Y2/D260...Help! Work Ate My Brain...
Dec. 2nd, 2021 09:38 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkatI went from not having that much to do - to having more than I know what to do with - or too much work. Thank you, ex-cubicle mate. I have a feeling AA is also feeling the pain. We both are going away on vacation at the end of December - and have not only a shitload of work to get through, but the stupid new variant to deal with.
I told mother that my workplace and my commute are trying to drive me insane (or kill me) - and since they are basically the same organization.... I'm rather amused by this. Let's just say the irony is not lost on me?
Today, I was running late for some reason - and dashed out of the apartment. It was raining, but just sprinkling, and I had an umbrella thankfully. But by the time I got to the subway platform, which was more crowded than usual for 6:50 AM in the morning, I discovered whoops, no mask. No wonder I felt odd. I panicked, and remembered that I always carry an extra mask in my bag. At all times to prepare for this sort of problem. (I've had nightmares of being unable to find a mask. Now, you can get them readily enough. They give them out at the stations or at least they used to.) But I panicked for a moment there. Then, I thought, wait a minute, why are the folks that I catch the 6:40-6:45 am train standing here? It's almost 6:55? Also why's it so crowded? An F had left the station just as I got there. No train comes. I'm worrying. I have to catch the train to Jamaica (the commuter train not a subway) at 7:29, and if I miss it - I'll be 15 minutes late, and have to ask a manager to fix my Kronos Time Sheet, because the swipe only gives us a 5-6 minute window. I check my app - In Transit APP - and it informs me that due to an incident at 4th Avenue and 9th Street (basically the station at the elevated train platform on the viaduct) that the NYFD was investigating - there were delays in both directions. (I should have checked the app earlier - although walking twenty-thirty minutes in the cold rain to the other station - the Q, was not something I wanted to do.) NYFD is New York Fire Dept. This is not good.
A small woman (she comes to my waist), with a mask, hat, long hair, and jacket, tights, and boots (kind of a beige suede) steps up beside me.
Woman: It's not even rush hour - WTF?
Me: Trains have been delayed for hours due to some incident being investigated by the NYFD.
Woman: How do you know that?
Me: In Transit App informed me. (Although apparently What's App does too. I'm not getting it - I hate it. I have Twitter - it'll tell me too - often in more detail than I wish. It's kind of funny at times. )
Woman: I've got to get to the bus. What am I going to tell them? (She's kind of muffled, so I can't quite make out what she's saying. She looks at me.) It's a school bus - I need to get there.
Me: Are you driving the school bus?
Woman: No, I'm the paraprofessional - it's a handicapped bus, I'm there to help the disabled kids get on and off the bus. They need me.
The train pulls up and annoyingly sits there for what feels like an eternity, when in reality, it's probably only five minutes. (I have no idea when I arrived to that platform, nor do I have much idea of the time at that point, outside of the fact that it has to be around 7am, and it takes at least 20 minutes to get to Fulton. And I have to catch my train at 7:29. From the energy in the crowd, I get the feeling that I'm not the only annoyed person standing there.
We hear on the sound address system, someone asking if the fires have been put out on the tracks at 4th Avenue yet, and if it is safe to proceed. This does not bode well. Everyone looks up at the ceiling of the subway station (we're underground by at least two levels. Then at the train and at each other, and with a collective sigh, shrugs, and looks back down at their phones. (We're all wearing masks except for one old guy who never does, I don't know why. Some people figure they can live without them. "Pandemic? Schematic. I'll do what I want.")
Finally the engineer makes his way to us, and opens the train. We all file in and grab seats. There's a lot of us, but everyone pretty much gets one, since we're the first stop for the G. I luck out - it's only 7 am, and we get there by 7:19 Am or thereabouts. But getting off the train is far from easy, people are packed in. I manage to get up and somehow the tide ebbs away from me or scuttles, and I get through the doors, jog down the stairs, then up the stairs, swerving to avoid the french fries, dinner, and mess left by someone at the top (this is why we have rats by the way) through the gate, and up the third flight of stairs (which almost kills me, I'm wheezing and my body pretty much states, 'uhm no, if you think we're jogging the rest of the way - you'd be wrong'.) I pull down my mask. It's not raining, and I make my way to the station - refuse to pause and pull out the phone to check the time. (I stopped wearing a watch a long time ago - because I was constantly checking it and it was making me edgy. Giving it up - has done wonders for my equilibrium. What's amusing is my brother who talked me into giving up wearing a watch, recently bought himself a really expensive one.)
As luck would have it, the train pulling out of the station isn't mine. And Mine pulls into the station about five minutes later, long after I've gotten into position. It's a long train, so plenty of seats. I never really worry about getting seats on the train to Jamaica, just the subway.
Also, now that the Islanders Hockey Team has moved into its own stadium in Elmhurst, and there's a new station built to service it - on another line, I no longer have to deal with the nutty Islander fans from Long Island, who flooded the train on game nights. Made the commute painful. They completed the station during the pandemic, apparently. (With all sorts of issues, but we won't go into that.)
My heart rate is given time to settle. But I am sheathed in sweat, wishing I'd not worn a sweater underneath my lighter jacket this morning. When I get into the office - I turn on my fan - which helps greatly. (I'm in menopause or perimenopause - so getting hot flashes, easily flushed, and overheated or sweating on a dime - all come with the territory.)
Work is chaos. And we can blame our ex-Governor for it, may he rot in legal hell. Apparently he pushed through a lot of State mandates that have made our jobs ten times harder, more complicated, and ground the work to a halt.
Everyone is overworked, stressed, and frustrated. We'd leave if we could. Those that can leave without financial hardship are doing so. And I expect more to follow. Crazy Org has managed to eat itself from the inside.
***
It's windy tonight, and my living room windows are letting in the wind. I need them replaced. I may have to move in two years. I don't want to, but it is what it is.
**
News isn't great today.
1. The Republican Stacked Supreme Court is going to overturn Roe vs. Wade. Mother informed me over the phone. I'd been media silent, because of work eating my brain. We ranted over it for twenty minutes. We're both pro-choice, because only an ignorant nitwit would be prolife.
It's not an issue I will debate with folks any longer.
Telemarketer: Are You Prolife?
Me: No, I'm Planned Parenthood.
Besides, I'm beginning to agree with Chidi (co-worker), humanity is the virus on planet earth, and the earth is trying to get rid of us.
2. The Omicron Variant - they finally found cases - four in the City, one in Suffolk County. Some Minnesotan visiting NY's Anime Conference contracted it here - and they traced it, found five cases. November 30, first sighting. (How much you want to bet there's more out there? Everyone got well quickly, nothing severe, so far.)
They had a huge press briefing on it. The gist? Wear your masks everywhere and all the time (which explains why I'm seeing more masks on than previously), and get vaccinated. Get the booster. We're not doing shut-downs and lockdowns again, this isn't 2020. No need to worry.
[Keep in mind, locking down or shutting down NYC is hell on the economy. It cost us billions.]
3. I'm recording Alec Baldwin's interview regarding the shooting on the film set of Rust. He claims he didn't fire the weapon and has no clue how it went off and killed the film director.
Random Photo of the Evening...
I told mother that my workplace and my commute are trying to drive me insane (or kill me) - and since they are basically the same organization.... I'm rather amused by this. Let's just say the irony is not lost on me?
Today, I was running late for some reason - and dashed out of the apartment. It was raining, but just sprinkling, and I had an umbrella thankfully. But by the time I got to the subway platform, which was more crowded than usual for 6:50 AM in the morning, I discovered whoops, no mask. No wonder I felt odd. I panicked, and remembered that I always carry an extra mask in my bag. At all times to prepare for this sort of problem. (I've had nightmares of being unable to find a mask. Now, you can get them readily enough. They give them out at the stations or at least they used to.) But I panicked for a moment there. Then, I thought, wait a minute, why are the folks that I catch the 6:40-6:45 am train standing here? It's almost 6:55? Also why's it so crowded? An F had left the station just as I got there. No train comes. I'm worrying. I have to catch the train to Jamaica (the commuter train not a subway) at 7:29, and if I miss it - I'll be 15 minutes late, and have to ask a manager to fix my Kronos Time Sheet, because the swipe only gives us a 5-6 minute window. I check my app - In Transit APP - and it informs me that due to an incident at 4th Avenue and 9th Street (basically the station at the elevated train platform on the viaduct) that the NYFD was investigating - there were delays in both directions. (I should have checked the app earlier - although walking twenty-thirty minutes in the cold rain to the other station - the Q, was not something I wanted to do.) NYFD is New York Fire Dept. This is not good.
A small woman (she comes to my waist), with a mask, hat, long hair, and jacket, tights, and boots (kind of a beige suede) steps up beside me.
Woman: It's not even rush hour - WTF?
Me: Trains have been delayed for hours due to some incident being investigated by the NYFD.
Woman: How do you know that?
Me: In Transit App informed me. (Although apparently What's App does too. I'm not getting it - I hate it. I have Twitter - it'll tell me too - often in more detail than I wish. It's kind of funny at times. )
Woman: I've got to get to the bus. What am I going to tell them? (She's kind of muffled, so I can't quite make out what she's saying. She looks at me.) It's a school bus - I need to get there.
Me: Are you driving the school bus?
Woman: No, I'm the paraprofessional - it's a handicapped bus, I'm there to help the disabled kids get on and off the bus. They need me.
The train pulls up and annoyingly sits there for what feels like an eternity, when in reality, it's probably only five minutes. (I have no idea when I arrived to that platform, nor do I have much idea of the time at that point, outside of the fact that it has to be around 7am, and it takes at least 20 minutes to get to Fulton. And I have to catch my train at 7:29. From the energy in the crowd, I get the feeling that I'm not the only annoyed person standing there.
We hear on the sound address system, someone asking if the fires have been put out on the tracks at 4th Avenue yet, and if it is safe to proceed. This does not bode well. Everyone looks up at the ceiling of the subway station (we're underground by at least two levels. Then at the train and at each other, and with a collective sigh, shrugs, and looks back down at their phones. (We're all wearing masks except for one old guy who never does, I don't know why. Some people figure they can live without them. "Pandemic? Schematic. I'll do what I want.")
Finally the engineer makes his way to us, and opens the train. We all file in and grab seats. There's a lot of us, but everyone pretty much gets one, since we're the first stop for the G. I luck out - it's only 7 am, and we get there by 7:19 Am or thereabouts. But getting off the train is far from easy, people are packed in. I manage to get up and somehow the tide ebbs away from me or scuttles, and I get through the doors, jog down the stairs, then up the stairs, swerving to avoid the french fries, dinner, and mess left by someone at the top (this is why we have rats by the way) through the gate, and up the third flight of stairs (which almost kills me, I'm wheezing and my body pretty much states, 'uhm no, if you think we're jogging the rest of the way - you'd be wrong'.) I pull down my mask. It's not raining, and I make my way to the station - refuse to pause and pull out the phone to check the time. (I stopped wearing a watch a long time ago - because I was constantly checking it and it was making me edgy. Giving it up - has done wonders for my equilibrium. What's amusing is my brother who talked me into giving up wearing a watch, recently bought himself a really expensive one.)
As luck would have it, the train pulling out of the station isn't mine. And Mine pulls into the station about five minutes later, long after I've gotten into position. It's a long train, so plenty of seats. I never really worry about getting seats on the train to Jamaica, just the subway.
Also, now that the Islanders Hockey Team has moved into its own stadium in Elmhurst, and there's a new station built to service it - on another line, I no longer have to deal with the nutty Islander fans from Long Island, who flooded the train on game nights. Made the commute painful. They completed the station during the pandemic, apparently. (With all sorts of issues, but we won't go into that.)
My heart rate is given time to settle. But I am sheathed in sweat, wishing I'd not worn a sweater underneath my lighter jacket this morning. When I get into the office - I turn on my fan - which helps greatly. (I'm in menopause or perimenopause - so getting hot flashes, easily flushed, and overheated or sweating on a dime - all come with the territory.)
Work is chaos. And we can blame our ex-Governor for it, may he rot in legal hell. Apparently he pushed through a lot of State mandates that have made our jobs ten times harder, more complicated, and ground the work to a halt.
Everyone is overworked, stressed, and frustrated. We'd leave if we could. Those that can leave without financial hardship are doing so. And I expect more to follow. Crazy Org has managed to eat itself from the inside.
***
It's windy tonight, and my living room windows are letting in the wind. I need them replaced. I may have to move in two years. I don't want to, but it is what it is.
**
News isn't great today.
1. The Republican Stacked Supreme Court is going to overturn Roe vs. Wade. Mother informed me over the phone. I'd been media silent, because of work eating my brain. We ranted over it for twenty minutes. We're both pro-choice, because only an ignorant nitwit would be prolife.
It's not an issue I will debate with folks any longer.
Telemarketer: Are You Prolife?
Me: No, I'm Planned Parenthood.
Besides, I'm beginning to agree with Chidi (co-worker), humanity is the virus on planet earth, and the earth is trying to get rid of us.
2. The Omicron Variant - they finally found cases - four in the City, one in Suffolk County. Some Minnesotan visiting NY's Anime Conference contracted it here - and they traced it, found five cases. November 30, first sighting. (How much you want to bet there's more out there? Everyone got well quickly, nothing severe, so far.)
They had a huge press briefing on it. The gist? Wear your masks everywhere and all the time (which explains why I'm seeing more masks on than previously), and get vaccinated. Get the booster. We're not doing shut-downs and lockdowns again, this isn't 2020. No need to worry.
[Keep in mind, locking down or shutting down NYC is hell on the economy. It cost us billions.]
3. I'm recording Alec Baldwin's interview regarding the shooting on the film set of Rust. He claims he didn't fire the weapon and has no clue how it went off and killed the film director.
Random Photo of the Evening...
no subject
Date: 2021-12-03 04:16 am (UTC)Yeah, going to work today, I had the mask I intended to bring, backups in the car, and another backup in the other bag I carry. I have needed to use a backup.
I miscalculated and had bad luck with my flights back from Scotland this time, I got to the gate just in time, thank goodness. I'm glad you made your train, though the anxiety on the way there is painful.
no subject
Date: 2021-12-03 03:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-12-04 12:19 am (UTC)But my area is very different than Tuscon. Also it varies - in New Jersey hardly anyone wears a mask, nor do folks out on Long Island or upstate New York. Just in the city.