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So yeah, they found her unconscious form, licked her a bit to try to wake her up, then curled up around her to keep her warm and safe.
I f**king love our kittens.
Sometimes you're just at a loss for words:
Customer: When I apply a filter to the search I see fewer results. This is really impacting my work and I'd like to know whether this is expected behavior.
I punted. "This is indeed how our application works. I'm sorry that's not working for you. Can you let us know what you expected?"
I completely forgot that when I came in last night 2nd shift was dealing with a guest who had come to the wrong hotel. The guest, in an effort to prove they were in the right place, read the street address off her reservation. It wasn't ours, so I was curious where it was. I just looked if up, and it's in a town 45 miles away.I think I remember posting years ago about a con where something similar happened.My favorite story along those lines was when there was a math convention in San Diego, and, being a public school teacher, I was expected to go but pay my own way. So I found an ultra-cheap Motel 6 on the same street as the convention and made my reservations at the Motel 6 Chula Vista. Hilarity ensued:
(1) It was the same street name, not the same street, so I was actually about 3 miles from the convention center.
(2) When I tried to walk there using an honest-to-goodness paper map, a couple of homeless guys stopped me, said, "You can't be walking around here, bro," and escorted me to the train station so I'd get to the convention safely.
(3) The first night I turned on the news while listening to the helicopters overhead and learned that an "armed and dangerous" suspect had fled through the parking lot. Nothing like seeing your own motel in live TV coverage of a dangerous criminal pursuit. I turned out the lights, turned down the volume on the TV, and locked the door.
(4) The second night I got to see my Motel 6 on the news again, this time the front desk was robbed at gunpoint just as I was settling in.
(5) The third night someone started banging on my door yelling someone else's name in a belligerent manner. I, having a brain, did not respond, and they got tired and went away.
It was an... interesting stay. I did not give them a Yelp review. Particularly since they didn't exist back then.
math conventions. As dangerous as they sound.
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Sometimes you're just at a loss for words:
Customer: When I apply a filter to the search I see fewer results. This is really impacting my work and I'd like to know whether this is expected behavior.
I punted. "This is indeed how our application works. I'm sorry that's not working for you. Can you let us know what you expected?"
Have. You tried. To Speak. To The Customer. Slowly. And. Loudly?
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Sometimes you're just at a loss for words:
Customer: When I apply a filter to the search I see fewer results. This is really impacting my work and I'd like to know whether this is expected behavior.
I punted. "This is indeed how our application works. I'm sorry that's not working for you. Can you let us know what you expected?"
Surprising absolutely no one except likely the customer, I would have been somewhat less tactful.
"Yes, because that is, in fact, how filters work. It's the very definition of the word 'filter'."
Option 2:
"Right."
So yeah, they found her unconscious form, licked her a bit to try to wake her up, then curled up around her to keep her warm and safe.
I f**king love our kittens.
uh.
You really love those kittens...
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So yeah, they found her unconscious form, licked her a bit to try to wake her up, then curled up around her to keep her warm and safe.
I f**king love our kittens.
uh.
You really love those kittens...
You don't rub kittens all over your naked body as they purr to get a full body massage? What's wrong with you?
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You don't rub kittens all over your naked body as they purr to get a full body massage? What's wrong with you?
So yeah, they found her unconscious form, licked her a bit to try to wake her up, then curled up around her to keep her warm and safe.
I f**king love our kittens.
uh.
You really love those kittens...
...because every inch of my skin covered in hives is dead sexy?
You don't rub kittens all over your naked body as they purr to get a full body massage? What's wrong with you?
So yeah, they found her unconscious form, licked her a bit to try to wake her up, then curled up around her to keep her warm and safe.
I f**king love our kittens.
uh.
You really love those kittens...
I have mild allergy to claws.
...I have mild allergy to claws.
On Thursday night, we were all watching One Piece while the kittens were running around rambunctiously in the living room. Blacky made a break for it across my face, Stripey pursued, and did a jump off my forehead, bracing herself with her claws. I was irritated and hissed at her, but didn't think much of it.
Friday: GothBard: "Oh my goodness! What happened to your face?"
Saturday: Hair Guy: "Oh my goodness! What happened to your face?"
So I finally looked at it. It's a long scratch (maybe 2.5" across my forehead), but not a very deep one, and it's quite clean (sharp kitten claws). But apparently it's alarming when you can see it.
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So, just HOW socialized is Fluffy?
We needed to get her away from the other kittens to help her recuperate, she's tired of our room, and we don't want to overdose her on opioids. The logical solution was to lock her in the studio, but GothBard was going out.
So, being a genius, GothBard put on a 5.5-hour reading of The Lord of the Rings. I just went out there and checked, and Fluffy is lying there in total contentedness, eyes half-lidded, gazing lovingly at the screen as some British guy rambles on and on.
I think I found your calling, Limey.
That checks out (looks at one Purrbarian brother sprawled on the middle of the floor when I'm trying to do rapier practice. Regards other Purrbarian brother, curled up in my lap while I'm playing 'Skyrim' and listening to me muttering curses at the Thalmor).
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Blimey!
Nobodys' Serpent Skull campaign thread was started ten years ago?!
Does that mean that Impus Major is 24 already?!
For some reason Impus Minor being 21 doesn't hit as hard...
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...because every inch of my skin covered in hives is dead sexy?You don't rub kittens all over your naked body as they purr to get a full body massage? What's wrong with you?
So yeah, they found her unconscious form, licked her a bit to try to wake her up, then curled up around her to keep her warm and safe.
I f**king love our kittens.
uh.
You really love those kittens...
Blimey!
Nobodys' Serpent Skull campaign thread was started ten years ago?!
Does that mean that Impus Major is 24 already?!
For some reason Impus Minor being 21 doesn't hit as hard...
'fraid so.
Blimey!
Nobodys' Serpent Skull campaign thread was started ten years ago?!
Does that mean that Impus Major is 24 already?!
For some reason Impus Minor being 21 doesn't hit as hard...
'fraid so.
WHAT?!
Just... no.
|
But......because every inch of my skin covered in hives is dead sexy?You don't rub kittens all over your naked body as they purr to get a full body massage? What's wrong with you?
So yeah, they found her unconscious form, licked her a bit to try to wake her up, then curled up around her to keep her warm and safe.
I f**king love our kittens.
uh.
You really love those kittens...
Looks like Reddit nuked it in the last few hours.
Elections.
Grumble, fumble, bumble...
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Fantasy Monster: Infernal Valet
You rang, m'lord?
Elections.
Grumble, fumble, bumble...
People are dying to vote!
No, seriously, apparently there were at least two incidents when people came to vote and died - 97 old lady and 84 year old man. In the first case, she fainted before she received her voting card.
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I am happy for you, Sophie!
Every day, gran reminds us, "Show up on time, do your job, and you'll be the best employee your boss has ever seen."
So yeah, I took the car in to the shop this morning.
Service Tech: Should I use this number?
NobodysHome: No. Never use that number. That number doesn't work.
ST: So I should use this other number instead?
NH: Yes. Always use that number.
Service Tech appears to write something on the computer. But nope. Didn't get my car today. Turns out they sat there texting and calling the wrong phone number. So much for paying any attention at all to your customer or notes.
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Yep. You are competent and you do what you are supposed to do. And somehow you're doing the work of any other 3 or 4 employees.
So, I had an epiphany a few days ago: The smart phone is the pocket knife of electronic devices. It is easy to carry in your pocket (mostly) and it has a huge number of functions. Yet for every single one of those functions, it's significantly worse than a tool dedicated to that function. (I specifically had the epiphany because someone called me and I was in a public location so I was trying to be on a call without being on speaker phone and it's amazingly bad.)
And that explains why I get so frustrated with people who try to call me on my cell phone at home. If I want to tighten a screw when I'm on the road, I'll pull out my pocketknife because it's the only tool I have. If I want to tighten a screw at home I'll go to my hardware drawer and pull out a screwdriver because it is a significantly better tool for the job.
Add to the situation that we're in a "barely there" cell phone signal location and cell phones try to use cellular data in preference to WiFi so any call I try to make is agonizing unless I turn off cellular and it's a simple, "Please do not use my crappy tool when I'm at home and have access to my entire tool chest."
Yet nobody listens...
Speaking of devices that are utterly unfit for their purpose, because it's almost impossible to find mechanical scales any more, I have a digital scale... that remembers your previous weight!
Seriously, WTFH.
It claims to be accurate to within 0.2 pounds. But I'll weigh myself. 192.4. I'll drink a 16-ounce cup of coffee. 192.4. I'll fast for 24 hours. 192.4.
I've learned that I have to pick up a heavy object like a chair or a cat scratching post to make it "forget" my previous weight, then get back on the scale and it will reset.
And I have to wonder, what designer on the planet thought that a measuring device (scale, thermometer, whatever) should remember and re-display its previous reading the next time you try to take a measurement?
It doesn't have some sort of reset button? Maybe you should check a manual?
My electronic thermometer (for body temperature, not cooking), displays the last reading when it is turned on and then resets after holding the button for a moment.
It doesn't have some sort of reset button? Maybe you should check a manual?
My electronic thermometer (for body temperature, not cooking), displays the last reading when it is turned on and then resets after holding the button for a moment.
On the one hand, it was a reasonable question so I checked and no, there is no reset nor zero nor any other button except to change units.
On the other, even if your thermometer started off showing you your previous temperature, if you took your temperature in the morning and saw that you had a 39.4°C fever, if you re-took your temperature in the afternoon you wouldn't expect it to act like it was taking your temperature again (say, for example, showing the numbers go up again) only to show the exact same 39.4°C a second time.
But that's what my scale does -- it turns on, the numbers roll about as you settle onto the scale, and then once the numbers settle they're at the exact same weight they were the day before.
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Playing Scattergories:
Me: Terms of endearment, letter G.
Student A: Grandma!
Student A: What's a term of endearment?
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Every day, gran reminds us, "Show up on time, do your job, and you'll be the best employee your boss has ever seen."
So yeah, I took the car in to the shop this morning.
Service Tech: Should I use this number?
NobodysHome: No. Never use that number. That number doesn't work.
ST: So I should use this other number instead?
NH: Yes. Always use that number.Service Tech appears to write something on the computer. But nope. Didn't get my car today. Turns out they sat there texting and calling the wrong phone number. So much for paying any attention at all to your customer or notes.
And just so people don't dismiss this as, "Grumpy old White man NobodysHome refusing to adapt to the times," I'll note that GothBard, our new neighbors, and our back yard neighbors all have to go outside to make calls on their cell phones because it's impossible indoors. And yes, all of us in the neighborhood get to listen in on their conversations because they have to be on speakerphone as well to be able to understand the garbled signal that's barely making it in. Our old neighbors and I prefer not to have to go outside every time we want to make a call and ask people to use our land lines. And get frustrated when people don't listen.
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Woooow, I hope I don't get her fired, but seriously:
Yesterday:
Service Tech: Should I use this number?
NobodysHome: No. Never use that number. That number doesn't work.
ST: So I should use this other number instead?
NH: Yes. Always use that number.
Today:
NobodysHome: I didn't get a call yesterday.
Service Tech : Yes, you did. I called you myself.
NH: What number did you use?
ST: The 381 one.
NH: So, as I told you, that number doesn't work. Can you please delete it from your system?
ST: *sigh*. Fine.
So apparently changing my phone number is an affront to her. Yes, they ask me about my experience every time I bring my car into the shop. Yes, I've spend over $20k there over the years. Yes, I'm going to be honest about a customer service rep who considers it an ordeal to actually listen to customers.
(In general, customers are scum. But when a customer is polite and tells you, "Oh, that phone number doesn't work any more. Please change it," and you just don't, it's not the customer who's the problem.)
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You lost me on "being called on phone"...
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I am so very glad to hear.
Just had a guest shout at me from across the lobby "Your coffee's out!", while the breakfast host was literally standing behind him with a fresh pot, waiting for him to get out of the way.
First, my coffee is not out. I do not have coffee.
Second, I am not responsible for the coffee when the breakfast host is here.
Third, even if I was, do not yell at me. Or anyone else. Walk the 6 steps and speak to me like an adult.
Some people.
I've been to the Midwest. 6 steps is a major trek for some people out there...
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And it's over. I've turned in my keys, cleaned my classroom, took down everything. It hurt more than I expected.
And it's over. I've turned in my keys, cleaned my classroom, took down everything. It hurt more than I expected.
*Hugs*
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And it's over. I've turned in my keys, cleaned my classroom, took down everything. It hurt more than I expected.
I am truly terrified of everything I'm going to have to say goodbye to when we leave the country. But at the rate health care costs are rising, we see no alternative other than to emigrate as soon as we retire.
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And it's over. I've turned in my keys, cleaned my classroom, took down everything. It hurt more than I expected.I am truly terrified of everything I'm going to have to say goodbye to when we leave the country. But at the rate health care costs are rising, we see no alternative other than to emigrate as soon as we retire.
If you could reasonably do so sooner I'd encourage it, but I completely understand the issues of work being a hangup until then.
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If you could reasonably do so sooner I'd encourage it, but I completely understand the issues of work being a hangup until then.And it's over. I've turned in my keys, cleaned my classroom, took down everything. It hurt more than I expected.I am truly terrified of everything I'm going to have to say goodbye to when we leave the country. But at the rate health care costs are rising, we see no alternative other than to emigrate as soon as we retire.
As I think I've mentioned, it's the "don't let the wealthy emigrate" tax:
(1) The U.S. is one of two countries in the world where if you don't relinquish your citizenship you owe U.S. income tax on all income earned worldwide. So technically, if Scint doesn't abandon her U.S. citizenship, she's still subject to U.S. income tax. The deduction is pretty high, however, so I suspect she'll be fine. We wouldn't be.
(2) So we'd have to give up our U.S. citizenships to not get taxed on our income. But we'd lose nearly $100k/year in Social Security plus we're subject to the exit tax, which would be back-breaking with our IRA and 401(k) balances.
So, in order to not lose our retirement, we need to stay U.S. citizens. And since our income is high enough to be subject to U.S. income tax even when working in other countries, ironically enough we're rich enough that we can't afford to emigrate until we no longer have an income; i.e. after we retire.
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Elaborating a bit, it's, "Too many anchors, too much financial pain, not enough upside."
(1) First and foremost, in all of the firsthand accounts I've read of people emigrating, they've uniformly said, "Don't emigrate because of politics. No matter where you go, the politics will be terrible." Even GothBard's favorite left-wing YouTubers are saying, "PLEASE don't emigrate! We need you to be here and be active!"
So, we're White. We can show U.S. ancestry going back 200+ years. We're upper-middle class. We don't participate in popular social media such as FaceBook. So we personally are at very low risk, and as long as we can safely use our voices, our votes, and our money to oppose the current direction of the country, we should stay here. They're still at the point of only deporting U.S. citizens rather than incarcerating them (and so far only kids) and revoking visas of non-U.S. dissenters. The moment they start taking out the high-profile U.S. dissenters or jailing U.S. citizens, we'll get the flock out of here. Our passports are ready and we have enough liquid assets to live a year abroad while having a lawyer close out everything here.
(2) Second, we have GothBard's mother a mile away who doesn't have the wherewithal to emigrate (she lives off of Social Security), GothBard's father less than 10 miles away, and Impus Minor, who's made it clear that he's not going to go even if we do. Considering all my friends whose parents abandoned them ended up dead, I have rather strong feelings on this point. Anchors.
(3) Third and most selfishly, if we wait 'til retirement we can keep the Albany house as a permanent U.S. residence, getting us legal Social Security and Impus Minor a place to live. As I mentioned, that boosts our income by nearly $100k, plus 10 years is enough to double our retirement savings, setting us up for a very comfortable retirement where we can travel the world. Abandoning everything leaves Impus Minor homeless and us trying to live in Europe on around $60k/year gross. I am well aware that many people make do with much less than that, but a conscious decision to abandon a comfortable retirement because we don't like the current administration seems rash, to put it mildly.
At the moment I'm monitoring what's actually happening rather than what the idiots in charge claim they're going to do, and I'm comfortable waiting and seeing. Ask me in 4 years whether I chose wisely.
