Business | Piss and Moan

Dug out

Posted on April 3, 2020 by backuphill

Photo by Lukas on Pexels.com

For those of you paying attention, here is an update from yesterday’s assigned task from work…

It is nearly complete! I have about four or so hours of work left on it and then it will be ready to submit for review and approval (those are relatively quick because I am good at what I do!). Not to brag or anything.

So, after I complete this project, I need to get dug out from all the email and other little projects I was working on. It’s still gonna be a long day. Unlike many people in the U.S. right now, my co-workers and I have plenty to do. I am thankful for that.

Now, if I could just find the motivation to get dug out from all those projects and things I mentally make note of, “Oh, yeah, that needs to be done,” around the house and yard.

Maybe life is just one big project. Like, you just wander around for X number of years identifying things that need to be done and then do them. Well, I guess that is the case after the age of 18. Prior to 18, you don’t have to identify the projects – they are all given to you! LOL

Happy FRI-YAY, ya’ll! Try something different today. Sit in a different chair than yesterday. Shake things up while you’re in “house arrest.” Drink coffee out of a different mug. Put your pants on starting with the opposite leg than normal. Go crazy.

Bust it out

Posted on April 2, 2020 by backuphill

man sitting in black leather chair near window

Photo by Craig Adderley on Pexels.com

To say that we are living in strange times these days is really an understatement, and not even necessary at this point since lots of people have already said it. But, I said it again. LOL

I have been working from home almost three weeks straight now. I have a scheduled vacation coming up next week.

It has been planned since the beginning of the year and it involved traveling on a jet plane to the land of upside-down (California) to see family. With much thought and general angst, that trip has now been postponed to a later date (TBD). But, that didn’t cancel my vacation. It will not just be a lock-down staycation…yeah, that’ll be fun…

BUT, before I go, I just got assigned a special assignment (like literally 10 minutes ago) that I have to complete in two days. Normally such a project takes two weeks.

So, I’ll be self-isolating myself to my garage home office to make it happen.

Isolated while being isolated.

That doesn’t have a nice ring to it.

No, I’m sorry

Posted on March 31, 2020 by backuphill

alarm clock and analog camera on wooden desk

Photo by bongkarn thanyakij on Pexels.com

19 days.

For that.

I waited 19 days to hear from HR about a question I asked to get in response, “No, I’m sorry.”

GEE, thanks. Good thing I didn’t ask an important question.

I asked if they knew the “program code” for a supplement to the healthcare program provided by the state. Not a tough question. Not one that I expected would take 19 days to answer.

When I submitted the question I anticipated an answer in a day or two. I figured it would be something they knew since it was provided by the state and encouraged by the state to participate. They should know this, right? I though so too.

After a couple of days of hearing nothing, I was wondering what was going on. Mind you, after seven days I no longer needed the answer I was looking for. I gave up trying to get signed up. After seven days I figured someone might be trying to track down the information since they should probably know this to pass along to others who might need it.

After two weeks of hearing nothing I just assumed the HR department had decided to ignore my question so I forgot all about the fact that I even asked it.

On day 19 I get a “No, I’m sorry.”

There’s no ‘Sorry it took so long to get back to you’ or ‘I tried finding the information and had no luck.” No ‘You’ll have to work with the program provider to get that info’ or ‘Here’s a number you can try.’

So, I can only conclude that little to no effort was put into my question and therefore the response AND getting any info, let alone a response, from the HR department in a timely manner is out of the question. I can also assume that when this email was seen 15-18 days ago it was too much trouble to respond with the “No, I’m sorry” then.

NO, I’m sorry I asked…

Without notification

Posted on March 16, 2020 by backuphill

airline flight schedules on flat screen televisions

Photo by Josh Sorenson on Pexels.com

Someone left town to visit family this weekend. Flying in these times is a rather curious endeavor now and there was already anticipation that some flexibility would be needed. The thought was that returning home might end up being a problem (that still remains to be seen). So…

Night before flight, 11:23pm: Flight is on time for an 8:00am departure.

Morning of flight, 4:11a.m: Flight cancelled and booked to another flight at 10:21am.

If I hadn’t checked of my own volition, the change would not have been known until arriving at the airport.

Did you catch that, “of my own volition”?

That’s right. Not a single notification from the airline that the flight details had changed. No text. No email. No call. That last one I didn’t really expect, but not even an email? Is that how they handle flight changes now?

Really disappointed in Alaska Airlines.

Granted, for the first leg of the trip the flight is not on their actual airline, but the trip was booked through them and they are the “confirmation number issuer” so you would think they were the ones responsible for notification.

I have always liked flying with them. They take pretty good care of you and they fly to most places I want to go for a fair price (most of the time). But, this taints the relationship a little. She luster is now gone. Oh, I’ll still probably fly with them but there is a little love lost now.

I may have a wandering eye, checking out the other options available. Fair warning Alaska, fair warning.

40%

Posted on March 13, 2020 by backuphill

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

We, as in our office (which is in a separate location from the “head office”), got an update on the policies regarding telecommuting during this health crisis, scare, whatever you wanna call it.

Prior to the outbreak of COVID-19, telecommuting policy said that we could telecommute up to 40% of a work week (two days) and that could only be done on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. I have talked about before how my job could literally be done from anywhere in the world with an internet connection, so 40% for my office is a ridiculous restriction.

Now, with COVID-19 being a thing and recommendations from every level of government (techinically I am a public employee) stating that employees should stay home and telecommute if feasible (again, it is totally feasible for my office) the “head boss” has issued new permissions for telecommuting.

Yesterday’s email said, in effect, “we are allowing telecommuting on Mondays and Fridays now, but we are still limiting overall permission to 40% of the work week, per board policy.” In other words, we are still required to go into our office three days a week! So, if I may paraphrase…policy over people. I gotta say, that right right there is some crappy ass leadership.

I have said it before and I will maintain that I am not an alarmist by any means. I am going about my daily life normally. I went out to eat last night and supported a local business near my home.

This issue I have here is that a public institution is going against the recommendations of the government, the one that funds it, and demanding adherence to a policy which they clearly have been given the green light to alter in this extraordinary time. There is no expectation by me or my colleagues that the alteration would adjust regular practice in the future (though we would like to see that). We just want acknowledgement that our government agency is recognizing the recommendations of the government and that isn’t happening.

I am in the office today. Nearly all of us are. But none of us are happy about it.

TP

Posted on March 11, 2020 by backuphill

What the heck ya’ll doing?

I hope you aren’t one of those crazy people out there hoarding toilet paper for no damn reason! Seriously! Covid-19 ain’t got nothing to do with your pooper, people. You all are just going “5150” on us.

People fighting in the aisles of stores? Costco limiting purchases and having to hand out the TP? Empty store shelves wherever you go? Good grief people, TP isn’t gonna keep you from getting the virus and it sure as hell isn’t needed if you had the virus. All you really have done is create a black market for TP.

Ya’ll done “wiped” out the stores. I wish I was making this sh*t up. Get your mind “outta the toilet” and wash your hands instead. Let’s “flush” this nonsense asap.

See, now you got me all making puns for funs because people ain’t got the runs.

If you are one of those hoarders, STOP! Ain’t no poop emergency.

We all heard it

Posted on March 10, 2020 by backuphill

man using smartphone while sitting at the table

Photo by bruce mars on Pexels.com

So, my sick note means nothing, apparently.

As it turns out, I have to use another sick day today despite what the superintendent (“head boss”) said in our meeting on Friday.

On Friday, he had a meeting with out entire organization (our division really, because we are completely separate from the main entity) and we all heard that we shouldn’t go to work if we suspect we are sick but that if we could get a doc’s note approving telecommuting then we could amend the regular telecommute schedule as needed. My coworkers heard it, my manager heard it, my director heard it…or at least that is the way we all understood it.

Today, I am told my doc’s note doesn’t apply and only the regular telecommute schedule applies. WTF? According to the head office, there are no policies in place to accommodate this adjustment and until there is we have to stick with it – no matter that the head boss said something completely different.

Yeah, that’s BS – requiring your employees to burn their sick days when there is a major health concern going on when you know full well they can do their jobs from anyplace in the world without impacting the client (and have done so repeatedly). That makes complete sense.

So, I think I’ll binge on TV, and video games….and slowly burn in contempt of the head office.

Sick note

Posted on March 9, 2020 by backuphill

Photo by bongkarn thanyakij on Pexels.com

I’m in WA state and there’s this thing going on. You’ve probably heard about it. So far, I’ve just heard about it too.

But, last night I developed a cough that came from nowhere. And a wheeze at the bottom of my lungs.

I checked in with the doc. At the moment they think it is related to the bronchitis I had two weeks ago. But, with the ongoing situation in WA, work doesn’t want me physically present. So…I have been “quarantined” to telecommute from home.

Can’t complain about that! No morning or afternoon traffic. No early mornings. No late dinners.

Win-win.

Except for the cough…and wheezing…

Domestic

Posted on March 5, 2020 by backuphill

Photo by Engin Akyurt on Pexels.com

OK, this is gonna be a rant for those of you who like to indulge in the consumption of an alcoholic beverage called “beer.” If you aren’t one of those people, I guess you can stop reading now (or not even click on the post – it’s fine, whatever…).

I hate to sound like a beer snob here, because I really am not one. BUT, (yes, there’s always a “but” in statements like that) you really don’t have to be a beer snob to understand what I am about to say.

How have domestic brewers stayed in business for so long? Like, really?

While I haven’t consumed piss water, I am pretty sure that is what it would taste like. Domestic beer is weak, it’s nearly clear, and it’s cheap (unless, of course, you are forced to buy it at a sports stadium like I was).

I can’t remember which stadium I was at in Arizona when I was surprised that there were no choices of micro-brewed beer. The other stadiums had them, so what was the deal with this one? Anyway, I was forced to buy something domestic (ok, forced may be a little strong since I could have kept my wallet in my pocket) to go along with my overpriced stadium food.

The experience was not enjoyable. I didn’t like the beer. Water. With a little food coloring in it. Pretty sure that is all it was. And, to top it off, if was $11. WTH?

So, anyone else out there baffled by domestic piss water beer? Anyone care to defend it?

Sponsorship

Posted on March 3, 2020 by backuphill

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Sponsorship is a weird thing.

No, I haven’t been sponsored yet, but if you would like to, just leave me a note in the comments and I’ll follow up.

Anyway, on my trip last week I was at the Phoenix Suns game and I noticed in lots of different places that they had things going on around the arena that were sponsored by a college. Northern Arizona University, to be specific.

To be clear, I know nothing about this college. I don’t really care to know anything about this particular school. But, what I do know of colleges in general is that they are expensive – usually for no good reason other than they are trying to make a profit (even the supposed “non-profit” schools).

Therein lies the rub for me.

Sponsorships are usually something that has to be paid up front so you can have your name plastered all over the event, product, or other whatever. So, the way I see it is that this school sponsored events at a professional sports game and arena so that it could be noticed and maybe more students would enroll there. One can only assume at this point then is that the school is jacking up tuition and fees so that it can pay for official sponsorships at high profile locations like professional sports teams and arenas, which by the way don’t really need any help with promotions.

Why is college expensive? One of the many reasons is because of unnecessary crap like this. I highly doubt they can show that promotions at this venue have generated sufficient enrollments to cover the cost of the sponsorship.

Colleges shouldn’t be allowed to do sponsorships, period.

Tell me I’m wrong. Well, try to anyway.