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20 September 2011

This is a grumpy thread. [More:] because I'm too exhausted to make a shouting thread.

After waiting all summer for the FHA to inspect/sign off on our new house we signed closing papers at the end of August. The temp for the next two weeks was in triple digits every day, just miserable. Moving is no damn fun but my family has been spectacularly bad sports about it. If it's possible to try to get out of a chore or fob it off on someone else, they've done it. I finally snapped today, and did everything short of telling them all to go to hell.

What's got you chapped? Make me feel better, commiserate.
Well, let me tell you how my life has sucked, toastedbeagle, and I hope you find some company in my misery.
My husband and I rented out our house in the states, packed our shit (and our dog) and headed down South American Way. Sounds great so far? It was! It is! I LIVE AT THE FUCKING BEACH! My life is awesome, until it ain't.
We have been here nearly two weeks, and no sign of housing on the horizon. None. At all. We look for apartments all day every day and the answer is always one of three: "It's already been rented", "The owner has decided to sell" or my favorite, "The condo association does not accept dogs".
We are very comfortably ensconced in the home of some friends, who aren't even here right now (they've been in the states for a month, oddly), and it's probably been a good thing -given the number of tears I have shed over this whole procedure.
We rented out our house on August 12. I have been living out of a suitcase, rather gamely, I might add, since then. We arrived in Brazil on the 8th of September. I thought by the 11th, no later, we'd have a place. HA! Every day that passes, "maybe today will be the day", "so and so has a new apartment to show us, maybe that will be the right one!". We work the phones like shady day traders, we put our all into the endeavor, we beg, wheedle and scheme, and nothing.
Real estate agents will make bold claims that never come to pass. I am a sad and frustrated panda.
posted by msali 20 September | 07:32
This isn't major suck, but it is suck nonetheless.

I did some training to be able to process whole archival collections at work, which is awesome, because I really like processing and it gives me something to do at work besides watch the clock, play on Facebook, and do reading for school. (Anything to avoid reading for school, ugh.) So far, so good.

But I needed some supplies, folders and boxes, for the most part. And another piece of a collection that I pretty much finished processing, but this extra piece was found later, so now I have to go back and add it in to the already done bits, which is a whole other issue, but back to my main gripe.

The whole reason all these collections are out at my building is because we're climate controlled, but also because of the place where they were stored at the main campus has the tendency to flood if someone pisses on the building. Because *someone* had the genius idea to put all these sensitive collections and super rare books IN THE BASEMENT. Granted, the main campus library is 5 floors, 4 of which are underground, but ARGH.

They also had the wonderful idea to install mobile shelving. Which broke about 2 weeks after it was installed, and so now you have to use the override key held in place with a pair of scissors in order to move it because otherwise the floor sensors (that are supposed to keep the shelves from moving when they sense someone in an aisle to avoid KILLING THEM) will keep the shelves from moving.

Well, it flooded during the massive amounts of rain we had here from the various tropical storms/hurricanes that rolled through. Luckily, the majority of materials had already been moved out (to my building) so no stuff was damaged (AFAIK).

The problem now is that the mobile shelving is stuck. Completely. And where is all of the supplies that I need? IN THE DAMN MOBILE SHELVING.

So now I have collections that I can't do anything about, that are sitting in my main office and not in the climate controlled part of the stacks (because I don't want to put anything in the stacks that isn't processed so it doesn't get lost and there's nowhere to put it that isn't blocking fire exits) and I have nothing to do at work because of it. Which makes me a bit crankypants.
posted by sperose 20 September | 08:29
I am feeling overwhelmed by everything because of grad school and it sucks. This is going to be my life for the next three years? Fuck that. Right now I need to find an econ book, study for an exam next week, coordinate with some non-profit that we're working with, deal with my horrible, horrible team members, write a leadership assessment of myself...yeah. Oh, and I don't have any food because the moment I have some free time I make ridiculously elaborate things that are delicious and fun but don't give me enough leftovers for lunch. And class is from 6:20-9:20 so when am I supposed to eat dinner? I hate this. I had a nice little life going and this is all really stupid.
posted by punchtothehead 20 September | 09:23
I just want to come in here with hugs for people; not a lot to say otherwise except I hope things get easier for everybody.
posted by Hugh Janus 20 September | 09:29
Hardly a major suck but still sucky. I really don't like what I'm doing at work. And for the first time, I'm working with a bunch of people I don't like. Usually "it's like the people, dislike the job" but now it's "sucks all the way around". And the job posting my previous manager has approved still isn't on her company's website. And if she worked at almost any other company, it'd be a good likelihood I'd get the job. But no, they have a whole HR rigamarole going that means it's a toss up whether I'll be considered worthy. And if I don't get it, I have no idea what I'm going to do as (1) I really need to get the hell out of here and (2) there aren't many places around here that have positions in my interests.

So "meh" is the word for the week and it's only Tuesday.
posted by bluesapphires 20 September | 09:36
Not to poop on anyone's venting, but when I see what my mom is going through with ALS right now, nothing that is happening to me (except the death of my mom) seems worth complaining about.
posted by amro 20 September | 09:37
Work is getting on my nerves. This place moves colossally slow on anything, which is not fun when you're waiting on advancement. I had thought a discussed promotion might have happened by now, but I can't see when in the future it might happen, and that's annoying.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero 20 September | 09:50
*whuffles amro*
posted by sperose 20 September | 09:56
I need to do things but really sitting facedown on the couch is the only path available.
posted by The Whelk 20 September | 11:08
Awwww, Hugh's hugs knocked the the grump right out of me! So I'll offer hugs, too, and maybe a respectful whuffle or two.
posted by Elsa 20 September | 12:38
msali - ask the agent to contact the landlord, to see if they'll accept a higher deposit. Worked like a charm for me, every time I moved - and I have TWO dogs! Dogs tend to cause a lot less damage than kids ...
posted by Susurration 20 September | 12:55
*hugs HJ right back*

*whuffles to amro*

Thanks for the tip Susurration. Unfortunately it's not the individual landlords themselves that will accept dogs or not, it's the condo association that has rather stringent rules about what is acceptable in terms of pets.

Actually, I have my fingers crossed, I might have found a place, I'll know tomorrow morning.

Confidential to amro: I am so sorry about your mom. I know I am a lucky person to have this be the biggest problem I have. Good luck to you and your family. I hope you are taking care of yourself as well as your mom. Big hugs.
posted by msali 20 September | 13:11
Life is actually pretty good for me right now. So I'll just echo Hugh's offer of hugs to anyone who needs them (in meatspace, even, if you're in the tri-state area).

ptth, your self-assessment should be as follows:
Take a blank piece of paper, place your hand up on it, and retract all your fingers but one. Trace your hand, and then inside write: "I AM AWESOME!"

You're welcome.
posted by Eideteker 20 September | 13:25
(That should be your index finger that you leave extended. Because You are #1. I apologize for any unclearness/firings that have taken place due to my comment.)
posted by Eideteker 20 September | 13:29
Take a blank piece of paper, place your hand up on it, and retract all your fingers but one. Trace your hand, and then inside write: "I AM AWESOME!"

Ooooh, I think we should ALL do this RIGHT NOW. Bye-bye, time to go note down the fact what I am awesome. Except I'm gonna do my whole hand extended like a grade-school palm-print turkey.
posted by Elsa 20 September | 13:36
amro, I know what you mean. I remember during too many grief-ridden events feeling like the little stuff was just too small to warrant griping over... and I remember how paradoxically happy I became when life was good enough to gripe over little stuff again.

Sending you and your family lots of good thoughts and wishes. Go make your I AM AWESOME handprint, because YOU ARE AWESOME.
posted by Elsa 20 September | 13:40
I go to work every day hoping it will be the day I get fired. And I've been too sick to do the work I need to do to get my portfolio into some kind of shape before I can start seriously looking for another job. And I'm so burnt out that mustering any kind of enthusiasm for a cover letter seems completely impossible.
posted by enn 20 September | 14:04
The goddamn weather keeps flip-flopping between high and low pressure, cold and warm, wet and dry AND IT'S DRIVING MY GODDAMN SINUSES MAD! Whoever designed sinuses needs to be taken out back and SHOT! GRAR!!

Other than that, life is pretty nice right now. I'm sorry other bunnies lives are not and you have all my empathy, hugs and whuffles.
posted by deborah 20 September | 16:58
Whoever designed sinuses needs to be taken out back and SHOT! GRAR!!


I agree totally. Mine have been just bad enough to start making wheezy noises whenever I try to sleep. Usually just at the point where I am about to nod off, I get woken up again by the annoying sound caused by my own respiration. Have you ever tried to fall asleep while holding your breath? It doesn't work!

Difficulty sleeping, going on for about two weeks so far, is the main reason I'm grumpy right now. But I know the causes and am working on them. It just makes everything else more difficult. However... if this is the worst thing that happens in a day, it's still a pretty damn good day, right?

posted by FishBike 20 September | 20:14
amro - the down payment we put down on the house came from my dad's life insurance. He died in February after receiving hospice care for almost a year. I feel your pain more than you can imagine. My email is scooze at g mail. Please email me if you need a shoulder, sweetie.

Whelk- I didn't know I could laugh out loud at this point. Thanks.

Thanks for the hugs, Hugh.

Update on the grumpy- since I wrote the above I'm still the only one who's done anything with boxes or cleaning. I did give the slackers a piece of my mind, which was fair and made me feel better. I took a couple of hours for myself: bought a new purse (I've been carrying my crap in a beach bag for god's sake!), a cold iced tea, and a handful of $2 used books. Feeling better. And the forecast for tomorrow is 80 degrees!
posted by toastedbeagle 21 September | 09:26
Between having one worker out on FLMA for the forseeable future, plus two other workers handing in their resignations last week, my department is now half its usual, already understaffed size. In spite of the line new hires are given about being eligible to transfer to new positions every six months, no transfers are ever approved even if someone wants to hire you; the only way to get out of the department is to quit. I used to think I could be happy working my way up here, but that's no longer possible; I recently received my two hundredth rejection letter from elsewhere in the system. They don't give a shit about the employees they already have, and fire, force retirement upon, or otherwise drive away the best managers and support staff. I stay here basically for the benefits, and so that I won't have to give away my cat. If it were just me, I would quit and go live in a shelter.
posted by notquitemaryann 21 September | 12:39
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TRISHALYNN!!!!! || My household Gods are nice and all, but they don't really do writer's block

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