So the checkout person thought I was 26 when she carded me.
Am I not?
Does one cease to be 26 when one turns 27? Numerically, you must have 26 before you can have 27-or 39 for that matter.
My habit of working as much as possible is wearing thin this week. I am at work even as I write this. I am very tired, most likely because I worked all day and night Saturday and Sunday.
What does "act your age" mean? I think the students in the CAC keep me young. I work with a lot of them outside of classes. More than a few of them don't believe me when I tell then my age; some have said I don't "act" like I am 38. I guess that is a good thing.
Although I've made myself a promise that I would treat myself better this school year, I sometimes think I have forgotten how to have fun. I've gone to a couple of great concerts in the past month or so. I get to hang with friends every other week, which is always a blast, but I usually have no idea what to do by myself.
I've come to realize in my old age (haha) that I am not a great multitasker in many ways. Want to read a book? I have to do it every night or I will forget about it. Want to sand and varnish that small kitchen table? Better do it all in one weekend, or it will sit forgotten and unfinished in the garage (I found it again last night whilst doing laundry). Want to draw my next tattoo? I have to work on it every day-otherwise I will just carry around the sketchbook for no reason or cover it up with mail. Want to write that story you've been working on for a year or so? You have to REMEMBER that you have a story to write at a time other than during a symphony while you are blogging...
Concentrate, Bryan-San. Focus power.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
I Heard the News Today, Oh Boy...
I want to preface this by stating that I am very happy and very lucky to have a job in these economic times. I know some people out there who don't like to hear others complain about work, but I firmly believe it is an American right to bitch about your job, especially pay cuts.
We had a 9am meeting yesterday to chat about the rest of the semester and our work schedules. It was no surprise to us that the subject of overtime, or more specifically-how the various departments of our college were going to pay for our overtime-came up.
The simple answer is that they are just NOT going to do it! Due to budget crunches and (in my opinion) completely shitty time management within other departments, they have no money left to pay us. Since the college cannot cancel academic events, it falls upon US to deal with the situation.
It should be interesting to see what happens. I have heard talk about forcing us to take comp time. This would not be a problem for a "normal" 8-hour job, but we are here ALL THE TIME. I believe current HR policy is that you must use comp time within 30 days. What happens if you work every day? Another University policy is that they must pay you for comp time that you cannot take. What happens when the money runs out and you cannot take it??? I will NOT work for FREE. We predict another problem in the near future as well: time abuse, for lack of a better term. Say they make me take Monday off because I worked over 7.5 hours over the weekend. I come in Tuesday at 8:15am as normal to find out I am needed to cover a show that night. My rewards for that week would include:
1) working a 10-15 hour day and having to come back early the next day
2) not getting paid OT for said hours beyond my scheduled time
3) not being eligible for OT for the next week as well, policy dictates that you can't get compensational time or OT until you go over 40 hours for the week-if I am forced to take days off, I will never accumulate enough hours to get paid more
Whee!
Even if we do get to accumulate time past the end of the month, when will we be able to use it? All three of us can't take the whole summer off, as cool as that would be.
Everyone here has heard the rumors that they are going to institute a new University-wide check-in policy by the end of the year. We all may soon have to slide our ID cards to prove we are here. I heard this was a massive backfire at a local hospital years ago; they thought everyone was cheating on their time when in actuality everyone was donating their own time because they cared. With everyone clocked in for every minute they worked, payroll costs soared the following year instead of going down!
I remember many, many wasted hours last year. After a performance is over, the performers are supposed to LEAVE the stage and go to the lobby so we can lock up. Instead, they stay on stage, invite their friends and parents up (which is against building policy) and mill around until they have nothing left to chat about. They don't think about the OT money they are wasting when this is going on. I remember a concert downstairs after which they held a reception for about two hours after the event. The guests used the orchestra chairs as seats, so I couldn't strike the equipment until they all left. If they would have had it 30 feet away (in the lobby) I could have been out and on my way home within 30 minutes. I have NO PROBLEM getting paid to hang out, but you aren't allowed to bitch when you get the bill for your own folly (my rule)!
The end result of this fiasco in the near future is:
-Any major house plans are on hold for the year. I will most likely only further insulate the kitchen with materials I have left from last year.
-That crate of spiders I was going to buy and breed in Steve's root cellar will have to wait.
-My tax return will most likely get spent somewhere I hadn't planned.
-The felines will not be happy that their hydroponic catnip farm on the back of my property is now only a dream.
I just hope this is a temporary solution. I can survive on my base salary, but OT makes the world go 'round. Morale is already crappy around work; I don't want to imagine what will happen when heads start butting (and they will).
We had a 9am meeting yesterday to chat about the rest of the semester and our work schedules. It was no surprise to us that the subject of overtime, or more specifically-how the various departments of our college were going to pay for our overtime-came up.
The simple answer is that they are just NOT going to do it! Due to budget crunches and (in my opinion) completely shitty time management within other departments, they have no money left to pay us. Since the college cannot cancel academic events, it falls upon US to deal with the situation.
It should be interesting to see what happens. I have heard talk about forcing us to take comp time. This would not be a problem for a "normal" 8-hour job, but we are here ALL THE TIME. I believe current HR policy is that you must use comp time within 30 days. What happens if you work every day? Another University policy is that they must pay you for comp time that you cannot take. What happens when the money runs out and you cannot take it??? I will NOT work for FREE. We predict another problem in the near future as well: time abuse, for lack of a better term. Say they make me take Monday off because I worked over 7.5 hours over the weekend. I come in Tuesday at 8:15am as normal to find out I am needed to cover a show that night. My rewards for that week would include:
1) working a 10-15 hour day and having to come back early the next day
2) not getting paid OT for said hours beyond my scheduled time
3) not being eligible for OT for the next week as well, policy dictates that you can't get compensational time or OT until you go over 40 hours for the week-if I am forced to take days off, I will never accumulate enough hours to get paid more
Whee!
Even if we do get to accumulate time past the end of the month, when will we be able to use it? All three of us can't take the whole summer off, as cool as that would be.
Everyone here has heard the rumors that they are going to institute a new University-wide check-in policy by the end of the year. We all may soon have to slide our ID cards to prove we are here. I heard this was a massive backfire at a local hospital years ago; they thought everyone was cheating on their time when in actuality everyone was donating their own time because they cared. With everyone clocked in for every minute they worked, payroll costs soared the following year instead of going down!
I remember many, many wasted hours last year. After a performance is over, the performers are supposed to LEAVE the stage and go to the lobby so we can lock up. Instead, they stay on stage, invite their friends and parents up (which is against building policy) and mill around until they have nothing left to chat about. They don't think about the OT money they are wasting when this is going on. I remember a concert downstairs after which they held a reception for about two hours after the event. The guests used the orchestra chairs as seats, so I couldn't strike the equipment until they all left. If they would have had it 30 feet away (in the lobby) I could have been out and on my way home within 30 minutes. I have NO PROBLEM getting paid to hang out, but you aren't allowed to bitch when you get the bill for your own folly (my rule)!
The end result of this fiasco in the near future is:
-Any major house plans are on hold for the year. I will most likely only further insulate the kitchen with materials I have left from last year.
-That crate of spiders I was going to buy and breed in Steve's root cellar will have to wait.
-My tax return will most likely get spent somewhere I hadn't planned.
-The felines will not be happy that their hydroponic catnip farm on the back of my property is now only a dream.
I just hope this is a temporary solution. I can survive on my base salary, but OT makes the world go 'round. Morale is already crappy around work; I don't want to imagine what will happen when heads start butting (and they will).
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
New Year, New Moon, Vodka, Blue Moon.
Someone seems to have shrunk all my jeans sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I fear January and it's upcoming federal taxes, car insurance payment, house payment, and rising electric bill.
I look forward to saving the Multiverse once again via The Shackled City; it should be a fine journey with a large party of excellent people.
I look forward to saving the Multiverse once again via The Shackled City; it should be a fine journey with a large party of excellent people.
Friday, July 10, 2009
new terminology
We were joking in the hall yesterday about a sign posted for the actors. It reads: "sunburn and tans lines are not acceptable character choices". I joked that I would'nt have a problem, as I have developed a "Theater Tan" from never seeing the sun.
Monday, June 29, 2009
werk mitosis
I finally seem to have gotten back in the groove with housework, as much as a groove that I can have with my random schedule. I have lost multiple lists of things to do. The cats keep reniging on their promises to vacuum. I don't want to start anything large for fear of the task sitting around half-finished, silently mocking me as I arrive home late from work.
One "easy" thing always seems to lead to another. The latest project should have been a simple replacement for my 4x4 porch support post. It turned out that the bottom of the post was completely rotted out, and had some ant condos inside. The rhododendron roots had made their way under the green outdoor carpet, so I started to dig out the entire area with my shiny new mattock. I soon found that the porch had buried pavers along the edges. This in turn led me to start digging a path around the edge of my house; I have been thinking of making a sidewalk out of all the house stones I found buried on the OTHER side.
Some time later...
I had to pound a 2x6 board with a sledge to prop up the right side of the porch enough to get the post in. After that, I kept digging. Found a legbone-not human as far as I know-my friend's dog was chewing on it yesterday.
Speaking of that friend, he is going to be working on my workshop roof this week if all goes well. There is a nice-sized hole around the wood stove chimney, and some nice termite damage all around the area. I removed the conversation-generating pitchfork and roll of tarpaper that have been up there since before I moved in.
This patch job will eventually lead to me getting a metal roof later in the year (money permitting). The shingles and metal are all on the new tax-deductible list for energy saving products. Hopefully this will help me out next April; I will make more money than I ever have this year!
Back to rehearsal.
theOTpaysthebillstheOTpaysthebillstheOTpaysthebillstheOTpaysthebills
theOTpaysthebillstheOTpaysthebillstheOTpaysthebillstheOTpaysthebills
theOTpaysthebillstheOTpaysthebillstheOTpaysthebillstheOTpaysthebills
theOTpaysthebillstheOTpaysthebillstheOTpaysthebillstheOTpaysthebills
theOTpaysthebillstheOTpaysthebillstheOTpaysthebillstheOTpaysthebills
theOTpaysthebillstheOTpaysthebillstheOTpaysthebillstheOTpaysthebills
theOTpaysthebillstheOTpaysthebillstheOTpaysthebillstheOTpaysthebills
One "easy" thing always seems to lead to another. The latest project should have been a simple replacement for my 4x4 porch support post. It turned out that the bottom of the post was completely rotted out, and had some ant condos inside. The rhododendron roots had made their way under the green outdoor carpet, so I started to dig out the entire area with my shiny new mattock. I soon found that the porch had buried pavers along the edges. This in turn led me to start digging a path around the edge of my house; I have been thinking of making a sidewalk out of all the house stones I found buried on the OTHER side.
Some time later...
I had to pound a 2x6 board with a sledge to prop up the right side of the porch enough to get the post in. After that, I kept digging. Found a legbone-not human as far as I know-my friend's dog was chewing on it yesterday.
Speaking of that friend, he is going to be working on my workshop roof this week if all goes well. There is a nice-sized hole around the wood stove chimney, and some nice termite damage all around the area. I removed the conversation-generating pitchfork and roll of tarpaper that have been up there since before I moved in.
This patch job will eventually lead to me getting a metal roof later in the year (money permitting). The shingles and metal are all on the new tax-deductible list for energy saving products. Hopefully this will help me out next April; I will make more money than I ever have this year!
Back to rehearsal.
theOTpaysthebillstheOTpaysthebillstheOTpaysthebillstheOTpaysthebills
theOTpaysthebillstheOTpaysthebillstheOTpaysthebillstheOTpaysthebills
theOTpaysthebillstheOTpaysthebillstheOTpaysthebillstheOTpaysthebills
theOTpaysthebillstheOTpaysthebillstheOTpaysthebillstheOTpaysthebills
theOTpaysthebillstheOTpaysthebillstheOTpaysthebillstheOTpaysthebills
theOTpaysthebillstheOTpaysthebillstheOTpaysthebillstheOTpaysthebills
theOTpaysthebillstheOTpaysthebillstheOTpaysthebillstheOTpaysthebills
Thursday, June 18, 2009
NOW WHAT? Trials and errors of the pageant
What else can go wrong?
Wednesday- spot power issues, riser collapse, genie (re)failure, sound guy forgot to turn amps off, dumb kids setting their shit on the $100,000 Steinway,
Thursday (so far)- Ion light board failure!!!; genie still down, power issues in the entire spot booth AND a professor's office, one spot has a bad ballast, the LD now has hours to switch to the Obsession before tonight's show...
I DID get to invent a fun new game with the help of one of the pageant's "girl wranglers". Some of the contestants kept sitting their props and clothes on our above-mentioned piano. I kept asking her to remind them not to do that. She eventually told me to take anything they placed on the piano and hide it in the cage. While I enjoyed this game immensely, the young ladies did not seem to enjoy it as much as I had hoped.
Wednesday- spot power issues, riser collapse, genie (re)failure, sound guy forgot to turn amps off, dumb kids setting their shit on the $100,000 Steinway,
Thursday (so far)- Ion light board failure!!!; genie still down, power issues in the entire spot booth AND a professor's office, one spot has a bad ballast, the LD now has hours to switch to the Obsession before tonight's show...
I DID get to invent a fun new game with the help of one of the pageant's "girl wranglers". Some of the contestants kept sitting their props and clothes on our above-mentioned piano. I kept asking her to remind them not to do that. She eventually told me to take anything they placed on the piano and hide it in the cage. While I enjoyed this game immensely, the young ladies did not seem to enjoy it as much as I had hoped.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
scritch scratch
I rarely drink caffeine. I needed to this morning. My eyes felt like they were crawling around in my head for a few hours, and my teeth felt like I was licking a battery. Now I am just wide awake and tired. How do people do this every day? Drugs are bad!
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