#and i work a full time monday to friday 8-5 job

[gothcatboygirl]

I FINALLY GOT MY DRIVERS LICENSE!!! kind of...

[jellybeanium124]

"but I work from 8-4!" -> answer yes

"but I work from 10-6" -> answer yes

"but I work from 9-5:30 because my half hour unpaid lunch break doesn't count!" -> answer yes

do you start work monday thru friday between 8-10am and finish by 6:30? answer yes

"I work 3pm-11pm mon-fri" -> those are not standard hours, answer no

"I work 40 hours per week but it's variable shift work" -> varying hours + nonstandard hours, answer no

"I work 9-5 mon, tue, thur, fri, sat" -> nonstandard hours due to weekend inclusion and weekday exclusion, answer no

"I work 40 hours per week mon-fri but it's telework so I have a flexible start time! I can start whenever I want between 6am and 11am, so sometimes I start between 8-10 and sometimes I don't" -> christ man idk, do you think you work normal hours? use your best judgment.

[jjjjeonww]

zhong chenle - "pickup lines"

genre - angsty romance. word count - 903 ~~in which chenle wins you back, with his manipulation tactics and pickup lines. to: @chenlezip. "anna my love <3 i'll hunt your ex down to the ends of the earth and i'll make sure to bring an umbrella with me everywhere so that if i find him i can shove it up his fucking ass and open it!!" with love, jjjjeonww.

friday, 1:27pm: you were outside, sitting in a cafe, taking care of some work before giving yourself some downtime after a long week. meanwhile chenle was bored. he scrolled on his phone, watching videos both sad and funny to try and get his mind off you. was life this boring without having someone under his control? and so, he couldn't resist sending you a cheesy pick-up line. seriously, who did this guy think he was? why would you even bother responding to him? he's your ex for a reason. ignore his message and let him suffer the consequences.

saturday, 11:43am. why does he keep texting you? can't he just leave you alone? you wouldn't want to be responding to him after what he's done right? but, you also remembered the conversation you both had shared. ...flashback: you were lounging on the couch, chenle's arms wrapped around you. you were reading a book, a shitty romance book about how the main character, lewis had cheated on his girlfriend, rebecca, with another girl. in that moment you were focused on the book, completely unaware that in a few months time, lewis would be chenle, and you'd be rebecca. out of the blue, chenle whispered, "whoever says that 'disneyland is the happiest place to be' has obviously never been by your side." his breath on your neck with each syllable. you hit his arm playfully in fake annoyance, "you're so bad at pickup lines!"

sunday, 5:53pm. you couldn't handle the way your phone would buzz or light up at the most random times. it wasn't from your friends, or family, or even classmates. it was from chenle the great. did leaving him on read each time he texted not enough for him to take the hint? he'd put a spell on you, one where he exuded his charm, one where he somehow had you head over heels for him in just a snap. it was your turn to put the spell on him, the spell of 'not replying.' or just replying dryly.

monday, 3:25pm. chenle's job: send you pick up lines on a daily basis. chenle's former job: not to 'happily' form another relationship while still being with you. damn zhong chenle for being so loveable. and damn you for still loving him.

tuesday, 8:09pm. no. why did you reply to him? why? to get manipulated once again? to let chenle deceive you? why DIDN'T you block him? do you... still love him? chenle's jobs: break you into pieces (ticked!) chenle's NEW jobs: mold you into what he wants. flashback: the day you found out about chenle and his other chick, you were horrified. you had loved him for so long, and you still love him, and you were convinced that he loved you back. you were at home, waiting for chenle to come back so you could eat the freshly-cooked dinner you had made. instead you get a text from your friend, jaewon, saying that she had just seen chenle and another girl in the restaurant she worked in, and a picture sent. it really was chenle with another girl, and his neck was full of lipstick marks. not yours, but that girl's. you didn't know what to do, so you took all of your belongings from chenle's place and went to yours. you ignored all of his calls and texts, thinking that your heart would heal faster. and when he showed up at your doorstep, you ignored him. even when it was raining heavily. you felt guilty. yes you did, to make him wait outside for an hour, to make him look like an idiot, which he was, obviously you would feel guilty. unfortunately, this was karma served cold. but you did infact, run away from the problem.

but what else could you do? its zhong chenle. you'll always be head over heels for him. and you'll always be the pawn of his deception game.

[zevraholics]

ZevWarden Week 2023

What is it? A week (this year, November 5th - 11th) of creating new content, sharing it, and celebrating the wonderful relationship between Zevran Arainai and Grey Warden(s) of your choice. How to participate: Feel free to follow the daily prompts as inspiration for whatever ZevWarden-related content your heart desires. Fics, art, meta discussions - everything goes! Remember to tag your works appropriately (ie. #nsfw. Also see our full tag list here.) Most of all, have fun!

Prompts:

Sunday, November 5: Tradition and Trying New Things

Monday, November 6: Secrets, Kept and Told

Tuesday, November 7: Fear and Safety

Wednesday, November 8: Work and Pleasure

Thursday, November 9: Bodies and Minds

Friday, November 10: Favourite Things and Pet Peeves

Saturday, November 11: Family, Lost and Found

Tag your content with #zevwarden week 2023 or @zevraholics on your post and we’ll reblog it here.

*Any art found to be whitewashing Zevran will not be shared.

Day 1 - Sunday, November 5 - Tradition and Trying New Things

"It's Antivan tradition to throw coins in such a well as this. Supposedly it brings one luck." Which traditions (cultural, familial, personal) do Zevran and the Warden have in common, and which are different? Are there any that are unfamiliar at first, but one of them shares with the other? What are ways the two of them break with the past, forge their own paths, or maybe even create new traditions?

Day 2 - Monday, November 6 - Secrets, Kept and Told

Morrigan, "Are [the Crows] so powerful simply because they are very good at what they do? Or is there some secret to their power?" Zevran, "If there were a secret, it would only remain so if it were not told, my dear." What secrets do Zevran and the Warden keep from other people? From each other? Are there any consequences of keeping secrets, positive or negative? What truths eventually reach the light of day, and how does that reveal come about?

Day 3 - Tuesday, November 7 - Fear and Safety

"You mean you want to hear about the grueling training? Being locked in an oubliette for weeks at a time? The slavery? The festering injuries? Or are we seeking something more glamorous?" / "Oh, those things never happened to me." There are stand-out moments of fear in the life of any Grey Warden or an Antivan Crow. Share a time one or both of them were terrified. Did they face fear bravely, or did it get the better of them? What was the impact of that moment? Or, share a story about a time the two of them found safety, comfort, or calm. How did that feeling come about? Was it short-lived or long lasting?

Day 4 - Wednesday, November 8 - Work and Pleasure

"Falling down a flight of stairs is an adventure. Falling into someone's bed? Also an adventure. I am assuming what you're looking for are professional anecdotes." How much adventuring do Zevran and the Warden get up to after Origins, either together or on their own? What jobs or titles do they come to have, what anecdotes do they have to tell? Or do they settle down for a quiet life somewhere—either restlessly or happily?

Day 5 - Thursday, November 9 - Bodies and Minds

Alistair, "So those... designs you have all over your back..." Zevran, "They're called tattoos. And I have them in many more places than just on my back, my friend." What stories do Zevran and the Wardens' bodies tell? How have their bodies changed over time? How do they carry themselves, or use gestures or mannerisms? What about a time when they ran, swam, fought, or enjoyed other physical movement? Or focus your work on a part of the body - eyes, hands, hair, scars.

Day 6 - Friday, November 10 - Favorite Things and Pet Peeves

"I fancy many things. I fancy things that are beautiful and things that are strong. I fancy things that are dangerous and exciting.Would you be offended if I said I fancied you?" What are Zevran and the Warden's favorite things about each other? How did they discover those favorite things—slowly over time, or in one particular moment? What things get on their nerves about the other person? Is this something they make an effort to change, or does their partner just have to learn to live with it?

Day 7 - Saturday, November 11 - Family, Lost and Found

"Surely your life has not been so idyllic? People like you and I are not the product of happy lives of contentment, after all." Maybe the Warden resonates with that particular line from Zevran, maybe they don't. What does being part of a family mean to the Warden and Zevran? Does the answer change across different points in their lives? If they regard each other as part of a family, is there anyone else involved in their family? (Friends, other lovers, biological or adopted children, elders?)

[salazis]

Tsp au where everyone has a physical representation of their soul called crystal hearts that are made from 2-6 gems. The more gems the more powerful the person is or the more potential power: 5 and 6 are almost exclusively demigods/minor dieties (5) and Gods/ major dieties (6). There are 10 different gems to choose from based on personality, though there are some traits not covered by the gems chosen. Each crystal heart is represented by a chosen vessel. Narrator has a crescent moon necklace, Timekeeper has a pocket watch, and Stanley has a bracelet.

Giving someone your heart is the ultimate love confession or confession of trust since shattering a crystal heart can kill. Exchanging heart crystals is basically marriage or engagement depending on culture since most prefer to have a ceremony with rings and all

My narrator and co info:

curator and narrator are twin gods/dieties of creation thus have 6 gems.

timekeeper has 4 gems as a Minor god/diety of time. Originally it was 5 but he got demoted due to stealing and attempting to destroy Narrators'.

stanley and mariella have 2

Roles:

Stanley was previously a down on his luck office worker who signed a contract with narrator for a job that was the parable game. he works from monday-friday from 8am-7pm, his job is to be the protagonist of narrators game and act as a the only worshipper of narrator. Narrator pays Stanley 20-25 dollars a hour. He makes money through the game and various other avenues.

Timekeeper-

he dislikes Narrator, Timekeeper is a minor diety under Narrator who can control time. he took a liking to Stanley as well.

The gems and color to use:

1) You're a Sapphire! Light blue

Known for your calm and reflective nature, you possess a deep wisdom and inner strength. Like the tranquil waters that inspired this gem's name, you bring peace and clarity to those around you

2) Peridot yellow

You're positive, open-minded, and honorable in all you do. When you're really interested in a topic, you like to become an expert on it. People admire you for how intelligent you are.

3) Rose Quartz- pink

You, like this stone, are full of love. You're trustworthy and always support those around you while managing to keep harmony in your own life.

4) Lapis lazuli blue

You signify all that is regal and sought after, and have power in both body and mind. Wisdom and truth are at the forefront of what you care about most.

5) Opal orange

You're intense in your emotions and fiercely loyal and faithful to those you deem important in your life.

6) Ruby! Red

Fiery and passionate, you're not afraid to face challenges head-on. Just like this dazzling gem, your vibrant energy and determination make you stand out in any crowd.

7) Diamond! Silver or cream

Strong-willed and resilient, you possess an unbreakable spirit that shines brightly even in the face of adversity. Like the brilliant sparkle of a diamond, your presence illuminates any room, and your unwavering determination inspires those around you.

8) Amethyst! Purple

Imaginative and creative, you see the world through a unique lens of wonder and curiosity. Like the deep purple hues of this gem, your vibrant spirit and originality shine bright in everything you do.

9) You're an Emerald! Green

Sociable and compassionate, you thrive in nurturing relationships and creating harmony. Like the lush green forests that evoke this gem's color, you bring life and vitality wherever you go.

10) You're a Moonstone!- grey or white

Intuitive and empathetic, you possess a mystical aura that draws others to you. Like the ethereal glow of the moonstone, you have a calming influence and a knack for seeing beauty in the simplest of things. Your gentle spirit and intuitive nature make you a cherished friend and confidante.

QUICK EDIT:

I forgot to mention that you can feel what happens to your heart crystal to an extent. Depending on what is done, as long as it doesn't chip, crack, snap, or break your crystal then it can only be described as pressure or a vise like grip similar to a miagraine over your entirr body.

For example; (using timekeeper and narrator): if Timekeeper where to bite Narrators' heart crystal, Narrator would feel pressure similar to a intense miagraine. If Timekeeper threw narrators' heart crystal into a lake, narrator would feel the sensation of being wet and cold without actually being wet as well as the sensation of mud.

Another edit:

Forgot to mention, you can get "demoted" a crystal for trying to or destroying someone's crystal heart

Sidenotes/Creator note:

FEEL FREE TO USE THIS AU FOR YOUR OWN FANDOMS LIKE DANNY PHANTOM OR ANYTHING REALLY! IM INTERESTED IN WHAT YOU CAN ADD OR CHANGE!

[pettyprocrastination]

I turn 23 in 30 minutes

(discussion of mental health, depression, and body image/body weight).

I'm queuing this post ahead of time in hopes that by midnight I will be asleep like a responsible adult because I do in fact have work in the morning (fixing my sleep schedule is a slow and steady race I promise you all) but this is just a sort of. reflection? on my year and my thoughts on reaching another big age.

nobody needs to look at this- I'm just using this as a journal because I'm pretty sure mine is still in the trunk of my car from when I went on vacation.

anywhoo. I turn 23 in 30 minutes. And its. weird?

But still nice.

I started this year off in a horrendous spot.

I was 112 lbs, still working my shit retail job where i'd go and cry in the bathroom just about every single shift for the next two months. I didn't want to eat, sleep, shower, or interact with anybody. I hadn't felt like this since my stepfather died and even then it wasn't as severe. I hated myself and blamed myself for everything wrong in my life, I felt like a ghost in my own body.

But slowly, things began to improve.

I have a new job now, a 9 to 5 that I enjoy yet I'm unfortunately going to have to return to the job hunt soon so I can find one that gives me benefits as I can't stay on my family's health insurance forever (the joys of adulthood) but It still feels good to have that dedicate schedule where I get to work with my hands and get paid for it every Monday through Friday.

I'm spending more time with my friends. Last week I spent a week at the beach with a dear friend of mine and a collection of her own friends, none of which I had met before. I was absolutely petrified initially but had the time of my life with them all, ending the wonderful experience with going to my first ever concert and crying from the joy of it all. (it was hozier.)

I'm pushing myself to do more and go out- I'm in a coaching position for my roller derby league, I recently attended a practice scrimmage with players who have been in this sport for 8+ years and while I fully believed I didn't belong in this space, I was able to hold my own and had so much fun getting to play with all of them. I don't know if i'll be able to try out for the state league because of scheduling- but maybe some day further down the line.

I took a day trip out of state to go to an all women's gym with friends at my university before I graduated. One thing to know about me is that I go to the gym alone about 99.9% of the time. I'm not good at social situations, especially ones in new areas so the notion initially was one I was ready to dismiss- but how often do you get chances like that?

I've signed up for my first ever powerlifting meet. I'm still very new to the gym with less than a year of weight lifting under my belt, but i've told myself this is the year to push myself and become somebody I'm proud of nobody how hard it is going to be. I've always loved powerlifting and want to get into the sport so bad but I can't afford a coach nor do I want to sign up for a full competition without knowing the ins and outs of the first event. I found a local deadlifting competition for a pride foundation next month and signed up for it with the goal of increasing my deadlift by at least 10 lbs by then. I'm simply competition against myself and trying to see how much I can progress during that time, which is something I really love about the sport. I'm still a fucking lightweight loser when it comes to heavy lifting- but at least this way I'll be able to see what a meet is like and learn what to expect.

I started going to therapy beginning of February/late January. It's been a saving grace honestly. Having an unbiased professional I can sit and talk and cry to has been quite the saving outlet. I rent a private study room at the library once every week for our meetings and it's become a little ritual of my own that i'm quite fond of now. (take this as your reminder that your local public library has so many amazing resources that even if you don't read often you can still use!!) though I've only been going for a few months, it's helped me drastically in how I view myself and letting others in during moments of weakness.

I'm allowing myself to rely on my friends. It isn't easy. And honestly sometimes I fucking hate it and feel pathetic for it- but my friends have been there for me so goddamn much within the past few months I honestly don't know where I'd be without them. There are days where I'd rather curl up In my bed and not speak to a single soul about how I feel because there's nothing I fear more than being a burden to those I love- but I have to remind myself that they want to be there for me the same way I want to be there for them. If they need me to pull back they'll simply communicate that desire and I will do so, but I can't keep assuming the worst when I need to rely on somebody for love and support. It's hard to not feel like a burden in those moments, that I'm exhausting those I love- but I also know I would do the same for them any day of the week. "Shared joy is double the joy, shared sorrow is half the sorrow".

I'm back at 124 lbs. I know it may not seem like much to others but gaining back that 12 lbs over four months has been such an uphill battle not only due to my own genetics+metabolism that makes gaining weight a fucking pain in the ass, but also keeping myself accountable when my mental health is at an all time low to still eat full meals and take care of my body. The moment I stepped on the scale and saw those numbers I cried real tears. I still want to gain more weight, but seeing that improvement helped me realize I am in fact improving and not just staying in this permanent transition period of stagnation for the rest of my life as I've feared.

I'm kinder to myself. At least, I'm trying to do so. I've found that the reality of life is that it's infinitely easier to blame yourself for everything and rot in self loathing rather than take a step back to go "actually- that's not true" and find the strength to go forward while also being aware of what you can do to better yourself as a person, not just for others, but for your own sake at well.

That being said- not every day is meant for self-analysis and introspection. Some days it's okay to just cry and eat some fucking candy bars on the couch my friends.

I'm slowly finding the joy and energy to write again. It's been a hassle to do so- working a 9 to 5 while also going to the gym and then doing chores leaves very little time and energy for other passions- but I've found it's annoying but meaningful work to dedicate time for the little things that make you happy. I've started by promising myself to limit my screentime by not using my phone as much during the day- my lunch breaks at work are spent typing away on a little e-ink word processor I treated myself to instead of doom scrolling on my phone. I've written three short little stories on it, some of them fanfiction others are not- while also beginning a horror project that i've thought about for a year now and want to see where it will go in the end. It's nothing as grand at the 10k beautifully written fics you all create- but I'm finding my passion again and it feels quite nice. I'd like to create something submission worthy this summer, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.

I'd like to set myself the goal of being able to afford an apartment next year. My family plans on moving cities within a year so it will give me time to save up more money and maybe even get back to making little things on the side to help earn some extra pocket cash for that dream while also paying off my student loans.

I'm not anywhere near the woman I thought i'd at 23 when I was 18 years old. I still live at home, I'm not using my major for my career, nor am I doing anything particularly astounding in my life. But I think that it's okay- and I'm proud of the progress I have made to get myself to this position.

Tomorrow I will spend my birthday at work. Then I will go for a walk (or perhaps a skate?) listen to some music, treat myself to a little sweet drink in my budget and then go see the challengers movies. Maybe with my friends, maybe by myself. I'm not sure yet. I will likely cry at some point during the day, I always do on my birthday.

But I know that I am growing. Even if Its hard to see.

[hellfireeddiemunson]

W A I T IM SO DUMB OMG

I did the wrong fucking math of when i needed to be at work and i’m actually glad i woke up now bc i need to be awake

i went to bed at like 10pm lastnight bc i was so tired i kept dozing off but also bc i was just soooooo bored i was like why be awake !

the problem now is i’m awake and i don’t actually need to be up for work for another hour and 45 mins. 🧍🏻

[eponymous-rose]

A full day today, so I figured it might be fun to write up what a professor's day might look like when not lecturing!

6:30AM: Got up early to virtually attend a friend's wedding on the East Coast! <333

8:00AM: I have been very careful this quarter to shuffle lectures/meetings around so that I have a little time to myself in the mornings to sit at home and drink coffee and eat breakfast and pet a cat while I get the day's work started. No exception today! I pull up an application my PhD student has been putting together for a tech grant and use the proverbial red pen to make some (a lot of) comments. It looks good overall, though! I send him a note to encourage him to send it to our collaborator in the computer science department when he's done with edits. Monday's the deadline, we gotta get moving on this.

9:00AM: I load up a bag with books I keep putting off taking to my office, plus some extra Halloween candy I found to add to my office candy bowl, and head out to take the bus in to campus. Also, pet the cat goodbye (she is unconcerned).

9:45AM: At the office, books and candy put away! Time to prep for my first meeting, which is a committee meeting with someone else's PhD student. He struggled a bit with a recent exam (entirely his advisor's fault, but that's a different story), so we're reconvening as a group to see his progress and cheer him on. He sent an update document, so I run through that and take a few notes. Then it's responding to e-mails (setting up my participation in a federal review panel next year, responding to two prospective graduate students interested in working with me - the combo of a fun research topic and a beautiful campus means I'm now up to 20 inquiries so far this quarter, eep - and sending out an update to the department about the charitable giving opportunities I'm coordinating).

10:30AM: Great presentation by the PhD student about all the things he's done since our last meeting back in April-ish. He's made huge changes to his work, and we applaud (literally and figuratively) how much he's accomplished in such a short time. Also, amazing data visualization! Great work all around. He's set to defend his PhD by 2025 at this rate, definitely back on track.

11:30AM: Time to rush back to my office to meet with my own PhD student! We usually meet on Fridays, but we get tomorrow off for the holiday so we jumped the meeting back. He's a few minutes late due to a missed bus, so my next-door colleague and I talk about cats for a few minutes. As you do. When he does arrive, he's got some cool stuff to show me - we talk about the notes I made on his grant application, and I remind him (and myself) to book flights to a conference in December that is rapidly approaching somehow. (I guess this means I have to do some cool and innovative research before then that I can talk about. Go figure.) He also shows me some cool preliminary results from a project he's been doing with a friend out in Pennsylvania. He's late enough in his PhD that my role as advisor is primarily to get out of his way and make sure he has enough supercomputer core-hours to get his work done!

12:30PM: A break for me! I start in on e-mail again, sending a coordinator my bio and abstract for a talk I've been invited to give (virtually, thankfully) at a student conference in January. I also realize that, because of the break tomorrow, I should really put together a homework assignment and next week's lectures for the class I teach Monday-Wednesday-Friday. Hmmm. I dig through last year's lectures and assignments and realize they've gotten a little out of sync this year. The solution? I may just offer 5 instead of 6 assignments over these ten weeks and give them this one a week later. Class average has been extremely high on them, and I think the students will appreciate a bit of a break. Also means today's job is just to prepare a few lectures based on last year's material. I've got a big chunk of open time later this afternoon to deal with course stuff, so back to e-mail. Going to be joining a friend (who I can't help but think of as the undergrad who sat in during all my grad classes, but is now somehow a full research scientist) on a very cool project putting together a new thunderstorm dataset. Also reached out to another friend about setting up biweekly meetings to hopefully start a new research collaboration and... possibly some fieldwork! I also almost forgot to put a forecast together for our forecasting competition, but I got there in time. Phew.

1:30PM: Meeting with a colleague and the undergrad research intern we co-supervise who is sadly having to leave to go attend school closer to home. This meeting is mostly just us reinforcing to her that we're still here if she needs advice/reference letters or ever wants to work on a similar project with us remotely in the future, but we are going to continue with the research until the end of the quarter, at her request. After the meeting, I get an e-mail about another undergraduate looking for a research project! I present her with the options of a cool lightning project with my colleague next door (waiting to hear back about federal funding for that project, fingers crossed) and that other cool thunderstorm project led by my friend in Oklahoma.

2:30PM: Seminar time! A very cool freshly-minted PhD from California tells us all about her research, a complicated topic about which I knew very little going in and now know... slightly more. There was a very geeky moment in which she showed what happened to a particular part of the climate system when CO2 was added, then showed what happened when CO2 was removed, and the asymmetry of it made everyone in the room gasp and then self-consciously giggle.

4:00PM: Post-seminar snacks acquired (a big cookie and coffee are definitely a good late lunch, right? I kid, I kid, I had a big breakfast and have a big dinner waiting at home) and small-talk survived, I scramble back up to my office. Time to get those lectures ready for next week (pretty quick to do - rather than last year, where I'd show the code on the screen and we'd talk about it, I'm having us write the code together live and debug as we go; harder in the moment for me, but the students are learning so much better!). Get an e-mail back from the new undergrad research intern expressing interest in the lightning project, amazing! Time to get her registered so she gets credit for this starting in January. Also finally get a teensy bit more editing done on a draft of a review article that one of the top scientific journals in the world tapped me to write (???? still surreal beyond measure).

5:30PM: BAND PRACTICE. Our department is so nerdy that the faculty/staff/postdocs/grad students put together a giant band to perform popular songs but as covers so we can make the lyrics about our nerdy research. This tradition has been going on for 30+ years, and the big performance is for an hour at our holiday party every year. It's a riot, and this is my first year joining in the chaos (I'm on keys on three songs!). There are like 25 of us, we have a horn section, a professor plays the mandolin, the students create elaborate musical roasts of their professors, it's great. My parts go great, to the point where when there's some trouble with key drift during an a capella part they call me in to play chords under it and keep them grounded. I love playing music with other people!

7:00PM: Time to pack up and head home for dinner. Phew.

Long day, but also LONG WEEKEND BAYBEE. I don't actually have to do any substantial work this weekend, so that means BALDUR'S GATE WEEKEND BAYBEE.

[dollsonmain]

So, yesterday (long rambly)

it was about 14F when it was time to go to work and school was on another snow day so I didn't need to make sure Son got up (if That Guy would get him a phone I could just text him to be sure he's awake and then I could get to the store earlier in the morning), and I had the key since I was opening on my own this past week up to Friday, so That Guy drove me to work on his way in.

That meant I got there at 4:30 which is an hour early. I putzed around for about a half-hour doing various work, making what few sandwiches I could, open the store at 5, go back to sandwiches and about 15 minutes later hear the door open. Whomever opened the door just kind of stopped right inside.

I didn't think much of it because that happens, especially when it's really cold. People get in and just stop when the warm air hits.

After a little bit Manager wanders around the side of the sandwich case, looks at me, and sleepily goes "Why are you heeereeeeee????" while rubbing her eyes. I just kind of laughed and explained why I was there so early. It must have been alarming to arrive to the store being open when she expected to be the first one in. I didn't really think about that.

Then she started trying to get caught up on stuff she'd missed during the week.

It was very mild and low-problem all week. Both the two afternoon/evening employees (why do they get to work together and I have to work alone which means I have to rush to the bathroom when I get a gap in customers then get reprimanded if they end up standing at the counter for a bit until I get back?) and I were very, very bored all week.

Deliveries and sales reps were delayed by the road conditions, very few customers came in Mon - Wed until the roads started clearing up a bit Wed afternoon, deliveries came in all at once when things did clear up a bit but were lighter than usual because it's been slow so less was ordered, we had checks to pay people with which reduces issues by a lot, etc.

It was SO slow Mon - Wed and I was getting there before opening because That Guy was driving me and wanted to leave early so he could go very, very slow on the ice that I was able to do some rearranging of storage areas. I didn't get to the freezer and that sucks, but it's not like I could have gotten rid of stuff out of there, and it's so frosted over that there's a lot of space lost. I did rearrange the deli stuff in the cooler so I could actually see what we have and what we need in there, though I doubt it'll stay arranged.

It's a logical but unlabeled arrangement where I put all the expired stuff on the top shelf (it's overflowing...), bread is stacked neatly by type and purged for expired items, cheese is kind of jumbled but all in the same place, stuff that's not supposed to be in there because it's supposed to be frozen but there's no room in the freezer because it's full of random shit and ice walls was in the same place but turned out some of it had gone moldy so I had to move it to the top shelf, meats that need sliced in-house all together [but also some expired so I got rid of it but I bet you I'll come in Monday and the expired turkey will have been sliced and put in the deli fridge because that keeps happening to expired stuff I get rid of...].

There's a lot of random other stuff in there, too, like some chocolate chip something or another that says "keep frozen" and strawberry pastry of some sort that's been in there for MONTHS so probably way expired and...

Still want her to let me loose to set up a good inventory.

Either way, if I sit and think about that I'll get in a thought-spiral of trying to figure it out with heavy frustration that I can't actually fix the problem.

I already mentioned she tried to blame me for us not having bread, lunch meat, or sandwich goop and her forgetting about changing gas prices in the early morning to a "sale" price from 5 to 8 am, but I'm not fussed about it because that's not my job, it's hers. My job is "cashier".

At the same time some of our inventory and storage issues could be helped by teaching me the paperwork process for purging expired goods. Like, there's a whole box in the cooler on that top shelf filled with sandwiches that expired over the past week PLUS the ones from the week before because she didn't deal with them. That's usually the case. They stay in the top of a mini-fridge (not exactly this one and there are no pans installed but very similar, I think this is a newer model)

and I'm also supposed to keep things in there like expired lunchables and little packets of cheese when they go bad so it gets very full and that's frustrating.

There shouldn't BE a shelf of expired stuff in the cooler, but in addition to that shelf there are milk crates of random expired and damaged stuff that can't be sold that have been in there since I started working there in August, and more expired boxes of random things on the shelves where the deli stuff goes, and bins and bins of expired candy and food that I pulled from the other shelves just sitting around, taking up floor space.

Eughghg I was trying to NOT let myself get started but I did it anyway...

Anyway, post over, last week was hectic and physically exhausting. My shoulder is popping in and out after all of the shoveling, mopping, and carrying of very heavy bins all week and I'm just

I'm so tired, I wish I was still asleep. Woke up at 2am for some reason.

[heyhabibi]

Grateful rant

Todays my first real day off since my birthday in September, and I was just talking about it with one of my friends over coffee, and I haven’t really realized how hectic my life was till now.

Imma rant real quick

I have two jobs outside of being a grad student, a grad student professor, being in 3 clubs, and doing research.

I wake up Sunday -Thursdays at 4 am, to get to work at 530, I’m usually off at 2 sometimes I’m there till 3, (I manage a coffee shop)

My other job I fit in when I can but I work it four hours Monday, Wednesdays from home.

Tuesdays and Thursdays I have class from 6pm-10pm

Fridays i wake up at 5 am to go commute two hours to go teach 2 classes, attend a class, attend a club meeting, and attend a research advisory meeting

By the time my Fridays are over I either stay at one of my friends houses or if I’m lucky I book a hotel (if I don’t tell my friends I’m coming out) but since we teach at the same uni we see each other and they end up coming to my hotel to go out or just to hang out, which isn’t too bad.

Saturday I wake up at 7 am, that’s sleeping in for me. I really pack that day full until 6-8 pm where I end up driving 2 hours home to other spend time with my family or just go to bed

All this and I train and run for marathons, try dating, go to therapy, and try spending time with friends and family

Sometimes a week goes by and I have no fathom to what’s happened

But this week, this week I woke up Thursday, gave myself a half day, didn’t have class, or grading, or a deadline. Hit the gym, played 6 hours of video games, slept till 10 am on Friday, did essentially the same thing on Friday, slept till 8 am on Saturday, and now I’m typing all this in the bathtub while I deep condition my hair.

Y’all I’ve been so tired. But seeing what my family in Palestine goes through, what my friends in Syria are celebrating, how my friends in Lebanon are surviving, I have nothing but gratitude for my hectic life .

This life is perfect

[rebelrayne]

15 people, 15 questions

Thank you for tagging me @beesandfigsart, @mrsbsmooth, @longbobmckenzie and @queen-of-boops

1. Are you named after anyone?

Yes, my great-grandfather's name was Jesse and my parents named me Jessica.

2. When was the last time you cried?

Two Fridays ago when I cried that I had to go back to work Monday after getting a week off- I work a full-time job with my kids at home so it's a lot. My job takes a lot of time from them.

3. Do you have kids?

Yes! I have two sons.

4. What sports do you play/have you played?

I never stuck with anything except horseback riding. I rode English Hunter/Jumper and rode collegiately.

5. Do you use sarcasm?

Often, yes. I even have an emoji I use at work that's sarcastic (but it looks happy so no one knows it's like 'lol who cares tho').

6. What’s the first thing you notice about people?

Probably their eyes.

7. What’s your eye color?

Hazel

8. Scary movies or happy endings?

Happy endings- I hate scary movies (I just can't do it).

9. Any talents?

Obviously there's writing, but I'd say I'm talented in breaking things down for others to understand (why else would I be a teacher?). I'm also pretty observant, as many people in the fandom know. Also I'd say I'm a great mom, which is a talent all its own.

10. Where were you born?

USA

11. What are your hobbies?

I like to run when I can, chat with my friends, hang out with family. I used to do some leather work. I still know how but there's so much stuff out at my house, it's hard for me to get it all out to put it all away. I don't have a space designated for it.

12. Do you have any pets?

Yes, I have a dog

13. How tall are you?

Short as heck. 5'1" (I know, right? I have such 5'7" energy, she said sarcastically)

14. Favorite subject in school?

I liked English and Math. Hate History. Ew, gross, keep it away. Also Science, hated it.

15. Dream job?

This is gonna be so so so typical of me for any friends that read this....

No Job. I want to buy myself gifts with my husband's hard-earned money. I want to be able to buy my husband a birthday gift using his credit card and for him to have to look at me and say, "Oh wow, thanks, Jess." You're welcome- yeah, I worked really hard to buy that. I WANNA BE A TROPHY WIFE. No, I'm kidding but I wanna be a SAHM, just take care of my sons and have more time for them.

Tagging (and really hoping I didn't double tag cause I checked) @lasswithumor, @auds-and-evens, @willkimurashat

[haasegawa]

ok so I'm just gonna vent here for a little while, no need to read this, just skip ahead to the next post

I recently changed jobs, also got promoted from my internship and currently work with marketing and event management for this pretty big company and don't get me wrong, I'm graduating in business, I've worked with marketing for another big company before, I know how things (unfairly) work and I know how stressful this environment can get, that's not even the problem here because I actually quite like my job.

the point is: I got promoted one month ago. that means getting used to working 3 hours more than I did before and with different responsabilities and after just 2 weeks I was already dealing with these big events that I didn't start (so I didn't have the full mechanics) and having to discover how things work by myself because another thing that is very commom within companies is the shit communication. you just gotta make it work and that's fine. these events were a week apart from each other and, on top of them, there was suddenly this huge meeting for a product launch that I had to manage.

two weeks ago, lot of problems along the way, first event happens. and it was atually good that these things piled up because the first event was smaller and great for learning the steps that I'd have to walk for the second bigger event. last week and this second event happens on saturday. spent the entire week mentally getting ready to work for 12+ hours during the event and while a lot of last-minute orders kept coming, I also had to prepare the big launch meeting, that should be ready by friday because it was schedule at freaking 8 am monday (aka today).

needless to say, friday was stressful, friday was very draining for me.

friday I got a fever. went home with this horrible headache, took a pill and had a meal, slept for 10 hours and hoped it was "only" an emotional fever because well I just got promoted, there was no way I could skip working on the big event saturday. I actually woke up feeling better, even with a few flu symptoms showing up, but I could feel myself getting sicker during the event, so I took another pill, shook it off and I made it. woke up the other day knowing that yep I definitely caught the flu and was just feeling very tired after walking the equivalent of 10 kilometers during the event, so I spent my entire sunday napping in between a tv show's ep.

today's product launch meeting happened at 8, so I had to go to work one hour earlier than usual to get the final things in place, voice hoarse, throat hurting, runny nose, but all good! not a problem, I just accepted that I'd be a little less productive after the meeting and people would just have to deal with that. problem is the meeting took up almost all morning and then at like 5 pm my colleagues decided to do a small celebration for my boss' birthday, so everyone stopped working to do it.

and then, during this celebration, I had to listen to one of these ridiculous passive agressive little "jokes" from my boss' boss about how my boss should let her marketing department know that partying is over (quoting the 2 events I dealt with for the past weeks) and that it is time to work now

like seriously??? I was taking work calls on my way home on friday, while having a fever, woke up today coughing out my lungs and got to work an hour earlier (and I did not come home earlier to compensate it) just to hear this bullshit?

hate being sick, hate feeling tired like this and letting these stupid things get to me

[dinosaurcharcuterie]

Would like to add: minimum days means employers, unions and/or other laws can add more.

What does that look like?

Here in Germany, with a minimum of 20, I've got 10 extra atm because of contract stuff (11.5 at my previous job; most people I know get at least 5 added to the minimum 20), but I can trade in half my union negotiated summer bonus for 5 extra vacation days.

If I were legally recognized as (equivalent to or more than) 50% impaired, my employer would have to give me 5 extra vacation days on top of that. Which isn't too-too hard. e.g. needing storebought insulin would be enough to qualify. (The fines employers face for not having enough impaired employees far outweigh the costs of those extra vacation days. That same legal recognition also comes with special protections from termination.)

Someone working a full time, typical office job at our company could theoretically but relatively easily have

- 40 paid days off. You must legally plan some of them so at least 14 consecutive calendar days are not spent sick or at work, to assure you're actually getting rest from at least some of your vacation days.

- 11 federal/state/county holidays. It ranges from 10-14 depending on where your place of work is.

- 2 union negotiated set holidays; Christmas Eve and NYE, in our case.

- weekends off. Usually 2-3 of the aforementioned holidays fall on a weekend. It's not illegal to work Saturdays, but our particular contract runs Monday to Friday, and our employee representatives' council is pretty good at blocking requests for "voluntary" overtime "opportunities" on Saturday from our employer.

Which brings us to a total of about 100 days a year spent not working.

Of course, this scenario means this person most likely has some health conditions that add sick leave to those days. There's no hard limit to it, but pay starts getting lowered after 6 uninterrupted weeks' absence for the same diagnosis. If they're sick too often, an employer can try to argue it's hurting their profits, but they risk being spanked in the wallet governmentally and also getting bad press. As mentioned before, legal recognition of impairment adds protection from termination, making this even less likely for my hypothetical coworker.

If they're a parent, they also get (limited) parental sick leave when kiddo is sick. Because a kid deserves to be looked after when ill or hurt, and schoolchildren deserve to not be infected because some parents can't find childcare on short notice.

Should my hypothetical coworker have more than 8 overhours, those have to get paid out eventually... Unless they opt to have them traded in as extra days off.

And that's a standard year, without exceptional events like deaths in the family (union rule iirc, bereavement leave is 1-5 days depending on family relations), their own wedding (union rule, 1 day, must be on or adjacent to day of ceremony) moving house (union rule, 0-3 days depending on distance, must be on or adjacent to moving day), employment anniversaries (contractual, 1-3 extra vacation days for the year, depending on time spent at the company, iirc), giving birth/having a stillbirth/adopting a child (legal absolute minimum of 8 weeks starting at delivery/adoption date; usually more) or parental/family care leave (legality, several months, with a slight pay cut).

tl;dr: dear Americans, there's PTO you can't even imagine and the pretty statistics maps are showing you less than half of it.

I think adults need summer vacation. Like let's just close down all our jobs for three months and play outside. Please. I'm so tired.

[maximuswolf]

Need advice: Coping with gaming and adulting

Need advice: Coping with gaming and adulting 28/M, currently taking a full-time job with prescribed courses on Mondays/Tuesdays, and working from 7-5 from Wednesdays to Fridays. I spend time with my friends/bf after work and by the time I get home, it's 8/9pm and I go to bed to try to have a more productive day tomorrow. I currently play Genshin and Pokemon TCG Live on the mobile, as well as Warframe on the PC. The question is, how do y'all cope? I barely have enough time for myself as it is, and with video games churning out daily/weekly content and events, I'm struggling to even progress at a comfortable pace. Doesn't help that my bf is way ahead in terms of content and is able to focus on the abovementioned games, while I get very easily distracted and play other games that don't require as much commitment (League or PPSPP games) as I don't have the time to sit down to commit to hours of story. The FOMO is also real, with advertisements for games that I used to have time to play and enjoy, as well as contents being churned out for other games. Submitted February 09, 2025 at 07:49PM by Soffypaws https://ift.tt/rGQ93ju via /r/gaming

[dollycas]

Sunday Salon / Sunday Post – A Week in the Life of Dollycas – Weekly Rewind – New Arrivals

The Sunday Salon is a Facebook group that has become an informal week-in-review gathering place for bloggers. It is also a place to share our thoughts about things of a bookish nature. You can also link up weekly on Readerbuzz. The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~ It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received, and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. HAPPY SUNDAY EVERYONE! It was a big week around here. When Daughter #2 got engaged we were told they didn't want a big wedding. Then about 2 weeks ago she told us they were getting married on August 7th at 4:30 p.m.. A Wednesday! To put it lightly we were scrambling. Daughter #1 was scheduled for a 12-hour shift and her fiancé was starting a new job. Son #2 and his fiancée were on vacation and had used up all their time off. Mr. Dollycas had to request off. My mother-in-law was recovering from eye surgery. I think our son Kris was watching all this from heaven because Daughter #1's shift was shortened to 8 hours. Her fiancé starts his job tomorrow instead of last week. Son #2's work shutdown was extended. His fiancée worked extra hours every day so she could leave early. My mother-in-law felt great and happy to attend and one of my sisters-in-law was able to bring her. Natalie's mom just happened to be on vacation so they were the only family members Daughter #2 knew could attend. We let her know we were coming as soon as Mr. Dollycas's time off was approved. But everyone else decided to surprise her and boy, was she surprised. It was a beautiful ceremony outside of the courthouse in a small pavilion.  The ceremony was not your typical courthouse wedding. The judge who married them was just awesome. She made it personal, comfortable, and relaxed. After the ceremony, she gathered everyone together, grabbed one of the girl's phones, and took a ton of pictures. We are still sorting through them. Daughter #2 wore my veil from 41 years ago. In her bouquet, she attached a money clip that belonged to Son #1. She also wrapped a garter crocheted by her great-grandma that I wore for my wedding around the flower stems. Then on Friday, we had a cookout/birthday party for two little girls that coincided with the final Waupun Truck-n-Show. The truck show included 2 parades. One, on Friday night, with all the lights, and another on Saturday where you can actually see the trucks and all the work the owners put in on them for the show. This event has been held here for 35 years but apparently, it is getting harder to get volunteers. I am unsure if it is moving to another city or if this is the end of the event. Most important though - Charlotte and Athena celebrated their birthdays. Charlotte will be 5 on August 26 and Athena turned 1 on August 4th. How was your week? Weekly Rewind - August 5 - 10, 2024 Monday - My Reading Itinerary Monday! – Week #32 – 2024 Tuesday - Requiem for a Mouse (Cat in the Stacks Mystery) by Miranda James #Review @BerkleyMystery Wednesday - Cozy Wednesday featuring There’s No Murder Like Show Murder (Backstage Mystery) by M. S. Greene #Review / #Giveaway @matthew.uai Thursday - The Tarnished Son by Elizabeth McKenna #Review / #Giveaway – Great Escapes Book Tour @ElizaMcKenna Friday - Haunting License (A Haunted Haven Mystery) by Carol J. Perry #Spotlight / #Giveaway @KensingtonBooks Saturday -  Murder at Mistlethwaite Manor by AJ Skelly #CharacterGuestPost / #Giveaway Plus - Special Guest Marion Crook – Author of Murder in Vancouver 1886 #AuthorGuestPost / #Giveaway @MarionCrookAuthor You need to find some time to Escape Into A Good Book today! Your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent   Read the full article

[steamishot]

new year 2024

this holiday break was pretty fun, despite being sick for the majority of my time off. it was nice to have a big party that was constantly going, with all loved ones together.

i arrived back in LA on the 16th night at 10pm. my brother offered to pick me up because he had some coffee equipment he wanted to drop off at my parent's house. he was coughing in the car during the majority of the drive home. because it was like 2am EST by then and i just got off a long plane ride, my body was probably also weaker. i also thought i became "stronger" because i'm able to withstand the NYC cold so i didn't bundle up as much as i usually would - meaning, i was walking around with just a tshirt instead of sweater. i also went to their house again on monday to WFH before heading to pick my parents up at LAX, and my brother continued to cough a lot around me. anyway, i started feeling sick a week afterwards, coincidentally after my last work week. it started with having a sore throat that turned into a painful sore throat, then a full on cold with a LOT of coughing. i think it's the sickest i've been (minus covid) for the past 5-8 years and it lasted like a whole 8 days.

we spent christmas at my aunt's house. i was masked up with a sore throat, but wasn't feeling that bad yet. she cooked an amazing hot pot dinner. i gifted my cousins $25 each and wrote them a card. i was supposed to pick matt up from the airport that night (he was scheduled to arrive at 12:30am, but ended up arriving an hour earlier due to it being christmas/less crowds). he asked his brother to get him instead so i could rest.

that week, i progressively got worse. we were supposed to go to hot yoga and rescheduled it 3x, but ended up not going at all. on thursday, i went to LAX to pick up my auntie and uncle who were visiting from dallas. i was coughing basically the entire drive back. my aunt is a feisty/funny one with good fashion sense and her man is a white former policeman. we got khmer noodles in chinatown. i gave up my room for them to stay in. that night, i drove over to matt's place to sleep. his dad recently got a new tempurpedic mattress and duvet, and it's now like sleeping on a cloud (big upgrade from the previous spring mattress). his family gave me some antiobiotics and matt made me some hot lemon ginger tea.

friday morning, we were supposed to all head out to indio airbnb for a big family gathering (14ppl + baby). like our previous trip maybe 5 years ago, there was some drama about people not wanting to go or being on the fence about going. it was last minute that my grandma and uncle S decided to join. then even more last minute, uncle M decided to back out. then last last minute, uncle M decided to join again. so, we successfully got everyone out there lol. i was feeling really crappy this morning and almost didn't want to go. but i felt hopeful that taking antibiotics would help. we all met at my parent's house and departed from there - 3 cars total. the airbnb had 6 rooms and everyone got to sleep comfortably on a bed. there was a pool table, grill, jacuzzi/heated pool, and game room so everyone was pretty entertained. i was in and out of resting but it was really nice to have everyone around. the next morning, we took some fun group photos outside and it's a time i'll cherish forever. it's not easy to get the family together like this.

i spent that night and the next day at matt's again. with my family, it was about chilling and having fun. with his family, it's all about work/planning lol. his parents talked to me about planning a trip to japan, and also about a trip to vegas next week when matt's in town again. i let them know that japan is a bit far for us to fly out to from NYC (16 hours) and to wait until matt's job prospects are clearer. it would make sense to go once he has more than a week off at a time. for NYE dinner, we had bbq steak and skewers. i was still feeling sick but on the path to recovery by this time. that night, we retired early around 10pm because i had to drop matt off at LAX at 5am for an early flight back to NYC.

i spent more time with my aunt on her last days here. it took some time for us to warm up to each other, but it's always nice to spot some similarities within the family. she has a very feminine, aggressive strength that i admire. we went thrift shopping together and she helped pick out an elegant simple black helmut lang dress for me. i put on home alone 2 to watch together with her and my mom. i missed her after she left.

SS invited me to a classpass workout on 1/2 but we decided to reschedule for next time. even though we didn't get to meet, i appreciated the thought. i had the goal of running 2 miles multiple times a week and was successful up until the point where i got sick. i haven't done any workouts in the last 10 or so days. SZ will come over later for a baby workout.

therapy: i had my first video session with monica today. i felt a little awkward at first. she looked older than i thought she was (based off of her grad year, she's supposed to be around my age). i felt more closed off with the video on than on our previous phone call. i also noticed that i feel self conscious if i see her eyes looking elsewhere (thinking am i boring you, am i communicating well enough, are you listening, etc) and i share less when this happens. anyway, this session was OK. we had both come back from holiday mode. i had a generally great week and a half or so, so it didn't feel good to resurface my issues that i temporarily forgot about or to rehearse/explain them to someone else. it was like "here's reality again". or even worse, it felt like i was listing out all my problems, which takes even more effort for someone who doesn't already know me/my life. and also a bit more effort to explain the realities of a medical career. she asked a lot of questions, and had more questions after each of my answers without much feedback. i honestly felt worse after this session. i questioned if my issues are severe enough to warrant therapy or if it's more beneficial to chat with friends about it for support. anyway, i have another session with her next wednesday - we'll see how it goes. perhaps it's not a good fit, or this is just part of the process.

babysitting: my brother and SIL have been really really dependent upon my parents for babysitting. my SIL grew up rich and always had this mentality that she's the boss/can order other people around. she has a lot of tact so can get by with it. my parents (mostly dad) really missed my niece during their 3 week cruise, so they were happy to babysit her when they came back. the daycare was also closed for the holidays for a week. however, they're still really tired, from their own duties/chores, running businesses, entertaining visitors, meeting friends, etc. yesterday, my SIL received news that the daycare will be closed for the next two weeks due to personal issues - which means more work for my parents. though they are technically happy to babysit their grandbaby, it can also be extremely exhausting. my niece is also getting to be really spoiled because everyone dotes on her. today, my parents decided to start letting her be diaper-less. my dad spanked her for the first time ever twice today, like really hard, because she peed her pants after having the chance to pee on the toilet. he was only ever loving/doting/accommodating to her since she was born so it was shocking to finally see this discipline. i don't know how i feel about spanking.