Working from home today

Well, today is my first official work from home day. So far I gave one of my new "coworkers" a haircut and did some website maintenance. Answered several emails already and then just about killed my laptop when I started laughing at this:

https://www.facebook.com/jonnyandrewsx/videos/10217662726974781/

Hope the link works.

As for this weekend, I played a lot of Minecraft. I tried to watch that new Tiger King show but can't really say I enjoyed it. I watched 2 episodes and then just had no desire to watch the rest. If you have watched more of it and it gets better, please let me know.

New coworkers

Have you seen the tweets of people talking about working from home with pets but calling them coworkers? They are fucking amazing.


My coworker keeps insisting she needs to be pet...

I had to try to enroll students while my other coworker screamed at everyone who walked past my office. He clearly takes social distancing seriously. From now on I'm gonna imagine he's saying "go back to your house, we don't want your covid" when he barks.

I'm in the work from home squad now

An email went out that all essential people have been notified today that they are essential.

Anyone who did not get the email is required to work from home until May 1, effective Monday. I did not get an email about being essential.

It looks like I'm in the work from home squad now.

The beautiful part is I don't have to take a bunch of stuff home with me since 99% of what I do is already digital! I feel sorry for the peeps who do similar jobs on campus and still use paper.

Oh, and I will not be held accountable for the emails I send while day drinking!

I had to make a meme!

TFW you have to spend the first 3 hours of the workday un-fucking what other people fucked up even though you gave them all specific instructions on how to do the thing to avoid fucking it up...

When you're in your office and you hear the elevator ding and you know no one else is supposed to be here because of covid...

Accounting sent out an email today telling us that we can now submit paperwork using a PDF copy and, if the person can't sign it, an email will suffice as the signature... so of course I had to make a meme!

My genetics report is ready

I worked from home today, which was actually kinda nice.

I also got an email that my genetics report is ready. It says we are NOT Native American but while that could be true, genetically, our family tree traces us back to the Choctaw Tribe via a Choctaw Freedman, meaning former slave, so that could be anything.

This report says I am 40% German, 17% British Isles, 17% Italian, 9% French, 5% Swedish but then when you go down into the nitty-gritty it also has spatterings of Mexican, Columbian, Puerto Rican, Peruvian, African (Ghana), Sri Lankan, Punjabi, Gujarati, Bengalese, Southern and Northern Han Chinese, and Japanese.

The funny thing is the other reports that tell about my proclivities for health problems and allergies and preferences are all over the place. Some of them are WAY off, totally wrong. Not sure how much value I place in the validity of this test.

Early warning symptom for Covid

So, they have discovered a new early warning symptom for Covid - loss of sense of smell and a diminished sense of taste. That usually comes before the fever and coughing and being aware of this could potentially help limit the spread.

NY Times article for reference

My boss suggested I should take my personal days and go on a road trip, lol. He also suggested I go work remotely in California and stay with my sister for a while. Enrollment started today, can't leave during that. It's a crazy time. Like I told him, I'm going to play things by ear for the next week or so and we'll see how things go.

Not where I want to be right now

8,000 positive tests in NYC. Staggering number. I am trying very hard not to think about it and to just do my social distancing. When I think about it, the anxiety sets in and my irrational brain starts to take over and I head toward survival mode and it's not where I want to be right now.

I took a nap with my doggos instead and played a lot of Minecraft to keep my mind off things this weekend.

I keep waffling between high anxiety and thinking this is all surreal...

"Is that a typo?!"

So today I had to move all of our summer classes to an online format, by order of the university president. The worst part was getting pushback from faculty members about not wanting to teach online. What part of "I don't have a choice, this is required by the President" are people having a problem with?

Meanwhile, I have other faculty who are just doing what they gotta do and also being proactive and reserving zoom accounts all the way through summer... I love those peeps.

Then this afternoon we got an email that said all full-time benefits-eligible employees have been given several hours of paid personal leave to use during this time. That means days off that don’t count against sick leave or vacation time. I kept rereading that email thinking "is that a typo?!"

This conversation may or may not have actually happened

So I may or may not have had a conversation at work that may or may not have included discussion of whether I may or may not be able to do my job from home on an extended basis. The suggestion may or may not have been made that maybe I should stay home and "practice" doing it to be sure.

Um… yeah… I worked from home for a whole week when I had shingles in September. That, apparently, was my dress rehearsal for this. I can do literally everything from home except the paperwork that accounting requires to be actual paper. If they would allow us to do things digitally, I’d be golden.

I am genuinely afraid for my child

New research is showing that people with type A blood are more susceptible to covid and type O are least susceptible, where susceptible means more likely to catch and more likely to die.

Older kiddo has type O blood
Niece has (we think, not sure) type O blood.
Sister B has type O blood.
Brother has type O blood.

I have type A blood.
Hubs has type A blood.
Sister J has type A blood.
Younger kiddo has type A blood, asthma, and a crappy immune system.

I am genuinely afraid for my child.

I am not wearing green on purpose.

Today is St. Patrick's Day. I am not wearing green on purpose. I dare you to try to pinch me. if you do, then we know that you don't know what social distancing means. Yeah, I'm that kind of person.

Also, someone shared this with me, so I'm passing it along. Enjoy!

Everyone has been bombarded with information from the CDC and responsible news organizations about the best ways to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. Here's a playlist for you to enjoy and perhaps pass along to others.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otCpCn0l4Wo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLHE9jrb_N4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNIZofPB8ZM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8lOLNfnCBg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PY4c_r5VY8c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGrLb6W5YOM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMFMf9cN64U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WURBeroN54Q

Hooyah Navy!

They didn't cancel my appointment

Well, the good news is they didn't cancel my appointment. The bad news is it fucking sucked. It was fucking torture. I'm glad it's over. Now I just have to hope that the VA takes that information and uses it to determine that I do actually have a service-connected disability.

Oh and then I found out that our campus will remain closed (we’re on Spring Break as of today) until March 30th... but staff still have to go in to work on campus... FML.

I engaged in self-care yesterday by playing Minecraft most of the day. I took the day off work today for that appointment. At least when I go to work tomorrow, I know all of the stuff I have to do will be minimal since I busted my ass getting ahead of things. Originally we were supposed to have this huge event next Monday, but with all this threat of the disease, we canceled it. This week was supposed to all be prep work for that event. Now... nope.

Covid prepping.

I managed to get the shopping done, the rest of the day was shit.

PTSD like a bitch today, just crying over stupid shit, easily frustrated and irritable, etc, feeling like I'm in panic mode, gotta get shit done RIGHT THE FUCK NOW so just trying to finish the required stuff so I can sit back. I went to Walmart after midnight last night getting groceries and supplies for my family so we are good. Pet food was one of the things I bought, as well as flea medication because I don't want to be stuck at home with disease and fleas. We have enough nonperishable food items that only need water for prep to last for a couple weeks should things get bad. I also bought the regular groceries that we normally use.

All day I was in my head and pretty much told everyone to fuck off. Huge kudos to hubs. He took it on himself to not ask me what he could do to help. Being asked how someone can help is triggering for me, I dunno why. He instead went to the garage and did some reorganizing to make space on the shelves for stuff I had bought. Then, when I was ready, he helped me sort the stuff and took the actual groceries upstairs and put them all away while I put the emergency stuff in the garage. I really needed that understanding and space.

Right now, I am just focused on getting through Monday. I will worry about everything else after that.

Please do not let them cancel it.

I am scared. My sister is scared, too.

Sister: It is quiet, confined chaos. Everyone is nervous and anxious as we wait for information. I think we're going to get shut down starting Monday. The unions have been meeting with the superintendent two days in a row now. LA County, San Diego County, and Riverside have all shut down their schools starting Monday. We received a letter from the superintendent yesterday and another one just now canceling pretty much every meeting, field trip, professional development, and any group larger than 250. We are also being told to put learning activities for about 2 weeks online but we can't read them or hold them against a student's grade. I told my student teacher and she got right on it and we're going to offer it as extra credit at least in my classroom. I've also heard a science teacher say there has been nothing like this since 1918 and that no one was prepared or ready for it. One of our own social science teachers said he was watching the president's speech the other night and had serious concerns that he may actually have coronavirus. Said he does not look well. I'm trying to be logical and calm about this, but in truth I'm scared. I got my flu vaccine, so I know if I feel symptoms, what it means. I'm tempted, with three weeks off, to get in the car and come to you right now. a lot of driving, and exposure to people, when I should really hermit myself and just stay in my cave, drink, eat cheez-its, and pretend I'm agoraphobic cause you can't have Armageddon without cheez-its.



I just wanna have my VA eval on Monday, please do not let them cancel it.

This is actually getting real

Been checking the NY Times Covid map every day for a couple weeks now and it's like watching a competition to see which is the last state standing. We're down to only Montana and West Virginia with 0 confirmed cases. I'm putting my money on Montana being last since everyone there already is isolated...

I need to go to Walmart but I am deliberately waiting until like 11:30 when it will be a ghost town.

Sister: Oh shit...our superintendent just basically sent an email telling teachers to move their classes to an online format and be ready. We're going to end up getting shut down. Now I'm starting to get worried. I bought non-refundable tickets to our niece's graduation.

Rumors

Sister: Rumor the district is going to extend our Spring Break to 2 weeks...we have no Covid in our county.  We might though, the fucking choir has a field trip to Spain planned during Spring Break.  I would NOT let my child go right now.

Me: The rumor right now is that when our school comes back from Spring Break we won't be back on campus and instead will work from home, but I dunno.

Still sick

Feeling better, not great.

Kudos to me for recognizing I needed the day off.

Still sick.

Guess it's abs day, lol

Around 4pm at work, I started feeling like I was dumping but I hadn't eaten anything for over 2 hours. Got home, went to the bathroom, threw up and had diarrhea at the same time. My dumping never involves vomit.

I think I ate something my body didn't like. It is getting rid of it. Just finished a second round of coming out both ends at the same time. Guess it's abs day, lol. See you on the other side if I survive this.

Good thing I always wear my hair in a braid, I don't need somebody to hold my hair for me.

Still enjoyed the zoo

Mother fucking sciatica. Didn't even get to see half the zoo, walking so slow, hurts so fucking much. Next time, I'm renting a scooter.

Still enjoyed the zoo though, was really fun.

Sister sent this today:
How weird… I am having lunch out, sitting at a bar, swallowed down the wrong pipe, and started coughing. The guy on the other side of the bar is looking at me.  Now he is taking his order to go. WTF, how paranoid?

Wash Your Hands

I made a thing.

Feel free to take and copy

Hey... whatchu doing on Saturday?

When you message Adventure Friend early on a Thursday morning...

Me: Hey... whatchu doing on Saturday?
Hey
I talkin' you
wake up

Fren: I am awake, I was tracking calories

Me: no fun

Fren: And I'm not sure offhand why

Me: wanna go on a field trip with me?

Fren: Where?

Me: last year for mom's day, my kiddo bought me a Friends of the Zoo membership, I get to go for free whenever I want and bring 1 person and we get unlimited rides too

Fren: Oooooh. Let me look over things, I feel like there was something but it may be something I can do another day

Me: and this Saturday, FotZ members get in early to do a tour of the new elephant expedition that is still under construction and won't open until May and a lil birdie said someone he knows loves eles

Fren: Omg
Omg yes
Omg
Whatever it was is no longer a priority

This is actually happening

I deal with things like this through humor. These memes do nicely.

The state should do evening tornado drills

Today we had the statewide tornado drill. Afterward, I had a little chatty chat with Adventure Friend.

We are of the agreement that the state should also be conducting evening drills. According to the NOAA, “Tornadoes can also happen at any time of day or night, but most tornadoes occur between 4–9 p.m.”

So, in terms of our campus, what about those students here during events and classes at night, they need to know where to go too. Let's be honest here, if it was real, a large portion of the student body would be at the bars, parties, or work and the other portion would be in their dorms. They should do a drill during peak dining hall hours on a Wednesday night when everybody is out doing stuff.

Self-care day

My Dad's dog, Lily, passed away.

Today I took a self-care day and feel better but my back is killing me.

The Deputy, S1, E9, minute 40.

Yesterday Sister J and I had an amazing discussion.

Sister: What is nonbinary?

Me: Neither male nor female

Sister: Hmmm, Bishop, The Deputy, Hulu, is nonbinary... Seriously, your thesis just hit home. The Deputy, S1, E9, minute 40. Not knowing the show, and not understanding the dynamics with the characters, I seriously think you should go to Hulu right now, look up the show and go to the one I told you about. Tell me this isn't everything that your thesis is about.

Me: (goes and watches) OMG I wanna hug that sheriff for saying the exact right things Bishop needed in that moment of self-discovery. It's the same thing I tell the kids in my student organization all the time, “only you can decide who you are and only you can define who you are and at the end of the day you are who you are and everybody else's opinion doesn't matter.”

Sister: I just don't know how to teach that way. I don't know how to make my colleagues aware in that manner. I want to include everyone in the identity that they feel most welcome, but I don't know if I'm screwing it up."

~*~*~*~*~*~

Welcome to my TedTalk

Step 1 - Add your pronouns to your email signature and when people ask about it, ask them what is the point of an email signature. It's to tell the person receiving the email who you are. Pronouns are not "preferred," they just are. The same as your name, age, or date of birth. They are part of who you are and how you identify. And if the purpose of an email signature is to tell people who you are, then you are also telling them how they should address you in the third person AND, and this is key, it shows those who are LGBTQ that you get it and are therefore safe.

Step 2 - Stop using gendered language ("ladies and gentlemen", "boys and girls") and start using neutral group terms. You could use "students" "class" "colleagues" "educators" etc. I had a college prof once who used "scholars"

Step 3 - Add a statement of acceptance to your syllabi that shows students and teaching assistants that your room is a safe, accepting, tolerant space and disrespect is not ok. Your school probably has something like this, but it means more when you take the time to add your own.

Step 4 - Instead of calling roll, have students introduce themselves to the class or to someone sitting nearby and then introduce each other to the class. Make sure they include the name they want to be called, first and last and pronouns. Then mark your roster accordingly. That saves you from butchering last names while taking attendance, gets the preferred names, tells you pronouns so you don't screw em up, AND you didn't out anyone!

Step 5 - When choosing materials for class, look for stuff that includes neutral language, but not just gender-neutral, also race and cultural difference. Show as many facets of humanity as you can. When you use example names in class, use neutral ones like Sam, Alex, Morgan, Angel (Spanish pronunciation), Sage, Cameron, Kendall, Amari, etc.

Step 6 - Share these strategies with other educators to help create an inclusive climate.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Sister: Wow, some I already do, some I hadn't even thought of. I am big on using gender non-specific terms.

Me: The major finding in my thesis is that faculty want to be inclusive, they just don't know how, and nobody is bothering to tell them. Literally, if I thought I could financially afford it and was willing to take the risk, I would go around to schools and do professional development on how to have an inclusive school environment.

Sister: Would it be wrong to post a simple sheet of paper in my room that says, “I accept they and them as easily as I accept him, her, his, and hers. Add no masks, just you. Live your truth.”?

Me: Tell me what you want it to say and I'll make a pretty sign for you

Sister: I'll ask the principal if I could create a bulletin board in the staff lounges centered around wellness. I volunteered to be a part of and participated in the first meeting of the Joint Wellness Committee. I think this is something I really feel will help me to remember what it means to manage my stress. I want to make my campus a pilot as an example of acceptance. We need to feel accepted before we can feel like there is someone we can trust. We ask the students to trust us but that's not always possible if we can't trust each other.

Sister: I’ve been fighting for hand sanitizers in every room since Oct 2019 and finally every classroom will be provided with hand sanitizer and the custodial staff will be sanitizing all door handles. I know this came about because of the fuss I put up. For once I feel like I made a difference. I need to keep that going.