Cellar Scribblings

[Front-Ranger]

The part I like best about eclipses is looking around at people, nature, animals, the changes in the quality of light. There's a change in the temperature; it's usually about 10 degrees cooler. And even though a gentle breeze might come up, there's always a bit of hush in the air like all of life pauses with the dimming of the sun, out of respect and awe.

[CellarDweller]

Hiya BetterMost friends!!!!

Oh my, it's been a while since I've been to my blog!  Hope everyone is doing well!


Things have been crazy on this end, so here are the updates!

My bank is doing some "cost saving" things, which don't involve lay offs.   The office that I work out of can hold up to about 300 people.  Of course, it's been pretty empty since Covid, and everyone started working remotely.  The bank has decided that they will now only lease half of the space.  This means that the floorspace will literally be split in half, and a wall will be put up, and another business will end up leasing that space.   Our section of the office is also being reconfigured, with a new floor plan.   This meant that we had to go through all the cubicles and file cabinets, toss out whatever junk we could, shred up any expired documents, and make sure everything that we were losing access to was empty.

While this was going on, the decision was made to close a commercial location in Southern Jersey (again, no lay offs).  Someone went through that location, and said that they located 10 file cabinets full of commercial files that needed to be boxed up and moved.  They picked our location for storage, and they basically told me and another team member that we needed to go to this location (90 minute drive away), box up these files, and bring them back.   We spent 4 hours boxing and loading, and were able to only get 2 cabinets worth of files into our vehicles when we ran out of room.

The issue was that we only had one week's time before we lost access to the building.

My coworker and I had a Teams call with the powers that be, and told them that if they wanted this files moved to our location, the bank was going to need to hire a moving crew with a large van, and have them pack it up and bring it to us.  Thankfully, they were able to get this accomplished last Monday, just a day before we lost access to the building on May 1st.

On a personal note, I hadn't been able to go to my parents' home for a while.  Dad got sick, and it turned into pneumonia.  After being diagnosed with pneumonia, mom called me to let me know she had caught Covid, and passed it to my brother, Chris.

 

Thankfully, everyone managed to recover from their ailments as of this past Monday (the 29th).   Dad is fine, and mom and Chris tested negative on Sunday the 28th.

Needless to say, I'm very tired!       Thankfully, just by coincidence, I had scheduled this coming week for vacation.  I'm not going anywhere, it's a "stay-cation" and I intend to do some spring cleaning around the apartment.  I'll be cleaning the windows, then putting up the Memorial Day lights and flag.   I also plan to do a good dusting, and move the furniture to clean behind and under them.

The main thing that needs to be done is drop the car off with the mechanic. It's due for its first inspection since I purchased it, it's due for the next tune-up, and it needs 4 new tires.

[Front-Ranger]

Wow, Chuck! What an ordeal! The nerve of those C-suite people turning desk workers into schleppers and stevedores!! If I were a commercial entity and found out my documents were being treated that way, I'd change banks! Enjoy your staycation and heal up!!

My windows need cleaning too. I would love to be able to see all the spring flowers clearly from inside.

Isn't it funny how modern cars always need to have four new tires, never just one or two?? 

[Jeff Wrangler]

That's outrageous that they expected you to use your own vehicle (use your own fuel?) to transport those files/that company property.

As for reconfiguring space, I understand my late employer has been doing that, too (except that the company owns its own building). My former colleague has been classified as permanently working remotely--no cube in the office for her!

[Front-Ranger]

Maybe the bank is planning to turn its one-and-a-half locations into apartments, like in this New Yorker article.

[Jeff Wrangler]

Maybe the bank is planning to turn its one-and-a-half locations into apartments, like in this New Yorker article.

Careful when you step out your front door. You might be in the middle of the drive-through.

[CellarDweller]

Wow, Chuck! What an ordeal! The nerve of those C-suite people turning desk workers into schleppers and stevedores!! If I were a commercial entity and found out my documents were being treated that way, I'd change banks! Enjoy your staycation and heal up!!

My windows need cleaning too. I would love to be able to see all the spring flowers clearly from inside.

Isn't it funny how modern cars always need to have four new tires, never just one or two?? 

That's outrageous that they expected you to use your own vehicle (use your own fuel?) to transport those files/that company property.

As for reconfiguring space, I understand my late employer has been doing that, too (except that the company owns its own building). My former colleague has been classified as permanently working remotely--no cube in the office for her!

Yes, I used my own gas and car for this, but I'll  be covered financially for that.  I can (and will) file an expense report, I'll get reimbursed for my tolls, and get a set amount of money per mile  I drove, so in the end, I'll end up with an extra credit for about $150.00 or so back into my account.

As for the tires, I'm replacing all 4 because they are the same tires that were on the car when I first got it in 2019.  As of March of 2020, we were all under quarantine, and not driving.  So the tires were not really used.

They're not threadbare or anything, but the treads are pretty worn, so I want to get a full new set on the car before winter comes again. We're already in month 5 of the year.

[serious crayons]

We're already in month 5 of the year.

Correction: We are only in month 5 of the year. Summer hasn't even started. Don't start throwing around the w-word!

[CellarDweller]

Hiya BetterMost friends!!!!

Today has been draining.

Tonight is the end of season bowling dinner.  I had intended on  going, but the best laid plans......


I didn't post about it earlier, but on Saturday (day before Mother's Day) my mom wasn't feeling well.  She went to an urgent care, and was sent to the ER at the hospital.  Her blood pressure was very high, and further tests determined issues with her glucose (she's not diabetic) and kidneys.

She stayed in the hospital, and yesterday my dad updated me that she was doing well.

Today while I was working, I got a call from my dad.  He said she was "hooked to machines" but didn't elaborate, and he sounded very upset and agitated.

I hung up, got very nervous, and emailed my team at work, and told them I needed to shut down the rest of the day, and I dashed off to the hospital.  I got to the hospital, and called my dad.  I asked where he was so I could find him, he replied "home".

 

I told him I would go see mom, and he could come back after his post.  I found mom tired, but in good spirits, alert and coherent, and joking with the hospital staff.  She did have an oxygen mask on.

Apparently dad had left for the bathroom, and when he returned, she had the mask on, which completely upset him, and that was the machine she was hooked to.

I met and spoke with the nurses and doctors, they told me that she's being treated for a kidney issue, and with the oxygen.  Her glucose and blood pressure have returned to normal, and according to them, things are progressing well.

Mom decided to amuse herself by turning her head slowly to the right, as she discovered that if she did that, her mask makes fart noises.

I got home about 5:45, after dad got in about 5:30.

Needless to say, I'm mentally exhausted, on top of waking earlier than intended, so I'm not going to the bowling dinner tonight.

[Jeff Wrangler]

Mom decided to amuse herself by turning her head slowly to the right, as she discovered that if she did that, her mask makes fart noises.

 

I'm glad to know things are progressing well.