As most of you have probably figured out, I have come to dread going in to my job. Sometimes because of the customers, but mostly because of the boss.
See, my boss is a brand new manager. He claims he ran a dry cleaning business for umpteen years and managed his people just fine, which may be true. He also may have employed only horsewhipped lick-spittle submissive puppies, because that seems to be what he wants.
Last night I walked into work to find the fourth... yes, I said fourth... instance of his addressing a putative issue in a public note for all employees to read instead of with me. Never saying anything actually about anyone, or using names, this coward avoids confrontation and (he thinks) maintains plausible deniability by fuming and bitching to other employees until he just can't take it any more, at which point he posts a snarky little note in an attempt to cow the "problem" employee into proper submissive behavior.
The first of these notes was shortly after I had posted my required time off for Farmmom's knee surgery and the subsequent follow up visits. It was something along the lines of the first time off request in a month, you get, the second if possible, and the third was a coin flip.
I promptly went to him and told him that mom had doctors appointments every time I had requested time off, and if he couldn't manage to give me those days off, I'd find other employment that actually, you know, had a heart.
He assured me that it was to "head off at the pass" everyone asking for every weekend off, etc. Nevermind that nothing of the sort had happened.
Last night it was concerning breaks. Now, looking at Colorado labor laws which have changed since the last time I looked at them, he's within his rights to limit smoke breaks to five minutes every two hours, considering the break requirement is ten minutes every four. However.
The addendum, in red ink when the rest of the note was in black, of "not a reading session" just corked me right off. Number one, he can't tell me what to do on my break. He can limit the time and frequency within law, surely. He can, legally, require me to stay on the business property during said break, unless it's a lunch break. He cannot tell me I can't read a book.
My dilemma now is whether to finish writing this official resignation letter to be forwarded to his direct boss and corporate headquarters detailing ALL of the straws that broke this particular camel's back, and slap him in the face with it, which is guaranteed to cause a scene, or simply go in, verbally give my two week's notice, citing the note posting and other reasons, in private, minimizing hullabaloo and sending my letter to corporate detailing what I feel to be his failures as a manager quietly.
Given these failures include causing my broken rib, refusing to answer my attempts to contact him after said broken rib, and taking an hour and a half to get into the store when a *customer* finally got a response out of him so that I could go to the ER, I'm not letting them lay. I've discussed that incident with his immediate boss, but corporate should know about it I think. Especially given that I didn't report the rib to workman's comp, when I could have, in an effort to be a good employee and save the company money etc.
I'm probably going to go the second route, because as much as I'd like to detail his ancestry, personal grooming habits, fondness for touching female employees in a familiar manner (not quite jumping the border into inappropriate) and complete lack of managerial skill, I do not want to be the chick that caused that scene at the stop-n-rob.
Besides, most of my night time regulars already know what's been going down. A lot of them because they asked me why I had a maniacal grin on my face last night, having made the decision to tender my resignation about five seconds after seeing that note.
Off to get dressed (for riding, because I have shit to do today before work, if he doesn't tell me not to bother coming in tonight) and go speak to the soon-to-be-former boss. Since I've been firmly controlling my urges to tell him to go piss up a rope in an effort to go along to get along because of various circumstances outside his control, he hasn't dealt with that facet of my personality yet.
This... should be interesting.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Welfare Mentality
The first ten days of the month are hell. That's when everybody gets their foodstamp money. See, Colorado came up with this idea that rather than have everybody get their money at once, they'd spread it out over the first week of the month. Whatever the last digit of your social security number is, that's the day you get your deposit. And I detest this portion of the month working where I do.
Don't get me wrong here, I'm glad there are programs out there for the people who are honestly struggling to support their families. I'm glad that the single mother who was widowed after the birth of her third child has a way to get assistance.
However. I am sick to death of seeing people come in my store and buy thirty dollars worth of junk food on food stamps. Their children are badly behaved, unkempt, and frankly they smell.
And, if you're doing your grocery shopping at a convenience store, you're doing it wrong. Sure, we carry staples like flour, sugar, bread, etc. But if you're feeding your children entirely out of a c-store, paying our prices for lunchables and junk, you are flat ass doing it wrong.
Oh, and when I see you buy thirty dollars worth of soda and candy on the gubmint card, then whip out a hundred dollar bill to buy name brand cigarettes? You automatically lose any respect I may have had for you.
Stop feeding your children junk. Stop sending your children into my store with the card. Stop abusing the system because you don't feel like paying for your own shit.
You! Yes, you, with five hundred dollars in food stamps and a brand new SUV. Get the fuck off my lawn and out of my paycheck, I'm sick of supporting your chocolate and soda habit you overweight entitlement whore.
I'm sorry, did that come across a little bitter?
Don't get me wrong here, I'm glad there are programs out there for the people who are honestly struggling to support their families. I'm glad that the single mother who was widowed after the birth of her third child has a way to get assistance.
However. I am sick to death of seeing people come in my store and buy thirty dollars worth of junk food on food stamps. Their children are badly behaved, unkempt, and frankly they smell.
And, if you're doing your grocery shopping at a convenience store, you're doing it wrong. Sure, we carry staples like flour, sugar, bread, etc. But if you're feeding your children entirely out of a c-store, paying our prices for lunchables and junk, you are flat ass doing it wrong.
Oh, and when I see you buy thirty dollars worth of soda and candy on the gubmint card, then whip out a hundred dollar bill to buy name brand cigarettes? You automatically lose any respect I may have had for you.
Stop feeding your children junk. Stop sending your children into my store with the card. Stop abusing the system because you don't feel like paying for your own shit.
You! Yes, you, with five hundred dollars in food stamps and a brand new SUV. Get the fuck off my lawn and out of my paycheck, I'm sick of supporting your chocolate and soda habit you overweight entitlement whore.
I'm sorry, did that come across a little bitter?
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
EHV:1
Gotten a few questions about my last post, so here's the quick and dirty skinny:
EHV is Equine Herpes Virus. There are four ways it can hit but the main two are usually a version that causes spontaneous abortion in mares and a respiratory version.
Unfortunately one of the other versions creeps into the spinal fluid and brain and causes a severe infection, a myeloencephalopathy. They call this version EHM.
No one knows why any one horse gets EHM or why one strain of the virus is more likely to hit as EHM. All they know is when it does, you're pretty much screwed. Your horse's brain and spine will become inflamed, blood vessels swell, and it can just flat out lose the ability to stand. Once that point is reached there's really not a lot to do other than to put the horse down: chances are the damage is done and it'll never stand again.
To top off this big birthday cake of suck, the mutation in the virus's DNA that allows it to enter the nervous system (and they've only found one in comparative DNA analysis) also causes more shedding of the virus: the version that creeps into the brain is the version that is the MOST contagious.
This outbreak started at a cutting competition in Ogden Utah. So far Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico and Utah are tied for fatalities with two each, and Arizona, California, and Oregon following with one each. Confirmed cases numbers are far wider spread, and the associated deaths are higher as well, as not everyone reporting a case has a vet run the test before they euthanize.
So far the stats I found (read, the first place I pulled up, which is tagged as of 5/25/11) are reporting 35 horses from the Ogden event with EHV:1, 25 with EHM, and 9 total deaths related, suspect or confirmed.
That's primary exposure. All those horses left that event and went other places. Secondary and tertiary exposure stats stand so:
14 EHV:1, 3 EHM, 2 deaths related, suspect or confirmed.
The stats I quoted earlier on the state by state death count were slightly more recent, as of 5/27.
The scary part of this is, even if they manage to quarantine all of the effected horses, this virus is a lot like Parvo in dogs: the virus can live on surfaces for a period of time and in fabrics and woods for a longer period of time. Contaminated tack, buckets, clothes, blankets, stalls, all of those can infect another horse. I'm not sure about the time period but I sure as hell wouldn't put any of that stuff near another horse without a good disinfecting.
The current on-the-market vaccinations for EHV:1 may or may not protect a horse against EHM. They just don't know. None of the current vaccines claim any efficacy against the neurologic strain, but even the "normal" virus is nasty enough to be worth vaccinating against.
Events have been postponed or canceled in order to try to control the outbreak and minimize exposure, horse owners are being advised to keep their horses home and isolated, monitor temperature and nasal discharge if they may have been exposed, and generally just use caution until the outbreak is contained.
Some reports I've gotten from friends, who got them from friends, say that it takes about eight hours from a horse showing neurological symptoms for it to lose the ability to walk and or just fall over dead.
If ya'll have more questions by all means ask and I'll dig up answers if I can, but right now it's late and I'm tired and going to bed.
EHV is Equine Herpes Virus. There are four ways it can hit but the main two are usually a version that causes spontaneous abortion in mares and a respiratory version.
Unfortunately one of the other versions creeps into the spinal fluid and brain and causes a severe infection, a myeloencephalopathy. They call this version EHM.
No one knows why any one horse gets EHM or why one strain of the virus is more likely to hit as EHM. All they know is when it does, you're pretty much screwed. Your horse's brain and spine will become inflamed, blood vessels swell, and it can just flat out lose the ability to stand. Once that point is reached there's really not a lot to do other than to put the horse down: chances are the damage is done and it'll never stand again.
To top off this big birthday cake of suck, the mutation in the virus's DNA that allows it to enter the nervous system (and they've only found one in comparative DNA analysis) also causes more shedding of the virus: the version that creeps into the brain is the version that is the MOST contagious.
This outbreak started at a cutting competition in Ogden Utah. So far Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico and Utah are tied for fatalities with two each, and Arizona, California, and Oregon following with one each. Confirmed cases numbers are far wider spread, and the associated deaths are higher as well, as not everyone reporting a case has a vet run the test before they euthanize.
So far the stats I found (read, the first place I pulled up, which is tagged as of 5/25/11) are reporting 35 horses from the Ogden event with EHV:1, 25 with EHM, and 9 total deaths related, suspect or confirmed.
That's primary exposure. All those horses left that event and went other places. Secondary and tertiary exposure stats stand so:
14 EHV:1, 3 EHM, 2 deaths related, suspect or confirmed.
The stats I quoted earlier on the state by state death count were slightly more recent, as of 5/27.
The scary part of this is, even if they manage to quarantine all of the effected horses, this virus is a lot like Parvo in dogs: the virus can live on surfaces for a period of time and in fabrics and woods for a longer period of time. Contaminated tack, buckets, clothes, blankets, stalls, all of those can infect another horse. I'm not sure about the time period but I sure as hell wouldn't put any of that stuff near another horse without a good disinfecting.
The current on-the-market vaccinations for EHV:1 may or may not protect a horse against EHM. They just don't know. None of the current vaccines claim any efficacy against the neurologic strain, but even the "normal" virus is nasty enough to be worth vaccinating against.
Events have been postponed or canceled in order to try to control the outbreak and minimize exposure, horse owners are being advised to keep their horses home and isolated, monitor temperature and nasal discharge if they may have been exposed, and generally just use caution until the outbreak is contained.
Some reports I've gotten from friends, who got them from friends, say that it takes about eight hours from a horse showing neurological symptoms for it to lose the ability to walk and or just fall over dead.
If ya'll have more questions by all means ask and I'll dig up answers if I can, but right now it's late and I'm tired and going to bed.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Equine PSA
Sorry for the dearth of posting guys, things have been hectic without many of the entertaining moments that would create blogfodder.
However, at the moment I feel like I should do a PSA for anyone who hasn't heard about this yet:
There is a variant on EHV:1 going around, it's hit an Ogden Utah event and a few others that I know of, and it's bad folks. Instances of the neurological symptoms are high and on average horses are reportedly dying within eight hours of displaying the neuro symptoms. If you travel with your horses, if your horses aren't vaccinated against EHV:1, hit your vet up for the shot. If they've traveled in the middle of the country recently, get em tested.
Several events in my area and potential range of travel for breeders and shows have been canceled or rescheduled.
My horses will be staying quite firmly home until this outbreak dies down. Nobody here but us chickens on our place, so the chances of picking up the infection are slim to none, and not even good friends are gonna borrow pasture/pen space without an all clear from the vet.
This ain't no joke, folks.
However, at the moment I feel like I should do a PSA for anyone who hasn't heard about this yet:
There is a variant on EHV:1 going around, it's hit an Ogden Utah event and a few others that I know of, and it's bad folks. Instances of the neurological symptoms are high and on average horses are reportedly dying within eight hours of displaying the neuro symptoms. If you travel with your horses, if your horses aren't vaccinated against EHV:1, hit your vet up for the shot. If they've traveled in the middle of the country recently, get em tested.
Several events in my area and potential range of travel for breeders and shows have been canceled or rescheduled.
My horses will be staying quite firmly home until this outbreak dies down. Nobody here but us chickens on our place, so the chances of picking up the infection are slim to none, and not even good friends are gonna borrow pasture/pen space without an all clear from the vet.
This ain't no joke, folks.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
My Feet Won't Like It
But may paycheck will.
Cow-orker called in sick tonight, which means that another clerk and I get to split her shift... I'm home to put my feet up for a couple hours after an eight hour shift, only to return and do another four.
My feet already hurt, and I've been up since seven thirty this morning. I think I'll make it all the way to my bed before I fall over tonight.
Maybe.
Cow-orker called in sick tonight, which means that another clerk and I get to split her shift... I'm home to put my feet up for a couple hours after an eight hour shift, only to return and do another four.
My feet already hurt, and I've been up since seven thirty this morning. I think I'll make it all the way to my bed before I fall over tonight.
Maybe.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Ahhhh
So, I haven't ridden since late last fall. First, it was winter, and I'm a weenie. Then things were hectic enough that I just didn't have time.
Then I broke my rib and I had tons of time... and couldn't ride. It was driving me batty. So when mom told me we needed to move cows, I practically did a happy dance.
Since I'm back on regular schedule at work as of tomorrow, it was the perfect excuse to go ride before I run out of time again.
Of course... I haven't ridden since last fall, so all of my cowgirl callouses have... well... vanished.
And, the move was seven miles, but I'll bet Rebel and I did ten, what with all the back and forthing and circling to keep pushing everybody along in between wheat fields just full of juicy green stuff we had to keep them from nomming on too much.
So, I'm sore. My seat bones hurt. The insides of my knees feel like hamburger. My abs ache. I'm reminded quite vividly that I haven't been to the chiropractor since the accident and my back isn't exactly the way it's supposed to be. Plus, I got a nice sunburn.
Damn, I feel good!
Of course, I probably won't say that after work tomorrow, since it'll be the first shift over four hours that I've done in over a month, and I'll probably be walking like an old lady, but still... damn I feel good.
Then I broke my rib and I had tons of time... and couldn't ride. It was driving me batty. So when mom told me we needed to move cows, I practically did a happy dance.
Since I'm back on regular schedule at work as of tomorrow, it was the perfect excuse to go ride before I run out of time again.
Of course... I haven't ridden since last fall, so all of my cowgirl callouses have... well... vanished.
And, the move was seven miles, but I'll bet Rebel and I did ten, what with all the back and forthing and circling to keep pushing everybody along in between wheat fields just full of juicy green stuff we had to keep them from nomming on too much.
So, I'm sore. My seat bones hurt. The insides of my knees feel like hamburger. My abs ache. I'm reminded quite vividly that I haven't been to the chiropractor since the accident and my back isn't exactly the way it's supposed to be. Plus, I got a nice sunburn.
Damn, I feel good!
Of course, I probably won't say that after work tomorrow, since it'll be the first shift over four hours that I've done in over a month, and I'll probably be walking like an old lady, but still... damn I feel good.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
He Never Should Have Taught Me That Rule....
DM and I were talking earlier tonight and had the following conversation:
DM: New Rule, which I just made up, can't let it pass the morning. No smothering me the next night.
Me: New Rule, which I just made up, you don't get to make up rules.
DM: Bollucks. How does that work?
Me: Cause I blamed you first.
DM: That rule sucks, or blows, or something.
DM: New Rule, which I just made up, can't let it pass the morning. No smothering me the next night.
Me: New Rule, which I just made up, you don't get to make up rules.
DM: Bollucks. How does that work?
Me: Cause I blamed you first.
DM: That rule sucks, or blows, or something.
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