tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-366509522024-03-16T14:52:34.366-04:00A Natural ScientistIn Which I Am Figuring It Out.Jenny F. Scientisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07072624674603337551noreply@blogger.comBlogger1269125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36650952.post-87353928811092365382024-03-07T21:35:00.000-05:002024-03-07T21:35:20.011-05:00Five Minute Blogging <p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li> Work has a lot going on which is good (it's never dull) and bad (OMG it's never dull).</li><li>I got a promotion and a 10% raise this quarter. I'll take it. </li><li>My in laws are closing on their house sale in 2 weeks and moving here in 5 weeks.</li><li>I wanted them to and have been helping but it is A Lot.</li><li>My kids have all developed a sportsball obsession and Oldest Kid is on the high school JV team now. I never in a million years would have predicted this outcome, but it's really good for him. </li><li>I had to start a spreadsheet to keep track of the sportsball pickups. Oy.</li><li>The flowers are blooming and I want more flowers. </li><li>Tub faucet broke so I get to learn some new plumbing skills this weekend! </li><li>Teaching Sunday School is kicking my rear and I don't quite know why. Maybe it's just the proverbial straw.</li></ul><p></p>Jenny F. Scientisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07072624674603337551noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36650952.post-65348831748098455462024-03-01T20:20:00.001-05:002024-03-01T20:20:08.271-05:00Translations From Recent Things I Have Said In Meetings<p>"I'm not sure all stakeholders here are fully aligned": Come get this dodo out of this meeting before I reach through Zoom and do violence. </p><p>"There may be additional business implications": I could have told you what a bad idea this was six months ago but here we are.</p><p>"I'm concerned that if we can't identify a root cause this will continue to be an issue": Last time you didn't listen and we spent three months managing a comms fire.</p><p>"I'm concerned that this may have a serious impact on customer experience": I will be looking at job ads as soon as this call is over.</p><p>"I'm not sure this level of effort is sustainable on the contracted timelines": I am looking at job ads RIGHT NOW. </p>Jenny F. Scientisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07072624674603337551noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36650952.post-61169352766314414122024-02-04T13:10:00.003-05:002024-02-04T13:10:54.154-05:00Adulting, Latest Round <p> This month we must:</p><p>Do our taxes </p><p>Arrange for a revised will and trust, including nominating guardians and arranging a financial trustee</p><p>Deal with an electric meter code violation (possible by cutting a hole in the porch) </p><p><br /></p><p>Good times!</p>Jenny F. Scientisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07072624674603337551noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36650952.post-76608651723562714292024-01-23T06:44:00.001-05:002024-01-23T06:44:32.902-05:00New Skill Needed<p> I am currently the chair of our small town tree board (everyone else flat out refused). And I have just realized that I need to learn a new skill: tactfully cutting people off and/or getting them to stop talking.</p><p><br /></p><p>The last meeting had a record level of contention over two beautiful old trees that need to come down- sad, but it happens. And there was a Cranky Old Guy there to complain about it at length. He was about 80; I couldn't bring myself to break in and tell him to wrap it up/ shut up/ get a grip. </p><p><br /></p><p>How do you gratefully get others to stop talking, when you're in charge? </p>Jenny F. Scientisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07072624674603337551noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36650952.post-84806284819906727162023-12-19T20:38:00.000-05:002023-12-19T20:38:02.256-05:00<p> My in laws have now told my dear spouse to not show up at all for a holiday visit, because they think that:</p><p>1) Their not very bright small town doctor speaks only gospel truth</p><p>2) A covid test can tell you when you DO have it...</p><p>3) but not when you're not contagious any more...</p><p>4) and I (a protein biochemist specialist in binding) and my spouse (who teaches a course on immunology), with our two PhD and combined age of 89 years, couldn't possibly know anything about it. </p><p>The children are distraught (and also bored). I will get zero days alone and am considering driving off into the sunset to maintain my sanity. Gaaaaahhhh. This is my least favorite thing they do: revel in their own ignorance.</p>Jenny F. Scientisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07072624674603337551noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36650952.post-19707295106117384152023-11-28T21:35:00.002-05:002023-11-28T21:35:11.945-05:00On Israel and Hamas, Finally<p>From<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/10/10/hamas-terror-israel/" rel="nofollow"> the Washington Post</a> some time ago: </p><p><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">"The decision to attack civilians and take hostages, as callous as it was, was likely designed to drive Israel to retaliate with such force that the world turns against the Israelis, Krause said."</span></p><p><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Congratulations to Israel: you played yourselves.</span></p>Jenny F. Scientisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07072624674603337551noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36650952.post-80344307571394518282023-11-19T20:33:00.003-05:002023-11-19T20:33:54.798-05:00<p>For only the second time in my four decades of life, I will not be seeing my parents for Thanksgiving. (The first time I was studying abroad in France.) This is due to an unfortunate convergence of commitments plus even more unfortunate family stuff plus an elderly dog (not mine). I should probably feel bad about it, but instead I'm buying chopped salad in a bag, roasting one turkey, and not worrying one single bit. As long as the statutory number of pies appear (one per human in attendance), my kids probably won't even notice.</p>Jenny F. Scientisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07072624674603337551noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36650952.post-67027216064318367652023-10-22T11:39:00.001-04:002023-10-22T11:39:23.368-04:00Why Haven't You Sent Them Any Messages Yet<p>Have your spouses committed any war crimes yet? How about their friends?</p><p>Enjoying that bomb shelter? </p><p>I thought everything was better there and besides, moving there is just what's best for you! How's that working out? </p><p>So, Geneva Convention violations. terrorisms, eh? How long will school be out for? </p><p>Regretting that past vote for Likud now, are you? </p><p>Wow, it's cool that you aren't responsible for any of your military murdering civilians but everyone in Gaza is totally responsible for Hamas murdering civilians. How does THAT work?</p><p>I hope you're physically okay but assume our mother will tell me if you're dead.</p><p>I'm thinking of you. Mostly what I'm thinking is FAFO, honey. </p>Jenny F. Scientisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07072624674603337551noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36650952.post-70899447582293245792023-10-09T20:27:00.002-04:002023-10-09T20:27:44.910-04:00No Context Snark<p>Will [your relatives in Israel] be armed? Excuse me, armed? Yes, great plan, we'll hand the grannies and white collar professionals a decrepit Uzi apiece and they can shoot at rockets in the sky. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7996596/">What could go wrong</a>. </p><p>Will they be okay? Well, they're still more likely to die in a traffic accident, provided they don't attend any music festivals or live in walking distance of an occupied territory full of angry, heavily armed terrorists who've been locked in by Israel and Egypt together. </p><p>What will happen now? Israel will murder a lot of Palestinian civilians to make up for Israeli civilians being murdered, because that's definitely how right action works, and because Israel truly believes they should kill a hundred Palestinians for every Israeli life. Something something, Nietschze quote about monsters.</p>Jenny F. Scientisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07072624674603337551noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36650952.post-3894843621553825932023-09-28T15:43:00.001-04:002023-09-28T15:43:10.566-04:00In Which I Am A Force For... Something <p> Possibly chaos. </p><p>In the past month, I have:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Read Torah at the last minute </li><li>Organized a Tree Board meeting </li><li>Convinced a student to drop out of college for very good reasons (if you know me, this would be the FIRST one I taught at here!)</li><li>Disassembled my washer twice</li><li>Done two house for sale tours on behalf of my in laws</li><li>Rebooted Sunday school</li><li>Project managed some special needs trust setup and SSDI stuff for my aunt and cousin </li></ul><div>I feel both chaotic and tired. I have started keeping a note on my phone just to remember who I still need to email. </div><div><br /></div><div>Maybe, just maybe, I bit off just a little too much. </div><p></p>Jenny F. Scientisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07072624674603337551noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36650952.post-52732770260537605452023-09-16T17:23:00.001-04:002023-09-16T17:23:04.158-04:00Books Lately<p> Forgive me if I repeat myself. </p><p><br /></p><p>Everything Victoria Goddard has ever written. Friends, I enjoyed these so much that I bought several- a rare occurrence here. I read the Greenwing and Dart series first and was then a bit confused by the Emperor series when I started reading them but it was still worth it. </p><p>Charlotte English: Malykant Mysteries and some other series I don't remember the name of. Fine but library borrowing quality. </p><p>The Rise and Fall of DODO (Neal Stephenson and someone). Also a library read; highly reminiscent of Connie Willis's time travel, but with more military and explosions. I like it. I keep thinking I've read it before though I have not. </p><p>Scarlet (Cogman): a delightful take on the Scarlet Pimpernel, with vampires (but not too dark, bloody, or violent). I hope the series continues. </p><p>Ilario series by Mary Gentle: somewhat disturbing historical about an artist turned... something. Would borrow from the library again.</p><p>The Black Opera (Mary Gentle): a really novel and absorbing idea. Could have been 20% shorter but it was very good anyways.</p><p>Mrs Quent series: really liked the first one, kind of liked the second one, stalled out a third of the way through the third one, will see if I pick it back up later.</p><p>Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow (Zevin): read for book club but surprisingly liked it anyways, though possibly not quite enough to read otherwise. An interesting and mostly well developed premise. Ends in a deeply unsatisfying way.</p><p>High Times at the Low Parliament: Bored, DNF. Too pleased with itself for being So Clever. If you liked Hench you might like this. I did NOT like Hench. </p><p>Thief Liar Lady: okay but not great.</p><p>To Have and to Heist: entertaining. </p><p>The whole Scholomance series: I have literally read these twenty times each. I love them too much to even talk to other people about it. If you don't love them that is fine, I will read them for you. </p><p>Tanya Huff's Blood Lines series: Reread. I'd forgotten how rich and interesting these are (a rare exception to my No Vampires rule). Also if you've never read the Enchantment Emporium series those are another favorite of mine. </p><p>The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies: best debut novel I've read in years. Utterly charming. I hope the author writes five more. I don't care if I've told you about this before. </p><p>Witch King: I liked it about as much as Wells' other fantasy novels, which was very little. </p><p>Thornhedge: another weird and wonderful Ursula Vernon work. Would read again. Just expect it to be weird.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Jenny F. Scientisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07072624674603337551noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36650952.post-36013340953587049782023-08-09T20:36:00.003-04:002023-08-09T20:36:57.394-04:00Highly Miscellaneous <p>Today my spouse asked me if we were getting Eldest (14) a cell phone and I told him all my brain circuits were occupied with supplies for the incoming ball python.</p><p>My boss reprimanded me (rightly) for being un-tactful. Room for improvement. He was also under the mistaken impression that I enjoy dealing with software bugs. NO. I'm just good at it.</p><p>The bathroom reno is almost done and I cannot WAIT to stop having bathroom parts all over my house.</p><p>My in laws are looking at houses here. I have hopes they'll meet reality one day. It took 6 months to convince them that 2 people who have trouble with stairs should look for a ranch.</p><p>School starts Tuesday for the kids and I have done absolutely zero prep. Maybe tomorrow I can make them round up their own school supplies? </p><p>My dear friend N is coming to visit soon and I'm afraid the chaos in my house will give her a migraine. :)</p>Jenny F. Scientisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07072624674603337551noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36650952.post-25339181861401097632023-07-19T18:12:00.001-04:002023-07-19T18:12:01.923-04:00More Books<p>Brought to you by my layover in O'Hare.</p><p><br /></p><p> All the Ashley Weaver mysteries I could get my hands on: satisfying and well-written. Young woman takes to detecting after unfortunate events.</p><p>Rulebook for Restless Rogues: charming adventure (m/m) with a happy ending</p><p>Dragonfall: DNF, I got bored in the first 20 pages.</p><p>Ink Blood Sister Scribe: I really liked this- unusual and borderline too scary/violent for me!- but the ending felt a little too wrapped up. </p><p>The Adventures of Amina el-Sirafi: middle aged pirate goes back to sea, leaving her daughter behind, and has adventures with magic. Spectacular. </p><p>The Thorns Remain: over-written and under-baked. DNF.</p><p>Thistlefoot: good, but too weird/modern for me. DNF.</p><p>Translation State: as good as the first three books and fully worth the wait.</p>Jenny F. Scientisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07072624674603337551noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36650952.post-80075223875226736002023-05-25T07:20:00.002-04:002023-05-25T07:20:32.631-04:00Books I Did And Didn't Enjoy Lately<p> The Twyford Code. The author has perhaps only had one idea, but this one is really well executed and frankly surprising. Mystery but not violent or distressing. I won't say any more because it would spoil the story. </p><p>When Women Were Dragons. This was excellently written but was so depressing to me that I abandoned ship part way through. Premise: rage drives women to turn into dragons, but nobody talks about it. </p><p>A Taste of Gold and Iron: delightful fantasy with a bit of mystery and romance. I can't wait for the next one.</p><p>Babel: excellent but I also didn't finish it. The depiction of an outsider yearning for the knowledge and status in a university cut a little close.</p><p>A Memory Called Empire: can't recommend enough. Sci-fi-ish but just an amazing mystery and adventure. </p><p>Mimicking of Known Successes: hated it and read 20 pages. Read like the author had been hit over the head with a thesaurus, but was not clever enough to make it work.</p>Jenny F. Scientisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07072624674603337551noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36650952.post-88442318370969642372023-05-17T21:11:00.002-04:002023-05-17T21:11:16.736-04:00Plants<p>For Mother's Day I took myself off to three different plant selling emporia. I bought a modestly sized flat of wee plants off my list, got home, and promptly realized that what I really need is more garden beds. Naturally. I was going to get a landscape rose to replace the one that bit it but nobody had any and then I planted a bunch of lavender and peonies there.</p><p>Now I am trying to motivate myself to cut back on sugar some (from Too Much to Just Enough!) with a plant purchase fund. I'll let you know how it goes.</p>Jenny F. Scientisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07072624674603337551noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36650952.post-25356022889587949822023-05-02T11:51:00.001-04:002023-05-02T11:51:13.313-04:00Steam Mops, By Request<p> As requested by various parties...</p><p>I hate mopping and never do it. The dirty water! The mess! The bucket! </p><p>In December I bought a cheap Shark steam mop with XL tank,, and some off brand replacement pads. I think the total was $50. </p><p>We have mostly tile and wood; I steam mop it all. I probably use the steam mop at least once a week. It gets the floors cleaner than me never mopping! It is definitely ~ 70% as good as the bucket mopping I never do BUT I will use the steam mop all the time and the regular mop every 3 years. (I like to dampen the pad and spray a little cleaner on the floor for best effects.) I throw the pads in the washer. Sometimes I use 2 or 3. It has gotten up mud, sticky things on the kitchen floor, and mystery substances the kids tracked in. The pads get a bit stained but I suppose I could bleach them if I cared.</p><p>This particular cheap mop seems fine; it heats up in less than a minute, is lightweight, has a big tank, and doesn't leak. A+, would buy again. Definitely has increased the cleanliness of my floors in a convenient and usable fashion. </p>Jenny F. Scientisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07072624674603337551noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36650952.post-76006604989207274102023-03-28T06:08:00.000-04:002023-03-28T06:08:03.276-04:00Complainer's Prize <p>Some time ago, I was expressing frustration to my mom and grandma that Aunt F had not made plans for her disabled child after her death. "He needs a special needs trust and a group living situation!" I fumed. "Who will manage the money?"</p><p>Friends, I have just won a truly spectacular complainer's prize. Aunt F has emailed me asking for financial guidance and also if I would take responsibility for managing my cousin's money after she dies (long delayed, we hope, but the kid is 25 and she is 62). One of these days I will learn to keep my mouth shut. </p><p>However, I will do it. The kid's sibling is even younger and has some issues and in any event that's a lot to lay on a sibling. The rest of the cousins are ill suited for a variety of reasons. I'm just clearly becoming the Responsible Older Cousin and I have no-one to blame but myself. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Jenny F. Scientisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07072624674603337551noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36650952.post-20444861525510187572023-03-18T13:10:00.003-04:002023-03-20T21:46:02.123-04:00Five minute blogging: Mental Space<p> My new job (which is still great) occupies almost none of my brain power except for the actual hours I'm at work. This is such a sharp contrast to the previous 8 years of professoring while worrying intensely about the future that I almost don't know what to do with myself. </p><p>So I've been doing house projects. I've started mopping (steam mop 4 life) and keeping the house nicer and more dust-free (because I have time and energy while listening to meetings where I don't have to talk). I've been tidying up the garden. I redid a bathroom and replaced half the light fixtures in the house. I've scheduled a down to the studs reno for the upstairs bath and bought all the pieces. I organized to have three sliding doors replaced and then I repainted the downstairs living room. And THEN, with Nicky's excellent advice, I've redecorated the whole room. </p><p><br /></p><p>After and during painting:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgelYahEjsRDSvrjQL9MbIg_xiXd8PklNdDAnmRLwAiKObTPUdQS5yl7B1X41-S06SFPmEldCzClYPrIrPt4xKSijqjDnTU5LETcl_azQ4zY9b3sy8wcXWB1K0tEzFepXdB9iIhDADxivCHB_FpQLuym091zNzEGpdOKHhv8uFhkB7lWHHto30/s1564/IMG_20230320_214130.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1564" data-original-width="1564" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgelYahEjsRDSvrjQL9MbIg_xiXd8PklNdDAnmRLwAiKObTPUdQS5yl7B1X41-S06SFPmEldCzClYPrIrPt4xKSijqjDnTU5LETcl_azQ4zY9b3sy8wcXWB1K0tEzFepXdB9iIhDADxivCHB_FpQLuym091zNzEGpdOKHhv8uFhkB7lWHHto30/s320/IMG_20230320_214130.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>("Wow, that's much better!" someone said tonight.)</p><p>I probably need to think about what to do next because I will eventually run out of house BUT I'm discontented with the paint colors upstairs.....</p>Jenny F. Scientisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07072624674603337551noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36650952.post-31407507867918616082023-02-26T21:32:00.004-05:002023-02-26T21:32:37.494-05:00A Totally Different Kind of No<p>Dear readers, I have been sick for almost three weeks. (No, it's not Main Event Plague, nor influenza, just some hell virus.) I am finally getting better and I have learned two important things:</p><p>1) I have forgotten how to be really sick during the pandemic; the last time I was this sick was with the actual plague in March 2020.</p><p>2) When I am very sick I am completely irrational. Being unable to walk up ten stairs without sitting down, and also feeling knives in one's lungs, means it's half past time to go see the nice doctor and just take the antibiotics already.</p><p>I already knew the last thing:</p><p>3) We don't have medical care to save money, we have it to improve the quality of our lives. </p><p>Nationalize everything.</p>Jenny F. Scientisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07072624674603337551noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36650952.post-1106320496400718072023-02-13T21:48:00.005-05:002023-02-13T21:48:52.281-05:00Wow no<p> Today I picked up what is no doubt a <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43263680-ninth-house">perfectly good book</a>. I got about five pages in before the narrator was waking across an iconic area and I was immediately catapulted right back to grad school, waking across the plaza being sad or afraid or lonely or all of those at once. I just couldn't read it even after all this time. Even though it's long gone, even though I'm happy and warm and living a rich life full of friends. </p><p>It's like the reverse of Proust's madeleine.</p>Jenny F. Scientisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07072624674603337551noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36650952.post-85352290587294454282023-01-27T19:33:00.001-05:002023-01-27T19:33:18.081-05:00A No Good Very Bad Week<p> Friends, I work in tech. If you have read the news at all this week, you know what is happening in tech right now. (I still have a job.) So this entire week has been full of my coworkers all having feelings and me discovering that my default reaction to uncomfortable meetings is a bad case of RBF. Pile on top of that some very interesting communication choices from on high, someone several levels up the food chain from me publicly criticizing someone even further up, and a number of colleagues who said a lot of things I would never say in public and.... well... it's been a week. </p><p>There were six good months beforehand though, which beats academia any day of the week. (My spouse's boss just appointed a new chair without asking a single solitary soul for input, for example.) </p><p>I am going to read a book, look for job ads for my recently laid off pal, and repair the fence a deer jumped through. May your weekends be peaceful.</p>Jenny F. Scientisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07072624674603337551noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36650952.post-86177873679384895932023-01-12T20:35:00.001-05:002023-01-12T20:35:08.925-05:00How Time Goes By<p> Tonight the oldest kid and I went to high school orientation and he chose his classes for next year. It was definitely a surreal experience for us both. How is my kid old enough to go to high school next year? Somehow it's easier to cope with the fact that he's taller than me. </p><p><br /></p><p>Looking around the room, though, I saw so many children I've known since they were toddlers. Even more amazing is the fact that when the youngest goes to high school it will be children I've known since they were newborns! </p>Jenny F. Scientisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07072624674603337551noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36650952.post-21030982058388279912022-11-25T20:16:00.005-05:002022-11-25T20:16:55.974-05:00Happy Secular Pie Day to All<p>I want you all to know that I recently resisted the urge to sign up for Christmas for my work's "Seasonal Holidays Lunch and Learn" (a fun and worthy endeavor) because nobody Christian signed up for a while. But I was deeply tempted to do it in the style of Jew Who Has It All, which would probably get me fired: </p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Dear Teachers,<br /><br />As some of you may know, if you have any students who identify as Christian in your class, they may be absent while observing the Christian holiday of Christmas.<br /><br />1/16</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>β πΊπΈ @JewWhoHasItAll@babka.social (@JewWhoHasItAll) <a href="https://twitter.com/JewWhoHasItAll/status/1470255637355544578?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 13, 2021</a></blockquote><p><br /></p><p>Likewise, my daughter's teacher DID ask me to come in and talk about Hanukkah and I could think only of this: </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtzJTCKrEO_dg1BcANcG6DKzpqPvWdwxNc5y9ml9ECHN56dt1g3J8gMqzXXVSFThpng9JSaOzxy_8oRrRZZcJoMhE657eesVoeESJ8Tizqwup5Kctsn5OhX_qy1wK1pAiuBDIPz0PYZe2tvsnth2D_ZxolW7XjBBcKfLU0UXWGZr-iiYJineA/s2220/Screenshot_20221122-164606_Adblock%20Browser.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2220" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtzJTCKrEO_dg1BcANcG6DKzpqPvWdwxNc5y9ml9ECHN56dt1g3J8gMqzXXVSFThpng9JSaOzxy_8oRrRZZcJoMhE657eesVoeESJ8Tizqwup5Kctsn5OhX_qy1wK1pAiuBDIPz0PYZe2tvsnth2D_ZxolW7XjBBcKfLU0UXWGZr-iiYJineA/s320/Screenshot_20221122-164606_Adblock%20Browser.jpg" width="156" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I wish you all a happy Secular Pie Day; it is one of my favorite holidays. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv9J1dQ640TLouXTgcR9v-RGVjm0ALVzGBkB7kRkXGpBbNMESbuAcPOSQAtUh2iGFIE7VwgmuEVRG6s7V9Co5rG8j2W3BR9L3VVas8JJtxTYE8SXJro-RNKPBWAZJq_EXvmk_kOuEFaKzKH_OAofXZND2MTvx4nlXhH_nSjooS1WIQaRemjds/s1581/Screenshot_20221125-201437_Adblock%20Browser.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1581" data-original-width="1068" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv9J1dQ640TLouXTgcR9v-RGVjm0ALVzGBkB7kRkXGpBbNMESbuAcPOSQAtUh2iGFIE7VwgmuEVRG6s7V9Co5rG8j2W3BR9L3VVas8JJtxTYE8SXJro-RNKPBWAZJq_EXvmk_kOuEFaKzKH_OAofXZND2MTvx4nlXhH_nSjooS1WIQaRemjds/s320/Screenshot_20221125-201437_Adblock%20Browser.jpg" width="216" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>Jenny F. Scientisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07072624674603337551noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36650952.post-68680521880346954522022-11-15T09:10:00.001-05:002022-11-15T09:10:26.927-05:00Week...19 or so<p> Hello long lost friends! I emerge from New Job briefly to give updates. </p><p>New Job is, as promised, very flexible, and truly encourages strict 40 hour work weeks and taking time off whenever you need or want. My co workers are, in fact, fantastic to work with, and my boss is especially great. My work is varied, interesting, engaging, independent, and well supported when I need it. </p><p> Not every single thing is roses: there's one person I have to work with fairly regularly whom I don't much like. But my boss, I think, dropped in her ear that I have a PhD from Snooty U, and she's been much more polite since then. And the other day something went down in production just before a client session, which was not fun, but it was not the end of the world. </p><p>The children have mostly adapted to Mommy Is Home But Working; the little one (almost 8!) has a babysitter to entertain her three afternoons a week and I get off early the other two. </p><p>The piles of money are very nice and we are doing some serious house renovation, including gutting my least favorite bathroom next year. </p><p>The spouse is dying under the weight of Double Biochem but my feeling is still, your department HAD a qualified and talented teacher and the university did sweet fuck all to keep me so sucks to be all of you, pals. (Everyone had to take an overload because I quit and they didn't manage to hire a replacement.)</p><p>Things are otherwise pretty good! My plants need to be pruned and I need to clean the house, but that's always true. </p><p>I worked the last election (I'm an "officer of election") and four different young people told me it was their first time voting because they'd just turned 18! Some of them asked me how to fill out the ballot and two asked if they should sign it (NO!!- the machine actually will reject it). The referendum I helped get on the local ballot passed by a 65/35 ratio. </p><p>I should probably feel worse about my spouse being snowed under but I just make dinner a lot. </p><p><br /></p><p>How are YOU?</p>Jenny F. Scientisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07072624674603337551noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36650952.post-12355759923879054462022-07-11T21:59:00.001-04:002022-07-11T21:59:23.647-04:00Week 1<p> I am completely bewildered but have hopes I'll eventually figure out what I'm supposed to be doing. (I'm doing training. So much training. And then next week the family is going to Montreal; they wanted me to start anyways so (shrug)). </p>Jenny F. Scientisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07072624674603337551noreply@blogger.com4