What pissed you off today?

[cramx3]

Also, a Xanax in the airport while I'm waiting to board helps a LOT.  I'm not a huge fan of drinking on a flight but if you drink at all, I hear a cocktail can also help with that.  Every year when I have my annual exam I mention my travel anxiety and I get 10 Xanax.  This is nothing.  So you might ask your primary doctor for a script.  Just don't mix it with alcohol.

I know Gary is sober, but the xanax or have a drink thing apparently helps A LOT of people. I was pretty anti-drinking before a flight for awhile, just because I figure it would make me have to pee on the flight and I thought turbulence wouldn't mix well with a buzz.  But it's taken many many flights and I finally come around to be able to not really care about turbulence or using the bathroom.  My last trip to Amsterdam had a 4 hour delay and I got wasted in the lounge before boarding that flight and it was a fantastic experience  but there's no way I would have ever done that in the past.  Typically though, I still don't like to drink, I'd rather just pass the time by sleeping so I take a double dose of zquil and knock out for most of a 5 hour flight.

One mental trick I have always done (and continue to do) if I do feel that unease during a flight is look at the flight attendants.  They never flinch from the turbulence.  You'll see them acting as if all is normal and it would make me feel calm about the situation.  Even when they put the seatbelt sign on.  The attendants don't sit, they continue working and all is fine.  If it gets really bad they'll ask the attendants to sit too, but if you can see their seats, you'll see how calm they are still.

[Grappler]

When my wife was pregnant, she wore the motion sickness wristbands to help with nausea.  I'd recommend those! 

[El Barto]

One mental trick I have always done (and continue to do) if I do feel that unease during a flight is look at the flight attendants.  They never flinch from the turbulence.  You'll see them acting as if all is normal and it would make me feel calm about the situation.  Even when they put the seatbelt sign on.  The attendants don't sit, they continue working and all is fine.  If it gets really bad they'll ask the attendants to sit too, but if you can see their seats, you'll see how calm they are still.

I flew BA once to Berlin, and it was the most constantly turbulent flight I've ever been on. Tossing and turning the whole way. While we're coming straight in on final a lady up front started barfing into the little bag, and one of those plucky BA flight attendants bounded all the way from the back to front to toss her a bottle of water. She was literally bounding side to side 4 rows at a time to get there and back. That woman was a real pro. Nothing spooks those gals.

I've honestly started to enjoy weather-adventuresome flights. As soon as it dawned on me that the pilots don't generally want to die, and aren't going to do anything stupid, I figure anything we come up on is probably just routine for them. Popping out of a 400' ceiling just short of the threshold is a hoot. I flew into EWR with a 30kt crosswind to see the Score show and loved it (the Arab gentleman next to me was white as snow  ). My favorite was the Expressway Visual approach into LGA with a robust crosswind, and I swear we were a third of the way down the runway before he leveled off. I was expecting a go-around, but he eventually nailed it. Pilots aren't daredevils, and what's uncommon for us is normal for them. Same with the FAs.

[hefdaddy42]

I've only flown a handful of times, and one (on the way back from our honeymoon in Key West to Miami) was right through a storm with extremely heavy turbulence.

It was a little unsettling to me, but everyone working on the plane was fine with it, and I must admit, I found it a bit exhilarating.

[Stadler]

One mental trick I have always done (and continue to do) if I do feel that unease during a flight is look at the flight attendants.  They never flinch from the turbulence.  You'll see them acting as if all is normal and it would make me feel calm about the situation.  Even when they put the seatbelt sign on.  The attendants don't sit, they continue working and all is fine.  If it gets really bad they'll ask the attendants to sit too, but if you can see their seats, you'll see how calm they are still.

I flew BA once to Berlin, and it was the most constantly turbulent flight I've ever been on. Tossing and turning the whole way. While we're coming straight in on final a lady up front started barfing into the little bag, and one of those plucky BA flight attendants bounded all the way from the back to front to toss her a bottle of water. She was literally bounding side to side 4 rows at a time to get there and back. That woman was a real pro. Nothing spooks those gals.

I've honestly started to enjoy weather-adventuresome flights. As soon as it dawned on me that the pilots don't generally want to die, and aren't going to do anything stupid, I figure anything we come up on is probably just routine for them. Popping out of a 400' ceiling just short of the threshold is a hoot. I flew into EWR with a 30kt crosswind to see the Score show and loved it (the Arab gentleman next to me was white as snow  ). My favorite was the Expressway Visual approach into LGA with a robust crosswind, and I swear we were a third of the way down the runway before he leveled off. I was expecting a go-around, but he eventually nailed it. Pilots aren't daredevils, and what's uncommon for us is normal for them. Same with the FAs.

LaGuardia is the gift that keeps on giving.  I've been flying through there a lot lately, it seems, and other than the (sometimes) long walk between gates, it's fun.

I fly a lot, and have little trouble flying.  Except for first thing in the morning flights, I probably have a glass of wine or a vodka about 75% of the time, but it really is only to take the very edge off. 

I am a lot like Harmony, though; I just don't want to go, simple as that.  I LIKE where I live, I have FUN where I live and more often than not, flying somewhere is a chore simply because it means I can't do the things I do with the people I like doing them with.

[El Barto]

One mental trick I have always done (and continue to do) if I do feel that unease during a flight is look at the flight attendants.  They never flinch from the turbulence.  You'll see them acting as if all is normal and it would make me feel calm about the situation.  Even when they put the seatbelt sign on.  The attendants don't sit, they continue working and all is fine.  If it gets really bad they'll ask the attendants to sit too, but if you can see their seats, you'll see how calm they are still.

I flew BA once to Berlin, and it was the most constantly turbulent flight I've ever been on. Tossing and turning the whole way. While we're coming straight in on final a lady up front started barfing into the little bag, and one of those plucky BA flight attendants bounded all the way from the back to front to toss her a bottle of water. She was literally bounding side to side 4 rows at a time to get there and back. That woman was a real pro. Nothing spooks those gals.

I've honestly started to enjoy weather-adventuresome flights. As soon as it dawned on me that the pilots don't generally want to die, and aren't going to do anything stupid, I figure anything we come up on is probably just routine for them. Popping out of a 400' ceiling just short of the threshold is a hoot. I flew into EWR with a 30kt crosswind to see the Score show and loved it (the Arab gentleman next to me was white as snow  ). My favorite was the Expressway Visual approach into LGA with a robust crosswind, and I swear we were a third of the way down the runway before he leveled off. I was expecting a go-around, but he eventually nailed it. Pilots aren't daredevils, and what's uncommon for us is normal for them. Same with the FAs.

LaGuardia is the gift that keeps on giving.  I've been flying through there a lot lately, it seems, and other than the (sometimes) long walk between gates, it's fun.

If they'd just link everything it'd be great. The concourse is very nice, as are the new terminals. The problem is the Bataan death march to get to the shuttle buses just to take you to a different terminal for the rental car shuttles. They need some kind of monorail linking all of the terminals, and from what I can tell that was never in the master plan. And honestly, I have no idea why they chose the marine terminal as the dropoff point. The shuttle from there to the actual airline terminals is godawful. Seems they massively upgraded the airport proper, but ignored the worst thing about it which was the inconvenience of actually getting there.

And I love a good visual approach, and the expressway visual is one of my favorites. I always make sure and pick my seat based on what approach I want.

[King Postwhore]

Atlanta is brutal.  It is so big and you can get lost fast the 1st few times you fly in. 

[KevShmev]

I have only flown three or four times in my entire life, and one of them was a lot of fun when arriving back in STL. I must have had sinus drainage or something, because the last 10 minutes of the descent into the STL airport felt like someone was stabbing me with about 300 knives right around my right eye and the area below it and into my upper jaw.  It went away once we landed, but that area felt all puffy and weird for a few days after that.  That's an experience I hope to never have again.

[wolfking]

Refinancing the house though is the most absurd and irresponsible thing ever IMO.  If you can't afford it, you don't go.  That blows my mind.

I've just kinda skimmed all the responses so not sure if its been mentioned my apologies but you can't yourself just not go and do a home alone?

I know. I cannot believe the siblings didn’t push back on it. Because, when they told us what was going to happen they hadn’t yet fully paid and refinanced yet. So there was a period of time they could have talked some sense into them. My in laws are both 70…..and had their house paid off for years…..it’s just insane to me that they took out money against it all.

I'm not trying to push back on this, don't really know the circumstances, but why is this so insane? Sounds to me like if it's their 50th then they're likely in their 70s. If they took out a home equity line of credit or a reverse mortgage then that actually makes some sense to me. Equity isn't actually doing them any good in their Autumn years. It's really only their for their kids to inherit. If they did it right it might be an ideal way for them to be able to make the best of the time they have left, and again, not judging, but I'd be happy for them to do that.

I can understand that and never really thought of it that way.  I guess in turn it's a trade off for quality time vs less inheritance for the children.  Fair point.

[Cool Chris]

I just don't want to go, simple as that.  I LIKE where I live, I have FUN where I live and more often than not, flying somewhere is a chore simply because it means I can't do the things I do with the people I like doing them with.

This is where I am at in my life. I work hard 40 hours a week, and add in kid drop-offs and pick-ups at school and all their activities. Our home costs money, both in the mortgage and all the work we have done to it over the years, and continue to do. Then factor in all the stuff we have at home for the kids to play with. And all my wife can think about is "Hey, let's go somewhere!" And I can't help but think "but we have all this stuff here in our wonderful house, and so many things to do within a short drive, and we really spending too much time in our home...?"

Just the other day summer came up, and she said "Well I imagine (meaning her and the kids) will spend 2 weeks in Hawaii (with her family) and 2 weeks in CO (with her family)... That's 4 weeks, basically half the summer for the kids, away from home, in the same 2 places they go every summer. I get that it's her family she wants to spend time with. It's just a philosophy she and I are never going to converge on.

[hefdaddy42]

I like where I live, too.  But I also love visiting other places.

Of course, I no longer have little kids to deal with.

[cramx3]

I think there's a lot to learn from traveling that it could be beneficial for children to go a bit further than a drive from home.  But I understand it's also a hassle and costly.  I'm not a parent, I have no idea how hard it likely is.

[gmillerdrake]

I think there's a lot to learn from traveling that it could be beneficial for children to go a bit further than a drive from home.  But I understand it's also a hassle and costly. I'm not a parent, I have no idea how hard it likely is.

After a certain age it's not really a 'hassle'. But, where you're in that infant to say 3-4 yrs old range.....man.....they 'need' something to be done for them non stop and/or they're creating something that needs to be done for them. It is what it is, it's something you sign on for when you deicide to be a parent.

But, when you're 'out' of that phase of parenting it's nice and it's tough to go back to. At least for me it is. My wife on the other hand loves it and if she/we could have we'd have had kid after kid after kid....

[Stadler]

I think there's a lot to learn from traveling that it could be beneficial for children to go a bit further than a drive from home.  But I understand it's also a hassle and costly. I'm not a parent, I have no idea how hard it likely is.

After a certain age it's not really a 'hassle'. But, where you're in that infant to say 3-4 yrs old range.....man.....they 'need' something to be done for them non stop and/or they're creating something that needs to be done for them. It is what it is, it's something you sign on for when you deicide to be a parent.

But, when you're 'out' of that phase of parenting it's nice and it's tough to go back to. At least for me it is. My wife on the other hand loves it and if she/we could have we'd have had kid after kid after kid....

I'm with you on all of that.   From the ages at which travel changes to going back.  I have an 18-month-old step grandson and there are times where Grampa Bill is the primary care-giver and it's just hard to pivot to sussing out what the grunts and cries are, managing the 9-second attention spans, and of course, the diapers.   

[gmillerdrake]

I think there's a lot to learn from traveling that it could be beneficial for children to go a bit further than a drive from home.  But I understand it's also a hassle and costly. I'm not a parent, I have no idea how hard it likely is.

After a certain age it's not really a 'hassle'. But, where you're in that infant to say 3-4 yrs old range.....man.....they 'need' something to be done for them non stop and/or they're creating something that needs to be done for them. It is what it is, it's something you sign on for when you deicide to be a parent.

But, when you're 'out' of that phase of parenting it's nice and it's tough to go back to. At least for me it is. My wife on the other hand loves it and if she/we could have we'd have had kid after kid after kid....

I'm with you on all of that.   From the ages at which travel changes to going back.  I have an 18-month-old step grandson and there are times where Grampa Bill is the primary care-giver and it's just hard to pivot to sussing out what the grunts and cries are, managing the 9-second attention spans, and of course, the diapers.

When we're around my SIL and they're twin three year olds.....it's brutal to watch     They're in to EVERYTHING....just from one thing to the next.....it's hilarious and exhausting just watching. My oldest and middle sons were 17 months apart and for a period of time we'd be asked if they were twins....so....I recall those days of both of them just 'needing' everything. It is no joke when you're in the thick of raising toddlers.

[Snow Dog]

I think there's a lot to learn from traveling that it could be beneficial for children to go a bit further than a drive from home.  But I understand it's also a hassle and costly. I'm not a parent, I have no idea how hard it likely is.

After a certain age it's not really a 'hassle'. But, where you're in that infant to say 3-4 yrs old range.....man.....they 'need' something to be done for them non stop and/or they're creating something that needs to be done for them. It is what it is, it's something you sign on for when you deicide to be a parent.

But, when you're 'out' of that phase of parenting it's nice and it's tough to go back to. At least for me it is. My wife on the other hand loves it and if she/we could have we'd have had kid after kid after kid....

I'm with you on all of that.   From the ages at which travel changes to going back.  I have an 18-month-old step grandson and there are times where Grampa Bill is the primary care-giver and it's just hard to pivot to sussing out what the grunts and cries are, managing the 9-second attention spans, and of course, the diapers.

This is exactly where my wife and I are at with our kids at nearly 4 and 1.5 years. Even just getting out of the house for a walk or a trip to the store is a production. Water bottles, snacks, toys/books, diaper bag… and traveling even more so. We’re planning a trip to the Wallowa Mountains in northeast Oregon in September, and the first day is going to be a 9-10 hour drive. Could be okay, but could also really be brutal depending on the mood of the day, or even hour.

And you’re right, Stadler. The guessing game of what your 18 month old wants can get exhausting (along with their meltdowns when you get it wrong). Holy shit, I can’t wait until mine can articulate things more clearly than “Wawawa?”

[Harmony]

So to put this in context, I'm about 2 years away from retirement.  But depending on the day, I'm about 2 minutes from retirement.

So last week, my team gets an email from our immediate supervisor that her supervisor is now going to demand we keep our calendars marked out to 30 minute increments.  So basically, we are being micromanaged for some unknown reason.  I mean, I've only been doing my job for nearly 30 years and have never had a problem with productivity so sure....let's fuck with what is already working.

At any rate...not only am I not doing it.  I'm not telling anyone that I'm not doing it.  It is like a science experiment to me.  I want to see what happens and who is going to talk to me about not doing it.  Should be fun. 

[lordxizor]

So to put this in context, I'm about 2 years away from retirement.  But depending on the day, I'm about 2 minutes from retirement.

So last week, my team gets an email from our immediate supervisor that her supervisor is now going to demand we keep our calendars marked out to 30 minute increments.  So basically, we are being micromanaged for some unknown reason.  I mean, I've only been doing my job for nearly 30 years and have never had a problem with productivity so sure....let's fuck with what is already working.

At any rate...not only am I not doing it.  I'm not telling anyone that I'm not doing it.  It is like a science experiment to me.  I want to see what happens and who is going to talk to me about not doing it.  Should be fun. 

Good for you. I would do the exact same thing if I were in your shoes.

[Stadler]

Yeah, I would bristle at that myself. 

[cramx3]

I'm not exactly sure what you mean by "we keep our calendars marked out to 30 minute increments" Like your calendar has to be completely full?

But if you are going to test your limits against micromanagement, I applaud that.

We had a "mandatory" culture training last week.  I put it in quotes because in no notification was it ever stated to be mandatory but my boss said they were taking attendance so he basically voluntold us to attend. It was an interactive meeting where they broke the ~100 person meeting into groups of 4 for discussions.  I completely stayed silent with video off for the entire meeting and all group discussions  and signed my name as attending at the end.  I don't like games like this. That was also a complete waste of 2 hours.  They could have at least presented something new and unique, not the same "what makes you feel connected to your job?" type questions that are pure cheese and not expanding on culture at all.

[Adami]

So to put this in context, I'm about 2 years away from retirement.  But depending on the day, I'm about 2 minutes from retirement.

So last week, my team gets an email from our immediate supervisor that her supervisor is now going to demand we keep our calendars marked out to 30 minute increments.  So basically, we are being micromanaged for some unknown reason.  I mean, I've only been doing my job for nearly 30 years and have never had a problem with productivity so sure....let's fuck with what is already working.

At any rate...not only am I not doing it.  I'm not telling anyone that I'm not doing it.  It is like a science experiment to me.  I want to see what happens and who is going to talk to me about not doing it.  Should be fun.

I'm just glad you're not a cop. That first sentence would've been a terrible omen.


But yea, I had to do that when the job I was at at the time switched to home when the COVID shut down happened. I was working for a state university and they decided that they didn't trust the employees to ACTUALLY do work from home despite the mandate so we had to hand in work-logs every week that accounted for every hour of the day. Luckily our supervisors hated the idea too and told us what to use to fill in the hours we weren't doing anything super productive.

[KevShmev]

I guess I am lucky in that a) my boss does not micromanage us, and b) if we do have to work from home, our operation system we use makes it easy to see who is working and who is not (he has access to see who is doing what).  Most of us he trusts to do the right thing, but there will always be a knob or two. A few years ago when we were let go home around lunch time to work from home the rest of the day (it was starting to snow like mad), two co-workers literally did nothing the rest of the day when they got home and were forced to take 4 hours of vacation/PT for not working.  Nimrods. (neither is with us anymore)

[ProfessorPeart]

I can't tell you how many times my job has attempted to make us fill out time cards over the last 24 years. Every time it has been introduced it has lasted all of about a year or less and management says to just stop as they are getting nothing out of it. Of course, the last time they attempted this I was the one that built out the time card app on my platform. Always makes me feel good to put a ton of work into something only to have it abandoned rather quickly.

[Harmony]

I'm not exactly sure what you mean by "we keep our calendars marked out to 30 minute increments" Like your calendar has to be completely full?

Exactly.  If I'm making calls or working on documents I have to put that down on my calendar.  If I'm driving to a meeting, I have to put that down "driving to meeting".  What is challenging for me is that my day can look one way in the morning and be completely different by afternoon.  I'm constantly shuffling tasks around on the fly with the exception of staff meetings which are routine.  So taking the time to stop and adjust my calendar every time it changes is going to take time away from the tasks I NEED to get done.  And my productivity suffers.

Maybe if this goes the way I think it might, I'll put down "walking to bathroom to piss" and see how that plays. 

[jingle.boy]

“Feminine hygiene malfunction” ought to raise some discomfort.  Put that in every day for a month, and see who has the stones to ask any questions. Or if you’re feeling particularly spicy, “hummer in the closet”

[wolfking]

I'm not exactly sure what you mean by "we keep our calendars marked out to 30 minute increments" Like your calendar has to be completely full?

Exactly.  If I'm making calls or working on documents I have to put that down on my calendar.  If I'm driving to a meeting, I have to put that down "driving to meeting".  What is challenging for me is that my day can look one way in the morning and be completely different by afternoon.  I'm constantly shuffling tasks around on the fly with the exception of staff meetings which are routine.  So taking the time to stop and adjust my calendar every time it changes is going to take time away from the tasks I NEED to get done.  And my productivity suffers.

Maybe if this goes the way I think it might, I'll put down "walking to bathroom to piss" and see how that plays. 

Don't conform to that, no fucking way. 

[Podaar]

I think I'd be tempted to put in, "filling out TPS reports".

[Stadler]

Coming from my field, I get it if we're trying to bill customers/clients.  But in terms of just "management", it's a failed strategy.  Sort of symptomatic of something I said in P/R, but we have this perception that EVERYTHING is recorded somewhere, and the reality is, it's not.  Not always. 

(I forget who said it, but one thing I wouldn't do:  use "pre-agreed" entries for "when we're not busy".  Call me paranoid, but if it ever came down to a situation where headcount was an issue, I'd hate to be the one with more "pre-agreed" entries.)

[hefdaddy42]

I think I'd be tempted to put in, "filling out TPS reports".

I would definitely be doing this.

[cramx3]

I'm not exactly sure what you mean by "we keep our calendars marked out to 30 minute increments" Like your calendar has to be completely full?

Exactly.  If I'm making calls or working on documents I have to put that down on my calendar.  If I'm driving to a meeting, I have to put that down "driving to meeting".  What is challenging for me is that my day can look one way in the morning and be completely different by afternoon.  I'm constantly shuffling tasks around on the fly with the exception of staff meetings which are routine.  So taking the time to stop and adjust my calendar every time it changes is going to take time away from the tasks I NEED to get done.  And my productivity suffers.

Maybe if this goes the way I think it might, I'll put down "walking to bathroom to piss" and see how that plays. 

Oof, that's terrible and wreaks of a distrusting management

I think I'd be tempted to put in, "filling out TPS reports".

Not only is that funny, it sounds completely legit.  I'd throw a 30 minute block every day for that alone.  It makes a point and it sounds even honest because if you have to constantly shuffle and make sure the calendar is accurate, that time accrues over the course of a day to become meaningful and well, they asked for it.   

[TAC]

I think I'd be tempted to put in, "filling out TPS reports".

Not only is that funny, it sounds completely legit.  I'd throw a 30 minute block every day for that alone.  It makes a point and it sounds even honest because if you have to constantly shuffle and make sure the calendar is accurate, that time accrues over the course of a day to become meaningful and well, they asked for it.   

Exactly. Nothing wrong with recapping your day and noting it in your last 30 minute block of the day.

[El Barto]

I think I'd be tempted to put in, "filling out TPS reports".

Not only is that funny, it sounds completely legit.  I'd throw a 30 minute block every day for that alone.  It makes a point and it sounds even honest because if you have to constantly shuffle and make sure the calendar is accurate, that time accrues over the course of a day to become meaningful and well, they asked for it.   

Exactly. Nothing wrong with recapping your day and noting it in your last 30 minute block of the day.

The problem with that is that it'd necessitate making the other 15 blocks legit.

[Dublagent66]

So to put this in context, I'm about 2 years away from retirement.  But depending on the day, I'm about 2 minutes from retirement.

I'm pretty much in the same boat give or take a couple of years/minutes.  My goal is to retire early at 60 (3years).  Could be sooner than that the way things are going.  Went to see my financial advisor last week.  Good to go in 3 years or less. So yeah, I give less than a fuck about work these days.

[lordxizor]

I can't wait until I reach the point of financial independence, realistically probably around 60 for me. It will be so freeing the day I can work because I want to and not because I have to. I would love to "retire" by just walking out and quitting when my boss is being an ass or asking me to do something ridiculous.

[Harmony]

Yeah, gotta get my ducks in a row before I pick the date to retire.  But honestly?  If our stupid-ass country had universal healthcare, I'd have retired years ago.  The only thing stopping me at this point is having to pay for health insurance until I'm eligible for Medicare.  My friend is a hair salon owner and she's 61.  She's paying over $1K a month for her insurance, and prices are going up.  I can't even fathom doing that.

Once we are back from vacation, we are meeting with our financial planner to start the process of retirement planning.

On another note, I have my weekly meeting with my direct supervisor tomorrow morning.  I'm looking forward to seeing if she brings up the calendar thing.  I kind of think she won't, but we shall see. I'm not sayin a thing about it unless she does first.