WeBuiltThePyramids

That would honestly be my biggest fear with a small dog.

That or a large bird.

Cyclone139

I'm in a similar position. I've been working from home since we went into lockdown in March and it looks like I'll continue to do so for the foreseeable future. It works really well for me and many people at my place and there doesn't seem to be any hurry to get us back into the building. Because of the nature of the work a lot of the staff have to be on site so if as many of us as possible can stay at home it allows the others to follow the social distancing guidelines and stay safe at work. I'm happy to help, I love being at home!

WeBuiltThePyramids

I have several friends who have been working from home the whole time, and now are being told if they don't come back Monday they lose their jobs. Which I think is actually unethical.

FoxPhile

Unfortunately, it's perfectly legal. Employers have the right to tell you to report to work wherever they want you and if you don't, they can fire you. That's what they do if they move their offices or facilities. But in a situation like this it's particularly insensitive and yes, unethical, especially if they've been able to manage with those people working from home, they can do so for a while longer. Not only will they be exposing them to a greater chance of getting the virus, but they'll also be putting that many more people out in public, making social distancing that much more difficult. To say nothing of the potential anxiety those employees will experience after having been safe at home all this time.

I'm happy to say that our governor has now mandated that people wear face coverings when out in public, with just a few exceptions (health reasons, children, etc). I'm going to the grocery store tomorrow, I'll be interested to see how many people comply.


I keep my eye on the skies, too. Today I saw two hawks circling over one of my trees and I was ready to snatch Shilo indoors if necessary.

WeBuiltThePyramids

Yep - I have been saying "fortunately, my boss understands and is allowing people to wait to come back if they aren't comfortable." But that shouldn't be "fortunately." That should be the standard.

FoxPhile

Glad to say when I went to the grocery store this morning they had a person out front who turned people away if they didn't have a face covering. Most of the folks inside the store were wearing them, although a few people weren't. I guess they either claimed exemptions or else took their masks off once they were past the front door.

WeBuiltThePyramids

Well, today was another blow.

For the last 18 years, I have paid for my riding lessons one lesson at a time. Today, they called and new policy. You are required to buy 4 lessons ahead of time, and you have 5 weeks to use them (it's once per week). So now my options are literally commit to spending a third of my income each month on a hobby, or stop doing it. And that doesn't actually leave me with an option. I know several other people at the barn are also having to quit because they don't make enough to be able to pay that much ahead and essentially not get to take vacation or be sick because then they lose out on the money they spent.

They said they're doing this because of no call, no shows. And okay, that's a problem. However, since I started there 18 years ago the rule has been if you no call no show you get charged anyway. But they never enforced that. So now those of us who have been riding there, some for close to or more than two decades, are being punished and effectively forced out even though we weren't the problem.

And I hate it. Last year I was laid off of a job I had for 13 years, that I literally not once called into or showed up late for - in favor of someone who literally worked less than half their shifts over the previous year. And now I'm losing one of the only things that help me keep my head above water because other people, and not me, took advantage. I don't know what I'm going to do without that place, and I was basically crying all day at work (oh, AND they're raising their rates at the same time they've started forcing us to buy 4 at a time, this was NO notice and not "effective January 1st 2021 or something, AND we have to pay cash). I keep running numbers, if I do this, if I do that, maybe I can afford it. But I can't. No matter how I slice it. I can't spend 33% of what I make each month on this.

FoxPhile

That really sucks. You would think they could go over their records and created something like a "great customers" club - for people who have not abused the system - and given them a better deal. I have to wonder how much this will hurt their business and maybe they'll be forced to reverse or at least soften that change.

WeBuiltThePyramids

Yeah, like I'd understand this for new people but like...some of us have literally grown up there.

FoxPhile

It really seems like this will hurt their business. You wouldn't think they could afford such a move at this time. I'm sure they must have been closed for a while and like so many businesses, they are just reopening. That could be part of what is driving this - they may have to limit how many people they allow and so they want to be extra sure that every slot that have is a paying slot. But they could still come up with a better way to do that without driving away long standing clients.

WeBuiltThePyramids

Yeah, it's definitely going to impact their business, it already has, but I guess they'll just wind up with a huge turnover in clientele.

FoxPhile

Ever since I got my puppy she has vomited sort of frequently. Not like every week, but once or twice a month at least. At first I called the vet every time and he would usually tell me to keep an eye on her and if she did it again within a day or two, or got other symptoms to call him back.

Well, she never did - it was always intermittent. After a while I stopped calling but I kept a log with the date & time, a description and comments about what she had been doing and how she acted afterwards. Usually she was just fine - ready to play - so I didn't worry a lot about it.

In the past week she's done it four times and this morning was particularly bad and she was shaky and lethargic. So I took her to the vet and showed him my log. He did some blood work and examined her and didn't find any problems with that, but then he studied my log. Based on the frequency, the usual time of day and other information, he said it's very likely she has gastric reflux - a lot like what humans sometimes have - including me.

1. It's really nice to finally get a cause for this and get something we can treat. She's on medication much like what humans take and also a special bland diet at least for a while.

2. Scientific methods - like observation and tracking - pay off. I feel very Walter-ish.

According to the vet there's a good chance she will outgrow this within another year. Keep your fingers crossed!

WeBuiltThePyramids

Oh that's good that you have something to treat! Eliza throws up sometimes, but it's basically always either hairballs OR she's just eaten something that's made me go "you're going to puke that up in 20."

FoxPhile

Since the 4th is on Saturday, I have tomorrow off as the official company holiday. Although since I normally work on Saturdays, I'll be working on the 4th.

I could actually have worked tomorrow and gotten Saturday off, but it doesn't make a great deal of difference to me since it's going to be too hot to do anything anyway.

WeBuiltThePyramids

I've always worked the 4th, since I worked at one the places the people go on the 4th. I'm off this year, since my new job is closed for the holiday. I'm not doing anything, though. I've never been a big fan of the holiday myself.