What R you doing today?

[Boatboy24]

Watching the Capitals choke. Again.

 

[Hokapsig]

Watching the Capitals choke. Again.

And thank you for the choking. On to Ottawa for us....

 

[mainshipfred]

And thank you for the choking. On to Ottawa for us....

I'm from Clairton Pa just South of Pittsburgh so even though I was pulling for the Caps I still have a team in the running.

 

[Hokapsig]

I'm from Clairton Pa just South of Pittsburgh so even though I was pulling for the Caps I still have a team in the running.

I was just in Glassport at Matta Motors and have spent many a day at the Coke Works.

 

[mainshipfred]

I was just in Glassport at Matta Motors and have spent many a day at the Coke Works.

I moved to VA in 1984 at age 29 but when I was there I swore I would never work in the mill. Esspecially the Coke Works, that was probably the worst job there.

 

[Hokapsig]

I only had to conduct training there and couldn't imagine working there full time. But I wanted the kids in my neighborhood to work there for one summer. That would give them a perspective on why they should study while at college.

 

[mainshipfred]

I only had to conduct training there and couldn't imagine working there full time. But I wanted the kids in my neighborhood to work there for one summer. That would give them a perspective on why they should study while at college.

Wouldn't ever take a whole summer for them to start studying their butts off.

 

[Boatboy24]

My parents and one of my sisters are coming over tonight to celebrate Mother's day. Just made up a batch of Barefoot Contessa's lasagne and have a batch of bread on the rise. Food coma tonight. Baseball game was cancelled, so that gives me a little extra time to tidy up - I'll need it as my tidying partner is out of town.

 

[ceeaton]

Did the church thing, then cleaned two cases of beer bottles, picked up my oldest at work, then needed a 3 gallon carboy for the Syrah batch, so I bottled an approximately 14 month old batch of raspberry, from frozen berries a friend gave me before they moved to Philadelphia last Spring. I was more than happy to accept them and make a wine from them. 3 gallons, plan on giving them a bottle or two, if they like it they will get 1/2 of the remaining batch for Christmas. For some reason my wife likes this one, I think I added enough sugar to offset the acidity of the berries (used 6 or so pounds per gallon, I think, notes aren't very helpful, final SG 1.012 if I believe my notes).

 

[ceeaton]

Have I ever said I love my AIO? In case you don't know, I do. I'm not one who likes to bottle beer, especially with four corny kegs at my disposal. But the AIO makes bottling a batch (usually 52 or so bottles) a breeze!

Knew there was a Phillies/Nat's twin bill with the second game starting around 7:05 pm, so after dinner was cleaned up, gathered my materials and went to work. Pride of Milford batch (Pale Ale by Terry Foster, p 114) which I made 4/8/2017. Still a bit cloudy, but has a nice aroma (Cascade hops). Now I'll have two batches to choose from come vacation time next month.

 

[ceeaton]

Got to work to sit down and instantly get a call from my Wife, the Middle School Nurse had called, my son had developed a case of the "runs". Since he's a Type 1-er, they don't fool around and want us there to pick him up. His sugars had been elevated for the last few days, so usually that is either a bad location for his infusion site or he's coming down with something. So the winner was "he's coming down with something". So he's sitting on the chair, occasionally making the trek to the bathroom. I'm downstairs trying to work but our internal work network is slower than dirt, so I think it's time to start up some cooking and wine chores!

 

[ceeaton]

I did get a crap load of wine stuff done. Finally got the Syrah from Chile off the gross lees and pitched the MLB (racked twice because for some reason I thought I needed a 5 and a 3 gallon carboy for the batch? Really bad math mistake). Cleaned four cases of wine bottles, a case of beer bottles and racked 3 other batches of wine (without the AIO, didn't want to wake up the sick kiddo). Voted and just got 2/3 of the lawn done, back section is still a bit too wet. Two days of 90*F should dry it out a bit more.

Waiting for my bride of 20 years to come home so we can enjoy a glass of wine together. Tomorrow for our adversary, we will do something special and go to work, unless the sick kid is still sick. Then there will be a coin flip to see who has the privilege to stay home and burn a vacation day (and not go to work).

 

[ibglowin]

Happy Adversary Day!

You have to take vacation to take care of a sick child? That should come out of your sick leave hours as "sick family"!

Waiting for my bride of 20 years to come home so we can enjoy a glass of wine together. Tomorrow for our adversary, we will do something special and go to work, unless the sick kid is still sick. Then there will be a coin flip to see who has the privilege to stay home and burn a vacation day (and not go to work).

 

[ceeaton]

Happy Adversary Day!

You have to take vacation to take care of a sick child? That should come out of your sick leave hours as "sick family"!

I don't work for the state or federal government, but a printer. Sick leave isn't a benefit we get, unfortunately. We have to take our limited vacation (as a way to limit our time away from work, since everyone on the team is needed to complete the work, I guess).

Thinking of switching jobs to a state janitor so I can get 3x more leave than I get now at 9 years of service at my current employer as a programmer (also did 9 years in the 80's and 90's, but that doesn't count towards my leave/vacation).

 

[ibglowin]

I am lucky I know. Contractor to Federal Government. When I went to work here back in 1986 everyone got 24 days vacation and 18 days sick leave per year right off the bat. Now that the kids are long gone, I am constantly hitting the use/lose or vacation (max limit of 9 weeks in the bank) and sick leave is up to 1.250 years which will get dumped on top of 30 years service credit when I leave in 17mo.

Could have made more $$ in industry (probably) but then you have to deal with constant downsizing or mergers and then downsizing or even worse.....

I don't work for the state or federal government, but a printer. Sick leave isn't a benefit we get, unfortunately. We have to take our limited vacation (as a way to limit our time away from work, since everyone on the team is needed to complete the work, I guess).

Thinking of switching jobs to a state janitor so I can get 3x more leave than I get now at 9 years of service at my current employer as a programmer (also did 9 years in the 80's and 90's, but that doesn't count towards my leave/vacation).

 

[ceeaton]

I am lucky I know. Contractor to Federal Government. When I went to work here back in 1986 everyone got 24 days vacation and 18 days sick leave per year right off the bat. Now that the kids are long gone, I am constantly hitting the use/lose or vacation (max limit of 9 weeks in the bank) and sick leave is up to 1.250 years which will get dumped on top of 30 years service credit when I leave in 17mo.

Could have made more $$ in industry (probably) but then you have to deal with constant downsizing or mergers and then downsizing or even worse.....

I've been in private industry all my life. Sometimes I lament not getting the leave/automatic increases some do in state/government work, but I have more freedom to pursue other options that many in state/government don't, unless they leave the "fold". My brother works for the Commonwealth of PA (as does jgmann), and his salary exceeds mine by close to 3x, and I have a BS in Computer Science (he has no degree). But am I making less because I work for private industry? I doubt it. As I added kiddos and got older, my drive to move up the proverbial ladder lost it's luster, and my bottom line suffered. If I'm making less I can't blame it on my employer, but on me the employee.

Would I like a nice retirement paid by for the State, sure. Would I like to sit and worry whether the State retirement fund goes belly up, no. I'd rather have less and control it myself. If I don't have enough, I know who to blame.

Sorry for the rant.

But I do feel better now!

 

[Boatboy24]

I am lucky I know. Contractor to Federal Government. When I went to work here back in 1986 everyone got 24 days vacation and 18 days sick leave per year right off the bat. Now that the kids are long gone, I am constantly hitting the use/lose or vacation (max limit of 9 weeks in the bank) and sick leave is up to 1.250 years which will get dumped on top of 30 years service credit when I leave in 17mo.

Could have made more $$ in industry (probably) but then you have to deal with constant downsizing or mergers and then downsizing or even worse.....

I've worked for Gov't contractors for all but the first couple years of my career (approaching 25 years now) and it ain't that pretty anymore. I guess your skills must be in a niche (or in a highly desirable, billable slot), because here around the DC beltway, it is cutthroat and everyone has been slashing staff for nearly a decade - last 5-8 years in particular. It was a decent gig for a while, but I've been thinking/wanting to get into something different for a while now.

 

[ibglowin]

I guess you could consider Actinide R&D Chemistry a "niche skill set". We are also the only place left to build (new) and refurbish an entire weapon system. With everything happening these days our business is currently "booming" you could say. We are very lucky in that we both have not only pensions but we also have IRA's, 401K's, Roths.... So all the eggs are not in one basket and one basket only.....

 

[JohnT]

I have worked for the private sector all of my life. In the middle of my career, for a period of 18 years, I worked as a consultant that took me all over the country.

After 18 years of life on the road (I was away for 35-40 weeks a year), I had had enough. I took a job at one of my clients that was 10 min from NYC. The commute is a KILLER (I drive about 3.5 hours a day), but at least I could sleep in my own bed an have a home life.

Then, about 5 years ago, something snapped in the company culture. We went from a proud company that cared about its employees to a company that will do anything to save a buck.

Take this year.. Despite net earnings of $37 million, they still had a round of layoffs that cut staff by 10%. Any work that was of a high priority was outsourced to India or Belarus. In just a two day period, I witnessed a man of 19 years experience get sent packing only to be replace with a H1B from India.

As a result, anger, resentment, and general apathy are the new cornerstones of the work culture. I see this especially with the younger employees that still think there is such a thing as loyalty.

If I were even 10 years younger, I would already be working for a new outfit. Being older and seeing that light at the end of the retirement tunnel growing ever brighter, my best move is to sit tight and wait for the appointed time. Each tick of the clock, each breath I take just get me that much closer!

Sorry to rant. like @ceeaton , I feel better now.

 

[Johnd]

Sitting on a United flight from New Orleans to Boston, via Houston, and on to Boston. Boston to Bar Harbor plane is listed as a "Cessna". I'm hoping it's a Citation jet and not a little prop plane....... In any case, if I don't get beat up on the flight, I'll be gorging on lobster for dinner, may even pick a bottle of white wine for dinner.