The Venting Thread

[clean]

Classes start tomorrow.
Im not feeling excited about starting.  i am dreading it.  I have been so dreading it I have avoided preparations, making the dread worse. 

I have a paper that needs attention and I got a note from the journal editor that I need to make some corrections to the submission paperwork (minutia!) and I have not felt like that either.  Yesterday I got a note that I have 3 days or they reject the paper.

I had planned to go to work today and deal with several things. I didnt sleep last night, so I am not able to concentrate now. I am planning to take a nap after I type this and go in later.

I am working with another group on a paper.  I did hte qualtrics to collect data for this and the next 2 papers, which is what I agreed to do!   Now, (on Friday) the lead author says I need to put in more effort and help with the literature review.   That would be fine IF it was something I knew anything about!  But she thinks I need to provide information on about 20 papers a week (just abstract, data summary, conclusions, bibliography information) in a table format.  Im thinking that these can be done a little each day (if I make the time) ... maybe 4 a day.

Finally, I have been having some weakness in my legs (sitting too much since COVID and some other long term health issues) so I started physical therapy last week.  It is 3 days a week for a while,  and it takes 2 hours to do there.  So far, after doing the therapy my muscles are pretty tired and sore (I feel it just walking to the car).  So I m not sure how much use im going to be on my non teaching days! 

There is just a LOT to do, and I dont really want to do the job right now! 

Thoughts?

[AmLitHist]

Kid #1 is in meltdown mode again; it's been about 3 months since the last one. I thought it was coming on for the past couple of days, but after I took her a small care package of favorite foods this morning and got called everything but a child of God for my troubles (including multiple use of the "c-word" which has always been strictly off-limits in our family), I shut it down hard. I know she's got mental problems, but there are coping mechanisms that would help, and in more lucid moments she knows them and uses them. When she gets like this, I'm done. I told her I'll talk to her next weekend, but I won't be answering the phone until then.

I'm just starting to get my blood sugars back down to semi-reasonable levels after the last go-round that got my surgery postponed. (Of course, I'm making all that up, too; stress has no effect on it, according to her.)

I'm proud of myself for shutting things down for now, but there's got to be some kind of end to this. I also know that I'm under the microscope at work because of my accommodation this fall, and I'm damned if I get in hot water there because the upsets from this bleed over there.


Hope you start feeling better and can get into the groove again at work, Clean!

[poiuy]

@Clean, I know the feeling and I hope you feel better soon.  If you can especially tackle the small minutia for the journal submission, that seems like a low effort to high reward ratio that might give you a mental boost?  But you know that already.  Your research team is asking you to do 20 papers a week - for how many weeks?  Or 20 papers in one week? That does seem like a big lift, but your strategy of doing a small bit each day is the only thing that has ever worked for me when I have a big goal to achieve.
I am also in a funk right now. Something very annoying (though minor in the big scheme of things) happened to me on Friday which my brain has interpreted as humiliating and further proof of my general ineptitude and practical uselessness, and I have been paralyzed mentally since then. Stayed in bed all weekend, barely got out to shower and eat. Classes have started, I have to update many things in my online teaching, and I have barely scratched the surface. I have to be consistent in my exercise schedule otherwise will lose all my gains. Can't face it.

@AmlitHist, I am sorry that Kid#1 is wobbling now.  Same in our house - autismkid is having some episodes.  It's not his fault, but it's getting increasingly unbearable. My fantasy is to retire and move overseas to live in peace. Let whoever live however they want. Unfortunately his disability does not allow him to live independently, and the wait for disability services in our state is about 15 to 20 years, and who knows what the state funding will be like in that time. We have 'only' been waiting 9 years.  So my fantasy won't happen. Kudos to you for setting boundaries with your child. Ours does not understand boundaries.  My blood sugar also shows me to be pre diabetic and there is no easy strategy - I already work out, eat right-ish, don't drink, etc. My freaking meat-suit is just taking too much time and energy with these constant repairs and maintenance required.

Hope we all have a better week coming up.

[bio-nonymous]

@Clean--I feel your pain, and wish you best of luck working through it. I suffer from a bit of depression in the Fall (*my heavy teaching semester) because the heavy demands from the research and service side don't go away, I just have to make do with less time to do everything. This year my fall teaching load doubled (due to a retirement) compared to normal (will be the NEW normal) and includes a new course prep. At least after I build this class, next fall I can have less on my plate, but for now I am intimidated, working way too many hours trying to get everything done, and trying not to be cranky/irritable/depressed. I am forcing myself to get to the gym--the best stress relief I know, even though I feel  like I don't have time [to take care of myself]. I just want to get some sleep--LOL. I keep telling myself things will get better, and this too shall pass...

[spork]

[...]

 which is what I agreed to do!   Now, (on Friday) the lead author says I need to put in more effort and help with the literature review.   That would be fine IF it was something I knew anything about!  But she thinks I need to provide information on about 20 papers a week (just abstract, data summary, conclusions, bibliography information) in a table format. 

[...]

To quote Nancy Reagan, just say no. Seriously, tell the person to fuck off. You won't get paid for this additional work. You're not even getting paid for the work you already did. You've got more pressing concerns.



I got stung on the hand by a wasp while running on Saturday. It hurt, but eh, it's supposed to. I'm not allergic. I kept running. Everything was fine for the rest of the day, except for some minor localized swelling and a bit of residual pain. Since yesterday though my hand, wrist, and half my forearm has been incredibly itchy, so bad that it woke me up a few times last night. This never happened when I was a child.

[Langue_doc]

I had to see a podiatrist earlier this week. All he had to do was to examine the second toe in my right foot, which he did. According to the after-visit notes, I apparently presented there complaining of pain in my left foot, and that he examined both feet, including range of motion for both ankles. I was wearing hiking boots, and took off only the right shoe--no range of motion examination for either foot. I'm composing a letter asking the doc to make the necessary corrections because medical documents are also considered legal documents. I'm tempted to note that if this had been a student assignment, the grade would be an F, because of the confusion between the right and left foot and also because of the false claim the the left foot was examined. 

Update: pointed out errors which the podiatrist promptly corrected. The last straw for me was a new diagnosis, obesity--I am far from obese--which, according to the podiatrist, was autogenerated, and which has now been deleted. His diagnosis of the problematic toe was correct for the most part, but needs to be confirmed by further testing, scheduled for next week. I was not looking forward to finding another podiatrist, so all's well for now.

ALH, clean, and others, hope things work out for you all.

[Parasaurolophus]

Looks like my charging port finally died. Unfortunately, because the connection is warped due to a drop some time ago, that means replacing the motherboard. Fingers crossed.

[sinenomine]

4:50 pm on the last business day before the start of classes is not the time to tell me that a faculty member is not eligible to teach a class. C'mon, people!

[Parasaurolophus]

When we switched the start of the academic year from August 1 to September 1, our contracts specified we would suffer no reduction of income.

We got paid today, and the university has stolen $700 from my paycheque (and everyone else's).

Worse, they didn't pay me for my July/August overload. Which means they stole another $11 000.

[AmLitHist]

When we switched the start of the academic year from August 1 to September 1, our contracts specified we would suffer no reduction of income.

We got paid today, and the university has stolen $700 from my paycheque (and everyone else's).

Worse, they didn't pay me for my July/August overload. Which means they stole another $11 000.

Jesus, Para.  Have my HR people taken over your payroll too? 

We all got a step on the salary scale this year. As a result, my gross pay went up about $150/check (woo-hoo, in Homer Simpson voice).  It was enough to bump my tax bracket, so my net is now $50 LESS/check than it was in May.

Now there's an incentive to rush to work and do a great job every day, if I've ever seen one. /sarcasm

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

Damn, I'm sorry to hear about everyone's troubles. I'd vent, but it would just upset me more, so my method of self-care involves doing yard work. Off I go!

[Parasaurolophus]

Jesus, Para.  Have my HR people taken over your payroll too? 

I often marvel at the fact that we're not at the same institution! (For the record, this is on top of $20k I am still owed from my parental leave nearly three years ago!)

We all got a step on the salary scale this year. As a result, my gross pay went up about $150/check (woo-hoo, in Homer Simpson voice).  It was enough to bump my tax bracket, so my net is now $50 LESS/check than it was in May.

Now there's an incentive to rush to work and do a great job every day, if I've ever seen one. /sarcasm

Wompwomp, as the sad trombone says.

We got a large lump-sum retroactive raise when the union finalized our new contract (which actually expired before the negotiations ended...). (Very large, because it was an increase in the per-course rate, and we're paid per course, and the contract had been expired for three years and we teach 8+ a year.) Anyway, the effect of that was the same as with you, but I was able to offset a chunk of it by dumping it straight into my RRSP (this was three days before the contribution deadline). Maybe you have a similar option available to you?

[RatGuy]

I shipped a package from the Campus post office on Wed 9/4. It was scanned at 5pm at the local postal hub, with the update reading "Shipment Received, Package Acceptance Pending." There've been no updates since. Given that the package contained birthday presents, I went to the campus post office to ask, and the manager there reached out the regional parcel person who responded "There have not been any physical scans on this mail piece.   According to the data that I have it is 16 inches long so it may be processed manually." Not exactly helpful info, unless that means that somehow the length of the box means it doesn't get its barcode scanned? That's so dumb. The campus rep said that it'll probably make it to my sister's place without every being scanned, but that doesn't give me much reassurance.

[dismalist]

We all got a step on the salary scale this year. As a result, my gross pay went up about $150/check (woo-hoo, in Homer Simpson voice).  It was enough to bump my tax bracket, so my net is now $50 LESS/check than it was in May.

Apologies, I saw this only today. I know of no civilized country in which the marginal personal income tax rate is 200/150 = 133%. Social Democratic Denmark has a 56% marginal tax rate, one of the highest in the world. Even if you add in VAT, which is not on an income sticker, you get to only 81%.

I suspect something else changed in your tax status in addition to receiving a raise.

[AmLitHist]

We all got a step on the salary scale this year. As a result, my gross pay went up about $150/check (woo-hoo, in Homer Simpson voice).  It was enough to bump my tax bracket, so my net is now $50 LESS/check than it was in May.

Apologies, I saw this only today. I know of no civilized country in which the marginal personal income tax rate is 200/150 = 133%. Social Democratic Denmark has a 56% marginal tax rate, one of the highest in the world. Even if you add in VAT, which is not on an income sticker, you get to only 81%.

I suspect something else changed in your tax status in addition to receiving a raise.

True.  Tax went up some, insurance went up some. Same net result: less money for ME at the end of the month.  Sigh.