Y2/D245 - Day 2 of En Mass in Office
Nov. 16th, 2021 08:46 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkatMe: We really don't need to be back in the office - weirdly I got more down at home.
Cubical Mate: Yep.
Me: So makes you wonder...what they were thinking?
Cubical Mate (or rather ex-cubical mate): Someone with a much higher pay grade than us got sick of working at home with his wife, and felt the need to drag us all back in?
ME: And didn't feel they could work in the office all by their lonesome, they required company.
Crazy Workplace
Not everyone is back. Those who managed to extend their reasonable accommodation are still out and may stay out for the foreseeable future.
The guy I had to get information from today - has reasonable accommodation, and hasn't been back in the office since we left in March 2020.
I didn't try to get mine extended mainly because I don't think they would have done it. I'm fully vaccinated, and my blood pressure is at a reasonable level now. Also, as I discussed with Chidi and mother, I live alone in a one-bedroom apartment, and while it's nice working remotely from home part time, it is also lonely.
Today, for example, I had lengthy conversations with various people. (I also wanted to kill BYT, but what's new? Honestly, I wish BYT was leaving and Cubical Mate was staying, or I could trade BYT for Lando, but alas, no.) BYT is stressing me out, because she's taking next week off completely and wants to rush a project to the attorney. It would help if she could give me more information or direction? But alas, no.
I swear, my entire working career - I feel as if I'm bluffing my way through or making it up as I go along. It's more than possible that I have "imposter" syndrome. I inherited it from my father. We both tend to down play our talents.
Ex-cubical mate and I traded contact information. Although it is unlikely I'll ever contact him. I don't like to call people - the idea of imposing on someone else's life gives me hives. Also, I'm better at writing.
Sci-fi co-worker and I had a lengthy discussion - mainly about his work with his local library. He's on the Board of Trustees at his local library, as a volunteer. And tonight they had to discuss hiring a new director of the library, who'd resigned. (If she hadn't resigned, they most likely would have had to impeach her - apparently there were various complaints from her staff. Me: That's most likely why she resigned. Sci-Fi Coworker: Well there were other issues, she took off for three months on disability without warning or notice. Also she's making a ton, so can afford to leave. Me: I didn't realize Library Director's out on Long Island made that much - although not a job that I would want.)
Sci-Fi Co-worker is convinced we're going to all go out again - because there will be another surge, most likely next month. And he knows folks who have been vaccinated and got the booster, who came down with COVID and almost got hospitalized. Lovely. Oh well, I wear a mask, try to social distance (impossible on subways), and deal. Work requires a mask everywhere but at one's cubical - if you are alone in your cubical. Although the lunch confab of 20-40 somethings, all sat without masks chatting in one gal's cubical. They are all vaccinated.
***
Shoulder was killing me today - most likely work stress, and tension. I've been using CBD gummies to help with it - and they do, but they also dehydrate me and have sugar, so I have to be careful with them. Better than alcohol or NSAIDs.
And I need to find a new dentist. I keep procrastinating. It's not like there aren't hundreds of dentists, I'm just picky. Also my teeth are fine.
Outside of clenching and grinding - which there's little a dentist can do outside of proscribing a mouth guard - and I can't use those, it hampers my breathing.
***
Fandom
There's this guy who keeps posting about Spike and Spuffy on the Whedon Studies Association Face Book page - who apparently has a bone to pick with the Spike/Spuffy fandom, I've been restraining myself from advising him to let it go. He's upset that Spuffy and Spike fans see the characters very differently than he does and are stating he's not a fan. (Well, yes of course he's a fan - but fandom is... well there's a reason why fan is derived from the word fanatic.) Many fans are weirdly intolerant of views that don't validate their own. This is true of all fandoms. Soap Twitter is posting rules about not arguing with people about their perspective in their mentions (basically don't comment on their post with a derogatory or opposite point of view), and don't assume folks agree with you.
I don't think these folks would have survived on the Voy Forums back in the day. We'd have eaten them alive. Or live journal for that matter.
The poor Spike fan - is having troubled getting much traction on Whedon Studies Association. They aren't really a fanboard, so much as a fanboard for academics. He was told to try the Buffy boards, which I'm not certain are still in existence? I realized while reading it that I no longer cared about Spuffy, Spike or Buffy. I've moved on. It was over twenty years ago, one kind of does after awhile. It's been over ten years since my last re-watch.
***
COVID
Like I said above - we're still all wearing masks. I travel in and out of the Air Train building in Jamaica each day - and with maybe one or two exceptions, just about everyone is wearing masks. They don't always wear them in the correct manner - some below the nose, some above the mouth. One Hassidic Jewish guy on the train was just wearing it over his mouth. He admittedly has a huge nose. Across the Aisle Cubical Mate wears the cloth fashion masks, because the blue ones and the KN94's give her a rash. Her skin is allergic to them.
It is interesting that 90% of the Muslims/Bengali/Pakistani immigrants wear masks, while only 10% of the Eastern European Hassidic Jews do (basically Russian and Polish Jews). I don't know why this is - speculating, it makes since the Muslim's would be okay with a mask, they kind go in that direction anyhow. The Hassiadic Jews have issues with beards - so there's that, masks do not fit well over beards - or so I've realized watching my co-workers and folks on trains, and in my building. Not everyone in my apartment building wears one. It used to annoy me. Now I hand wave it. Because honestly, what can you do? I also don't ask if folks are vaccinated any longer - it's kind of a waste of time.
Workplace is offering free COVID Booster vaccines now - daily. They really are trying to get everyone vaccinated. So is NYC - which is offering free COVID Booster Shots to anyone over the age of 18. We can't afford to shut down again - it would kill us. So, they are doing everything to avoid it.
Trains were more crowded today. The G was packed for two stops on the way home. I had people everywhere. It's disconcerting. But I've managed to convince myself that I'm as safe as I can possibly be.
My goal is to make it to see my Mom in December without getting sick.
***
Speaking of mother...
She managed to drive around her residential community today. So progress.
Tomorrow she is going to the DMV to get her handicapped sign. And today, it was the dentist for her and my Dad, both had cavities. I'm the only member of my family who has never had a cavity.
She's still not sure what to do about my Dad. No one is.
***
Walked home from work in the dark, lit by a full moon, soft glow of car headlights, street lights and subway sign lights. They have new electronic subway signs installed. The moon was quite glorious hanging suspended in the sky - a bright white globe of light, with the shadows giving it a face.
Random photo of the night..
Cubical Mate: Yep.
Me: So makes you wonder...what they were thinking?
Cubical Mate (or rather ex-cubical mate): Someone with a much higher pay grade than us got sick of working at home with his wife, and felt the need to drag us all back in?
ME: And didn't feel they could work in the office all by their lonesome, they required company.
Crazy Workplace
Not everyone is back. Those who managed to extend their reasonable accommodation are still out and may stay out for the foreseeable future.
The guy I had to get information from today - has reasonable accommodation, and hasn't been back in the office since we left in March 2020.
I didn't try to get mine extended mainly because I don't think they would have done it. I'm fully vaccinated, and my blood pressure is at a reasonable level now. Also, as I discussed with Chidi and mother, I live alone in a one-bedroom apartment, and while it's nice working remotely from home part time, it is also lonely.
Today, for example, I had lengthy conversations with various people. (I also wanted to kill BYT, but what's new? Honestly, I wish BYT was leaving and Cubical Mate was staying, or I could trade BYT for Lando, but alas, no.) BYT is stressing me out, because she's taking next week off completely and wants to rush a project to the attorney. It would help if she could give me more information or direction? But alas, no.
I swear, my entire working career - I feel as if I'm bluffing my way through or making it up as I go along. It's more than possible that I have "imposter" syndrome. I inherited it from my father. We both tend to down play our talents.
Ex-cubical mate and I traded contact information. Although it is unlikely I'll ever contact him. I don't like to call people - the idea of imposing on someone else's life gives me hives. Also, I'm better at writing.
Sci-fi co-worker and I had a lengthy discussion - mainly about his work with his local library. He's on the Board of Trustees at his local library, as a volunteer. And tonight they had to discuss hiring a new director of the library, who'd resigned. (If she hadn't resigned, they most likely would have had to impeach her - apparently there were various complaints from her staff. Me: That's most likely why she resigned. Sci-Fi Coworker: Well there were other issues, she took off for three months on disability without warning or notice. Also she's making a ton, so can afford to leave. Me: I didn't realize Library Director's out on Long Island made that much - although not a job that I would want.)
Sci-Fi Co-worker is convinced we're going to all go out again - because there will be another surge, most likely next month. And he knows folks who have been vaccinated and got the booster, who came down with COVID and almost got hospitalized. Lovely. Oh well, I wear a mask, try to social distance (impossible on subways), and deal. Work requires a mask everywhere but at one's cubical - if you are alone in your cubical. Although the lunch confab of 20-40 somethings, all sat without masks chatting in one gal's cubical. They are all vaccinated.
***
Shoulder was killing me today - most likely work stress, and tension. I've been using CBD gummies to help with it - and they do, but they also dehydrate me and have sugar, so I have to be careful with them. Better than alcohol or NSAIDs.
And I need to find a new dentist. I keep procrastinating. It's not like there aren't hundreds of dentists, I'm just picky. Also my teeth are fine.
Outside of clenching and grinding - which there's little a dentist can do outside of proscribing a mouth guard - and I can't use those, it hampers my breathing.
***
Fandom
There's this guy who keeps posting about Spike and Spuffy on the Whedon Studies Association Face Book page - who apparently has a bone to pick with the Spike/Spuffy fandom, I've been restraining myself from advising him to let it go. He's upset that Spuffy and Spike fans see the characters very differently than he does and are stating he's not a fan. (Well, yes of course he's a fan - but fandom is... well there's a reason why fan is derived from the word fanatic.) Many fans are weirdly intolerant of views that don't validate their own. This is true of all fandoms. Soap Twitter is posting rules about not arguing with people about their perspective in their mentions (basically don't comment on their post with a derogatory or opposite point of view), and don't assume folks agree with you.
I don't think these folks would have survived on the Voy Forums back in the day. We'd have eaten them alive. Or live journal for that matter.
The poor Spike fan - is having troubled getting much traction on Whedon Studies Association. They aren't really a fanboard, so much as a fanboard for academics. He was told to try the Buffy boards, which I'm not certain are still in existence? I realized while reading it that I no longer cared about Spuffy, Spike or Buffy. I've moved on. It was over twenty years ago, one kind of does after awhile. It's been over ten years since my last re-watch.
***
COVID
Like I said above - we're still all wearing masks. I travel in and out of the Air Train building in Jamaica each day - and with maybe one or two exceptions, just about everyone is wearing masks. They don't always wear them in the correct manner - some below the nose, some above the mouth. One Hassidic Jewish guy on the train was just wearing it over his mouth. He admittedly has a huge nose. Across the Aisle Cubical Mate wears the cloth fashion masks, because the blue ones and the KN94's give her a rash. Her skin is allergic to them.
It is interesting that 90% of the Muslims/Bengali/Pakistani immigrants wear masks, while only 10% of the Eastern European Hassidic Jews do (basically Russian and Polish Jews). I don't know why this is - speculating, it makes since the Muslim's would be okay with a mask, they kind go in that direction anyhow. The Hassiadic Jews have issues with beards - so there's that, masks do not fit well over beards - or so I've realized watching my co-workers and folks on trains, and in my building. Not everyone in my apartment building wears one. It used to annoy me. Now I hand wave it. Because honestly, what can you do? I also don't ask if folks are vaccinated any longer - it's kind of a waste of time.
Workplace is offering free COVID Booster vaccines now - daily. They really are trying to get everyone vaccinated. So is NYC - which is offering free COVID Booster Shots to anyone over the age of 18. We can't afford to shut down again - it would kill us. So, they are doing everything to avoid it.
Trains were more crowded today. The G was packed for two stops on the way home. I had people everywhere. It's disconcerting. But I've managed to convince myself that I'm as safe as I can possibly be.
My goal is to make it to see my Mom in December without getting sick.
***
Speaking of mother...
She managed to drive around her residential community today. So progress.
Tomorrow she is going to the DMV to get her handicapped sign. And today, it was the dentist for her and my Dad, both had cavities. I'm the only member of my family who has never had a cavity.
She's still not sure what to do about my Dad. No one is.
***
Walked home from work in the dark, lit by a full moon, soft glow of car headlights, street lights and subway sign lights. They have new electronic subway signs installed. The moon was quite glorious hanging suspended in the sky - a bright white globe of light, with the shadows giving it a face.
Random photo of the night..