The Trivial Complaints Thread... number 2!

[Taffeta]

Things that involve money make organisations so callous.

Read an article just now about levelling up cash being given to Sheffield and Wolverhampton. Now, I don't think that's a bad idea - except we have a govt who don't really understand levelling up in the slightest. Tories are not really interested in stuff like that. And also that their levelling up seems to be about towns and cities.

There are a lot of poor areas in counties like mine, where there are no cities and where a lot of the county is rural. The council on the rural side are already hiking their council tax because of deficit, in part caused by how much more it takes to get across the region to everyone (albeit they are also a bit stupid). It's the kind of place that nobody ever thinks of, most people don't even know where to find it on a map, and pretty much nobody cares about the kids growing up here.

Levelling up is apparently not applicable to kids growing up outside of cities, even though it's well documented that transport, connections and opportunities in most of these regions are very few. There are just as many kids here who need support as in the cities. But I guarantee you they won't get it.

[BlackCurtains]

I have an ulcer on the side of my tongue that refuses to heal. It rubs against my teeth and it really hurts.

Today I woke up with a neckache on the right side. I woke up a lot in the night and kept switching sides so I'm not sure how it got hurt.

All the birds are gone. It's too cold for them, I think. They must have moved to a warmer area or found denser trees to sleep in.

Speaking of the cold, this is really going to hurt the manatees. They finally started eating the lettuce they were given (because climate change killed off the seagrass and they're all starving) but they do very poorly in the cold.

[Beth3346]

Things that involve money make organisations so callous.

Read an article just now about levelling up cash being given to Sheffield and Wolverhampton. Now, I don't think that's a bad idea - except we have a govt who don't really understand levelling up in the slightest. Tories are not really interested in stuff like that. And also that their levelling up seems to be about towns and cities.

There are a lot of poor areas in counties like mine, where there are no cities and where a lot of the county is rural. The council on the rural side are already hiking their council tax because of deficit, in part caused by how much more it takes to get across the region to everyone (albeit they are also a bit stupid). It's the kind of place that nobody ever thinks of, most people don't even know where to find it on a map, and pretty much nobody cares about the kids growing up here.

Levelling up is apparently not applicable to kids growing up outside of cities, even though it's well documented that transport, connections and opportunities in most of these regions are very few. There are just as many kids here who need support as in the cities. But I guarantee you they won't get it.

In the US the federal government was giving tax credits to families with children. It was allowed to expire a few months back and I don't see it continuing in the future. but the results were positive based on everything i read. I don't have children so i didn't get any tax credits. maybe parents would have more information here.

it's frustrating that there is so much resistance to giving people any assistance. this was a tax credit so it didn't help people who aren't getting income. i've been reading more about political history in the US and it's frustrating how many times we could have helped people and it just didn't happen for one reason or another.

i was reading an article this morning about rents going way up like to the point where people with well paying jobs would have trouble affording it. it's not like the costs for landlords are going up. it's just greed. and it makes me feel helpless. i really just need to vent.

[SunPony]

Speaking of the cold, this is really going to hurt the manatees. They finally started eating the lettuce they were given (because climate change killed off the seagrass and they're all starving) but they do very poorly in the cold.

This is so depressing 

Uh, my complaint is my new job doesn't provide dental or vision coverage for the first YEAR of employment.  But they do provide medical from day one.  I'm so confused.  Also, I hate it!   

[Ponyfan]

I was up most of the night coughing.  I thought it was my asthma but using a nebulizer didn't help. I finally took some Vick's and that stopped the coughing enough that I could finally sleep.  Now I have a headache. 

I forgot my Coke Zero yesterday when I left for work and couldn't find enough change in my purse to buy one from the vending machine.    There aren't very people at work that I feel close enough to borrow money from in situations like that but at least I did have my water bottle with me.


Ponyfan

[Beth3346]

i woke up at 3:30am and couldn't fall back asleep until 8am. so i caught a quick 45minute nap before i needed to start work. i have to go get groceries tonight since it will be rainy and freezing for the next few days. Driving in Central Texas when it's icy is not very safe.

hopefully i'll be able to get to bed early.

Ponyfan my allergies are really acting up today. the changing temps aren't great for allergies.

[BlackCurtains]

Having a lousy day My body is sore and I'm not sure why, I haven't done anything. My neck still hurts, my knees hurt, of course my back hurts. My tooth and ear and the sore on my tongue all hurt. I'm uncomfortable in my clothes. I've been wearing thick socks, sweat pants a heavier t-shirt and my hoodie. I guess I'm more used to having on a light shirt and shorts because I feel all cramped and tight. The weather is warming up but another cold front is coming.

SIGH there are ants on my desk again. Just noticed them running around.

I decided to have a glass of V8 vegetable juice for breakfast and the tongue sore burned and burned from the acid.

I keep meaning to make homemade lasagna which I've never made before but the time gets away from me and then I think it's too late to start it. I don't have a big pot so I'm going to need to boil the noodles only a few at a time. I would have gotten oven ready noodles but the only brand that had them were Barilla and they're on my boycott list.

I've been playing my PS4 and my hands and fingers are bothering me too. I'm old

[Ponyfan]

I think I have the start of a sinus infection. I did a telemedicine visit with my dr and he is making me take 2 Covid tests (one today and one tomorrow) to make sure it isn't Covid.  I know the dr is just making sure that it isn't Covid but I hate taking Covid tests.


My mom doesn't listen sometimes when I tell her things.  I told her as soon as I got off the phone that I needed to take 2 tests and just a few minutes ago when I mentioned it she acted surprised that I said that.  I just get so tired of her not really listening when I talk to her and then always having an excuse why she didn't hear what I said the first time.

 Edit; My dr said I could do the at home test kits.  It wasn't as bad as the test you get at the pharmacy. The first test was negative.  The pharmacy is out of the medicine my dr prescribed and said none of their other stores have it in stock either.  It's supposed to come in tomorrow.

 

Ponyfan

[Pokeyonekenobie]

I wish I worked with people that could read.

Or think.

Or at least pretend to not be too stupid to function.

[BlackCurtains]

I overdrew my bank account again It was automatic payments, again. I thought I would be okay but there's one payment that's taken every three months that I totally forgot about. I can't change the date funds are taken for that payment or two others. The ones I could change, I did.

??? an ant just crawled across my monitor. How did it get on there? I hate these things.

I made my lasagna yesterday. It turned out perfect but I don't think I'll make it again. For the time spent making it I'd rather do something else like my potato casserole or baked spaghetti, which I like a lot better.

 

[Ponyfan]

I'm sorry that happened to you Black Curtains.   

My 2nd test was negative too.

I think I'm going to stop playing a game on Facebook. I tried to get on it this morning and my computer started acted weird again to the point that I had to do a hard shut down and restart my computer.  It's not worth the stress to me to spend 10-20 minutes trying to "fix" the computer for 10 minutes or less of a Facebook game.  There are times when the game runs just fine except it's a bit slow and then the next time I try my computer does strange things.  Everything else seems to work fine  (although I am having a problem with my computer's weather/sports updates right now) so I think it's an issue with the game.

I'm still waiting for the pharmacy to get my prescription ready.  They said yesterday that it should come in today but the roads are covered with snow and ice so I'm not sure if the trucks can get through.

Ponyfan

[Taffeta]

Glad your tests were negative, Ponyfan!

So this is not entirely a complaint, but big parts of it are, so it goes here I guess.

10 days ago I got an email out of the blue from my old university department, asking if I could cover some classes at short notice. THe reason is private so I won't disclose it. At this point I don't know how many classes. Minimum 2. Maximum 7. Basically.

I've taught for them before, when I was doing my PhD. However that was history. This is mediaeval Japanese language. My general approach to language is - it works, I use it. I don't explain it. But I still said I'd do it anyway.

...It's been stressful.

I'm not in London or able to get there, so I'm teaching online. As of right now, my old staff email, though active, won't let me log into their zoom. I am having to use my private email. Yesterday I spent the whole day dealing with that IT issue. VERY stressed by the end of it.

Taught the class today. Zoom worked fine. My PC, however, that I forgot to switch on at the plug, did its instant battery shutdown mid class. BUT fortunately it let me back in again (phew).

Teaching language is still not my preference. Teaching remotely sucks.

But I guess the part I don't hate is that they asked me to do it. It makes me feel like an academic again.

So this is in the complaint because of the IT, and the language, and the fact I screwed up with my PC. And probably I'll spend the whole night wondering if I taught them something stupid. But hey. At least now I can put something new on my CV alongside history.

[SunPony]

Taffeta, that sounds really stressful!     Hopefully the rest of the class sessions will go well...I hope your students were cooperative at least.  I taught remotely last year and it was difficult to tell if the students were really engaged or not. 

My complaint is that dealing with the American health insurance industry makes me want to tear my hair out!  When am I moving back to the UK???  Haha

[Taffeta]

THanks Yeah, on the positive, the students seemed all right. And hopefully they learned something in spite of it all.

The biggest issue is that most of them have their cameras turned off, so you get voices accompanied by pictures of their dog/anime characters/some other random thing. Very odd. Imagine if you went in a lecture theatre and half the people were behind panels with photos on so you couldn't see their faces.

...the UK health service is pretty exhausted after COVID too, tbh. I feel kind of bad for them given all the govt keeps piling on them.

[Ponyfan]

I'm sorry that it was so stressful Taffeta.


I'm still waiting on the pharmacy to fill my prescription.  The truck that was supposed to have it didn't come in yesterday due to the ice and snow.  I called the pharmacy at 3 and the guy I talked to said he thought they had a slightly different version of the same medicine in stock but they can't fill my prescription with that until the dr okays it.  The pharmacy faxed the drs office, but they were closed for the day.  I'm not that sick yet but I need the medicine to help me get rid of my sinus infection. 


Ponyfan