our guest writer today

 My friend Doug is my writing partner this week (always a treat) and this was part of his piece from yesterday.

TUESDAY: BACKBONE

Remember when all those ships carrying new cars and refrigerators and tvs and computers and fan belts and batteries and pants and jackets and sledgehammers and drill bits and plywood and 2 X 4s were lined up out to sea, waiting to get into a port? There were not enough dock workers to unload the ships and not enough truck drivers to transport the goods and not enough store employees to carry everything into the stores and not enough part timers to stack the plastic cups and bags of rice and wallpaper paste onto the shelves. We stayed close to home except to shop, and when we did try to buy things, shelves were often empty.

But we didn’t go hungry, because all those Latino farm workers we now want to throw out of the country kept working, despite getting sick themselves, and all those slaughterhouse workers we claim are lazy rapists stayed at their jobs so we could eat our chicken nuggets and supersize our colas, and all those auto repairmen from Tamaulipas and house painters from Shanghai and short order cooks from Guatemala City and elder care ladies from Lagos who we accuse of taking jobs away from American workers kept right on caring and painting and fixing and frying while the government paid U.S. citizens to stay home. 

How soon we forget.

the 2022 revolution

 I really like not working. I am fascinated by this new way of thinking wherein SLACKER in no longer a dirty word. My writing partner and I have both been exploring all of it this week and I just sent her this little snippet;

Gallup’s global workplace report for 2022 showed that only 9% of workers in the UK were engaged or enthusiastic about their work, ranking 33rd out of 38 European countries. The NHS staff survey, conducted in the autumn of 2021, showed that morale had fallen from 6.1 out of 10 to 5.8, and staff engagement had dropped from 7.0 to 6.8.

“Since the pandemic, people’s relationship with work has been studied in many ways, and the literature typically, across the professions, would argue that, yes, people’s way of relating to their work has changed,” Kordowicz said.

TikTok posts about quiet quitting may have been inspired by Chinese social media: #TangPing, or lying flat, is a now-censored hashtag apparently prompted by China’s shrinking workforce and long-hours culture.

just for today

(With thanks to Linda Z. on Facebook)

a little Friday rant

Since last May we have been adjusting to a set of new bosses at the museum
stores. Let's summarize the whole experience by saying that I'm so glad that
I only work part-time. One of the things that irritates me (and others) no end
is that we don't get our schedules for the next week until Friday. How does
one plan if one is "on call"? I can request time off, naturally, but in the good
old days we had our schedules two weeks in advance and I was able to plan
my life much better. So if I'm not working on a Friday, I check the work
emails all day, hoping for next week's schedule. Rotten, I say. See, this little
irritation is one reason why unions take hold and why states and cities are
forced to make so many silly rules and regulations. If only bosses would
LISTEN to the people who report to them. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr.

deep breath

lunch yesterday in the Rose Garden

I thought I'd have more TIME now that I only work part-time, but it seems
like I'm still rushing about doing things and my TO DO List keeps growing.
I still prepare dog food on Monday morning, but I dash out of there and
head home to do errands. Slow down, Ms. Stein, smell the roses on your
1/2 hour lunch break. Sigh.

clarification

On my Pathetica post this week I mentioned that I was slowly getting
used to NOT working 40 hours (plus) a week. It's a big change for me
and for Husbando too, of course.

Now I work 12 to 15, sometimes 20 hours a week. See? I said it was a
change. Someone on the blog inferred that I was bored. Oh no, not once
have I been bored since last October when I decided to go part-time.
There is always some place to walk, someone to have coffee or lunch
with, some writing that needs to be done or a few household tasks
that call out to me. Plus, living in San Francisco means that there is
more to see and do daily than probably anywhere on earth ~ except
maybe New York, London or Paris.

No, it's just getting used to change. To not getting up and rushing through
breakfast, standing around at a job facing ennui for 8 hours straight. I am
slowly getting used to freedom, I guess that's the thing. I still get up early,
still make daily and weekly lists, but I have hardly any "must do's" to
contend with. Would I go back to full-time work? Oh, God no, never!

Time is a luxury that I never had before and I'm just learning how to
appreciate it. The simple fact that I can walk every single day or take a
bus downtown just for the heck of it, or visit any museum is beyond
belief. And am I writing? Not as much as I hoped to, but more than
I did in the past and that's a huge step in the right direction. Oh, yes,
and I am way, way more content than I have ever been in my life.

And don't forget all the books I get to read!

thirty eight days

Time to start checking off the days until I go back to heavenly part-time
work. I don't know how the red dots got on my little note pad, but
they aren't tears. My contract is up on October 9th, and I'm ready for
a whole bunch of ME time. Actually, it's less than 38 days because
days off do not count, as all of you know full well. Plus, I'm taking
a wee vaca in September ~ more about that later. Make it under 30
days...and whoooooooeeeeeeeeee.

take two, feet

The Blogmaid gave me a set of 3 mismatched socks. I think I
will just close my eyes and pick 2 to see me through a not-easy
work day. Another favorite co-worker is leaving us and there
is much sorrow. It's never the same after someone you care
about leaves, even though we can blame him for everything
that goes wrong from here on out.

book signing & reunion

The book ~ life in our Borders Union Square

The Author, Joesph Zitt

A great turnout of old friends

Last night I went to a book signing down at Books, Inc. on Van Ness.
Mr. Z's book is published and I'm guessing that there were about 50
of us from the old days at Borders. 19th Nervous Breakdown chronicles
the life of a music and book seller during the heyday of one of the
busiest retail stores in San Francisco. Joe is a musician so he was
well-rehearsed and comfortable in front of this audience of friends
and well-wishers.

Joe dedicates his book "to the workers and customers of store 57,
and to all those who serve to connect people with the art and
information that they love." This comes to me at a time when
I am not really appreciating retail, and, as usual, is just what
I need to hear. So now it's up to me to adjust my thinking (again).

Mr. Z is still with Borders, at one of their remaining stores in
Ohio, so it is extra special that he is here for a week and that
his first book signing was with us. Nice evening...

early morning meeting

I was just trying to post a thing from Patrice on How To Survive
an Earthquake, but I'm having problems getting it here on
the blog. Basically it's the Triangle Approach. Don't go under
the desk or bed, lie right next to it because there is usually a
"safe space" there. Same with the car ~ get out and lie beside
it. Of course try to get out of a building, but the stairs can be
iffy as they break away when things collapse.

On that happy note I will quickly tell you that we have an 8am
meeting today and I need to scurry this morning. How I ever
got to Borders at 6am for 8 years is beyond me. But I did and
then was then and now is now and onward, ever onward.

The rain continues as does my damp spirit.

yes, I'll be back

I'm taking a day off from work and from writing. I'll be fresh as a
daisy tomorrow with gobs of insight. Life, she be difficult at times.

make that two

RR is now missing her two front teeth. How cute is this?

Yesterday was an uneventful day, but quite nice indeed. First,
no rain, then a new Governor and my yoga class was terrific.
Next a l-o-n-g three hour walk up and about and over Cortland
where I stopped for a latte and appreciated the fact that my
knee pain is almost non-existent. Let's hear it for those knee
stretches from Kaiser. Not that I do them as often or as deeply
as recommended, but still and all, much/much better.

Tonight I close the deYoung and it's Free Day so don't expect
any glowing work report tomorrow. More sunshine too!

it's time for a change

I am sitting here looking at a bunch of forms that I need to read
and fill out for work. As mentioned before, my contract is up
and I am officially terminated as of March 29th. From all
indications I will be rehired sometime in May at the same job
and for the same amount of money, but until I see that contract,
I'm sort floating in a strange world.

In most respects I'm delighted to have some time off. It looks
like I'll be working 3 or 4 days a week on an "on call" basis.
I've been working on my new To Do list and it includes the
lovely clean-my-office, garden and maybe get dear Ellen
out of the garage where she is tied up. To my readers who
worry about our heroine skipping around and being illogical,
you'll have to get used to it. The author hasn't a clue either, as
we say in the mystery writing world.

Much of the paperwork has to do with Cobra. I'm here to
tell you that the Democrats have done one fine job with this.
I'm eligible for government assistance and the cost will be
affordable to me. I've "done" Cobra before and it was
exorbitant. Not so this time.

just like the old days

I was up this morning at 4am to do some much-needed projects:
online banking, overdue emails, thank you notes, etc. It felt
great to have some time to myself, but of course I'll be yawning
after lunch and beyond.

The JetBlue flight(s) leave tomorrow morning and I'll get into
Buffalo around midnight. The youngest stepson has kindly
offered to do the airport pick-up thing, which is very sweet.
I'm bringing MsBook, so of course I'll be in communication.

One more day of work. I can do it.

good, bad or merely obsessive?

It's weird. This is the first job I've ever had where I can read work
emails from home. I do like starting my day without any surprises,
and I can check the daily sales every morning. On the other hand,
I worry that this is becoming the 24/7 work world that we all preach
to others to avoid at all costs.

off to work we go

Today is the first day of my new full-time job. This is not my briefcase
because I prefer a canvas bag and a little lunch box. I read in the
chronny that it's TRENDY to take one's lunch to work now ~ I think
I started this trend about 20 years ago. I'm not even nervous, just
ready to learn a few new things and maybe help increase sales some.

It was perfect having four days off in a row before I start this adventure.
I did some cleaning, organizing, reading, writing, walking and napping.

There is a light rain this morning, beats the hell out of forest fires.
Now where is my newly fashionable Thermos®?

the 6-day work week

I have years of experience being boss woman, so yesterday when
my new boss asked me to work today I said "yes". My goal is
to get FT at the museums, and I know that one way to accomplish
this is not to say "no" and not to grumble. It's funny how many
people shoot themselves in the foot on their way up the corporate
ladder. I have absolutely no desire to manage again, but I do
miss the benefits, especially paid vacation days and 401(k)
programs. FT jobs are hard to find anywhere and I wonder if
they will ever return. When I first started at the big box we
wanted ONLY FT people, now their goal is 20% FT and 80%
PT. I have some problems with this concept, but it's rampant
in the corporate world. And then they worry about union activity...