TTTNE 476 - the ghost of series past

[RhaenysBee]

Oh boy boy boy... it’s cold, how am I supposed to flee my flat when it’s too cold to sit on a park bench for hours?   

[Buckwheat]

1 hour ago, RhaenysBee said:

Oh boy boy boy... it’s cold, how am I supposed to flee my flat when it’s too cold to sit on a park bench for hours?   

Don't flee. Stay in. Make yourself cozy. Be lazy for a day.  

[Buckwheat]

(I am not being lazy today. I have been at home till now, might go for a walk later. But I already worked a lot on a paper and now I am planning tomorrow's lesson for school.)

[RhaenysBee]

3 hours ago, Buckwheat said:

Don't flee. Stay in. Make yourself cozy. Be lazy for a day.  

If only that was so easy. I was actually kinda lazy though, somehow I feel impossibly tired. I know that it’s part stress and probably part drastic weather change, and hopefully nothing else. Did some laundry, went for a walk, need to send some shopping orders and that’s about it. I kinda want to sleep for a week and be alone. 

Thumbs-up to you for being so productive. 

[Buckwheat]

2 hours ago, RhaenysBee said:

If only that was so easy. I was actually kinda lazy though, somehow I feel impossibly tired. I know that it’s part stress and probably part drastic weather change, and hopefully nothing else. Did some laundry, went for a walk, need to send some shopping orders and that’s about it. I kinda want to sleep for a week and be alone. 

Thumbs-up to you for being so productive. 

Sounds like a productive enough Sunday for me. Not everybody needs to be as work-crazy as myself.  Thank you, though.

I have to get up HOW EARLY tomorrow?    Damned earliness of these school rules, and the additional work that I've been assigned to this week (overseeing the order in the hallways - which means I have to be there even earlier to control everything). I only hope I survive the drive there in the morning and back in the afternoon - I am not a very good driver even on the best of days.  

[RhaenysBee]

2 hours ago, Buckwheat said:

Sounds like a productive enough Sunday for me. Not everybody needs to be as work-crazy as myself.  Thank you, though.

I have to get up HOW EARLY tomorrow?    Damned earliness of these school rules, and the additional work that I've been assigned to this week (overseeing the order in the hallways - which means I have to be there even earlier to control everything). I only hope I survive the drive there in the morning and back in the afternoon - I am not a very good driver even on the best of days.  

You’ll definitely survive the drive. And good luck with controlling life in the hallways!  sounds like something I’d never be able to do. 
eh thanks, it was what is was. Tomorrow’s another day. 

[Buckwheat]

15 hours ago, RhaenysBee said:

You’ll definitely survive the drive. And good luck with controlling life in the hallways!  sounds like something I’d never be able to do. 
eh thanks, it was what is was. Tomorrow’s another day. 

I survived it. Just need 15 more minutes of driving and then home. I made a stop in the city center to drop something off and I was supposed to pick some books up, but surprise surprise, uni library is closed. I am waiting for my brother now, picking him up first and then I'm going home  Still need to plan lessons for tomorrow though ...

[RhaenysBee]

10 minutes ago, Buckwheat said:

I survived it. Just need 15 more minutes of driving and then home. I made a stop in the city center to drop something off and I was supposed to pick some books up, but surprise surprise, uni library is closed. I am waiting for my brother now, picking him up first and then I'm going home  Still need to plan lessons for tomorrow though ...

Oh I’m sorry. Is it an unlucky coincidence or Covid safety? Glad to hear the car ride went well. There’s a giant rainstorm over here, so I’m kinda envious of closed transportation  (my loafer didn’t soak through, however, and now I feel that it was worth the price I paid for it after all)

Good luck with the lesson planning! I’m going to have to iron now. But I need a cup of tea first (and a shot of whiskey in it). 

[Buckwheat]

3 hours ago, RhaenysBee said:

Oh I’m sorry. Is it an unlucky coincidence or Covid safety? Glad to hear the car ride went well. There’s a giant rainstorm over here, so I’m kinda envious of closed transportation  (my loafer didn’t soak through, however, and now I feel that it was worth the price I paid for it after all)

Good luck with the lesson planning! I’m going to have to iron now. But I need a cup of tea first (and a shot of whiskey in it). 

It was supposed to be Covid safety when they started it months ago. Right now, I don't know anymore, our uni is all kinds of stupid anyway.

Yay for shoes not soaking through.

I fell asleep and now I still have to plan lessons even though it is already past 7 PM.

[RhaenysBee]

2 hours ago, Buckwheat said:

It was supposed to be Covid safety when they started it months ago. Right now, I don't know anymore, our uni is all kinds of stupid anyway.

Yay for shoes not soaking through.

I fell asleep and now I still have to plan lessons even though it is already past 7 PM.

Yup, things are all over the place in every institution these days. 

Ah, working in the evening is no fun. At least you had a nice nap. 

[Buckwheat]

12 minutes ago, RhaenysBee said:

Yup, things are all over the place in every institution these days. 

Ah, working in the evening is no fun. At least you had a nice nap. 

I mean, our faculty was a mess and all over the place for the past .. IDK, ever since it was established? Covid might have exacerbated the problem, but it certainly isn't only a covid problem.

Just finished with the lessons for tomorrow ... and it's not that good, looks like I'll be improvising a lot tomorrow, Sigh. Am also a bit annoyed at myself and my students today because they misbehaved (some of them, but enough to be disruptive), I had to raise my voice and now my poor throat is hurting a little bit. Will tell them tomorrow that this isn't how I expect them to behave.

Nap was nice.  

[RhaenysBee]

16 hours ago, Buckwheat said:

I mean, our faculty was a mess and all over the place for the past .. IDK, ever since it was established? Covid might have exacerbated the problem, but it certainly isn't only a covid problem.

Just finished with the lessons for tomorrow ... and it's not that good, looks like I'll be improvising a lot tomorrow, Sigh. Am also a bit annoyed at myself and my students today because they misbehaved (some of them, but enough to be disruptive), I had to raise my voice and now my poor throat is hurting a little bit. Will tell them tomorrow that this isn't how I expect them to behave.

Nap was nice.  

Ah, just uni things. 

Dont worry, high school kids probably aren’t out to get you and point out any and every mistake you might make. I suppose that only starts in college *nervous laugh* 

pet shopping!!!!! Love to spend money on the doggos. Got car seat belts for the Chancellor (this is a thing, as it turns out), a new brush for Chubs, shedding brush for PW, claw clipper for everybody though mostly Miss Molly and the Chancellor suffer from overlong claws and flea brush for everybody as it’s tick season again. 

Also went to my doctor’s appointment and got scheduled for an ultrasound and blood test. The doctor thinks however that it’s all psychosomatic and if the results come back negative, I should consider a couple consultations with a psychologist. And I suppose that’s not a terrible idea if things this autumn don’t go well. And I also suppose I’d absolutely prefer it to be psychosomatic than actual medical issues. we’ll see. 

Now lunch, waste management in the flat, figuring out the electric heating and waiting for the handyman who I hope will solve all my post-reno problems.  

[RhaenysBee]

i have successfully polished six brass window handles and two door handles. Ten remains. Plus two more door handles. But I also did two locks, so essentially you could say that I’m half done. Now my forearms ache however. So I’m just sitting among nearly organized recyclable piles and scrutinizing details that need fixing. And now I’m wondering why the hell we put the radiator under the window and ripped up the wall to pull the electricity there when the opposite wall has all the electricity and large enough space for an app controlled radiator as opposed to the manual. Boy am I inexperienced at renos or what? I can still move it, actually. And have its current location paneled. That’d look cute. But do I want to? Two more weeks and a few hundred euros? I’m still counting on the handyman guy to help me think it through. Boy will it be amazing to have someone to help me think it through? 

[First of My Name]

On 9/19/2020 at 10:46 PM, Buckwheat said:

I mean, we do, but I teach in a high school now, so a different situation.  I hope we stay on location for as long as possible, but some schools around the country have had to send some classes into quarantine already. And we need to wear masks all the time, including while teaching in a classroom. Until yesterday, we were allowed to take them off inside the classroom, provided one was standing at least 1,5 m away from the students. I cannot imagine how I am going to talk to the students with a mask on the whole day and show them correct pronunciation if they cannot see my face.  

That sounds like a very exciting living situation.  I have never heard of anybody living in such a big group of flatmates. I have been thinking about my own living situation a lot recently, as I finally have some sort of a stable job (for one year at least), but a long daily commute.

Thanks.  

Oh yeah, for high schools it's the same here. The mask would be difficult though, it also creates a kind of mental barrier for me when I'm talking to someone with a mask on. It's a lot harder to focus on someone whose mouth you're not seeing. I hope your students will get used to it soon.

It's not common here, but I've seen larger houses, with up to 30 students living together (though that's very rare). 

Do you mind commuting? I love taking the train but if it becomes a daily responsibility then it's bound to get annoying. It can't hurt to look for nice place closer to your work, maybe you see something you'd love to live in.
 

On 9/20/2020 at 11:52 AM, RhaenysBee said:

 

Audiobooks proved really useful for me because I get to listen to books while I’m doing manual activities. If you haven’t tried consuming literature that way, I do recommend it, although the curl up with a hot beverage, a blanket and a physical book feeling doesn’t come with it. 
 

I prefer to read and not do anything else, otherwise it's a lot harder for me to lose myself in a story. I can't focus on podcasts either. It's really handy if you can combine activities though.

[Buckwheat]

1 hour ago, First of My Name said:

Do you mind commuting? I love taking the train but if it becomes a daily responsibility then it's bound to get annoying. It can't hurt to look for nice place closer to your work, maybe you see something you'd love to live in.

Train is ... an option. Not a realistic one though, trains suck in this country. So I drive a car, mostly. Sometimes I can combine the car drive with some coworkers and pick somebody up or ride with somebody - today I joined a coworker in her car.

I do not like long commutes at all. I think driving exhausts me more than all the other parts of the job, honestly. I feel way less tired today when I didn't drive because my coworker did, than I do on days when I drive.

My new workplace is in a city I never imagined myself living it, so I have some mental reservations, I suppose; and I also keep thinking what's the point of moving there if I am only going to work there for a year - I mean, I don't know that, but my current contract is a year and I have no idea what happens then. Also, financially ... it makes a little bit more sense to stay with the parents and not pay a third of my salary for a flat, when instead I could save that up and actually afford to start buying something in a few years, possibly. So it is a hard decision.  

[RhaenysBee]

21 hours ago, First of My Name said:

 

I prefer to read and not do anything else, otherwise it's a lot harder for me to lose myself in a story. I can't focus on podcasts either. It's really handy if you can combine activities though.

To be fair I only listen to non fiction. Couldn’t possibly imagine listening to a novel. 

oh my god this day.  can’t remember the last time I felt so insanely embarrassed. Well, yes I can; but it’s been two years. This was awful, the last time I ever did something because I didn’t want to put someone in an awkward position. I mean at the cost of not putting one person in an awkward position, I put myself and another in one. Oh boy boy boy, I can’t even deal with this level of embarrassment. To be fair and a bit more forgiving to myself, it was entirely this lady’s misguided decision to make this a personal meeting instead of a Skype one. She didn’t even say they are in home office. I could have asked but I thought I should be accommodating to whatever policy they have. And it turns out this is the exact opposite of the policy and she’s making exceptions for me. Like why? Why would you do that? Why would you not say it upfront? Why would I have to assume that she’s doing the opposite of the policy and interject? What an utter mess! The level of cringe you guys... and to make it even worse I was an utter disaster in terms of interview performance as well. I swear to god I’ll never do something like this again. 

 

 

[Buckwheat]

4 hours ago, RhaenysBee said:

oh my god this day.  

... what?

So busy. So much to do. So much work. It is interesting. But exhausting and time-consuming. Yaaaawn.

[RhaenysBee]

4 hours ago, Buckwheat said:

... what?

So busy. So much to do. So much work. It is interesting. But exhausting and time-consuming. Yaaaawn.

 

on the one hand, I’m sorry, on the other, it’s great to find your job interesting and rewarding. So it sounds like a win in that aspect, right? 

In the meanwhile they offered me the other job too and with better salary though there’s no health benefit and it isn’t a 5 minute walk from my flat. Still, the salary is better, the recruitment process was far more professional, the role sounds more suited for me , the team - well - exists (as opposed to the other job which is kinda a one man show/struggle), and the company atmosphere definitely feels better. I do wish the location was better, this company’s HQ used to be a fifteen minute walk from my house then they moved about a year or two ago. But my friend works in the offices next door so we can grab lunch together occasionally - in 2021 when that will hopefully be a thing again. In the meanwhile I think I’d be working from home full time anyway. So that’s 2 for option A and 5 for option B. Not much to think about really. The health benefit... is a bummer but one kinda likes to stick to their own doctors anyway and I haven’t heard overly positive things about this particular health service provider so maybe it’s not such a loss. I can always frequent my usual clinic or state healthcare for mundane things. Kinda glad the whole job search quest ended with my getting to pick, I suppose my ego needed a little coddling with all that’s been going on and will be going on this year. 

[Pebble thats Stubby]

Hi Guys,  I'm just doing a flyby.

 

As not all of you venture into other places on the board or may have seen on FB   Archipelacon II has been announced.   Archipelacon I was seriously the best con I've ever attended.  If you go to just one Con in your lifetime you should seriously consider it to be Archipelacon II  

 

It will be on the 26th to 29th July 2025    - yes several years away but damn I'm excited.   

Its will be in Åland  - thats an Island between Helsinki and Stockholm (ya get a ferry from either)  and rumour has it a group of us will be celebrating one of our friends 40th Birthday while on the ferry.  I also think its very likely that many of us will once again stay in the cabins on a nearby campsite.

 

this is one to put in your diaries and something you want to consider (obviously nearer the time)  but I expect they will sell out fast as it was so awesome last time.  memberships are not on sale yet (probably not for a year at least) 

 

Look I'm really excited. and you should be too.   its also where @TitanCat got her avatar, and why the cabin is actually far more important than the parrot.

 

I know non or few of you can commit that far in advance just make a note of the date.  you will be gutted if you miss out.

 

[Buckwheat]

18 hours ago, Pebble thats Stubby said:

Hi Guys,  I'm just doing a flyby.

As not all of you venture into other places on the board or may have seen on FB   Archipelacon II has been announced.   Archipelacon I was seriously the best con I've ever attended.  If you go to just one Con in your lifetime you should seriously consider it to be Archipelacon II  

It will be on the 26th to 29th July 2025    - yes several years away but damn I'm excited.   

Its will be in Åland  - thats an Island between Helsinki and Stockholm (ya get a ferry from either)  and rumour has it a group of us will be celebrating one of our friends 40th Birthday while on the ferry.  I also think its very likely that many of us will once again stay in the cabins on a nearby campsite.

this is one to put in your diaries and something you want to consider (obviously nearer the time)  but I expect they will sell out fast as it was so awesome last time.  memberships are not on sale yet (probably not for a year at least) 

Look I'm really excited. and you should be too.   its also where @TitanCat got her avatar, and why the cabin is actually far more important than the parrot.

I know non or few of you can commit that far in advance just make a note of the date.  you will be gutted if you miss out.

This is ... indeed several years away, haha. I have absolutely no idea what in seven hells I'll be doing then.

What was so awesome at this con compared to other cons you have been to? I have only been to two worldcons (London and Helsinki) and one teeny tiny one in my hometown a few years ago.

Also, whose birthday?

I wonder how @TitanCat is doing these days.