COVID-19

[Low D]

Because trouble never comes in singles anymore, provincial governments from Manitoba west to BC have issued guidelines on how groups of people can sandbag (for flood mitigation) while still socially distancing.

[Frances]

[Frances]

Recalled back to (on site) work today after a 31 day furlough. I think I win the booby prize.

Obviously health care workers, first responders, veterinary workers, transportation workers, food chain and service workers, delivery and grocery workers have all been at work and are saints.

The family had a pet emergency this week and the only positive was that the veterinary hospital allowed family to stay with our sweetie as she passed. That was compassionate.

[DzM]

Recalled back to (on site) work today after a 31 day furlough. I think I win the booby prize.

I'm not entirely positive which booby prize you're referring to. First back to work? Longest furlough? Care to elaborate?

I've been on WFH since March 12. No ETA on returning to the office yet (what I and my team do can be pretty easily done remotely, so there's not urgent need for us to be in the same physical location).

Obviously health care workers, first responders, veterinary workers, transportation workers, food chain and service workers, delivery and grocery workers have all been at work and are saints.

Amen.

The family had a pet emergency this week and the only positive was that the veterinary hospital allowed family to stay with our sweetie as she passed. That was compassionate.

That sucks. The death of a pet is like the death of a family member. At a time like this when everyone is extra freaked out having that extra level of sadness and stress piled on top just sucks. Sorry, friend.

[Frances]

I'm not entirely positive which booby prize you're referring to. First back to work? Longest furlough? Care to elaborate?




I've been on WFH since March 12. No ETA on returning to the office yet (what I and my team do can be pretty easily done remotely, so there's not urgent need for us to be in the same physical location).




That sucks. The death of a pet is like the death of a family member. At a time like this when everyone is extra freaked out having that extra level of sadness and stress piled on top just sucks. Sorry, friend.

First back from furlough and literally unable to perform the duties in my contract due to all the (necessary) protocols. Basically we’re storing clients for a certain number of hours and nothing else. It’s weird and really unproductive. I can’t even imagine it continuing through the Fall which means it probably will.

The small business CARES Act loans see employees getting paid their full-time hours even if business doesn’t warrant that at the moment. So, we aren’t underemployed and don’t qualify for the additional $2,400 per month CARES Act boost funds. I have a co-worker who doesn’t “want to” come in during Covid-19 (is probably still getting paid) and I get to work their shitty hours which I negotiated not to have to do when I accepted my last contract. Obviously I’m not gonna be a dick about that kinda stuff with a boss who’s trying to save their business. I also realize that I have no choice. You refuse work it’s a voluntary quit and EDD benefits will be denied.

The majority of my family is working from home in defense and law, etc. and I think it’s funny to call at 5:05 P.M. quittin’ time. Seems like a good gig.

Again, my comments are made with full understanding of what others have persevered through over the last six, seven weeks.





Thank you. Her name was Gatsby Catsby and she was from Santa Cruz. Adopted by family up at UCSC. She hated all the other pets, took over the entire guest room and could say “bleep, blurp, bloop.” I’d shared this picture before with Philip when he was giving commentary on the Gatsby play in NYC (which was seven hours of actors reading the Great Gatsby in an office setting, if I recall correctly).

That Gatsby Cat rocks.

[firehazard]

Thank you. Her name was Gatsby Catsby and she was from Santa Cruz. Adopted by family up at UCSC. She hated all the other pets, took over the entire guest room and could say “bleep, blurp, bloop.” I’d shared this picture before with Philip when he was giving commentary on the Gatsby play in NYC (which was seven hours of actors reading the Great Gatsby in an office setting, if I recall correctly).

That Gatsby Cat rocks.

Sorry for your loss, Frances. Cool cat.

[Frances]

Sorry for your loss, Frances. Cool cat.

Thank you.

[Low D]

Sorry for your loss, Frances. Cool cat.

Thank you.

Gatsby Catsby is an A++ cat name. Sorry for your loss, Frances. I grieve about as hard for cats as i do for people, so my sympathies are with you.

[Low D]

How about some nice news?

Irish help raise $1.8 million for COVID-hit Navajo Nation, repaying $170 sent during potato famine
https://www.upworthy.com/navajo-covid

That original $170 was sent by the Choctaw just after the trail of tears, we can't even imagine the sort of poverty they must have been experiencing. The American songwriter Jim Page wrote a lovely song about this called "Heroes & Survivors" that always makes me cry: https://youtu.be/ctwvbaE9fR0

[Frances]

Gatsby Catsby is an A++ cat name. Sorry for your loss, Frances. I grieve about as hard for cats as i do for people, so my sympathies are with you.

Thank you.

She was a good girl. Feisty with a strong streak of paranoia.

We have quite the variety of pet names, I will say that if you name your pet Pancake that's exactly what you're going to get.

It's like naming your kid Brandon.

[DzM]

It's like naming your kid Brandon.

At work years ago we had a kid employee whose given name was "Brian." He introduced himself to everyone as "Tucker." I've always felt that that tells you everything you need to know about the size of the silver spoon this kid grew up eating from.

[Frances]

At work years ago we had a kid employee whose given name was "Brian." He introduced himself to everyone as "Tucker." I've always felt that that tells you everything you need to know about the size of the silver spoon this kid grew up eating from.

Do you mean Bryan?

I have a sibling that reacted like a beast if you spoke their given name aloud.
Uses the middle professionally.
Literally would spaz the f out.
Funny thing is there’s nothing wrong with the name.
They just weren’t feeling it.
The middle one has a lot more things to rhyme it with.
Classics.


I wanted to be named Lemon but that is a whole other dealio.

[DzM]

I wanted to be named Lemon but that is a whole other dealio.

That would be problematic. Whenever you and your partner got into a fight they'd say "Well, I guess I got stuck with a Lemon." "When life partners you with Lemon, make lemonade." Etc. And then you'd have to kill this person.

[Frances]

And then you'd have to kill this person.

The stories about women stabbing the men that ate their candy bar or pop-tart. The one where they killed a roommate(?) for playing Hotel California on repeat. The one where the guy shot the huge arrow/dart thingy into the "roommates" head. The point didn't go thru, but you could see the shape trying to press out. OMG.

It's the small things in life...

[Low D]

Well NOW this shit is serious.

Storm Crow tavern, Vancouver's beloved east end geek bar where DzM once got me very drunk ordering drinks by rolling a 9-sided die, has permanently closed.

There's still Storm Crow ale house out in Kitsalano (west side), I guess I'll hafta make the trek out there some time.