soveryeasilyamused

[soveryeasilyamused]

I think that a lot of people are completely missing the worst parts of COVID. They’re all so fixated on the little things that they're missing out on due to cancellations and regulations that no one is really focused on what’s really important. I mean, i get WHY the disappointment but STILL... 

I see so many facebook posts from people who are complaining that they didn’t get to go on a vacation. That they didn’t get to go shopping at the mall as often as they wanted to. That their kids won’t get to sit on Santa’s lap. They didn’t get to see a new movie in theaters or have play dates with friends or go out clubbing/drinking.

Meanwhile people who own their own businesses are going bankrupt and losing down because they’re deemed “non essential” by states or counties imposing lockdowns. Businesses are firing employees, who are losing out on paychecks and health care for their families. People are unable to pay rent, or bills, because they are unemployed. 

Our government is refusing to pass any sort of relief, instead pointing the finger at each other and walking away for their own vacations while the rest of us who don’t own two houses, six cars, and take home 5-6+ figure checks suffer. NO one has suggested a pause on rent or bills. NO one has offered any sort of long term solution aside from “wait for a vaccine”. We have no leadership and the entire country is suffering an incredible surge of illness that is causing hospitals and even freaking MORGUES to overfill. 

In the long run, your pictures with Santa and your vacations and your nights out are laughable concerns in the face of real struggle. If you haven’t been hit by COVID, consider yourself LUCKY and stop yapping about how tough you’ve had it in quarantine. Someone down the road might be burying their entire family. Or losing their home. 

Even with a vaccine out, i’m scared to see what January brings.

[soveryeasilyamused]

Over the summer we had to trick the thermostat into thinking it was hotter than it was so the air would kick on. Now it looks like we’re going to have to trick it into thinking it’s colder than it is so the heat kicks on.

You would think that an employer would want their employees to NOT die of heat exhaustion or freeze to death.... but apparently it’s okay for us to work when it’s 60 degrees and we can’t feel our fingers, or when it’s almost 80 with 80% humidity and we’re melting into the floor.

[soveryeasilyamused]

Employers: if you are feeling sick, please don’t come in - we don’t want germs to spread or to panic our customers. If you have any COVID symptoms please don’t come in until you have tested negative.

Also Employers: for every call out, you get three points. You can only accumulate 12 points (ie have 4 call outs) before you might be terminated.

They don’t want us there if we’re sick but we get penalized for calling out. It’s always been this way, but... now we’re mid pandemic with no end in sight, plus edging into flu season, plus entering fall/winter. I’m seriously contemplating a leave of absence but with no unemployment options and no other income I’m also holding out for as long as possible for financial reasons.

This year sucks. There are no great options.

[soveryeasilyamused]

I’m running on fumes and apathy right now. Work tells me that i’m getting points docked and written up because i thought it was okay to take a personal day when i guess it wasn’t..... oh well - first time in six years that i’ve made that kind of mistake. I’ll own up to it, take the points and write up, and it won’t happen again. My bad, i guess?

Can’t bring myself to care about it except be a bit pissed off that it’s even a problem. We��re not swamped, or even busy, and there’s only an hour at the end of the shift that isn’t covered. I was originally scheduled to work seven days in a row and i told the manager that i wasn’t up to it, i wanted Sunday off since we’re slow. The only thing i had in my schedule at the time got moved after i asked, so i just assumed it was fine.

Next time i’ll get it in writing, i guess. Or i’ll just call in before my shift and say i’m sick. Which... is honestly also a bit of a peeve right now, thinking about it. Due to COVID we’re supposed to take the day off if we feel sick (basically, if we have any COVID symptoms or COVID-like symptoms... complete with testing). But we still get penalized for calling in. Like, what now? 

Anyways. My brain is mush. I’m exhausted. This is all basically the fallout from earlier this week. We had to make the tough decision to put my dog to sleep on the 29th. She’d been with me for a little over 13 years, and was with me through a lot of ups and downs including struggles with my transition. It wasn’t... unexpected, but it also wasn’t planned. She went downhill pretty quickly over the past month or two and we couldn’t see any treatment options that gave her any quality of life. At least now she’s not struggling to breathe and she can run and play like a puppy again.

Which brings me to my next point: don’t ever let anyone tell you how to grieve. Everyone deals with loss differently. Some people can bounce back and be at work the next day while others take days, maybe even weeks, to go back to some semblance of normal. This goes for human or animal/pet loss. If you need to take time to deal with the loss of a family member, furry or otherwise, then do it. 

There’s more to life than your 9-5 job. Take care of your physical and mental health. Take that extra day, spend that extra time with your family. If they don’t want to wait for you or want to penalize you for that, then screw them - get a better one somewhere else. 

[soveryeasilyamused]

Irritations

“We need a mask? Why?”

“Oh, i have to put my mask over my nose too?”

“We’re dropping off early if that’s okay.” (Shows up late instead.)

“Five minutes late, that’s it, promise.” (Shows up 40 minutes late) “What do you mean you can’t take my dog? We agreed i could be late! I’m going to talk to your boss!”

“When is your next available?” (I tell them a date a week from now) “Really, that far out? You don’t have anything any sooner? You can’t squeeze us in somewhere?”

“So, about an hour? What, three?! That long!?” (When owner asks how long it takes to groom a doodle or large fluffy dog)

“He doesn’t have to be dry - he can go home wet.” (Not understanding that i bathe the dogs first - neater cut, safer, and less likely to damage my gear from dirt.)

“Oh, i need the rabies paperwork? No one told me!” (I spoke to them myself on the phone and remind new clients twice to bring paperwork.)

“Can the tags work? Then can you call the vet for me?”

((More to come As i think of them!))

[soveryeasilyamused]

PSA: with many big box stores adopting a mask policy, keep in mind that employees are not exempt from them. While you may be uncomfortable wearing a mask while you shop for an hour, employees have to wear the masks their entire shift. That’s on average 7.5 hours.

So if you see any of them pulling their mask up, down, or off while no one else is near by (say same aisle) for the love of GOD...DO NOT complain to management or corporate about it. Seriously. Chances are that employee has been wearing their mask for a few hours and just needed a breath of fresh air. Or a few seconds relief for their ears.

Or maybe they’re like me - i work in a grooming salon (corporate) and while our temp rarely gets above 75 our humidity fluctuates between 60 and 90%. Wearing a mask in that is killer. My face sweats and soaks the mask. Which then causes my glasses to fog up so i can’t see. And I’m practically blind without them. And for you complainers who say “wear contacts” i implore you to wear contacts in a profession where dog hair, dander, and dirt gets flung in your face on a regular basis - my eye doctor told me NOT to wear contacts at work.

So yes, if I’m alone in the salon or maintaining social distance from the other groomer, i let my mask dangle or tuck it down sobi can breathe, see, and be able to do my job. Yet the number one complaint coming in to our company is the mask thing.

[soveryeasilyamused]

For the love of.... stop making this about Trump! China and Italy and the rest of the world did not make up, create, or blow this virus out of proportion just to discredit Trump! He can discredit himself without any outside help....

You don’t care about this virus? Think it isnt really “as bad as people are saying”? Just a bad cold? Then you’re a huge part of the problem. I sincerely hope no one you care about gets sick and winds up in the hospital fighting for their life. Just a cold to me could put my grandfather in the hospital.

That being said - even Trump has declared it an emergency. States are shutting down schools and asking non essential businesses to close - major companies are cutting hours. If you’re not doing something important like grocery shopping, getting medical care, etc then stay the fuck home. This isn’t a holiday or vacation.

[soveryeasilyamused]

I wasn’t born yesterday and I’ve been doing this a long time. Two can play at this game.

Next time you try and squeeze your dog in as a walk in, instead of responding to my “by appointment only” speech with a “well I’d like to make an appointment for right now”... just aske me when our next opening is.

Joke is on you. Because i could have fit you in sooner but stuck you a few days out, because I’m tired of that BS. No one told you to just come in. Never has a bath or cut been a walk in service. We can’t just squeeze you in wherever. If we’re doing nothing it’s because we’re taking a breath before our next appointment. It takes more than a half hour to groom your dog.

Need i go on?

PS - if you’re legit joking and follow up with a laugh and a “im kidding, when is your next opening” then okay, whatever, I’ll pretend you’re being funny and fit you in asap.

[soveryeasilyamused]

Yes, hi - just something I’m thinking about for no reason when i SHOULD be asleep....

What’s the point of online booking if we still have to go through the appointments and do reminder calls?

Long story: in order to free up time for us to do more dogs, we now allow people to book appointments online. Fewer phone calls to answer means more time to groom. However, half of the people who book online no show for their appointments. The advice we are given? Call them a day or two before their appointment to make sure they are still coming.

Uhm. Wasn’t the point of this whole online booking thing to free us from having to answer calls to books appointments in the first place? Now not only do we have to sit and check what appointments are made but we have to call each person to confirm?

Not only that but we have people booking long haired dogs as short hair dogs to save an extra couple bucks AND to squeeze their dogs in a spot that it wouldnt let them book as a long hair dog - size, too. Suddenly a lab is a medium sized dog. A Pug is an extra small. Yorkies and Goldens have short hair. The medium sized mutt that walks in is a 100 pound doodle. But i wanted a hair cut in your latest possible spot, which it would only let me book if i put my golden newfie in as a short hair small. And oh but it didnt say to bring anything so no I dont have proof of rabies, cant you squeeze us in anyway or call by vet on the other side of the country because we’re visiting.

In case you couldn’t tell, i HATE the online booking system.

[soveryeasilyamused]

This is an impossible thing, Eliot. We have to show the beauty of all life. The beauty of all life? What does that mean, and how are we supposed to show it with tiles? We’re not gonna show it with fucking math, Quentin. This is the stupidest puzzle.

[soveryeasilyamused]

Way to call 20 minutes past your appointment time to tell me you where having car trouble but where on your way....

You couldn’t have called when you couldnt start your car half an hour ago? Now I’m going to have two dogs at 9 ish that have to be done by 11...... because goodness forbid i tell you we have to reschedule and you complain to corporate about it.....

[soveryeasilyamused]

Some days i just want to get so fucking drunk that i can’t remember my own name.

Then i remember that i don’t drink and i’m like “Well, shit.”

Some days i just want to quit my job and stay home and not deal with people at all.

Then i remember that i have rent and bills to pay, animals to feed, and i’m like “Well, shit.”

Some days i just want to eat - anything and everything, but especially ice cream and cookies and suger-filled junk.

Then i remember i’m trying to lose weight, and i’ve been doing really good with it, and i’m like “Well, shit.”

I think “Well, shit” just sums up my day pretty accurately. Or maybe just “shit”. Maybe both? Both. Sure, Both.

So now i need to go do something that doesn’t involve quitting my job, drinking until i pass out, or eating until i puke.

[soveryeasilyamused]

you reach a part of me that no one else can see forever true there’s only me and only you only me and you.

‘Only You” by Sinead O’Connor for The Young Victoria (2009)

[soveryeasilyamused]

S1/S2 Chairs are so hard and alcohol goes down so easy.

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[soveryeasilyamused]

I love it when clients show up half an hour early for an appointment and not only expect you to get them checked in right away but also still expect you to do their dog straight through - like, there is a reason your appointment is for 30 min from now?!

And, I’m hungry. I’ve been working with a personal trainer to help lose weight and get in shape- apparently i dont eat enough and it screwed up my metabolism. Now that I’m eating what I’m supposed to my body gets hungry if I’m late for a meal.

Apparently i get hangry, who knew?!

[soveryeasilyamused]