Chit-Chat: What's On Your Mind Today?

[nokat]

4 minutes ago, SuprSuprElevated said:

Pro tip -

I'm usually "you're breaking up, my wifi is interfering."

My 5G transmitter is malfunctioning, I just showered.

Edited August 10, 2023 by nokat

[annzeepark914]

Ohhh geez...pizza discussions. I grew up on pizza with seasoned sauce & cheese, made by an Italian immigrant. Plus, every other place in the area, whether bar or restaurant, made the same type of fabulous pizza. Then I moved south (& then to DC area) and that was the end of, IMO , the real deal pizza pie (except for Italy & Provence). 

[PRgal]

1 hour ago, Mondrianyone said:

Oh, yes. And prosciutto and then some arugula thrown on at the end. I have that bookmarked. It's very good.

But when I went looking for it, I found this, which looks very easy and quick, thanks to the fig jam, which I have. All I'm missing is the goat cheese:

 

1 pizza crust, uncooked

2/3 cup fig jam

1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

3-4 strips prosciutto torn into bite-size pieces

2 ounces goat cheese crumbled

Preheat oven to 500 degrees (preferably with a pizza stone inside). 

Roll out the pizza dough as thinly as you can into a rectangle or oval on a silicone mat or piece of parchment paper.

Spread the fig jam all over it, leaving about 1/2 inch around the edge.  Sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese, scatter the prosciutto across the top and finish with the crumbled goat cheese. 

Place the pizza on the pizza stone and cook for 7-9 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and browning on top. 

 

This place is a bad influence.

 

THAT is the pizza I want.  I don't usually eat cured meats, but if prosciutto is there, then I'll be on it.  And I'll probably drizzle some balsamic on that pizza.

[annzeepark914]

7 hours ago, JTMacc99 said:

Pizza.

Everything else, and there would be a lot members of the everything else club, would be a distant second to pizza. Pizza gets the nod for not only being delicious but terrible for me, but also because of the huge range styles and toppings that are covered by the single word "pizza".

 

Yeah...cause you're in a great section of the country to find real deal pizza (or at least it used to be).

Edited August 11, 2023 by annzeepark914

[BlueSkies]

Pizza is like the only food I can be on the snobby side about.  For me to be good it's good to:

 

Have a slight crisp when squeezing the crust

Cannot be too oily, greasy, or cheesy

Have a little more tomato sauce to cheese ratio

Have a slight burn on the back side of the slice or pie

Some basil ingredients are a plus

 

Margherita slices are my fave 

[theredhead77]

13 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

Do you love your new home?
Or at least like it? 😉

I love it. It's a fantastic floor plan, one-story, and lots of space. And I love Nevada. It's not CA, but it's close enough.

[PRgal]

1 hour ago, BlueSkies said:

Pizza is like the only food I can be on the snobby side about.  For me to be good it's good to:

 

Have a slight crisp when squeezing the crust

Cannot be too oily, greasy, or cheesy

Have a little more tomato sauce to cheese ratio

Have a slight burn on the back side of the slice or pie

Some basil ingredients are a plus

 

Margherita slices are my fave 

Margherita is one of my top choices, especially if the mozzarella is buffalo mozzarella.  

[RealHousewife]

Not being able to use annual leave to go into work late. 

I have lots of leave. I will have some leftover after my upcoming vacation. I also have loads of sick leave because I very rarely call in sick. 

I struggle with sleep, and I wish I could use some of my vacation hours to just go into work late some days, but they like for it to be use days at a time. I'd be healthier, happier, and more productive if I could just use my leave as I wish, instead of using it to take off entire days when I have nothing to do. The rare times I call in sick are usually due to not feeling well due to persistent lack of sleep. 

I know all the above just sounds like "really, that's most jobs. Can't come in whenever." But if you are an insomniac who has to work a traditional schedule, it can really mess with your well-being. Yesterday, I wasn't productive at work, had a headache, and no energy to cook or exercise or do anything at all once I was home. 

[shapeshifter]

28 minutes ago, RealHousewife said:

Not being able to use annual leave to go into work late. 

I have lots of leave. I will have some leftover after my upcoming vacation. I also have loads of sick leave because I very rarely call in sick. 

I struggle with sleep, and I wish I could use some of my vacation hours to just go into work late some days, but they like for it to be use days at a time. I'd be healthier, happier, and more productive if I could just use my leave as I wish, instead of using it to take off entire days when I have nothing to do. The rare times I call in sick are usually due to not feeling well due to persistent lack of sleep. 

I know all the above just sounds like "really, that's most jobs. Can't come in whenever." But if you are an insomniac who has to work a traditional schedule, it can really mess with your well-being. Yesterday, I wasn't productive at work, had a headache, and no energy to cook or exercise or do anything at all once I was home. 

Starting in my late 40s, I was able to rent places close enough to work to go home for lunch most days and take a 10 or 20 minute nap. 
I was infinitely more productive and sharper. 
But for the other librarians who didn’t live that close to campus, on days when they worked evenings, it meant being at work from 12:30pm to at least 10pm with a 2 hour “break” in your office, or maybe doing an errand, or grabbing a quick meal in town. Then, the next day, it was back at work at 8:30am, unless it was your day off because you worked 12:30-10 on Sunday.

One librarian quit to work at a nearby State University with a union where the hours were healthier — and the pay scale was better.

In Sacramento in the 1990s, there were people who carpooled 2 hours each way to work in San Francisco because of housing prices. One person would drive while the others dozed. I don’t know if that still happens as much now that employers have realized they can get employees to work longer hours with less overhead if they let them work remotely from home — often with sleep deprivation.

No wonder we have sleep disorders.

But, to be fair, I’ve always slept weird hours.

[TattleTeeny]

After the last few years, employers and workplaces really need to reevaluate how and where they operate day to day -- and, hey, how 'bout putting more of an emphasis on employee satisfaction, work/life balance, and, dare I say it, general happiness? They'll see!

Personally, I like working from home. It has its negatives* here and there, but they so do not outweigh the positive differences it has made to my life. Although I have been lucky since COVID began, I have seen others treated in a ways that make it seem like their employers feel suspicious of work-from-home allowances, which is no way to treat a loyal employee who is able to get the job done no matter where their desk is. 

Ironically, I heard that Zoom is now demanding its employees come back into the office full time, haha!

*No one to help me in-person with tech issues; no room for 2 big monitors; no need to wear my "real" clothes/shoes; sometimes in-person meetings are better, information-sharingwise; sometimes it can feel just too quiet/isolated, especially in winter (I may have that seasonal thing). 

Edited August 11, 2023 by TattleTeeny

[nokat]

There have been studies done (sorry I don't have references) that show people are more productive with 4 day weeks and working from home. There is a mindset that people have to be in an office being micromanaged to get work done.

I worked one with 3 12 hour days that about did me in, but the 4 free days to get everything else done was great. Got paid for 40 hours, and that was a bonus.

[Suzn]

The sleep and work schedule troubles really hits home for me.  I am an extreme owl to begin with and I would like to go to sleep at 2:00 and get up at 10:00, but I can only do half of that and usually stay up till 2:00 and I am sleep deprived all the time.  I work from home, except for one day a week, and that does help, but the very latest I can stay in bed is 8:30 and most of the time get up at 8:00.

So in addition to being a night owl, I often have trouble getting to sleep and/or staying asleep.  The crazy thing is that I get sleepy mid-afternoon and will doze sitting up if I don't push through it.  Once that passes, I'm wired all evening.

I know I'm not alone with these sleep and work schedule problems.  I used to fight my natural inclinations, but mostly just accept it now.

[TattleTeeny]

2 hours ago, nokat said:

 

There have been studies done (sorry I don't have references) that show people are more productive with 4 day weeks and working from home. There is a mindset that people have to be in an office being micromanaged to get work done.

 

Right! And companies should stop questioning employees’ motives for wanting to work from home and start questioning why they — the company — hires people who they think need to be babysat into doing their work.

[ABay]

Does anyone have experience with melatonin? I was thinking of trying it for times I have trouble getting to sleep, which are becoming more common.

[Laura Holt]

27 minutes ago, ABay said:

Does anyone have experience with melatonin? I was thinking of trying it for times I have trouble getting to sleep, which are becoming more common.

I don't personally but my daughter and my grandson both use it with some success.  

[peacheslatour]

1 hour ago, TattleTeeny said:

Right! And companies should stop questioning employees’ motives for wanting to work from home and start questioning why they — the company — hires people who they think need to be babysat into doing their work.

THIS. I have never worked for a company that demanded a doctor's note to prove you were sick but I know a lot of places do that. Why? Are you hiring children? Felons? Do you think your employees are liars? It's a dehumanizing and humiliating way to treat your team. And places that say "We're all family here"? they're the worst.

[SuprSuprElevated]

It was my experience wrt doctor's notes, that they were only required if an absence due to illness stretched to three days or more. Frankly, if  you hav to miss three days+ of work from an illness, you probably have or should have been to the doctor anyway.

To me, it's a clear attempt at discouraging folks from taking unauthorized time off, which places undue burden on everyone. And yes, that happens all the time, whether felons or simply unindicted co-conspirators. 😉

 

[peacheslatour]

2 hours ago, SuprSuprElevated said:

It was my experience wrt doctor's notes, that they were only required if an absence due to illness stretched to three days or more. Frankly, if  you hav to miss three days+ of work from an illness, you probably have or should have been to the doctor anyway.

To me, it's a clear attempt at discouraging folks from taking unauthorized time off, which places undue burden on everyone. And yes, that happens all the time, whether felons or simply unindicted co-conspirators. 😉

 

I've been too sick to get out of bed, let alone go to the doctor. 

Edited August 11, 2023 by peacheslatour

[JTMacc99]

2 hours ago, TattleTeeny said:

Right! And companies should stop questioning employees’ motives for wanting to work from home and start questioning why they — the company — hires people who they think need to be babysat into doing their work.

One of the things that the business community discovered during the pandemic was that call centers were better off with people working from home. 

Turned out that everybody was happier if you kept them away from each other. Fewer days off, fewer HR issues, fewer FLMA leaves. 

So on the one hand, working remote doesn't necessarily mean less efficient. And on the other hand, people can be a pain in the ass no matter where they are sitting, and do in fact need to be supervised.

[Bastet]

6 hours ago, nokat said:

I worked one with 3 12 hour days that about did me in

I couldn't work that long a day regularly anymore (I do it occasionally when necessary, but I'm too old for that to be my typical day), but in my 20s I'd have killed someone to get that schedule.

In my first career, I was able to negotiate working from home on Fridays, and then only working half days (from home) on Fridays, with one Friday per month off entirely (without using PTO for it). 

Now I work five days a week.  <sigh>  But at least it's entirely from home and I have a lot of flexibility, e.g. to email and say I'll be away for a couple of hours to go run errands.  Because they know I'm not someone who'll trot off to run errands when someone is sitting around waiting on something from me. 

Three-day weekends should be the norm, not a perk.

[TattleTeeny]

8 hours ago, SuprSuprElevated said:

It was my experience wrt doctor's notes, that they were only required if an absence due to illness stretched to three days or more. Frankly, if  you hav to miss three days+ of work from an illness, you probably have or should have been to the doctor anyway.

To me, it's a clear attempt at discouraging folks from taking unauthorized time off, which places undue burden on everyone. And yes, that happens all the time, whether felons or simply unindicted co-conspirators. 😉

 

Over the last few years, I haven’t had sick days vs. vacation days vs. personal days. It’s pretty much been “here’s your 4 weeks; use them how you need them. Try not to be an inconsiderate dick about it.”

Edited August 12, 2023 by TattleTeeny

[peacheslatour]

6 minutes ago, TattleTeeny said:

Over the last few years, I haven’t had sick days vs. vacation days vs. personal days. It’s pretty much been “here’s your 4 weeks; use them how you need them. Try not to be an inconsiderate dick about it.”

Yep, where I worked, it was all PTO. Do with it as you will.

[ABay]

We're required to get a note from a doctor if we're out sick 5 days in a row. We get 15 days sick time at the start of the year, it accumulates and is paid out when we leave service. Vacation days accumulate on a monthly basis and are also paid out when we leave. Personal leave is a measly 3 days a year and doesn't accumulate. We also have 12 holidays a year. Unfortunately, none of them are in August or October.

[BlueSkies]

I wonder if friends in general need a break from each other.

 

One friend I have is like really really smart but he's like real analytical in his responses to everything.  Which I guess is good but right now I'm just not feeling that.

 

 

Another friend I vented about here actually last month.  Idk why but he really bothered me when he called me out for claiming up when he talks about politics.  I'd text him back but I'm still not feeling that at all.  He gets confrontational a lot of times when its not warranted 

[peacheslatour]

2 hours ago, BlueSkies said:

I wonder if friends in general need a break from each other.

 

One friend I have is like really really smart but he's like real analytical in his responses to everything.  Which I guess is good but right now I'm just not feeling that.

 

 

Another friend I vented about here actually last month.  Idk why but he really bothered me when he called me out for claiming up when he talks about politics.  I'd text him back but I'm still not feeling that at all.  He gets confrontational a lot of times when its not warranted 

My husband is kind of like that. Really smart and practical but it's hard to have flights of fancy with him. My DIL and I are really into cool old houses and we trade pics of them. Sometimes I show them to him and instead of appreciating all the cool architectural details he's like "Where's the garage? Where would I work on projects?" It's like, can't you just admire it for how beautiful it is?

[BlueSkies]

23 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

My husband is kind of like that. Really smart and practical but it's hard to have flights of fancy with him. My DIL and I are really into cool old houses and we trade pics of them. Sometimes I show them to him and instead of appreciating all the cool architectural details he's like "Where's the garage? Where would I work on projects?" It's like, can't you just admire it for how beautiful it is?

Yeah, I remember telling him I watched this documentary one night.  

 

 

He thought how sad the main character seemed and that he was mentally ill.   I mean yeah this guy Mike is a little out there in his obsession with Rocky but to me I can have some appreciation for Mike.  And I see it more this guy is trying his best to make a living for himself as he knows best 

[nokat]

2 hours ago, BlueSkies said:

I wonder if friends in general need a break from each other.

 

One friend I have is like really really smart but he's like real analytical in his responses to everything.  Which I guess is good but right now I'm just not feeling that.

 

 

Another friend I vented about here actually last month.  Idk why but he really bothered me when he called me out for claiming up when he talks about politics.  I'd text him back but I'm still not feeling that at all.  He gets confrontational a lot of times when its not warranted 

I say yes to needing a break. You can do it without it being permanent. "I have a lot going on, can we talk later."  Politics can also be something you don't want to talk about. You can say you're not comfortable talking about it.  I can tiptoe around it but it someone is confrontational, I will say back off.

[peacheslatour]

Sorry, somebody had to do it.

 

[Laura Holt]

1 hour ago, nokat said:

Politics can also be something you don't want to talk about. You can say you're not comfortable talking about it.  I can tiptoe around it but it someone is confrontational, I will say back off.

My sister and I disagree on a lot of things, politics is the big one, there are lots of little ones.  She's finally learned though that I won't respond to any FB message or email where she brings up things I know we'd just argue over.

That said if anyone has some suggestions for how to shut down a divisive topic before it even gets started, in a nice way, I'd appreciate it though.  Thanksgiving is on the horizon.

Edited August 12, 2023 by Laura Holt

[theredhead77]

10 minutes ago, Laura Holt said:

That said if anyone has some suggestions for how to shut down a divisive topic before it even gets started, in a nice way, I'd appreciate it though.  Thanksgiving is on the horizon.

The internet is full of advice about grey rocking (great for narcissists) and shutting down divisive topics in person and on holidays.

I'm not diplomatic or passive when it comes to certain topics and have been known to say some choice words and leave. I choose to not associate with people with whom I have a difference in morality.

Edited August 12, 2023 by theredhead77

[Laura Holt]

5 minutes ago, theredhead77 said:

grey rocking

Off to google, I've never heard this expression before.

[BlueSkies]

23 minutes ago, Laura Holt said:

My sister and I disagree on a lot of things, politics is the big one, there are lots of little ones.  She's finally learned though that I won't respond to any FB message or email where she brings up things I know we'd just argue over.

That said if anyone has some suggestions for how to shut down a divisive topic before it even gets started, in a nice way, I'd appreciate it though.  Thanksgiving is on the horizon.

I kind of had to laugh a little at that.  Time to start training now to get through Thanksgiving and extended family time .  Lol

 

 

 

 

 

[peacheslatour]

1 hour ago, theredhead77 said:

The internet is full of advice about grey rocking (great for narcissists) and shutting down divisive topics in person and on holidays.

I'm not diplomatic or passive when it comes to certain topics and have been known to say some choice words and leave. I choose to not associate with people with whom I have a difference in morality.

Yeah, I'm a little too confrontational to let outright lies and misinformation just sit there without countering.

[theredhead77]

2 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

Yeah, I'm a little too confrontational to let outright lies and misinformation just sit there without countering.

I've never been one to "go along to get along" or "keep quiet to keep the peace". 

[nokat]

1 hour ago, Laura Holt said:

That said if anyone has some suggestions for how to shut down a divisive topic before it even gets started, in a nice way, I'd appreciate it though.  Thanksgiving is on the horizon.

I want to know too. Family can be the worst with this. You still need to keep in contact and not completely cut them off. I dropped Facebook because of this.

[Bastet]

35 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

Yeah, I'm a little too confrontational to let outright lies and misinformation just sit there without countering.

Same here.  As the old saying goes, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but no one is entitled to their own facts.  If someone has their facts straight and their opinion about those facts differs from mine, I'll either discuss or deflect depending on what mood I'm in.  But, especially these days when it's so rampant and dangerous, misinformation I will counter. 

Edited August 12, 2023 by Bastet

[theredhead77]

Just now, nokat said:

I want to know too. Family can be the worst with this. You still need to keep in contact and not completely cut them off. I dropped Facebook because of this.

I'm a proud supporter and member of the "you are not required to keep in contact with toxic people because you share a bloodline" club.

[nokat]

19 minutes ago, theredhead77 said:

I'm a proud supporter and member of the "you are not required to keep in contact with toxic people because you share a bloodline" club.

I'm dealing with this currently. "We can continue if you stop the toxic things."

[PRgal]

43 minutes ago, theredhead77 said:

I'm a proud supporter and member of the "you are not required to keep in contact with toxic people because you share a bloodline" club.

Say what you want to me, but I feel this works better with some cultures than others.  

[peacheslatour]

18 minutes ago, nokat said:

I'm dealing with this currently. "We can continue if you stop the toxic things."

I've done the "We've agreed to avoid topics like that. If you try to engage me again, I will get up and leave."

[oliviabenson]

Why do I always crave fast food??? Today it’s Taco Bell! 

[nokat]

I got an email, "just want to know how you're doing". I've fallen for this before. No, I still need to have some time without you.

[theredhead77]

2 hours ago, PRgal said:

Say what you want to me, but I feel this works better with some cultures than others.  

As I've previously said, everyone has cultural issues and cultural guilt. I look at it as parental guilt. I have a Jewish mother. My refusing to interact with her asshole brother did not go over well, because "family", But I'm a grown-ass adult who can make my own choices and my mother can either accept that, or not.

Guess who else went very low contact with him once they became adults? His kids. 

Edited August 13, 2023 by theredhead77

[peacheslatour]

1 hour ago, theredhead77 said:

As I've previously said, everyone has cultural issues and cultural guilt. I look at it as parental guilt. I have a Jewish mother. My refusing to interact with her asshole brother did not go over well, because "family", But I'm a grown-ass adult who can make my own choices and my mother can either accept that, or not.

Guess who else went very low contact with him once they became adults? His kids. 

Yep, that's usually what happens to assholes.

[emma675]

12 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

Yep, that's usually what happens to assholes.

And yet they'll typically blame everyone else around them for their problems instead of recognizing the problem is them.

[nokat]

Has anyone noticed that their feet seem to continue growing? I used to be a 9, but I just ordered a 10.5. I do a lot of walking, but I'm starting to feel like I could leave foot prints in sand and freak people out.

I also bought some clothing. In size fatter than I want to be.

[stewedsquash]

13 hours ago, PRgal said:

Say what you want to me, but I feel this works better with some cultures than others.  

I agree, it can be awful and you can’t just ghost ones you want to ghost. Eventually if the next generations keep moving forward things will progress, slowly. The immigrant culture is in a league of its own. My sons long time best friend is Honduran (he is a deputy and looks like Erik Estrada), he and his family are close to us and refer to my husband as Uncle his name and me as Mama my name.  Whoa the things, rules, whatever, that go on in his family, immediate and extended. His generation is changing slowly yet still hold on to those things.  He said if things aren’t followed his parents get shunned when they go back to Honduras for visits. 
Anyway, all that to say, yeah, I get what you talk about regarding your family and friends.

[oliviabenson]

2 hours ago, nokat said:

Has anyone noticed that their feet seem to continue growing? I used to be a 9, but I just ordered a 10.5. I do a lot of walking, but I'm starting to feel like I could leave foot prints in sand and freak people out.

I also bought some clothing. In size fatter than I want to be.

Me. My feet keep getting wider. I wear men’s shoes since high school. My feet do not fit in women’s shoes at all. 

And clothes/bras keep being made smaller than before. 

[shapeshifter]

Speaking of ghosting, a single, middle-aged daughter is ghosting someone instead of breaking up with them because they are not going to see each other for 2 months anyway and she reasons ghosting is better for both of them, but based on common sense and her phone blowing up, I don't think so.🤷🏻‍♀️

@stewedsquash, I f'love your avatar.

 

[nokat]

33 minutes ago, oliviabenson said:

And clothes/bras keep being made smaller than before. 

I've read that it's because they are being made in China, and people there are smaller.  Or it saves a few cents during manufacturing.