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Omg. Peggy. I am so sorry that happened to your sister, and that your family had to deal with that. It’s awful. I think going into 2021, there were some new transparency laws for healthcare systems that went into effect that compelled hospitals to make public costs and almost all were like, nah, we’d rather not. And then they simply didn’t, and somehow that’s okay.
Even my appendicitis — one of the most common surgeries out there — was a six-figure ordeal. I don’t know what I’d have done if I hadn’t had good insurance.
I’m back from my trip and had a great time. The solo portion was fun, but different. I loved doing what I wanted when I wanted. I was seated fairly quickly at a couple popular restaurants — including a Michelin-starred one — because I was alone. It’s also a confidence boost to navigate a new city alone on public transit. I wouldn’t say I felt lonely, but it was different to not have anyone to share the experiences with.
I logged into work pretty early today on account of the jet lag and I’m already enraged, haha. Currently trying to stand my ground over a deadline that was moved up a week while I was OOO, which wouldn’t be a problem if the manager moving the deadline up had communicated things to me properly earlier this month. I even sent an email about something I needed from him a couple weeks ago and received no response!
I’m creeping up on the end of the Ireland portion of my trip. I’ve had a great time! My friend’s wedding was SO much fun. I’ve loved being able to experience new wedding traditions. There were a couple that I found funny, like they sit on the floor in a line to do a “dance” to the song Rock the Boat. (I’ve never seen the show Derry Girls, but I guess this happens on the show and it’s a real thing. Should the show also show men rolling up their pant legs and tying their ties around their heads at weddings, that is also a real thing.) It made me LOL. But my favorite was that the night ends with everyone singing together. We left and 3 a.m. and the party kept going for a couple more hours.
The solo-ish portion of my trip begins tomorrow. Curious how that will be! I have my own hotel room tonight and after a handful of days of nonstop companionship/getting around in a duo or small groups, I am happy to have some time and space to myself. A little nervous TBH!
@ktfran re: hospital procedure costs. I had an endoscopy maybe two months ago. Even with insurance, the cost was still stupid expensive. Our reimbursement plan that works in conjunction with our insurance plan covered most but not all of that cost. And it was frustrating because I was able to get a diagnosis for an issue that has been ongoing/worsening for years, but there’s no real treatment offered outside of medication. So the diagnosis almost feels irrelevant and like I paid NWM to tell me, “This is what’s wrong with you… good luck with that!”
@Anon Hope you’re improving! I’ve had a few surgeries and every last one has freaked me out. The head surgeon is who I’d want working on me!!
It’s a fun tradition. I can’t go every year because I don’t live in the area — for the family that never left the west coast, it’s a few hours away by car — but I love when I’m able to make it happen. We went last September and it was so fun to take my boyfriend, but it’s just not the same in September. The waterfalls were mostly dried up and last year it was really hazy from wildfires. A big handful of my cousins have started their own families in the past few years and we think it’d be fun to introduce the “next generation” to the tradition.
My boss is out until next Wednesday, by which time I’m on vacation. So – that conversation will be pushed out until, at earliest, the last Friday of the month. I was asked for feedback from a different high-level director and have at least been able to express that communication and scheduling need improvement.
My dad’s side of the family does a camping trip every year in a national park near them. It’s my favorite tradition, my family has been doing this for over 100 years at this point (which seems crazy!?). I’ve been up since about 5:30 refreshing the reservation page because you have to book 366 days out to get a spot at the campsite we always go to. They release availability at random, and they get scooped up immediately. We used to go every June, but when reservations switched from phone to online, it made getting a June spot insanely difficult, so for the past handful of years, we’ve been going in September. But there’s been a push to see if we can reclaim June, so a handful of us are fighting the good fight hitting the refresh button over and over again this morning.
ETA: We were too slow this morning. I made it to the final page of checkout but was not fast enough to hit “complete transaction,” I guess.
I do feel like I have to rush through my work to deal with other stuff, at least some of the time. When we were short staffed, fine. While new staff was being onboarded, fine. Now? It doesn’t feel fine anymore. My boss and I have even had discussions in the past about offloading some of what he manages onto me, which I’d like since it’d be growing my own skillset within my dept! I don’t think my boss realizes how frustrated I am. We’ve talked about it before but that was several months ago, when staffing was still an issue. IDK if it’s better for him to talk to the other dept about wtf is going on or if I should do it. I’d be fine advocating for myself directly. I almost said something to the manager who was in charge of the master schedule of the clusterfuck this morning when we were alone at one point, but didn’t think it was the right time or place. I did point out that there was no reason for me to stick around this a.m. if there was nothing for me to do, and I didn’t even say it in a blame-y way, but he got a little defensive. His response made no sense, it felt like he was trying to tell me I’d misunderstood something, but I know I didn’t. I’m trying to give him some grace because I know he’s relatively new, it’s a lot to organize and manage, blah blah blah. I just… shouldn’t have had to be there in the capacity I was there this weekend. It wasn’t a good use of my time and I kept having to find quiet spaces to get my own work done.
@ejor344 Hi! I love when lurkers chime in. I like that the Dakota backpack comes in a few sizes.
Follow-up rant: I got home from my conference this morning. I should’ve been able to leave yesterday afternoon at 2 the way things shook out. I only stayed the final night because I was on the schedule early this a.m. Well, I get downstairs first and everything the room the day starts in was locked. I was early, so that’s fine. I went and grabbed a coffee. By the time I got back — still early — someone else had already taken over what I was assigned to do because she felt like it should’ve been her job and wanted to do it. Which in theory yes, but we had assignments. I hope there is a postmortem scheduled. I have so much feedback. I’m also debating if I talk to my boss about my growing discomfort around how much I’m still supporting this other department this week or if I wait for my review in a few weeks. I’m frustrated.
I sweat no matter what in the summer. Sometimes when I’m on the el specifically (buses are fine, but I don’t take them as much anymore), it can get so crowded on hot summer days that I can feel the sweat dripping down my back even when my bag is off my shoulder or back.
Quick rant: I’m currently at a conference. My company hosts two every year. Well, the department that’s tasked with putting this whole thing on is the department that has had 100% turnover as of last year. So it’s a new group in charge. This is probably my ninth time working/attending the conference, and it’s a cluster so far. Key details haven’t been communicated, staffing assignments don’t make sense (I’m STILL doing stuff that’s not my job even though the responsible department is now fully staffed and has been for a few months). I was on the fence about staying at the hotel, which is an option to us, when I live in the same city, but when I saw I was scheduled to be here early tomorrow AND Saturday for meetings that have nothing to do with me… I said yep, I’ll take a room and some free meals, I don’t want to be on the el by 6:30.
Yeah, I’ve thought about doing that. I’ve been selling things on Poshmark for a couple years, so I already have a place to list it. I wanted the holiday sale price! I check the website from time to time to see if I can get a better deal on the one I wanted. I have a couple Lo & Sons bags (the OMG, which seems to not exist anymore, and a weekender bag) and the prices have definitely gone up since my last purchase 5-6 years ago.
I wanted the Rowledge! I asked for a backpack for Christmas. All the Lo & Sons bags were on sale, and I told my mom and sister that I’d pay for a chunk of the backpack if they got me that one because it still wasn’t cheap. They got me the smaller, cheaper one. It’s still a nice bag, but it’s like playing Tetris to get all my stuff for a workday in there. And if I want to bring a book with me, I have to put my lunch in a separate bag (not a huge deal, I just don’t like toting multiple bags with me on the el if I can help it).
I only have to wear the retainer at night! But yes, I know that part will be for life. My sister did one of the alternative brands to Invisalign to close the gap between her two front teeth, but then didn’t wear her retainers. So the gap is back! Won’t be making her mistake. I got used to having those trays in, but what a pain to have to slip them in and out at work or when I’m around people. My jaws no longer pop out of place, so well worth the hassle and a relatively short treatment all things considered.
I have a Lo & Sons backpack. It was gifted to me for Christmas from my mom and sister. I have this one: https://www.loandsons.com/products/beacon-nylon-black-gold-lavender. I wish it was bigger, but it fits my work laptop (a MacBook Pro) perfectly in the back compartment. I can also squeeze in my notebook, a change of clothes for the gym, and lunch. It’s a tight squeeze, though. Before using a backpack, I was a tote or shoulder bag person, but I commute by foot and it hurt my back.
I’ve had so much fun at the two desi weddings I’ve been to! The most recent one was this past winter at a resort in Mexico. At the ceremony, the processional route to the terrace was past one of the pool areas and it made me LOL that randos in swimsuits were stopping to watch and take pics. If you go the western style route, colorful seems to be the way to go. If you choose to wear something traditional, highly recommend Etsy! I wore this to one of the events and loved wearing it: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1226322658/teal-blue-lehenga-choli-for-women?ref=yr_purchases. (My review is the one from Feb.!) That seller was so fast and so much more affordable than retailers in my city. My only gripe was that I sent them my measurements but it wasn’t quite the right fit, so I still had to get some last minute alterations to make it work.
I fly out on an overnight flight and will be in Ireland the 21-25, then head to London early on the 26 through the 29. Work is going to kinda rough leaving up to my trip, but it’ll be worth it.
I didn’t see anyone heading to TSwift, but I’m sure that’d be quite the sight. I’m not a Swiftie so had no real desire to try to get tickets, but I’d have gone had one been offered to me at a reasonable price. I’d have had a lot of fun with an outfit. One of my friends is in an LDR, her bf is still is Boston, and they went together there. I guess it was a show where it poured rain and she had to wear a poncho over a blazer she’d spent a lot of time bejeweling herself.
Also! I’ve been doing Invisalign since last October. My teeth have never been super crooked, but I have alignment issues that went unaddressed as a kid that worsened as an adult. Today is my final appointment and I should be able to pick up my retainer in a couple weeks. I’m excited to be done.
