February's Coffee

no - everyone has to come here and get in line.......

I came home early. I'm salaried - so I get paid for a full day as long as I show up -- at all. LOL My neighbor called me at work worried about me driving home with the road conditions getting worse. My boss is out of the office so I asked the GM if it would be OK to leave and then emailed my boss that I was leaving. I intend to spend the four hour I missed working on the program I'm trying to write. After I finish lunch, scold Wallingford for annoying Holly and shovel the walk and driveways for myself and a couple of neighbors. that is.

I'm salaried so I get to work tons of overtime without being paid.

No snow here - I had to work the WHOLE day.

Anita - I'll Q up in your slap line then as soon as I get there.

Al, You realize we only get to slap her boss, right?

Aw, shucks. I thought Anita was gonna slap Al.

Dave, I'm salary AND work from home. Lucky, I'll say. If I didn't get motivated out of guilt, I'd probably get fired!

As long as I can slap something I'm in.

LOL! You know..I was thinking about the 'salaried' thing..a few inconsistencies that I've noticed along the line.

- Bosses have no problem if you work longer then 8 hours, but belly ache a storm if you work less.
- Bosses can let you go with no notice, but you are expected to give some before you leave.

anyone else have a few gems??

LOL! Holding my tongue, Al!!!!

Anita, I guess I'm middle management and I see some on both sides. Scariest to me is the way people get fired these days. They are treated like terrorist serial killers being immediately walked out of the building.
I have mostly great employees who I try to be great to. But I also get newcomers who want all of the benefits I give to people who give whatever it takes to get the job done without reciprocating. Time off for Dr. visits, pet medical needs, child care issues, etc. but then take off the minute it reaches 5:00.

ohmigosh I can write a book on employee craziness. One of the best ones was one getting in late at least 3 days a week because she had to get her lazy brother to work on time, well hello leave him home if he's making you late!!! DUH! And tell him to buy his own car!

So very true. I've seen that too. Especially as I had been in many different offices. Calling in sick when you're not or not carrying your load. One thing that alot of offices complained about was the younger generation's work ethic. I know I am generalizing, but it seemed as if they just didn't care. I always looked on my job as if it were my company.

I worked with a boss, at a joint venture with the bank where the actual work was done, and he'd stroll in around 9:30 each morning, chat a bit and then go up to the cafeteria for coffee and leave for two hour lunches (or golf) and be gone by 4 PM. His comment was funny though: I may arrive late each day but I make it a point to leave early.

pirl, that's funny. I've always joked about the folks who make up for coming in late by leaving early (tongue in cheek). It does seem to be the same folks doesn't it. and the guys who always seem to have a meeting on a nice sunny afternoon are also those who I know play golf. We had one girl who was always a half hour late who decided if she was on the hospital campus she was on time (has to drop the kids at day care, go back and park her care, etc).

Interesting this should come up this week because I just had a long talk with my boss about working from home more or less on a permanent basis. I've been working at home 2 days and 3 days in the office because of my fibromyalgia, but it's been worse lately and there are lots of days that I just can't go in, especially with this bitter cold. We've had the 2-day arrangement for 2 years (with HR approval) and my boss has never said anything about the extra days, then last week he hit me with an e-mail that it was a problem because I was never in the office, co-workers were complaining, I wasn't doing the cross-training he asked me to do, etc. I've been having a terrible time getting a decent doc for the FM, but my psychiatrist doesn't think I should be going in to the office because it's so hard for me, so they wrote me a letter. It's been a bad week (I've been posting over on the depression forum, but you guys are my friends, so I'll unload a bit here, too. hope you don't mind)

anyway, I told him 1) I've been asking to cross-train backup for almost 10 yrs 2) I've been doing this for 2 yrs with no complaints that I've heard 3) it's really none of my co-workers business and if they want to stay home and work when they have a cold it's really not the same thing 4) my only 2 choice are to work from home or go on permanent disability...I'm not well enough to come into the office every day (because they have never provided me with any backup, they are screwed if they lose me) 5)the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) directs employers to provide reasonable accommodations for disabled employees.

anyway, he's going to go to our VP and HR and see if he can make arrangements. I agreed to come in a few hours a week to work on the cross-training.

sorry for the long post :-)

jan (gram)

I feel for you grams...I love when things suddenly become a 'problem' when there never seemed to be an issue before. Hang in there. I'm sure things will work out the way they are meant to. Never feel like you are unloading here!

thanks, Anita. I have a feeling they will work out, too. I was a wreck last week, but I'm feeling much better. My very sweet friend Kassia surprised me with a phone call yesterday and made my day!

That Kassia is a sweetie!
Gram, my SIL has FM and has learned tons about what works & doesn't. Would you be interested in some information?
I am amazed at all the new gardening you are doing under the circumstances! Good luck with work & dealing with FM. Do you sleep well?

Hugs for you (((((Gram))))) Nobody should have to deal with a hard time when you're in pain all the time.

As for the younger generations work ethic... I think I'm one of those. Well, there's plenty worse than me, I don't disrespect my boss and I do quality work, but I rather wish I didn't have to work at all. Sometimes I wish I had been taught the value of hard work early on, but I don't want to go through the pain now! I'm too old and stuck. Sorry guys. ... guess I'd better get back to work.

Harper, hanging head

Sonfonisba,

The trick is - to find a job where they pay you for being who you are - not what you do. I am lucky. I was the geeky kid that read university textbooks for entertainment in grade nine! Now I get paid to be a scholar - and I would be one anyway, for free, 'cause that is who I am. I really love my work. Were I suddenly to become independently wealthy, I would still do it (though I would have more $$ for plants!)

Alas, not everyone is so lucky. So 3/4 of the battle regarding work ethic is doing what you love.

Dave, you've got d-mail. sometimes I sleep well..not this week. In fact, I took the day off today. I think I'm starting to recognize when I'm sleep deprived. I'm going to pay someone to build all the new gardens. I was having a pretty good spell part of last summer into fall, but started to get bad in October again.

thanks, Harper. you don't sound like one of 'those'. if you respect your boss and do quality work. if you wish you didn't have to work at all...so do I LOL

Seandor, you are very lucky to be doing what you love. I just don't think that's possible for everybody. there are 'unloveable' jobs that have to be done, and I'm glad someone is willing to do them.

Thanks Gram. You're sweet. I hope you feel better and that they come up with a cure already! At least nowadays they're not saying it's psychosomatic.

Seandor, good for you!! That's fantastic! Actually, in a way, I am doing what I love. I love art. I love drawing, painting, creating. My job is designing custom made carpets. There's a lot of creativity in it, but alas, it's a buisiness and they want it done yesterday. In addition, going into art for a career is kinda like scraping the bottom of the barrel for well paid jobs. People like art, they just don't want to pay much for it, unless you're a top designer in the fashion or interior design buisiness.. those guys got it made!

Now if I could get paid well for sleeping all day, I'd be all set! LOL

Harper

Harper, I know exactly what you mean. I finished college part time in my late 30's, got a BS in computer science. But I took a lot of art courses because I wanted to do floral watercolors. My art prof kept trying to get me to change my major. I told her I knew I could make a good living with computer skills. For a time I sold needlecrafts and can't tell you how many comments I got about things being overpriced when I was doing good to clear $1 an hour. When you do a painting and people like it but won't pay enough to cover what you put into the framing, it's pretty discouraging. I paint and do needlework for my own enjoyment now. I donated a $300 quilt to my DGD school for a raffle and heard a comment about buying one in the Penney's catalog for $29.

It's true Gram. $1 an hour is good if you can get it as a painter. My best friend is 38 and struggling as a painter. She chose to be a fine artist. She has one full time job, a part time job and is working toward her graduate degree. Her paintings have been given numerous awards and she gets lots of publicity as best up-and-coming painter in the Northeast. She's in Vermont. Still, she barely makes ends meet pulling in $800 a month from her janitor job. Her house is drafty and she's on the hungry side. She's a lot more driven than I am! I hope it pays off for her before she starves! Here's her website. She's good! (hint, hint) http://danawigdor.com/

Harper

Harper, thanks for the link. I enjoyed her work very much...my favorite was the birches.

She's good, eh, Gram? I keep getting on her case about updating her website, but she's too busy now. I'll let her know what you said.

Harper

Gram,

I'm sorry to hear about your difficulties, and hope that everything works out for the best.

Loretta

thanks, Loretta.

Well this thread got huge...won't you join me here? http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/693860/

I guess you've looked at clouds from both sides now. Plane? I thought you ran there and back.

LOL - too funny - so how long does it take you to come up with them....they come naturally or do you have to sweat them out a bit ;)

we'll never really know...but I've gotta admit, that's a really good one!

Grampapa you are just the sweetest person and I am so sorry for all your difficulties lately. It sure is tough. You defnitely don't need the added stress that work can deal out. I hope you are feeling better soon though. ((hugs))

Dawn, what a nice thing to say :0) you just made my day. I took the week off and I feel a little better already.

(((hugs))) right back at ya
jan

well dang it, I thought when I opened the window for the new thread and replied it would post it there, but no it went to here.

that's from a Carol King song I beleive, all good comedians steal material:), if it takes me longer than a few seconds to think of I usually shouldn't post it

you and Milton Berle LOL...you're in good company

I thought Joni Mitchell wrote that song.

could be, I knew it was some folky singer

I think it's Joni too.Made famous by Judy Collins? Al was probably 1 at the time.

Thanks Dave - although you could have said I wasn't born yet.
http://www.wsanford.com/~wsanford/exo/both_sides_now.html
I'm a big enough man to admit I'm wrong - I'll blame it on solor flares or something ;)

Oh, you were born! And it was Judy's hit: http://www.jacquedee63.com/bothsides.html