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The Brains of This Outfit

I barely got a wink last night, but that was probably also the only reason it wasn’t too hard to get out of bed when my alarm went off. I made it in to work a few minutes early and got settled in. Gary was out sick, so I kept up with things in the office. Greg came back after receiving a negative COVID test, but his daughter never actually tested. I decided to run to Oakland for a bit to close out some tickets before making it back for lunch.

Zach really wanted CJ’s, which nobody else was really excited for, except Thomas. At least we got Zach to drive the five of us up there. I got plenty full and stuck around the office for the rest of the afternoon. Things got really quiet downstairs after Thomas and Zach went to the middle school to do some training. Tammy and I left just after quitting time and I headed home for the night.

Still full from lunch, I didn’t even make it to my parents’ house for more rolls. I just cleaned up a bit, both online and in one of the bedrooms. I even listed a single item on eBay – a TV remote for which I’ve never owned the TV. This is a gruelling process. Josue chatted me up later in the evening, starting the conversation with a picture of an old HP Touchpad I got him years ago. I still have a brand new one sealed in the shipping box under my desk. Evidently they’re still going for quite a bit on eBay. Who knows why.

eBay: where everything has value for some reason

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Track Your Time

I walked in to work this morning and immediately fielded two phone calls, which prompted me to create the Super Brody Tracker. Zach had joked that we should write tally marks every time he calls, so instead I built a spreadsheet for hilarity’s sake.

It was otherwise a pretty scattered morning, but I felt good about it. I closed some things, and helped with plenty of others. Summer wanted to join us for lunch, so five of us met her at Stoby’s. They were surprisingly busy and slow, and my burger was less good than usual, but the fries never disappoint.

After lunch, I got some slightly good news about my employment ordeal, but I’m still waiting for further instruction and to plead my case with anyone of consequence. Without any other drivers in my day, I continued on doing all of the things until quitting time.

I ran home to change, and almost immediately had to leave to get Eaddie’s karate gear out of Autumn’s car at the high school. Eaddie had gone to do homework with Maristella, so I had to then pick her up from their house before dropping her off at karate. From there, I met Summer at my parents’ house for spring rolls.

After we ate, I helped clean up and went outside for a little bit, then went on up to Summer’s for the evening. Eaddie spent the evening doing math homework while Summer went to bed. Autumn got home and pretty well went straight to bed herself. I wasn’t very tired after such long, good sleep last night, but I did my best not to stay up too late.

There’s no payback like no payback.

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Drowmn

I slept fairly well last night, but not enough. It made for a late start to the day, which had me worried in light of recent events, but it didn’t matter once I got rolling anyway. I spent the morning in my office being super scattered and struggling to accomplish anything of consequence. It reminded me of those giant jawbreakers that were popular when I was growing up. I think I still have mine somewhere, less than half eaten – or licked. I just have to pick one tiny thing and close it, then do the same to another, until eventually things calm down again.

Zach and Gary almost left me behind for lunch, but then came back to get me. We met Brody at Bocadillos for one of the cheapest lunch specials around. I went with three tacos and felt satisfied without overstuffing myself. When we got back to work, I loaded up and went to Oakland for the afternoon.

It was so hot and humid that I felt like I was drowning inside of my mask. The little face cup in my mask just kept condensing my breath, which dripped all over my mouth and made me miserable. I got as much done as I could, and made it back to the office late enough that even Thomas was leaving. I stayed long enough to close out my work orders, then went home for the night.

Eaddie had walked home from school, but left with Autumn shortly after I got there. I didn’t get up to much, but made some ramen for a light dinner, then went to bed really early.

And the spies came out of the water.

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Floored

Summer left this morning, giving me the day to take care of my own things at home. The afternoon just raced by, but I got some stuff moved around in one of the bedrooms. If I can get enough stuff cleared out, we can bring one of Eaddie’s twin beds down here so the girls can each stay in a bed of their own and not have to share. I found a few things I’d been wanting to track down, as well as a bunch of old gaming console accessories.

I went to my parents’ house for just a few minutes and had some dinner with Dad, then came back home to continue what little work I had done for the day. I sought out some advice about my employment contract, but didn’t get much out of it. I don’t guess I really expected much – at least not directly.

The evening flew by just as quickly as the rest of the day, and I did my best to get into bed early for what is surely to be another trying week at work.

The hunt is on.

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Buckets N Boards N Guitars N Ukuleles N Turtles

We lazed around a bit this morning before Summer went to the gym and then home to make mashed potatoes and Brussels sprouts. Eaddie and I watched some House until it was time for her to take off on her bicycle to meet us at my parents’ house. I ran by the shop because I thought Summer was going to be stuck there helping remove a drain plug, but she finished up just as I got there.

We dropped her car off at my house and then continued to my parents’ house for a late lunch. Eaddie showed up a few minutes later with her friend Aaron, but then went back out to ride bikes. Julie came to eat too, but just sat in the living room. It was like a mini Thanksgiving dinner, but with slightly less food and yelling. Eventually the kids showed back up and ate a little too, before taking off again.

Summer and I went for a little swim before we had to leave so she could change before the concert. She bought tickets for us all to see Buckets N Boards at the arts center. Autumn beat us there right after work, and my parents showed up just in time to find seats before the show. At first I was worried it was going to be more Buckets N Bored, but then they started roasting children. It was entertaining but long, with an intermission.

The girls wanted to go home after the show, so Summer let them go while we went back to my house for the night. She played games in bed while I messed around on the computer, and then it was a relatively early night to sleep.

There’s 1,440 hours in my day!

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Sandy Lines

Four of us immediately went to the junior high today to try and clean up the work orders that had been piling up due to the lack of a tech there. It was overall pretty quiet, and mostly a cluster of us all bumbling over each other, but we put a dent in them. Lunch time came around really quickly, and seven of us all met up at Mulan’s for lunch. Summer wanted to get lunch, but I was at the mercy of whoever would drive me, and she didn’t want anything that heavy.

We finished up at the junior high in the afternoon, and then came back to the shop to work on Central Office tickets that had piled up on Gary in the time he’s been pulled away to other things. It wouldn’t be this bad if we hadn’t restructured the department in the middle of already being super shorthanded. We just don’t have the people.

Shortly after I got settled into my office, I received an email from Rebecca stating very matter-of-factly that they had a new contract for me to sign, and that I would need to pay the district $558 due to a mistake that they had made. I knew how I wanted to reply, but Gary thought talking to Thomas first would be a good idea. I knew this was coming, but it didn’t get real until that moment, and I got pretty upset. He gave me what advice he could, and asked me not to take any action until he had a chance to go to Central Office on my behalf.

I spent the rest of the day writing a sort of memo of conversation to attach to the email I was forwarding to him, and thanking him for what he’s done in his short time here. I think I’ve been leading up to this for a long time. I just never could have imagined the district would initiate this conversation, especially in such a way that may possibly be more in my favor than not. All I know is that I’ve really enjoyed how my job has changed within the past six months, and that the work I’ve done in that time has been more valuable than ever.

I went home for the evening, and Summer brought Eaddie over once they cleaned up at home. Summer and I watched several episodes of Modern Family before she went to sleep. Then Eaddie came out and watched the last 20 minutes or so of a movie trailer compilation with me. I dawdled a bit more on YouTube before coming to bed, mostly feeling dread for what the future holds.

Audentes Fortuna Juvat

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Dog and Pony

Today was full of meetings for me, so I hardly got anything done. First up was a meeting with Thomas and Gary about the Agile Mind sync I had been working on. Evidently Thomas was stressing over the number of work orders complaining about it, though most of it had been fixed already. I went in and immediately put him to rest with the knowledge that I had completed as much of that project as I could without any further input from their team.

The ocular migraine that I got the minute I walked into his office started to wane as I went back to the shop area to help Kyle with something. I spent a little time in my office, and then I had to go upstairs for a CPPC meeting where Karen had invited all classified staff. We had a decent crowd for a school day, and I don’t know if it spoke more about how involved people wanted to be, or how completely not busy and available people were to come hang out for two hours until lunch time. We had three people from the junior high office alone, so I’m sure they were super necessary staff.

The meeting went about as well as I expected, with the exception that it started as all meetings seem to do any more, with the new superintendent taking over the show and ineffectively communicating the purpose of what he was trying to accomplish. Judy was up front with us, and seemed to be on an exploratory mission more than anything. Once everyone else was done talking, Karen started going over the first page of titles that covered basically secretaries and clerks. Then the meeting was over, with absolutely nothing accomplished.

As everyone dispersed, Judy stopped me to mention that my contract was being rewritten. She said she saw my pay increase and assumed I had gotten a promotion. I let her know that based on the duties I was performing every day, I also assumed I had gotten a promotion. I told her I had no intention of signing a contract with a lower salary, and that if my pay was reduced before I signed one, they would have trouble. How much trouble will depend on how I’m feeling the day that it happens.

Back down in the shop, five of us went to Brangus for lunch. Greg spotted Dale coming in, so I popped out to wave him into our back room for a moment. When we got back to work, I did my best to help people as they came back to me. Then Judy came down to our dungeon to discuss our department’s salary schedule and the proposal Thomas submitted.

She confirmed that we were the only department to produce any kind of counter-proposal. I figure it’s not our problem if no other department can build a case for themselves, but they had better not drag us down. Of course, Gary shut down when Judy admitted that she hadn’t read our proposal completely, but I was feeling optimistic that she indicated she would likely just slap our proposal directly onto the second draft of the salary schedule and see where things go from there.

I stopped by to see Summer briefly at work, but she was busy and I headed on home. Eaddie had been there, but Autumn had already picked her up by the time I got home. I chose to spend another quiet night at home, and I’ll get up tomorrow to do it all over again until they don’t let me.

No sense in crying over your lack of proficiencies.

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Own the Rolls

It was a bit rainy today, but that just made things muggy instead of cool. I spent the morning at the shop being a total boss with people reaching out to me for help left and right. It’s been satisfying enough that I don’t even mind the stress, because I get the reward of helping people without being the one on the front line.

Brody convinced Gary to go to CiCi’s for lunch, and even Zach and Thomas joined us. I loaded up after a light morning, and then spent the afternoon running around Oakland so I felt pretty good. I had to make it back to the shop as school ended because Thomas wanted to meet with us about the proposed salary schedule. We’re meeting with Judy tomorrow, so we wanted to make sure everyone was well-informed beforehand.

I worked a bit late, then headed to the shop to see Summer before going home. Mom and Dad came by to drop off some soybean milk after their trip to the Oriental food store. Then they came back a bit later with some bánh bao. In the midst of all that shuffling around, I was trying to calculate how good of a deal I was getting on paper towels and toilet paper on Amazon. I’ve descended into madness with a spreadsheet that calculates the cost per sheet, but at least now I know exactly how much it costs me to poop at home.

Poopaper to your door for less!

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Mind Flay

It was a little bit cooler today, so I took the Shadow to work. I spent the morning in my office bouncing all over the place. I felt like I was on a rack, being stretched in every direction all morning long. I’m juggling so many things right now, and it actually feels pretty good. I struggle focusing on any one big project, but the constantly changing scenery keeps things from getting boring.

I picked up Summer and we went to Morelos for lunch, but she left me early and ran across the street after staring at an angry customer through the window. I managed to get the leftovers home on the bike, then went back to the shop to get some things to take to Oakland.

Michael and I got to talking about crypto for a bit after work. He gave me a frozen turkey that was sitting on his counter, which I had to swing by and get after going home to get my car. Eaddie had walked to the house after school, and Summer picked her up for karate. I went to my parents’ house after picking up the turkey, and Mom made some super dressed-up ramen.

Things were quiet when I made it back home. I got into the mood for some low-hitting bass after reading an incendiary thread on a speaker deal, so I put on some music. I don’t know what it is about speakers that brings out the forum trolls, but it’s so eye-rollingly stupid. I still want some big subs for behind/under my eventual theater seating though.

If they won’t cater to my whimsy, I’ll cater to it myself.

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Back to the Beginning

I went in to the shop first thing this morning so I could take care of a few things before going to Oakland. It was really quiet with most of the team out in buildings, but things got exciting at Oakland when I finally made it over there. I wandered back and forth down the halls trying to find where everyone had moved, and closed what work orders I could. Evidently there was a screaming runner, so there were a couple suits there briefly just to oversee what was going on.

I stuck around until lunch, then just went home to eat some leftovers before going back to the shop for the afternoon. I was able to get a bit more done there, and though my work is kind of piling up, things just felt more relaxed there than having to be in the building. It’ll be nice to get most of the work orders cleared out of the building so I can get into another project to finish.

Eaddie walked to my house after school, so I came home to her finishing up my pizza. Autumn came along shortly after and took her home, and I spent the rest of the evening in a quiet house to myself. I hardly moved off of the couch and just watched YouTube all evening. Hopefully I sleep better tonight.

Back to the mask.