Luna
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Posts: 109
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Post by Luna on Apr 13, 2021 0:06:50 GMT 1
Ugh... the guys are out on the hunt and I'm at home in the kitchen. And it's all my fault. One of Southpaw's friends was urging him to get Monster Hunter: Rise, but he wasn't too eager to get it just yet. So after he paid for my car repairs, I bought one physical copy of the game - if he broke down and got it digitally, then I'd have the physical copy to play if I wanted. Well, it came, and it was the only copy between us, so it went to him as intended. I wasn't even sure if I wanted to play it for myself anyway, since I've played the Wii U/3DS version for about 5 hours and couldn't get into it that well. So after I handed the game off to Southpaw, his roommate played a few YouTube videos for him which hyped him up to play it, so the cellophane came off the case and he put it in to play. Like most games he plays, he's been researching how to use the different weapons, what strategies work best, etc. and getting a feel for what works best with his play style otherwise. Then he and the friend who had been urging him to buy the game... they spent a night playing together. Over the weekend, another one of Southpaw's friends bought the game and started playing. So tonight, all three of the guys in our Skype chat group are going to be hunting. And all of the girls in the Skype chat group, which is... uh, just me... well, I'll be in the kitchen and doing laundry. I know how it sounds, but I'm making dinner and I'll be working to tidy this place up and go through stuff before I move. I regret nothing.
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Post by lemmingrad on Apr 15, 2021 3:00:48 GMT 1
So, April began another provincial lockdown due to a spike of COVID cases in Ontario, overwhelming the ICUs. I still work at the store doing curbside pickup and answering phone calls.
My sister got me a subscription to Skillshare for my birthday. So will get some classes line up to watch this weekend.
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Post by Plum on Apr 16, 2021 16:11:13 GMT 1
Yay it's Friday *and* Overwatch League starts up again this evening. Whoop whoop! Plus D&D last night, D&D tomorrow night and D&D on Monday (all different campaigns with different groups). Oh, I also finally broke and picked up the Baldur's Gate 3 and played through that over the weekend. Uuugh it's so good. As someone who played BG 1 and 2 back when they originally came out (then played them again, and again, and again) I had incredibly mixed feelings about this. I enjoyed Divinity OS so I had hope, but it just seemed to be too good to be true. The first act (all that is available in early access) was incredibly good though, and easily worth several replays all by itself. I'm starting to believe...
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Post by lemmingrad on Apr 18, 2021 5:01:40 GMT 1
So, instead of taking skillshare classes, I found out Tabletop Simulator has Custom Tile and Custom Stand. I had used Custom Card all last year, but it would have issues when interacting with other cards (it adds itself to the card like a deck.) So decided I’m gonna do all the work now to get it all uploaded and eventually on Steam Workshop. Especially now that I took the 10 seconds to look up how to change asset states. www.dropbox.com/s/boprzgl7ksa2482/Video%20Apr%2018%2C%2012%2000%2014%20AM.mp4?dl=0
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Post by lemmingrad on Apr 23, 2021 5:09:18 GMT 1
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Luna
Member
Posts: 109
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Post by Luna on Apr 26, 2021 4:28:39 GMT 1
Though I'm not a fan of needles, yesterday Southpaw was my emotional support bunny as I went to get the first dose of the vaccine. My arm has been sore, though it's noticeable if you actually press near the area where I got the shot. Other than that, today was uneventful in regards to any side effects, and we spent the entire day doing co-op gaming.
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Jude
Member
<custom title here>
Posts: 111
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Post by Jude on May 1, 2021 15:43:11 GMT 1
So much to report on. Work has been busy. The last year I've been put on a lot of crack filler work, doing smaller projects where I'm the sole dev or at least the only full time dev. They generally try not to have people on more than two projects at a time but this year has been weird. There was a period of time when I was on 4. They don't want us to work more than 40 hours but when you're on smaller projects that have deadlines nobody else is going to do the work, or my supervisors end up having to finish all the work I don't get done and I don't want to do that to them, they work enough extra already. All of the people I work with are great, I'd be happy to work with any of them again on some projects, and I generally like the work I do, and our office is cool (when we were there). But none of that really matters because my last day is the 14th!
I took a position as a sexton (lots of jokes there) that's only 30 hours a week and I still get insurance. I'll get paid about half of what I do now but that's more than I was expecting from a part time job, especially one that gives me insurance. The work is mostly keeping the building in good shape, a little bit of janitorial work, and 3 or 4 hours of yard work a week during mowing season. It will be good for me to have a job that makes me move around more, and very excited to have my free time back. I've been bad at leaving my work at work (this last year especially), so not having things that I know need done hanging over my head in my free time will be an amazing feeling.
I've had mystery hip pain for a couple of years and was supposed to get an MRI a year ago when everything started getting bad. I finally got in to get one and it turns out I have a torn labrum on my right hip, it isn't super bad though. Over the last 6 to 8 months my pain has gone down from hurting pretty bad sometimes to what I'd just call a mild discomfort. Apparently my symptoms are fairly atypical. The doctor was surprised at my lack of pain and I don't have any loss of range of motion. He asked if I had any pain from them injecting the dye for the MRI, I didn't really feel anything, but he said people often hurt for a few days afterwards because of the increased pressure. So right now there isn't anything to do for it, if it gets worse to where I'm taking pain killers every day they can give me a shot. I could eventually do surgery but they said it takes 6 months to a year to fully recover. Only really a last resort if it gets way worse to the point where it is stopping me from being able to do stuff. Hopefully it will get even better over the next year with the new job and being in generally better shape.
Also got my second shot two days ago, I felt a little weak and tired and my arm was sore but other than taking a long nap in the afternoon it didn't hit me too hard.
So much I want to do with my new found free time. I've got a couple of half done mobile games I want to get released this year, and bigger projects to start after that, books that I've started and not been able to finish, blog posts I need to write, youtube videos I've recorded and haven't had time to edit, games I want to play. Expect to see me around a little more often in the future.
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Post by Plum on May 4, 2021 13:38:15 GMT 1
Wow, I had no idea what a sexton was but after looking it up it seems like a super interesting job. Lots of different tasks should keep the days varied. Not much happening in my life - I'm going in for my first shot next week, so I've booked a few days off just in case. There seems to be a lot of stories of people feeling feverish or exhausted the day after. At worst I don't need to worry about contacting work and arranging sick leave, and at best I have a few days off to chill and enjoy myself. Maybe with the world opening up again, it's finally time to get my new Bloodbowl teams painted up! I actually handed off my dark elves team to a friend of mine to paint up - he does amazing work, and is going to be away from home working for the next few months, so will be looking for ways to fill the time. His work is so good that I actually had to haggle his prices up so I didn't feel like I was taking advantage of him, and it's still dirt cheap. The only downside is it will make all of my other teams looks like they were painted by a five year old
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Post by Southpaw Hare on May 4, 2021 15:51:21 GMT 1
Once again, I realize I haven't posted a message in quite a while... since getting sick with COVID, actually. I apologize. I have a therapist now, and between talking with her and with Luna, I feel like I can get most of my worldly matters out of my system. Nevertheless, I should still keep people informed.
There's a fairly serious matter that I realize - after looking back through the history of this forum topic - that I haven't actually mentioned. It's very personal, but it's been long enough since it happened and it's something I think I can discuss. Early last year, one of my long-time friends got arrested for being a sexual predator. It turns out, he'd been leading some kind of horrific secret double-life for a long time. He got caught in what is basically a "To Catch a Predator"-style sting operation, where the police pretended to be a fictional character online, lured him to a public place, and then jumped him when he got there. He apparently confessed to everything the moment they grabbed him. He's been imprisoned for the last year - throughout the miserable conditions of COVID, no less - while awaiting trial. The trial and sentencing just happened a few weeks ago, and he's officially in prison for 11 years now.
Needless to say, it was extremely shocking to learn about this. It really came absolutely out of nowhere. It was so hard to process how someone had fooled and betrayed me and people I know in such a powerful and complete way. I've known him for basically half my life, although I wouldn't call it a particularly close friendship. Adding to the difficulty was that my only interaction with this event was through reading very generic news articles online about the arrest. I never got to get any sort of first-hand account of any of this; he was just here one day, and he was a felon and gone the next, and I haven't seen or spoken to him since.
Something I've been coming to realize over the last year, however, is also just how terrible of a friend and a person he has been, even aside from this new heinous crime. I'm realizing that he's the kind of manipulative false friend who never treated me well, and was always abusive and condescending. He would never decide to spend time with me; I would always have to go to him. He was embarrassed to be seen around my other, nerdier friends, despite the fact that they'd show me compassion and empathy whereas he'd only show high-and-mighty disdain.
We would also debate politics often, and it is from here that I've felt some of my greatest frustration. In recent years, he became one of the most extreme ultra-right-wing angry conservative types that I know. We'd argue, and a lot of the things he'd say were very disturbing and upsetting, and when I'd get upset as a result, he'd present it as if I was the one being intolerant. "Why are you getting mad? We just have different opinions!" But his opinions were really bigoted, racist garbage that was highly offensive. He'd talk about how he thought that there were too many black people abusing welfare, and how immigrants were the primary factor ruining the country. Furthermore, he was big on the mantras of "Facts don't care about your feelings!" and "Make the 'Libtards' Cry!". He showed no respect to me or to anyone else in his absolutely indefensible positions, and was so far to the political extreme that I don't think even most regular, moderate Republicans would touch him with a ten-foot pole. My friendship with him was already taking a sharp nosedive due to constant crap like this right before the incident.
So I've basically decided that this is a case where I'm quite seriously better off without this person in my life. I mean, definitely especially now. But I've needed to learn to accept the idea of cutting truly toxic people out of my life. It's not something I do easily, or even have really ever done at all - I like to give people the benefit of the doubt, assume the good in people, and keep friends for life. I've never actually severed that bond of friendship with anyone before, but I've come to see that there are some extreme circumstances where it really is the right choice.
So anyway, this rambling could go on for a while, but the summary is basically this: I had a friend, he turned out to be secretly really horrible in a way no one knew, and then he also retrospectively turned out to have already been horrible all along in other ways that I probably should have been able to notice, and I guess I sort of did all along, and now he's in prison and it happened very suddenly, and I'm still coming to terms with it all, but in the end it's probably a good thing to cut ties with him. This event is the main reason why I went and got a therapist (although I talk to her about many of the other things I've mentioned here as well), and I've spent many an hour with her going over these ideas in great detail, so this is a highly truncated version of the discussion, but nevertheless.
Thanks for listening.
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Post by lemmingrad on Jun 7, 2021 0:53:47 GMT 1
So, last week, someone did Bead Art of my stuff. So said cool, and they requested me to do some for a fanmade Arkham campaign based on Monogatari. In exchange, I'll get some bead art And just in time for FFG to announce the next expansion, To the Edge of the Earth. So that's my next project.
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Post by lemmingrad on Jun 9, 2021 1:39:51 GMT 1
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Post by Plum on Jun 9, 2021 15:39:44 GMT 1
I'm looking forward to getting back into Arkham LCG, it's been months since we last played it! (mostly we've been playing Marvel LCG, or just regular boardgames)
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Luna
Member
Posts: 109
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Post by Luna on Jul 3, 2021 4:21:03 GMT 1
I've been following the Blue Box Game Studios thing that's possibly a Kojima ARG for a Silent Hill game. From everything I can gather, it seems like we need to subscribe to the YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClZcF9cC3KJS9YWifAgQeVw/) and not follow the BBGameStudios Twitter, but it's believed that the YouTube channel is "fake" or that there really isn't an ARG, but there's no other clues as to what to do, and the community is becoming toxic...
The worst part is that it's coming on the heels of Trump and QAnon stuff, so on one hand I still have that "why can't people see what's obviously there?" mentality, while at the same time I'm completely aware that I'm sitting at my computer waiting for the next K-drop.
I don't think it was a well-crafted ARG, to be honest. Some have said that the ARG started sooner, but it wasn't getting followed so the "starts with S and ends with L" tweet had to be dropped to get people interested. And then with other people discrediting some of the things in the ARG, it becomes an impossible battle to try and tell people they should do a certain thing for the sake of progressing the ARG, even if it will barely affect them trying to nitpick things they see on Kojima's Instagram... smh
I have better things to do with my time right now, as it is.
Have I mentioned that I'm moving in with Southpaw, or did I only hint at it so far?
I took a day off from work and we went bed shopping together, and found something we could agree upon, but the final product of new bed plus new mattress is something that only he and the cat are capable of jumping up onto. I'm typing this from my main computer, which is on my new desk (I was on a folding table before), and I'm seated in my new chair (I can't tell you how much I love this chair from Secretlab), which is on the opposite wall from where Southpaw's new desk is (we happened to find something that's very blue, so he loves his new desk as well). Since my TV is here as well (an impulsive decision was made one day), I have minimal distractions at the apartment I'm still renting so I can at least try to focus on going through things and packing. I'm getting a little more comfortable here, it's starting to feel less like I'm a guest, and the cat is making himself at home here as well. Oh, and he also has a new piece of furniture - we got him a cat tower which he seems to enjoy, if only because he has a perch that puts him at eye level with us.
My car has become very costly for these past 3 months... it's not the transmission yet, despite being 11 years old and having 93,000+ miles on it, but between tires, air conditioning system, and the fuel pump, I'm about ready to take it to a farm upstate... maybe I'll make an OnlyFans and sell feet pics of the cat...
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Post by Plum on Jul 6, 2021 22:19:56 GMT 1
I would pay good money to see quality toe beans
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Post by lemmingrad on Aug 8, 2021 21:47:30 GMT 1
So, decided to put my first print run up on Etsy.
It only took someone from New Zealand asking when I'm gonna start selling. Unfortunately, the shipping fee is not in the cards for them. On a different note, been experimenting with a different method to make the cards. Also, one customer messaged me asking for stickers. So a month later, got them printed and sent. Also had another set printed for myself. Stuck one on my wallet. I'd be almost tempted to get a Clue sticker. "Investigate : Discover 1 Wallet" Different company I ordered a bulk run for, as an R&D on a different method of making cards.
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Post by lemmingrad on Aug 8, 2021 21:48:38 GMT 1
The other method, using 2 sheets of 110lb black card stock, with a sticker for a graphic. These are a closer fit to the new stands. Gonna see if using a sealer like Mod Podge will give the just enough extra thickness for a more exact fit. The Dexter is using my usual printing instead of a sticker.
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Post by Plum on Aug 9, 2021 11:39:36 GMT 1
Those look awesome! Creative people never cease to amaze me Not much is happening in my life. We did go along to the UK Games Expo recently, which was a nice break. They required proof of testing to get in, masks mandatory at all times, and distanced queueing systems, so I felt pretty confident about being around a thousand other people. We didn't pick much up (a couple of RPG books, some nice dice etc) but it was nice to dip our toes into normality again. My bosses are going to discuss office working next week, so we'll see what the new normal is for work. I imagine it will be a 2-3 split of office-home work. I certainly hope so - I used to spent ten hours a week commuting and I really don't want to do that again! I also have a Karate third dan grading coming up in less than two months, so I'm freaking out about that. It's been literally four years since my second dan grading and the pandemic has led to me losing some fitness (as well as being four years older and the wrong side of forty!), so it's going to be brutal. Bleh.
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Luna
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Posts: 109
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Post by Luna on Aug 13, 2021 4:23:28 GMT 1
So I guess the previous stuff about the Blue Box Game Studios thing has been a gamejacking of sorts... Still, the mystery hasn't completely been unraveled yet, and I'm still thinking a Kojima game is in there somewhere. Also, still trying to get a PS5 and having as much luck as buying bread in Soviet Russia.
Running out of time on the lease at the old place... still sorting through stuff and packing... We went to the apartment tonight to sort through things and pack, and we walked into the kitchen and the ceiling light was just barely dangling by its electrical cables. There was a leak somewhere above us, and once we got in touch with the upstairs neighbor, we found out it wasn't caused by their dishwasher or sink or anything. It seems like the massive rainfall we got this afternoon was probably the cause, and that it ran from the roof through the piping that runs through my basement apartment and... there's a leak in that piping. I did the best I could to sort through things that were in the area, and it caused me to throw out more than I probably would have, but maybe it was a small blessing to help me get rid of things I didn't need. But... but... Post-It pads are kinda expensive compared to other notepads and such, so that really did kinda suck, but then again they're replaceable and have no other significant value. As far as I can tell, I haven't lost anything that actually does have sentimental value or is otherwise irreplaceable, so that's definitely good.
Better still... it would have sucked even more if I was still living there, and it actually wrecked stuff that mattered to me, or if the ceiling light fell on my head while walking through there, so I should be thankful that I'm in the process of moving out all the same.
I kinda hate that apartment now. I don't like being there. It's just as well, because I didn't really take the time to get really comfortable there. I didn't have much in the way of furniture, and sat in front of the TV while sitting on a computer chair when I was quarantined with the Rona. My bed was a twin mattress and platform base that I got for my previous studio apartment, and it was dwarfed when I moved here and put it into an actual bedroom, like it felt too small for the space I had and sometimes even for sleeping on as well. Mind you, I'm back to sitting on the bed to play video games, which is what I did in the studio apartment before moving out to this area, but it would be ideal if I actually end up quarantining again... because rest.
Not to mention, you wouldn't imagine someone playing League Of Legends in bed, but... Southpaw and I have been playing Pokemon Unite since it came out. Most of the time when I've played, I'm sitting on the bed, propped up with all our pillows and under the blankets, the cat at my feet,... and he's over at his TV next to his computer. He's allowed to be on the bed, don't worry! He just has his thinking chair, that's all... that's his level of comfort. We did leave the apartment last weekend, and we went to an orchard and picked blackberries and peaches... wait a second, blackberries are kinda dark purple, and peaches have an orange-ish color... darn it, I still couldn't get him away from the Pokemon Unite! Those are literally the two team colors!
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Post by Plum on Sept 16, 2021 17:19:20 GMT 1
Sigh, back in the office, though thankfully not full time - we're doing a split week. Plus I'm driving (though I hate motorway driving) so I don't have to contend with crowded trains. Most other things feel back to normal - gaming in person, karate in person, seeing friends and family again. Not much else to report, my life is pretty tame!
Oh, my bf did finally drag me kicking and screaming into anime though. So far I've enjoyed Reincarnated as a Slime, Next Life as a Villainess (Dumb jock heroines are 100% my brand), SK8 (bonkers english dub), and Haikyu/Kuroko/Sport Climbing Girls - turns out I like sports animes, who knew!
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Luna
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Post by Luna on Oct 11, 2021 4:07:47 GMT 1
There's probably a lot that can be said, but just to say we're alive still...
We drove to Vermont and had lunch on Saturday. Twas fun!
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Post by lemmingrad on Oct 28, 2021 22:18:08 GMT 1
I went to Arkham Nights in Minnesota last weekend. Played the new Machinations in Time scenario, as well as trying Unfathomable and Arkham Horror 3rd Edition for the first time.
Gave MJ Newman my pixel art stickers, as well as single stickers to any podcasters there, and anyone I played with.
I entered the costume contest as The Stubborn Detective, and got runner-up with a grizzled Mark Harrigan.
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Jude
Member
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Posts: 111
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Post by Jude on Dec 12, 2021 17:29:09 GMT 1
I've been wanting to write an update for a while but so much has happened that it's felt like a big task and I keep putting it off (I have a tendency to do this with a lot of things). I quit my job at the church. I only did it for about a month. The job itself was fine and the people were nice but it wasn't what I wanted to do. I think I just used it as an excuse to leave my other job because I was burnt out. So I took a break for the first time in my life. My dad is self employed doing remodeling stuff so I helped out with that all growing up and for a while after highschool. So I've never had a period of time in my life when I've had a 100% freedom over my schedule and what I could spend my time doing. I made good progress on several projects and started several more (some new, some just ideas I haven't had time to get to). I turned 40 at the beginning of September. Started running a Through the Breach game for some work friends (and some people who've moved on to other jobs but still hang out with us), and we get together fairly often to play random board games and stuff too. Made a lot of progress editing some videos I've wanted to put out. I'll post some them here for some feedback before I unleash them on the world. Got distracted by cardstock, made a big cathedral and started working on some binders full of standees that I've wanted to do for a while. I kind of view this as not being productive but I enjoy the dopamine of small victories, print something out, glue it, cut it, file it away. It was a really nice couple of months off, having me at home all the time to take care of running the house works well for us but I'm leaving a lot of money on the table by not working. Long term we'll be a lot better off if we can try to save up a lot now so I recently just went back to my old job. So far it's been alright. I'm full time on one project which is nice. And I got hired on as a regular dev instead of the junior dev postion I was before so get paid quite a bit more. We'll see how long I stick with it. I might only last about a year before I try to find a different part time job again. Hopefully I can settle in to a good routine and stretch it out a bit more than that. I will post some pictures of my of the cool stuff I've been working on soon.
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Post by Southpaw Hare on Dec 13, 2021 4:05:40 GMT 1
It's been a while again. Thanks for reminding me to make a new comment myself, Jude. I've been getting burned out of my job as well, which is something that I've been discussing with my therapist quite a bit. Every single programming job I've ever had has had multiple red flags (always a different combination of red flags, and not all of them all at once, but nevertheless...). What I've come to accept is that I just don't enjoy being a programmer anymore. This has been a very difficult realization to make, as it's been a huge part of my self-identity since I was a small child. I have been learning how to be one for almost literally my entire life, and now, I just don't want to do it anymore. I've spoken at great length in the past of how I've had a long string of programming jobs that have all sucked in various ways. I've never regretted quitting any particular one of them (they all deserved to be quit), but I do have some shame at the long list of "failures" taken as a whole. My therapist has convinced me that it is best not to think of them as failures, but more as stepping stones of progress along a continuous journey, and I get that... My current plan, and the big benefit of doing government work, is transferring to another position within. I can still work for the same state government while also getting a new job - essentially, all the benefits of quitting and finding a new job, with none of the downsides. I keep my pay, benefits, and years or seniority... but I get to move and do something else. I am looking to transfer into something relating to Administration work - stuff like doing documentation, sending emails, making Excel spreadsheets, getting other people to communicate with each other - that sort of thing. I actually do that sort of stuff already as like 30% of my job or so - and I love it, and I'd rather be doing it like 95% instead. As I see it, organization and communication are actually some of my greatest strengths. I didn't use to think so, as a socially-awkward nerd... but I've changed a lot in my adult years, and accepting that is part of the process of accepting my new self-identity, my growth, and my progress in my long journey of life. I'm sending in a continuous stream of resumes to state positions of that nature. I've had one interview so far; it went well, but they're taking their time. Being super slow to process stuff like this is about par for the course. However long it takes, I think it's inevitable that I'll get one eventually. I do think I'll be much happier once that happens. Thanks for listening, all!
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Luna
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Post by Luna on Dec 24, 2021 19:43:52 GMT 1
Just wishing everyone a Merry Christmas, and happy holidays!
Oh yeah, and I quit my job...
So Southpaw and I had just gotten our booster shot over the weekend a few weeks ago. We would have gotten it sooner, but I came down with a non-covid cold of some variety, which passed to him... so we waited until we were better before getting the booster. The first Tuesday back to work after getting boosted, I got an email notification that "one person" in the office had tested positive for Covid, and was in the office the day before, during their infectious period. So Southpaw and my roommates had me quarantine to our bedroom when I wasn't at work, and I had to wear a mask in the common areas of the apartment, which was fine.
The following Monday, I overheard that the girl who sits behind me had tested positive for covid, which is why she was out (I thought she was burning through accrued PTO before the end of the year), and the guy who sits directly to my right was also out because he, too, tested positive for Covid (he had gotten a cold and was treating it as such prior to that, over the past week), and that they were just two of FIVE people out with Covid. Well, maybe I didn't hear it correctly, but regardless, I emailed my boss but never got a response. The next day, while still waiting on a response, I confirmed what had been said the day before. I talked about it when I got home, even to my therapist (I'm doing therapy now too, btw)... pretty much everyone said they can't tell me what to do, one way or another, but they'll support whatever decision I make, and my therapist added that I should consider my health.
So I walked in to work the next day, no letter of resignation drawn up or anything... I came in to collect things from my desk and to hand over my keycard that gets me in the building. My boss and direct supervisor were both in a meeting at the time... one of the guys from shipping came over with some work for me to do, and I timidly said "I'm... in the process of quitting right now" He was surprised by that, and was telling me how I can't go, that he wanted me to stay... but he got my supervisor's attention and let her know that that's what I was doing. So she muted herself on the call for the meeting and asked me what was up, so I told her, and then she sent a message to my boss... she told me to wait about 10 minutes for the meeting to end.
So after the meeting, she and I were both in the office with my boss, who was telling me how I was a valuable employee, and if it were anyone else, he'd be okay with letting them go so easily. He asked me if I wanted to take a day off to consider if I really wanted to quit, or if I wanted to take a couple weeks off for this round of Covid to pass, if I wanted to sit somewhere else in the office. Well, if there were 5 people scattered throughout the office, and I was already in the room that the fewest people pass through, then I wouldn't really be any safer elsewhere. Likewise, this is the third Covid outbreak in the time that I've been there, with the first outbreak being... last year, just before Christmas, the one that caused me to have a really lonely holiday season because I wasn't living with Southpaw yet. The options I was given just felt like we'd be sweeping this outbreak under the rug, and I didn't like it, it didn't change my mind enough to make me want to stay.
To add, I was never informed by my company that the two people seated near me had tested positive, and in this final meeting with my boss, he told me that since they were socially distancing, it wouldn't count for contact tracing. I was upset at that, because I wanted to be informed all the same, so that I could assess my own risk based on my immunization and to whom I could potentially spread the illness if I happened to catch it again.
It felt good to not be treated as disposable, despite still working there through a temp agency. However, I stood my ground, I firmly decided to quit, and I walked out of there feeling a bit of relief that I had done the right thing.
So I thought about it... I figured I'd give myself a few days of nothingness before I started up the job search again. I found out I was shortlisted for a job with the state government, but that came a while after I had interviewed with them, which came a while after I had applied for the job, so I figured I'd be waiting a while before I heard back from them. So, I quit the one job on Wednesday morning, all right? It was Thursday afternoon when I got a call to offer me the state government job. I was also told I'd be starting next year... so that gave me the holidays off, and I've pretty much been on vacation this whole time.
Also, I have a PS5! I want to direct my bragging away from the game console, towards Southpaw and his friend instead. This was apparently the EIGHTH PS5 that this friend has managed to purchase for himself or others, which is far better luck than I've had with trying to get one for myself. The friend lives in Pennsylvania, so Southpaw drove us down there this past weekend and we stayed a couple days. They don't have the mask mandates that we do in NYS, so it was somewhat awkward to be the only ones wearing masks in a Wawa... at least we've had our booster for long enough that it's going to be somewhat effective.
I guess that's the best I have for now... stay safe, everyone! And again, happy holidays!
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Jude
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Post by Jude on Dec 28, 2021 13:36:29 GMT 1
I have a friend who just managed to get a PS5 a couple weeks ago and is very excited about it because he's been trying for a couple of months. I get that Southpaw. It feels kind of weird for me to look at jobs using a different skill set I have when all the programming job pay three times as much, but I don't know how much I like it as a job. I love doing it on my own terms and making my own projects though. Feels extra bad when you have a lot of school loans to pay off. I think the biggest factor for me is it isn't a job I can just leave at work when I'm done for the day. It's all project based so tomorrow I'll pick up wherever I left off today and I always feel like I should've gotten more done yesterday. So there's always a piece of my brain that's aware of it and stressed out by it. I know most of that is coming from me, but I don't know how much I'm able to change myself to be okay with this job, or how much I should have/want to do that. We're off until January 4th so it's good to have a break. I'm just kind of taking it a week at a time right now, not sure if I'll make it a year. Anyway, I got rambly about myself for a bit, it's great that you have options to switch to and not have to start completely over. I hope you can find something good there.
Luna, that fell into place great. Congratulations on the new job (and leaving the old one). It's dumb that there were people who tested positive and they weren't going to let you know. Going into the office for us is voluntary right now but they have everyone sign in and if anyone comes down with a positive case then they'll email everyone else that was in the building that day to let them know there was someone there who tested positive. Even though you probably didn't see or interact with them it's still good to be informed.
Our cat is back to needing insulin. She spent the weekend in the kitty ER a month or so ago, she wasn't happy about it and she is not a good patient. Been having a few vet appointments to try to get the right dose figured out. I'll post some pictures of her soon.
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Post by lemmingrad on Jan 23, 2022 16:51:34 GMT 1
So my sister has moved back to Ontario, because her primal part of her brain was causing anxiety while living in Alberta (it's a mess there regarding the pandemic.) This has been testing me at realizing how occupied my online social life is, as practically every night, I am doing something with a friend online. This of course leads to annoying disputes with my sister, who does not have an online social life, so I almost never have time to hang with her.
Otherwise, Monster Prom Fridays have changed to Wildermyth Fridays. Likewise, Monday Night Streets of Rogue also changed to Wildermyth. Voicing the dialogue is still as hammy as ever.
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Post by Plum on Jan 23, 2022 18:08:04 GMT 1
I totally get that. My non-techie friends are always inviting me to stuff and it's really difficult saying "actually, I was just planning to chill at my computer...". I usually just make up an excuse about having to work late. It's worse that my offline social life is actually pretty busy (karate, boardgame nights, D&D etc) so those few evenings where I can just hang out online are actually really precious. On the plus side, they're good people so even though I (usually) decline, they keep offering so that I'm kept in the loop Also for my sins I've gotten super into Anime light novels recently which is a huuuge time sink
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Jude
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Post by Jude on Feb 28, 2022 2:06:05 GMT 1
Here are the pics from the kitty ER. She wasn't happy there and it took her a couple of minutes to recognize us and not be upset. We were able to take her cone off though and she would eat while we were there. We ended up visiting her twice a day over the weekend until she got out. She's doing much better now.
Also going to get together and play games with my friends for the first time in a while. I got a copy of Eclipse Second Dawn and am pretty excited to get it on the table. We'll probably play another game of Kemet as well.
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Luna
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Post by Luna on Mar 6, 2022 4:37:56 GMT 1
I bought a new car.
I bought my previous car about 12 years ago, in March of 2010. Mom and I went to the dealership together, and she cosigned on it for the sake of insurance or registration or something. We were amazed they took my previous car without inspecting it or anything first, and gave me $3000 trade-in credit for it, when the transmission was so bad that I had to push it out of the garage because I couldn't always put it in reverse and actually expect it to move. After she passed, I took part of my inheritance and paid off the loan. When I moved to NJ, I had a lien release and a death certificate in hand, and the car was entirely in my name from that point on.
As I neared 100,000 miles, I told myself I should maybe wait until I hit that milestone before getting a newer car, that I'd only get a new car before then if something happened to the transmission. A lot of these mornings have been bitter cold, and while I hope that's been the cause, I still worried to listen to how much my engine and all sounded like it was laboring as I left for work. I'm pretty sure it wasn't operator error one afternoon when Southpaw and I were moving cars or something, and I actually couldn't get my car to move at first, and that got me worried. Never mind the fact that the horn has been inoperable for months now, and I had the ABS sensor light on even though there was no issue with the braking system, and Southpaw and I ice-scraped both of my windshield washing fluid sprayers off the hood of my car after an ice storm,... and there was a bit of rust in places and bubbling paint in other areas... the car needed more repairs than I wanted to pay for, especially since I knew that the car was well-worn and would just need more and more repairs as time went on.
I decided I didn't want another American car, and having already dealt with German engineering in the past I didn't want another Volkswagen either. Personally, I haven't done a Japanese car, which is actually surprising when I consider how much I like Japanese things in general, but then again there's nothing about Japanese cars that seem to reflect Japanese culture in an obvious way... but I digress. Anyway, I've been seeing a lot of Honda Civics on the road, which obviously means it's a great car,... but everyone has one, and I'm not one for wanting to fit in and do what everyone else is doing. I was looking at Toyota cars, but... the only offering I really want there is a Prius, to be honest, and I didn't like their offerings otherwise. Also, I was looking at new cars specifically, because when I looked at the prices for used cars, they were about the same; if I'm going to finance about $18,000, I'd rather have 100 miles on the car and not 45,000.
So I looked at Mitsubishi, and set my sights on a Mirage G4. I went through the site and picked out an ideal build, then sent it to the local Mitsubishi dealer with an email that went something like, "get me this car, these are the things I'm flexible on, but these other features must absolutely be there," and they replied like, "nope." But it wasn't that they weren't willing to work with me, it was that there are so few Mirage G4s floating around, and Mitsubishi themselves are pushing the Outlander (don't want an SUV, plus it's out of my price range). But... there was a sapphire blue one, a lesser package than my "dream" Mirage G4, dark grey upholstery,... it was doable, I supposed, so I told them to get me that one.
Well... it got sold, and not to me. And I wasn't told about it until about the day before I was supposed to be picking up this car, when I was wondering why the VIN (vehicle identification number) in my "Welcome" email was different than what was on the sticker for the supposed car I'm supposed to be buying. They had to call around, and they found one at yet another dealership, and it was "practically identical... just the VIN is slightly different." Hmmm... okay.
So the morning that I was going to turn in my old car and get the new car, I was making sure I had everything I needed... spare key, check. Title of ownership of the old car, check. Insurance... it was pretty much set up and ready to go. I had finished cleaning out the car, and I don't think I neglected to fish out anything that was of any importance. But... I was halfway to work when I realized I had left my work badge home that day. And then I was making phone calls on my breaks, because I was supposed to have the insurance transfer completed... and then the insurance company didn't send over the documents, so I had to do that myself... but oh man, I was so antsy, I was nervous but so excited to get the new car!
After I left work that afternoon, I drove over to the dealership... out front was a very blue Mirage G4, and I knew that was soon to be mine! I didn't look at it much, I went inside and finished the paperwork, then the salesman and I came back outside to get the car set up and ready for me to drive off... and that's when I noticed, the upholstery... was light grey, not dark grey. Sigh. Well, car seat covers are a thing, I suppose, and apparently they make them to accommodate side airbags, which I don't think was a thing 12 years ago, when I considered getting seat covers but didn't want to cover those side airbags, either. Regardless, it was a fairly minor thing that could be changed later. So we got the car set up, got my phone connected so I could just use bluetooth audio (no more AUX cable, nice!), and I very happily brought my new, very blue, car home with me...
Today I was going through my Facebook memories, and there was one that was from after Mom passed, where I was looking for a specific ring she had but couldn't find it, so I called out to her and suddenly knew where to find it. And it made me think... that was from after her passing. Why didn't I think about her passing, on the day she passed? It was on March 2nd... the day I picked up the new car.
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Luna
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Post by Luna on Aug 6, 2022 4:03:43 GMT 1
Southpaw got engaged last month. I'm no longer his girlfriend...
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