The Coffee House

snowbear · Feb 20, 2015

I actually feel sorry for you guys out west. Just think, while we get to play in snow & ice and enjoy sub freezing temperatures, you are stuck in an extremely temperate climate. No thanks.

Derrel said:
yesterday I saw a business with six blooming trees with beauuuuutiful pink blossoms.

Cool. I got to see some wicked water pipe breaks - like indoor fountains!!

limr · Feb 20, 2015

Today I took a walk on my lunch break. I had brought my lunch with me, so I didn't need to leave, but I went into town anyway. I like parking at the top of Main Street, walking down to the river/train station at the bottom of the hill, and then walking back up to my car. I like walking on days when it's cold and sunny like today. I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts because lord knows I will not be taking these walks in the summer. But it depresses me to think about summer, so I'm going to stop doing it now.

sm4him · Feb 20, 2015

snowbear said:
Sharon - is that Bat$hit? Maybe she'll get lost coming back from the conference.
Lenny - sorry to hear about your painful visit. Let's try to link your dental sadist up with Sharon's bat$hit boss.

The living room rug seems top be nice and dry, and the noise box is gone. I've been working from home, today, while my lovely recovering wife returned to work (partial duties) for the first time in a few weeks. I'm working on two maps, one of which will be placed into a competition next month.

No, not THAT one. Well, she's the one who came up with the stupid open door policy. But she's not the one leaving for a conference and vacation. This is my immediate boss--whom, for 9 years, I had an absolutely splendid working relationship with, but ever since B*tsh$t Boss came on the scene, it has changed the entire atmosphere.

Honestly, I feel sorry for my immediate boss, B. She was already probably the hardest working, most conscientious person there. Then B*tsh$t comes along, and dumps this ridiculous extra amount of work on her...on the whole administration, but B is the only one who feels the stress because she takes it personally to make sure everything gets done. So, basically, the new Director has just caused B's stress level to rise astronomically, and it has really affected how she manages...or doesn't manage.

I'm left in the cold somewhat because...I suck at office politics. I *could* be good at it, if I wanted to be. But I simply REFUSE. I'd honestly rather be asking people if they want fries with that order than to play the office politics game. So, I seem to be the only one who doesn't give much a sh*t with B*sh$t Boss is "pleased" with my efforts to assuage her ego. And that's not really a very secure position to be in.

It's taken basically six months to pretty much destroy a great 9-year working relationship.

Anyway...she didn't really address a lot of what I said...kind of did a "we'll talk more when I get back" thing, which I suppose I expected.

I'm not fired...on the contrary, most of her response was to say that I'm an absolutely essential part of the team. She DID take some ownership of the fact that SHE has been largely responsible for the fact that I have not felt valued or included in anything lately.

After that, she basically just sort of tried to distract me, I think. Called me and went on about what a great job I've done on the snow event, and why didn't I go ahead and leave for the day, and if I have to work again tomorrow (which is looking likely, with sleet and snow and freezing rain forecast overnight), that I should take some time off next week, blah blah blah.
But she should know that I will NOT be distracted from something that I feel the need to get resolved, like this "open door" thing.

I will probably just keep my door closed about 80% of the time while she's gone, see if B*tsh$t actually calls me on it.

But right now, I'm gonna go get some coffee. With a little whiskey in it. Or maybe some whiskey, with a little coffee in it. Ahh, scr*w the coffee...

snowbear · Feb 20, 2015

My lovely wife is getting a new boss. I am getting a new (Fire Department) boss. My boss, (Assistant Fire Chief, formerly called "Major") has been promoted to Deputy Fire Chief (formerly called "Colonel"). As usually happens in this type of organization, transfers occur when promotions at this level are made: Miriam's DFC is being transferred from Operations to Special Services.

My lovely wife's DFC has the option of requesting she go with him to his new assignment. If she stays in Operations, my old AFC will become her new boss. I have no idea whom I will get as an AFC. This could be interesting.

sm4him · Feb 20, 2015

Derrel said:
Still 3 in the afternoon here...I envy you easterners, at home, drinking beer when it's still afternoon out here on the left coast. No fair! No fair!

Tomorrow and Sunday it's supposed to be sunny and warm at the coast, at a predicted high temperature of 57 on both days this weekend, then 59 on Monday. It's an early spring here...already bulbs are popping up, and yesterday I saw a business with six blooming trees with beauuuuutiful pink blossoms.

You do not get to speak to me of FAIR, when you, up there in the NORTH...Northwest maybe, but still far north of me, are enjoying sun and 50s, while I, down here in the by goodness freakin' SOUTH, am putting up with weather that belongs at the North Pole. :lol:

sm4him · Feb 20, 2015

snowbear said:
My lovely wife is getting a new boss. I am getting a new (Fire Department) boss. My boss, (Assistant Fire Chief, formerly called "Major") has been promoted to Deputy Fire Chief (formerly called "Colonel"). As usually happens in this type of organization, transfers occur when promotions at this level are made: Miriam's DFC is being transferred from Operations to Special Services.

My lovely wife's DFC has the option of requesting she go with him to his new assignment. If she stays in Operations, my old AFC will become her new boss. I have no idea whom I will get as an AFC. This could be interesting.

But you'll still both be able to go to work together, I take it?

Derrel · Feb 20, 2015

Yeah, the weather there is INSANE! A friend of mine was in Nashville very recently, and she and her party had to rent a car and drive to Atlanta to get to "a functional airport" as she put it so they could fly back to Or-E-gun. They were in TN for a big farming-related convention. This unseasonable Arctic cold snap is just so WEIRD!!!!! And to think it has affected the south terribly...just...weird, no other way to put it.

snowbear · Feb 20, 2015

sm4him said:
snowbear said:

Sharon - is that Bat$hit? Maybe she'll get lost coming back from the conference.
Lenny - sorry to hear about your painful visit. Let's try to link your dental sadist up with Sharon's bat$hit boss.

The living room rug seems top be nice and dry, and the noise box is gone. I've been working from home, today, while my lovely recovering wife returned to work (partial duties) for the first time in a few weeks. I'm working on two maps, one of which will be placed into a competition next month.

Click to expand...

No, not THAT one. Well, she's the one who came up with the stupid open door policy. But she's not the one leaving for a conference and vacation. This is my immediate boss--whom, for 9 years, I had an absolutely splendid working relationship with, but ever since B*tsh$t Boss came on the scene, it has changed the entire atmosphere.

Honestly, I feel sorry for my immediate boss, B. She was already probably the hardest working, most conscientious person there. Then B*tsh$t comes along, and dumps this ridiculous extra amount of work on her...on the whole administration, but B is the only one who feels the stress because she takes it personally to make sure everything gets done. So, basically, the new Director has just caused B's stress level to rise astronomically, and it has really affected how she manages...or doesn't manage.

I'm left in the cold somewhat because...I suck at office politics. I *could* be good at it, if I wanted to be. But I simply REFUSE. I'd honestly rather be asking people if they want fries with that order than to play the office politics game. So, I seem to be the only one who doesn't give much a sh*t with B*sh$t Boss is "pleased" with my efforts to assuage her ego. And that's not really a very secure position to be in.

It's taken basically six months to pretty much destroy a great 9-year working relationship.

Anyway...she didn't really address a lot of what I said...kind of did a "we'll talk more when I get back" thing, which I suppose I expected.

I'm not fired...on the contrary, most of her response was to say that I'm an absolutely essential part of the team. She DID take some ownership of the fact that SHE has been largely responsible for the fact that I have not felt valued or included in anything lately.

After that, she basically just sort of tried to distract me, I think. Called me and went on about what a great job I've done on the snow event, and why didn't I go ahead and leave for the day, and if I have to work again tomorrow (which is looking likely, with sleet and snow and freezing rain forecast overnight), that I should take some time off next week, blah blah blah.
But she should know that I will NOT be distracted from something that I feel the need to get resolved, like this "open door" thing.

I will probably just keep my door closed about 80% of the time while she's gone, see if B*tsh$t actually calls me on it.

But right now, I'm gonna go get some coffee. With a little whiskey in it. Or maybe some whiskey, with a little coffee in it. Ahh, scr*w the coffee...

Sharon - it could be that her hands are tied and can't do much. I had a division director that refused to tell us anything about some rumors flying about. We eventually found out that a reorganization was in the works and he was told by the agency head not to breath a word about anything. Meanwhile, more rumors flowed and everyone got upset about his "inaction." Hopefully, it will work out.

Things can go one of three ways for me - either nothing will change, I could get REAL lucky and "moved" to Operations and (potentially, hopefully) actually get paid as a contractor (not likely), or have it decided that the department doesn't need it's own GIS Analyst (even though I don't cost them a dime.)

If the last happens, and you get the boot, let's start our own GIS/Graphic Design/Photo thing, at least on paper. Not that I have any idea on how to run a business!

sm4him · Feb 20, 2015

Derrel said:
Yeah, the weather there is INSANE! A friend of mine was in Nashville very recently, and she and her party had to rent a car and drive to Atlanta to get to "a functional airport" as she put it so they could fly back to Or-E-gun. They were in TN for a big farming-related convention. This unseasonable Arctic cold snap is just so WEIRD!!!!! And to think it has affected the south terribly...just...weird, no other way to put it.

I have to keep reminding myself that, at least, this IS highly unusual. And, at least we don't have so much snow, like Boston, that we literally run out of room to put it.
Of course, on the other hand, we also do not have nearly as much equipment or manpower to deal with this stuff--AND we've been dealing this past week more with ice than snow. Monday afternoon and evening, we got freezing rain that put over an inch, and in some places nearly two inches, of ICE everywhere. Trees, yards, AND roads. Then we got a nice 1-2" of snow to lay on top of the ice and keep it in place! And then the plummeting temps so the ice won't melt.
We ARE weather wimps here in the South, but as I saw someone mention recently, this ice is different...Northern cars slide on the ice just the same as southern cars do.

Usually, when we DO get snow or ice, it's completely gone in a couple of days. This time, not so much.

For someone who already battles depression in the winter...this just blows. I. Need. Spring!!

snowbear · Feb 20, 2015

sm4him said:
snowbear said:

My lovely wife is getting a new boss. I am getting a new (Fire Department) boss. My boss, (Assistant Fire Chief, formerly called "Major") has been promoted to Deputy Fire Chief (formerly called "Colonel"). As usually happens in this type of organization, transfers occur when promotions at this level are made: Miriam's DFC is being transferred from Operations to Special Services.

My lovely wife's DFC has the option of requesting she go with him to his new assignment. If she stays in Operations, my old AFC will become her new boss. I have no idea whom I will get as an AFC. This could be interesting.

Click to expand...

But you'll still both be able to go to work together, I take it?

Oh, sure. If she moves, it's only two cube-offices away.

snowbear · Feb 20, 2015

Yes - ice will give four wheel drive vehicles the same acrobatics as two wheel drive vehicles!

sm4him · Feb 20, 2015

snowbear said:
Sharon - it could be that her hands are tied and can't do much. I had a division director that refused to tell us anything about some rumors flying about. We eventually found out that a reorganization was in the works and he was told by the agency head not to breath a word about anything. Meanwhile, more rumors flowed and everyone got upset about his "inaction." Hopefully, it will work out.

Things can go one of three ways for me - either nothing will change, I could get REAL lucky and "moved" to Operations and (potentially, hopefully) actually get paid as a contractor (not likely), or have it decided that the department doesn't need it's own GIS Analyst (even though I don't cost them a dime.)

If the last happens, and you get the boot, let's start our own GIS/Graphic Design/Photo thing, at least on paper. Not that I have any idea on how to run a business!

Actually, you are almost certainly right in some aspects, and that was one of the things I went off about today. A certain individual who DOES play the game has been promoted, and is now going to this conference with my boss, AND went to the social media conference that I went to last week.
My boss had sent an email yesterday afternoon, saying she'd wanted to have a meeting before she left but ran out of time, and then wording the "new duties" of this other person in a way that kinda sounded like about half of MY job. She also used the "department will be evolving in other ways" which is the vague kind of "things are happening that are out of my control" crap that just drives me over the edge.

If things go badly here, yeah, we'll team up!! But...on top of neither of us knowing how to run a business, we'll have to also handle it all long distance. Unless you wanna move here, because there is NO WAY I am moving even ONE DEGREE further north. Ever. :biglaugh:

snowbear · Feb 20, 2015

sm4him said:
If things go badly here, yeah, we'll team up!! But...on top of neither of us knowing how to run a business, we'll have to also handle it all long distance. Unless you wanna move here, because there is NO WAY I am moving even ONE DEGREE further north. Ever.

Funny you should mention that. We have been wanting to "retire" to either the PNW or New England but with taxes what they are, Tennessee would certainly be a consideration. I actually applied for a position in Oak Ridge a couple of years ago.