Work | Piss and Moan

Morning minute

Posted on August 14, 2019 by backuphill

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It’s gonna be a busy day. I looked at the schedule for the day ahead and all I can think about is how am I going to get it all done? There is just too much.

If you have been around long enough, you know that I get to telecommute two days a week from home. Normal days are Wednesday and Thursday (with an occasional Tuesday thrown in to make up for a meeting when it comes up during the week).

So, today I am in the garage, which is “my place” in the house, though it isn’t exclusively mine since it is mostly storage for a variety of things. Half the garage is tools and whatnot….and my home office.

It gets warm in here. Or cold in here. Depends on the time of the year because it isn’t that well insulated (well, in some places it isn’t at all). With the weather being warmer these days up in the PNW, the garage has had to have a fan going while I work from home. This morning, while things are quiet in the neighborhood I have opened the door and am letting in the cool air of the morning. It feels good.

I have found like that I like the coolness of the air. The slowness of the morning as I have time to “just be” and time to sip a cup of coffee (or four). It is just nice to take a moment to breathe and to take in the quiet stillness. To watch the sun rise over the tops of the trees. Calm before the storm of the day.

I am getting tired of the constant storm, but the morning minute helps to put my head on straight for the day and look forward.

*raises cup of coffee* Here’s to the cool, quiet mornings, and a chance to breathe. May you also have that moment of the day where you can pause and take it in for a minute.

Where is your place of solace? Where do you like to go when the stress of life gets to be too much? What do you do (or not do)?

IT department

Posted on August 2, 2019 by backuphill

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Chris in IT called yesterday.

From another state. With an accent from a foreign country. Weird, I thought IT was just down the hall…

Anyway, he called to tell me that my computer had a virus and it wasn’t operating at it’s best capability.

I told him I didn’t know that my typewriter could get a virus but was wondering if that is why the “B” key was sticking so badly. I let him know that it would just write an upper case “B” all the way across the page and sometimes I had to take the paper out before it would start the next line.

He said that my typewriter could get a virus…and then hung up. He hung up! That isn’t very good IT service.

Do people really fall for this crap? I supposed people probably do since we keep hearing about it.

Well, Chris from IT, see if you can figure out how to hack my typewriter.

How do you like to mess with these fraud calls or telemarketers? What’s your favorite tactic?

Can’t get no service

Posted on July 31, 2019 by backuphill

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Hotel restaurant – you are the weakest link.

Last year, the food took a long time and the missed one order for someone in the party. Didn’t even get the order put into the kitchen. So someone didn’t even get to eat.

This year, the waitress took forever. The orders came out wrong. Some people had to wait to order after others had already ordered. The kitchen was taking forever and people who were already done had to wait 30 minutes for their bill.

Um, can you say fail? What’s worse it that for two years in a row it has been poor service. Glad I didn’t choose to eat here, but I feel bad for my co-workers did.

The rooms are OK, but the service in parts of the hotel leave a bit to be desired.

Elevated

Posted on July 30, 2019 by backuphill

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I don’t know what it is about me. Do I look like I really like elevators?

I don’t know why this is, but every time I have traveled for work in the last three years and stayed in a hotel I have been in the room directly across from the elevator.

If you have traveled much, you know that is an issue because people getting off the elevator generally aren’t quiet. They are loud and noisy in the elevator and as they get off the elevator. They typically quiet down as they turn the corner to head down the hallway to their rooms. As such, anyone in the room closest to the elevator gets the brunt of “offload” or “load” noise.

It’s irritating, really.

It definitely doesn’t elevate my stay.

What about staying in a hotel annoys you?

Red alert!

Posted on July 23, 2019 by backuphill

background conceptual contemporary creativity

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Quick, batten down the hatches! Secure the doors! Turn off the lights and be silent!

No coffee in Cubicalville today and the two cups during the commute are not going to suffice. Plain and simple.

If you have the capability, send coffee QUICK!

**If you tuned in yesterday, you know why this is an emergency and you now know it was not remedied over night. The hero of this story will likely die.**

There will be no joy today. There will be no productive things accomplished. There will be no exceptional customer service today.

There will be grumpiness. There will be pining for coffee. There will be sleepiness. There will be desperation.

OK, I better get off of here and go try to see if I can suck the value out of someone’s used up coffee pod from the garbage. Maybe I can just stuff some of those used coffee grinds in between the gum and cheek…

There will be no spitting today.

Down to the last

Posted on July 22, 2019 by backuphill

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I had an important errand to run over the weekend and forgot all about it. It crossed my mind at least once…there is something I need to do but what is it?

Now, as I sit in my cube this morning getting ready for the day I remembered what I needed to do. It is glaringly obvious at the moment.

I have no coffee creamer and I am down to my last coffee pod.

This is a problem. One that can’t be remedied today.

I can drink coffee black, but I don’t prefer it that way. I know there are lots of people out there who do like it that way, but I look at drinking coffee like a black and white TV – sure, I can watch TV on it but I prefer my picture in color. It’s just better that way. The same goes for coffee.

The real question is, how am I going to make sure there is no coffee crisis in the morning when I return to work. I don’t have time today, or this evening to get coffee pods. This is the real crisis.

I just might die shortly after the start of work tomorrow.

**Old TV announcer style voice: Tune in tomorrow for the next episode to see if our hero survives. Will he make it? Will the forces of evil prevail? Don’t miss tomorrow’s program to find out more.**

Delayed

Posted on July 19, 2019 by backuphill

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This post is officially brought to you by road construction delays.

It isn’t a sponsored post, but should be.

Road construction on my commute route that was supposed to completed by 5am this morning wasn’t done at the appointed time. This is on a major North/South interstate highway, mind you. Three lanes reduced to one. When I finally went past the choke point, the newly laid asphalt was still steaming. So, the delay was going to be at least another hour.

So, you know, just by that description, that you are going to get thousands of commuters and travelers who are going to get stuck in that backup. It took me 45 minutes to get through a section of roadway that normally takes less than a minute at highway speed.

I knew about the construction, but figured I would be going through the area almost two hours after the supposed wrap-up. No problem, right? Not so much.

So, my question is…do these construction companies get fined for not getting things done at the appointed and planned times? I mean this delay caused me (and I am sure thousands more) late for work. That’s lost time, lost production. So who pays for that?

Who answers and how for these sorts of things?

Why, oh why?

Posted on July 12, 2019 by backuphill

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Half day at the office today.

No, it’s an official work day. I am just taking a half day to go play golf (well, my version of playing it…course destruction, tree hitting, let’s go swimming after the ball golf) with a buddy.

And what do we here at work? There is some sort of “emergency” that requires immediate attention…

Think that is gonna keep me at the office?

Hell no.

Someone else can deal with this crap. Besides, the district doesn’t need to access their data anyway. It’s summer. LOL

Catch you on Monday! FOUR!!

Every experienced an “emergency” on a day where you were looking forward to something else? One of those things that will suck your attention until dealt with?

Where ya’ll going?

Posted on July 9, 2019 by backuphill

people crossing in pedestrian lane in city during daytime

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It seems more of you, many more than usual, are going somewhere today.

It’s a Tuesday. Where could you possibly be going? I mean, yes, I have gotten to know those of you who take the route daily…I mean, I see you every day but I don’t really know you.

However, today, there were a bunch of people I didn’t know and you were all in the way. Traffic kept moving, which is good, but it was way slower than usual because there were so many of you.

If ya’ll could stay off my roads, especially my commute route, that would be great…

About last night

Posted on July 5, 2019 by backuphill

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It’s a full pot of coffee kinda drinking day.

I am going to venture a guess that not all who needed yesterday’s PSA, actually read it. I say as much since it was well after midnight when the explosions stopped and the dog stopped cowering.

Sleep. It was hard to come by and this poor guy had to get up early, like usual, for work. I am now sitting at my desk and wishing I could just have an IV of coffee. Last night is going to make for a long day at work…

Have a coffee. Have another. And another. Oh, the next one’s on me (if you find me and use the code, “I’ll have a 4th”). I am fixing to have another…and another…and another…

Perk up! It’s another day.