctor appointment - where they take blood again. My doctor is test happy. Although I think I lost weight since I saw her last, and blood pressure seems to be lower. I went off carbs and alcohol permanently. The alcohol was harder than the grains - mainly because I like cocktails, and there's these little canned cocktails now that are amazing. But also expensive and I have to go out of my way to purchase.
I'm used to not eating grains - I can't digest them anyhow and they make me feel awful.
Bro: So I fermented the bread first - how did it turn out? Did you like it?
Sisinlaw: Yes, it was delicious, sweetie. Please stop making it. I can't digest it, and I can't resist it either.
Bro: You can't digest it??
Sisinlaw: I can't digest any of the breads you make, sweetie. So please make the other one instead - which I don't like and can resist. This one, unfortunately was delicious - and I couldn't resist it at all.
I feel for sis-in-law. I couldn't resist or digest the gluten-free raisin bread she bought. I can't digest most grains at all apparently - does make it easier not to eat them.
Below is the reason why I chose not to sleep in my brother's barn while on vacation. Not sure he cared - his bedroom is nicely separate from niece's and the extra bedroom.
Very sleepy all of a sudden. It's also raining finally. It feels like Friday, four day work weeks are odd that way. I'm kind of glad it isn't - because I have a lot of work. But part of me just wants to veg for a few days. Too much interaction with people, after having almost none at all, can be discombobulating, not to mention exhausting.
Oh niece taught me how to scroll using the mouse pad on my lap-top - which was kind of a revelation. LOL!
Anyhow...leaving you with another picture of a cat...
I've barely walked around Greenwood Cemetery the past few months - should probably do a walk over the weekend. I think I finally burned out on it?
Spent a good portion of my lunch hour forwarding a scope of work to a vendor and coordinating a meeting to go over it. The project team took almost three weeks to develop a one-page scope of work and seem to think that a modification can be negotiated, written up, processed and approved in two days. I'm ignoring them. As are my managers, who like me are laughing at them.
The coordination of the meeting was entertaining...
ME: Well the only two days everyone in the group is available is Tuesday and Friday. I'm grabbing Tuesday.
Consultant: Can't do Tuesday - have to do it Friday.
Project Manager: I can't do it Friday, can we do it Monday-Wed?
Me: Whose more important - you or your senior manager (chief project manager)?
Project Manager: The Senior Manager. I can work it out.
Chief Project Manager: I'm not needed - you can move it.
Breaking Bad: you can kick me or the Chief out.
Senior Project Manager: I'm not sure you need me - you can do it when I'm busy.
Me: uh, guys? I'm not sure the consultant can do it Monday or Tuesday.
Breaking Bad: Just tell them how urgent this is and it's at the behest of...
Me (to myself): if this is just going to be between me and the consultant, I'm cancelling it entirely.
So I set it up on Monday. I'm in the office on Monday. Teams actually works better from home. But it won't be for long, at least. I'll start writing up the mod tomorrow. I try not to be the one delaying things.
***
COVID
People weren't wearing masks in the elevator (apartment complex) while I went down for laundry- but I gave up and just shared the elevator with them. I figure I'm vaccinated and wearing a mask, and we're not in close proximity - so things should be okay. The laundry room itself was more or less empty.
Per the Governor's email:
1. COVID hospitalizations rose to 611. Of the 103,159 tests reported yesterday, 2,567, or 2.49 percent, were positive. We believe that as many a three-quarters of these positive cases are the Delta variant. The 7-day positivity average was 2.17 percent. There were 126 patients in ICU yesterday. Of them, 57 are intubated. Sadly, we lost two New Yorkers to the virus.
2. As of 11am this morning, 74.9 percent of adult New Yorkers have received at least one vaccine dose, per the CDC. Over the past 24 hours, 18,314 total doses have been administered. To date, New York has administered 22,128,025 total doses with 68.3 percent of adult New Yorkers completing their vaccine series. See additional data on the State's Vaccine Tracker.
3. The State Senate and Assembly will also require vaccination or regular testing of their staff. Local governments including New Rochelle have also joined the State in announcing that they will implement similar requirements. I thank them for taking this smart step to fight back against the threat of the highly contagious Delta variant.
4. We announced up to $125 million in student debt relief to CUNY students affected by the pandemic. The newly announced "CUNY Comeback Program" will eliminate up to $125 million in unpaid debt for at least 50,000 students who attended a CUNY school. Students were among those most impacted by COVID and this plan—one of the largest student debt forgiveness plans of its kind—provides them with much-needed financial relief.
5. Patient-facing healthcare workers at State-operated hospitals will be required to be vaccinated by Labor Day. There will not be a testing option for unvaccinated employees. Our healthcare workers carried us through the worst of this pandemic—and we owe it to them to do what we can to keep Delta under control and more people out of hospital beds. This requirement will help keep both patients and workers safe.
6. New York launched a tax credit program to help restaurants recover from COVID. The $35 million Restaurant Return-to-Work Tax Credit program is designed to help expand employment opportunities for workers and provide financial relief. Qualifying restaurants could receive a $5,000 tax credit per net new hire, totaling up to $50,000 in tax credits per business. Learn more.
Crazy Workplace was looking for volunteers to help with rent relief applications. The State Housing Agency is overwhelmed and asked other agencies to step up. I don't know - I'm busy now with work and not certain what this entails exactly.
They are now paying the dingbats who won't get vaccinated, a $100 per dose. I don't ask folks in the apartment complex, at work, or in the area, if they are vaccinated, mainly because I'd want to kick them.
My area is 47% vaccinated. Sigh.
Manhattan - the rich white educated areas - are 90%, same with the rich white areas of Brooklyn. Queens, weirdly, is also at 90%. It's very odd.
**
Good news? They lifted the quarantine for the vaccinated US and Europeans regarding entry into Britain. Now, with any luck, niece will get her visa and they will be good to go.
Aunt K apologized for missing my phone call on FB messenger, and explained she was feeling poorly due to Red Tide Syndrome - which I had to look up.
(Caused by eating shell fish polluted by the red tide in Florida - the red tide is caused by an algae that releases a toxin into the water that is harmful to humans and fish. She gave me a lot of useless advice regarding airport transportation to and from my parents house - I'm not certain that shuttles or limos are available from Savannah to Hilton Head. I know they aren't in NY, it's why we have the air train, and cabs, and car services.
**
I keep dosing off. Last night I made a cucumber and avocado and scallion salad with lime and lemon juice, along with some herbs. Got the recipe from the NY Times. Was relatively easy to make. You just peel and chop up the cucumber, put in a colander, soak in cold water, salt, and put to one side. Chop scallions, put in ice water. Chop avocado - put the chopped avocado with the cucumber and the scallions, dress with lime and/or lemon juice. Salt. Pepper. Serve.
I'm looking forward to doing relatively little this weekend. Back in the office again on Monday, and have a meeting. Then out of the office Thursday for regular doctor appointment - where they take blood again. My doctor is test happy. Although I think I lost weight since I saw her last, and blood pressure seems to be lower. I went off carbs and alcohol permanently. The alcohol was harder than the grains - mainly because I like cocktails, and there's these little canned cocktails now that are amazing. But also expensive and I have to go out of my way to purchase.
I'm used to not eating grains - I can't digest them anyhow and they make me feel awful.
Bro: So I fermented the bread first - how did it turn out? Did you like it?
Sisinlaw: Yes, it was delicious, sweetie. Please stop making it. I can't digest it, and I can't resist it either.
Bro: You can't digest it??
Sisinlaw: I can't digest any of the breads you make, sweetie. So please make the other one instead - which I don't like and can resist. This one, unfortunately was delicious - and I couldn't resist it at all.
I feel for sis-in-law. I couldn't resist or digest the gluten-free raisin bread she bought. I can't digest most grains at all apparently - does make it easier not to eat them.
Below is the reason why I chose not to sleep in my brother's barn while on vacation. Not sure he cared - his bedroom is nicely separate from niece's and the extra bedroom.
Very sleepy all of a sudden. It's also raining finally. It feels like Friday, four day work weeks are odd that way. I'm kind of glad it isn't - because I have a lot of work. But part of me just wants to veg for a few days. Too much interaction with people, after having almost none at all, can be discombobulating, not to mention exhausting.
Oh niece taught me how to scroll using the mouse pad on my lap-top - which was kind of a revelation. LOL!
Anyhow...leaving you with another picture of a cat...
no subject
Date: 2021-07-29 11:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-07-30 01:35 am (UTC)I think we both noticed the same recipe in the NYT. Sure looked good!
no subject
Date: 2021-08-01 06:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-08-01 09:37 pm (UTC)Red Tide Syndrom - caused by toxins in run-off from farming and industry around the world.
no subject
Date: 2021-08-02 08:43 am (UTC)