Kidlit
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Posts posted by Kidlit
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39 minutes ago, Halftime Hope said:
My pity party is that I'm so burned out from, everything, that I have zero executive function. All the hard things, and even the easy joyful things, are just too much. As an example, I love to garden and this year, even with a new, beautiful raised bed, I haven't done much at all.
I've just come off an exhausting year (I worked through a year-long presidential transition and inauguration at a university, and as the EA to the two presidents, the inauguration fell primarily to me and another vp), followed by a layoff 3 months later (4 support staff laid of in a financial crisis) and an exhausting job search (3.5 months), and I'm heavier and less motivated than ever. And our weather is such that being outdoors is difficult.
I'm in a new job where everything is detailed and technical--yesterday I taught myself how to find something by process of elimination in Access, for crying out loud, and then to take what I found there and cross-reference it with several other documents to get the composite of what I needed.
I have no idea where to find things or even that something is there (that it exists), and not a whole lot of leadership on how to do stuff, even though my boss is trying, so it feels like all day I'm floundering. And things I should be able to easily do--I'm having to fight for--because IT and HR didn't get my permissions properly enabled, and on and on. (If I hadn't raised a ruckus yesterday, 19 people wouldn't have had their timecards approved.)
Oof...all my best energy and creativity and problem-solving is being used at work, and that's not fair to my family.
Any idea how to recover energy and kick back in the ability to do hard things would be much appreciated!
I relate to this, too. I'm at a smallish library so I wear a lot of hats. Chain of command isn't well defined. It's a lot. It's also by nature a creative job (my actual job description), which I love, but it's hard to have any oomph for much else.
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5 minutes ago, wintermom said:
ISBN 978-1-77214-195-5
The publisher is Anvil Press // Vancouver
What trade is your friend exploring/entering? Has she chosen one yet?
I'm not sure what the official title is, but she trained as a welder. She works in maintenance at an aluminum plant.
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8 minutes ago, Mrs Tiggywinkle Again said:
I’ll join.
I switched jobs in early April. I went knowing the schedule(24 on/24 off/24 on/24 off/24 on/4 days off) was not my preferred schedule. I was unprepared for how much I’d really hate it. I came from a perfect for me schedule and nearly unlimited time off to this schedule and a struggle to get time off due to lack of staff. There has also been an increase in stress and workload that I did not expect. Fortunately the pay is commensurate with the stress level.
Old job unfortunately was also toxic, did not respect me, and I disliked most of the coworkers, so going back is not an option. Part time is not an option. But a lot of the stress is stemming from having two more than full time working parents.
I am so stressed that I wound up in the ER a few nights ago getting IV abx for an overwhelming infection. My body and mind are so stressed it couldn’t fight it off alone.
At least this collaborative pity party makes me feel less alone.
I know without a doubt my job isn't in the same universe as far as stress goes as yours, but I do relate to the unexpected dislike of the schedule and especially to the bolded.
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Mostly I just don't worry about it, but I'm not exactly fastidious about most things related to dress and appearance.
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11 minutes ago, wintermom said:
It can be a really tough lifestyle, but some women really thrive and enjoy it. From what I've witnessed, though multiple interviews, focus groups and conferences, networking and getting support from other women in the trades is really important, as is support from male colleagues and those in leadership positions. Hope she enjoys the book! I can provide the ISBN number and publisher if that would be helpful.
Yes, please!
My friend is a former homeschool mom who is just such a hard, dedicated worker. She went back to school for her trade when she was nearing the end of her homeschool journey.
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Just now, KungFuPanda said:
Y’all need a visual. The photo doesn’t do it justice. The pile is up to my shoulders.
Hire the crew!!
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2 minutes ago, KungFuPanda said:
They need to be moved from the driveway to the gardens in the back yard and front yard. Theoretically I could just push the whole pile off the driveway to the side where no garden currently exists. This would buy me some time and allow us to use the driveway. I may just end up hiring the guys at work to do it. I work at a landscaping company and the crew could have this all moved and spread out in less than a day. My free chips would cost me a couple hundred dollars but I might have to buy my way out of this situation to save my sanity.
That sounds like an excellent plan to me. ((((Hugs))))
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Just now, mommyoffive said:
@KungFuPanda Thinking of you. I wish I lived closer, the kids and I would come and spread the chips and get the job done so you wouldn't have to.
I wish we could call a work day at @KungFuPanda's house--just show up and get it done!
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Oh, @KungFuPanda--that is a lot on top of TOO MUCH. I'm so sorry.
Do the chips "just" need spreading, or do they also have to be moved?
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Thanks, @Scarlett. That's 100% dh's goal, but I'm conflicted because I have the possibility of advancing professionally in the next few years, and I'm already anticipating a hard choice. But--none of that helps the here and now. Ha!
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If it doesn't have to be romance (somehow that's what I assume when I hear "summer read"), I loved The Homecoming, Kate Morton's latest. It's a mystery with many plot twists right up until the end.
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Just now, Scarlett said:
Why are you working?
4 kids, two of which are semi-independent in college, but whew! Even public school is expensive these days!
My working allows us to afford certain things (like travel) that we couldn't otherwise.
I enjoy my job enough to be VERY conflicted over the possibility of quitting in the future once dh is settled in the new position, though with his travel, I might have to.
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For color correcting I like MAC paint pot eye shadow/primer in the shade painterly.
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please don't quote. I might regret this and delete later. 🤣
BYOS= bring your own sad
here's my sad:
I need someone to mother ME. I feel rotten these days (low iron, lingering foot issues, perimenopausal stuff, YUCK). It has taken a real toll on me. I also switched jobs from teaching, expecting my life to get more manageable, but it turns out that 40 hours (down from the 50 or so I worked teaching on average each week) is still a lot of time out of the house. This is the first summer I've worked since I was in college nearly 30 years ago. Dh recently retired with the intention of continuing to work but something outside of his career field that would hopefully give him a bit of flexibility and lighten his load enough that HE could be more present at home. Well, he was offered a FT job not even a month into retirement that is similar to the one he spent a huge majority of his career in. IT IS A BLESSING TO HAVE THIS JOB, and I definitely know that. BUT--it still feels like the scenario isn't playing out the way I envisioned. Life is still super busy, I feel bad, and meanwhile I hardly have the downtime to make our lives better. And I need someone to take care of ME for just a little bit.
so what's the theme of your pity party? And if you have any {gentle} advice for me, I'll consider it. 😉
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4 hours ago, wintermom said:
I usually re-read my old, well loved books because I'll go crazy with all-night reading sessions when I read a new, exciting book. Well I got a free book at a conference I attend on the weekend, and it's amazing! I'm so exhausted because I've been up reading late two nights in a row. It's a pretty long book, so I think I have possibly two more nights of no sleep before I finish.
The book is called, "Thick Skin: Field Notes from a sister in the brotherhood," by Hilary Peach. She is a welder in the boilermaker trade union (called the Brotherhood of Boilermakers). Her stories of being the lone woman on jobsites in Canada and the US practicing her highly skilled trade are funny, eye-opening, and so interesting to read! I work with organizations promoting the construction trades to equity serving groups, such as women, and I've heard a lot of stories, but none with this detail and humour. I'm laughing and almost in tears many times in this book.
I'd highly recommend the book if you're interested, your daughter, niece, friend's daughter are interested in pursuing a construction trade. It's also a really neat read for no other reason than curiosity about the skilled trades, trade unions, and what boilermakers and welders do and what cool things they can make.
Recommending this to my dear friend, a woman who works in a skilled trade
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11 minutes ago, 4kidlets4me said:
Yes! It's huge and very active. We also have a county library and they also have a huge friends group. We are also a UNESCO City of Literature so I'm sure that helps bring prominent authors here as well.
Off to Google!
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12 minutes ago, 4kidlets4me said:
Right! I'm always surprised by how many big name authors come here. My bookstore is hosting Colson Whitehead next month! Tickets are only $35 and include a signed copy of his new book.
Wow! Does your library have a large and active friends group? (I don't know if that's what it's called everywhere--basically an organization that fundraisers and supports the library outside of city and state funding.)
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1 hour ago, 4kidlets4me said:
I'm in the Seattle area and we have something called Seattle Arts & Lectures, they host authors to talk about their books. The library is giving away 3 subscriptions to their 2023/24 season. The authors for the season include Barbara Kingsolver, Ann Patchett, Rick Riordan, Mary Beard and a couple of others. Each talk includes a copy of the book they are discussing, mailed to you from one of our independent bookstores. It's like a $400 value and I would love it.
Wow! That's quite a prize!!!! I'm a public librarian and I can't even imagine how much the speaker fees for those authors would be! I'd love to meet Kingsolver in particular.
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33 minutes ago, heartlikealion said:
Those of you that went with minimalist shoes… was your main issue heel pain or what??
Mine is a tight fascia that hurts my arch.
Honestly, my foot pain was such that it didn't matter too much which shoes I was wearing, my feet (mostly heels) hurt, and like @Jean in Newcastle, I was very "stove up" for the first 5 min or so after standing from sitting for any length of time. The biggest difference for me is a sense of stability and "groundedness" the minimalist shoes offer. I will say, too, that this is probably helped by the fact that Altras aren't completely cushionless, and that probably helped the transition. It's that wide toe box, though, that makes the difference--toe splay is everything!
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On 6/3/2023 at 12:53 PM, Jean in Newcastle said:
Just thought that I'd throw out a counterintuitive suggestion for PF. I have found my only real relief to be from minimalist shoes. I recommend Xeros shoes. (I have only tried their Women's prios, so have no other recommendations for kinds of shoes.) Their website has a video explaining the science etc. behind going the opposite direction from orthotics. (BTW - I had custom made orthotics, Superfeet, etc. and Xeros has helped me in a way that those did not.) But. . . as with anything to do with bodies, YMMV.
Chiming in here to say I've had a similar experience. After years of babying my feet with Hokas and other highly cushioned shoes, I started wearing Altras (not exactly minimalist but almost) and they helped more than anything else. The foot needs to be strengthened and stabilized.
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40 minutes ago, HomeAgain said:
You know what I did find? Crocs. Not the ugly ones. 😄 They make a range of sandals that fit pretty well for everyday use.
I also have a couple of pairs of Crocs platform-style sandals. They're comfy!
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6 minutes ago, GailV said:
Soil: The Story of a Black Mother's Garden by Camille T. Dungy. I requested it as soon as I heard that the author had dug up part of her lawn to plant native species. The author "recounts the seven-year odyssey to diversify her garden in the predominately white community of Fort Collins, Colorado." Plants, history, race, environmental justice, memoir, poetry, fauna ... inclusion.
I am very glad I read it. I'd like to read more by this author.
I need to read this!
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On 6/12/2023 at 5:28 PM, Melissa Louise said:
I wonder:
For those of you who don't worry about it, because everything turned out well anyway, can you trace a series of factors that got you there? Personality, background, choices?
My life hasn't been perfect or necessarily even ideal at times, but we've weathered a few storms and haven't sunk. I do attribute that to a stable home life as a child and also marrying well--someone whose temperament complements mine and who is just a good man who is a hard worker and good at what he does. Marrying well (not necessarily financially--just NOT having a mismatched marriage) can't be over estimated.
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I have a friend who just started an interior design business (her degree is in interior design). I actually paid her to come help me figure out some things about our new-to-us house when we first moved in and before she started her actual business. Before she did that, she worked for a bath/kitchen supply store (where contractors and folks building new homes, plus those with plumbing needs, might go) that had a showroom. I'm pretty sure her job involved helping people with kitchen and bath layouts, etc. I'm not sure how this actually worked--like I'm pretty sure she only helped their customers--but the fact that she is an actual interior designer who later went on to start her own business makes me wonder if other such places have people like that on staff.
I know that's a ramble, but maybe it will spark and idea.
(so sorry about you dh!)
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I'm throwing a pity party--wanna come? BYOS
in The Chat Board
Posted
Hosting my family here and also going out of town tomorrow so I also need to pack in addition to cook and clean (ish). The excitement never ends!