Covid 19 and Your Life #2: It's Personal

[Zorral]

Our new chairs arrived yesterday, but are still in the boxes, in the hall, waiting for the oomph to assemble them. Also after the Zoom presentation to a consortium of black-and-white congregations on the history of slavery in the USA. (It's always weird to be presenting such history to African Americans -- who are nevertheless always graciously saying they learned information they didn't already know, or at least had what they thought they knew confirmed.)

 

[HexMachina]

On the topic of desk chairs and WFH set ups, I've actually found myself for at least part of the day adopting a standing desk approach. It means stacking up my law books to put my laptop at a comfortable height but I have found it's been a good way of relieving aches and pains from sitting for extended periods of time

[BigFatCoward]

2 minutes ago, HelenaExMachina said:

On the topic of desk chairs and WFH set ups, I've actually found myself for at least part of the day adopting a standing desk approach. It means stacking up my law books to put my laptop at a comfortable height but I have found it's been a good way of relieving aches and pains from sitting for extended periods of time

One of my old bosses made our senior leadership meetings a standing meeting. Average time of meeting dropped from 2 hrs to 45 mins. Standing is good. 

[HexMachina]

5 minutes ago, BigFatCoward said:

One of my old bosses made our senior leadership meetings a standing meeting. Average time of meeting dropped from 2 hrs to 45 mins. Standing is good. 

I might steal this idea as a suggestion if we ever make it back to the office. Had my share of two hour meetings which didn't need to be half as long.

Seated meetings did lead to a small hilarity when someone on conference call tried to adjust her chair and had it collapse under her. That broke the monotony a bit 

ETA she was unhurt and laughed it off herself, just to clarify

[Maithanet]

7 minutes ago, HelenaExMachina said:

Seated meetings did lead to a small hilarity when someone on conference call tried to adjust her chair and had it collapse under her. That broke the monotony a bit 

ETA she was unhurt and laughed it off herself, just to clarify

Physical comedy, when no one is hurt, is always the best comedy.  Back in my teenage years when we were writing and performing comedy skits, we definitely learned that even a clumsy physical gag could get a LOT of laughs. 

[Guest]

33 minutes ago, HelenaExMachina said:

On the topic of desk chairs and WFH set ups, I've actually found myself for at least part of the day adopting a standing desk approach. It means stacking up my law books to put my laptop at a comfortable height but I have found it's been a good way of relieving aches and pains from sitting for extended periods of time

For some reason, probably because of years of writing papers and gaming while sitting, I can't get in the same flow while standing. I try to get up and walk around a lot during the day, but my job necessitates long hours at my desk without much of a break, so the standing option isn't very workable.

I'm glad @Fez mentioned gaming chairs, because I remembered I have a personal credit line through a company program with my old company, which ended up having unspent rewards. I was able to pick up an almost $600 chair for a little over $500, at 0% interest for the next 6 months, plus about $30 in rewards, which I've decided I'll put towards whichever next-gen gaming console I decide to pick up when they release later this year.

Unfortunately, they're saying the chair won't be delivered until mid-July, but I can tough it out for another month.

ETA: They doubled my credit limit too, sometime within the last several months. Guessing they're anxious to get people to buy. I'll probably use that for a new gaming PC once my work takes us back to full pay. 

[williamjm]

1 hour ago, HelenaExMachina said:

I might steal this idea as a suggestion if we ever make it back to the office. Had my share of two hour meetings which didn't need to be half as long.

It's quite fashionable in the IT industry, particularly for daily status meetings, to have them be standing meetings so people are less inclined to waffle.

[Larry of the Lawn]

6 hours ago, Triskele said:

The person who wears a mask that is easily designed to cover both mouth and nose but wears it low so that it doesn't cover the nose...

I figure that this is still far more effective than no mask at all but also far less effective than wearing it properly.  Surprised at how often I see this move.  Sort of like a person who goes to the gym to do bicep curls but does it mostly with their back.  What's the point?

It's like walking around with your junk hanging out of your fly 

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

1 minute ago, Triskele said:

True.  I mean, you have pants on, but still...

Jorts, you uncivilized ape! 

[Loge]

On 6/16/2020 at 3:37 AM, Triskele said:

The work-from-home thing has been surprisingly successful for me, but like the Lich-King my chair is massively inadequate.  Had to set up my work station at the kitchen table and just eat meals over in the TV room.  The kitchen table chairs are serviceable for short bursts, but it's now just killing me for 9-10 hours.  

Taking a risk on a cheaper ergonomic chair from Amazon, but after I ordered it I wondered if I'd done some poor game theory and that while they're saying back in the office by September at the earliest I do wonder if they're sending us home for ever, and this was a situation where I should have made more of an investment.  

Haven't used an expensive desk chair but I don't think they're better as far as ergonomics is concerned. What you need is some not too soft upholstery and the ability to make some adjustments, most notably height. An expensive chair won't prevent back ache. A good posture will.

[Zorral]

I heartily disagree that a good ergonomic chair's benefits are minimal to none -- quite the opposite, speaking from experience.

Moreover the damage of working from a chair not designed for that kind of work compounds the damage over the years.  Often when people discover they have damaged themselves from this, it's too late to actually reverse the damage.  

 

[DireWolfSpirit]

So I have a 9 day workbreak coming to me over the 1st week in July and have no concrete plans other than spending time at the Lake Shore. Have no desire whatsoever to travel outside the region for the foreseeable future and that's mostly due to the pandemic.

I've been looking at some of these southern state daily case charts and they look like they are putting in clasic "U and W" shaped patterns.

This is going to be with us for a long, long time yet I'm afraid.

[Fury Resurrected]

So there was a big tiff among my colleagues because one of them was discovered to be not wearing a mask nor requiring their client to wear one. Mentioning this to the boss (the only person with any authority to tell any of us independent contractors what to do) was deemed “passive aggressive” and a “personal attack” by said coworker. We are legally required to wear masks and to require clients to wear them at all times in the building. The penalty for being found in noncompliance is closure and a $30k fine. When coworker was told this they said they “forgot” which is obviously bullshit. You don’t forget to wear the thing you and your client couldn’t get in the building without, you took it off because you thought nobody would come in.

 

This is extra annoying because while it would put all of us in a dire position financially to be put out of work after just getting back from three months of shutdown, my coworker Dan has asthma, diabetes, and a heart condition. The Rona could easily kill him.

[Zorral]

Check your bank accounts.  Suddenly, this evening, we are alerted to  a whole slew of false charges on our debit cards.  All for bars and uber (which we have never once used in our lives for reasons), and Venmo, and so on, but they range from Lake Charles in Louisiana to all over Manhattan and Brooklyn.  But most of it at bars and restaurants here.  So, places that just opened.

Wonder if this has anything to do with the looting weekend? It's particularly my card.  Which is how we go the alert.  The bank texted me while we were having a lovely, relaxing dinner. 

So check on your accounts.

This happened during Hurricane Sandy too.

[HexMachina]

Saw my nanna face to face today for the first time since end of March/beginning of April - i forget the exact date, but it feels like a lifetime ago. I have of course spoke to her since then, but this was the first weekend i have been across to her house to see her (through the window. Me, mam and aunty decided between us that my aunty would be the one going into the house, as she is the one among us who is exposed to others the least)

Blubbering wreck doesn’t even begin to do my state justice. All i wanted to do was go in and hug her. But regardless, i a, very happy to have seen her again.

[A Horse Named Stranger]

Finally got to see my dad again, also first time since March. The nursery had set up a room for visitors. Seperated by two tables (2 metres). With face masks and all. But still. Progress.

[Kalbear]

Both of the last two just wreck me. Kudos to both of you.

[RhaenysBee]

Well, we have announced the end of the virus weeks ago, most restrictions are lifted, but it’s still impossible to get a routine medical problem checked out.

Because you need to call your GP to visit, then visit, then be directed to a specialist at some vague time in the hopefully not so far future (who may or may not be performing the examination you need). I bet I’d be better off paying for a private appointment and which would automatically include the ultrasound. Sigh. Let’s just hope I just feel better tomorrow. 

[DireWolfSpirit]

I will be seeing my parents for the first time since the pandemic has started, during my upcoming workbreak I've decided. One point of irritation being that our workplace is having a visiting dignitary and is going to have the majority of the workforce gathered for a speech and the media.

Back in March I squirreled away a lone unopened N95 mask that I thought I just may need such protection one day. I will be wearing that protective device. I just am skeptical there will be proper social distancing in such a large gathering. Under normal instances I use only various fabric masks, but I am able to keep distances from crowds. This event on Thursday is going to involve too large a crowd to take such a risk and on the heels of it, I will be seeing family members. The N95 will remain glued to my face for the duration of this very inconvenient event.

[Luzifer's right hand]

19 minutes ago, DireWolfSpirit said:

I will be seeing my parents for the first time since the pandemic has started, during my upcoming workbreak I've decided. One point of irritation being that our workplace is having a visiting dignitary and is going to have the majority of the workforce gathered for a speech and the media.

Back in March I squirreled away a lone unopened N95 mask that I thought I just may need such protection one day. I will be wearing that protective device. I just am skeptical there will be proper social distancing in such a large gathering. Under normal instances I use only various fabric masks, but I am able to keep distances from crowds. This event on Thursday is going to involve too large a crowd to take such a risk and on the heels of it, I will be seeing family members. The N95 will remain glued to my face for the duration of this very inconvenient event.

Sounds like a good day for a sick day/personal day if that is possible.