Post your Gripe

[Kari Howie]

My manager said to write it up as a verbal warning. Seriously? Write him up for what? Waking me up? Lol. I think HR would laugh at me for that. Anyway, evaluations are due this week, so i am going to use it as a teaching tool.

Here is another story….during his first week, i put out a schedule (i hired FOUR people at the same time and they all started on the same day. So as to not kill us existing techs on the same day which would benefit nobody, i spread them out to work different shifts. Side note: we never really had a shift. Our hospital decided to do a fun thing 5 or 6 years ago….everybody is variable. So you got stuck with wherever you were needed. I hated it. Everybody did, but for scheduling purposes it worked, at our expense. When i became supervisor i swore i was going to change it. It is so hard to flip flop from morning to night, back to morning or afternoon. On no planet should this be a way of life, but…everybody needs to cover shifts if somebody is off. I do, and I don't have to... The first time I made a schedule it was like playing sudoko, putting people wherever they fit.

So his first week of work was working 3rd shift, then a week of 2nd, a week of 1st. There are a lot of different things to learn on each shift. They are literally all different. The techs I already have there hate when they have to go to another shift because it is like night and day.

I get a late night text "hey, this schedule doesn't really work out very well for me. I need a work/life balance. I can't jump from shift to shift like this all in one month."

I said, "this is a level one trauma hospital. Get used to not sleeping, and doing things that are not in your job description because we are a team, and we all cover each other's back here."

So he starts whining to everybody about his work life balance and how terrible his schedule is. Finally I pull him aside "I have been doing this since 1995 and I think I have earned my stripes, but I still do it. It is the nature of working in a hospital. It is just the way it works."

And listen: I am the only supervisor in our entire radiology department that WORKS like this. Ultrasound, MRI, etc... they sit in their office and make schedules and do timecards... I do all the supervisor duties, and work on the floor. I relieve everybody for lunch (which never happened before), I am back and forth and back and forth between three scanners in three totally different parts of the hospital/outpatient center...people are happy, I am exhausted by the end of the day, but my department is run like a well-oiled machine.

I don't have to do holidays. I don't have to work weekends, or night shifts or anything outside of my 7-3. But I do it. I have gained respect of every single person in our department, even our angry old night tech...just not this kid because of his "work/life balance". Give me a break...

We had a computer downtime a couple of weeks ago. My angry old guy at night...well I didn't tell him about downtime cause he would call out lol. But I got one of the more experienced newbies there to help out (because people on orientation are like free help)..., a transporter, and I went in. I think (angry old guy) was actually crying "I never felt like I had support before". Downtime sucks. I been there. This was a hard down: phones, overhead paging, ALL computer systems. I knew it was going to be more than just a computer glitch that randomly happens. I brought food and tried to make it as painless as possible.

Then this softie saying that I get paid to answer his calls all night...let me tell you, I got a $3/hr raise to take my position. He can suck off. I do my job because I love it. I have a feeling that he is going to be a thorn in my side.

Millennial snowflake.

 

[Catscankim]

Millennial snowflake.

Well he quit. It shorted us at the worst possible time but oh well. His drama is gone LOL

 

[Marsi]

Well he quit. It shorted us at the worst possible time but oh well. His drama is gone LOL

That's one resolution

 

[Catscankim]

My gripe is about myself today LOL.

I made a scheduling snafu this week, and not in my favor. We are so short-staffed at work. When I do a schedule (I do a month at a time), it is like playing sudoko with all the time slots. It is a really frustrating way of doing it, but that is the our departments speadsheet. I even came up with a nice clean calendar-like schedule, but the "people" did not like it that way (even though my department did).

I normally work 7a-3p. I had it in my head all week that I put myself on the schedule for last night 3-11 because one of the girls had already scheduled herself at another job because Friday nights are not part of her normal schedule. I said it multiple times to my partner that I was working 2nd shift Friday. I have been whining about it all week really lol.

I never bothered to look at the schedule, because I made it and I can pretty much tell you who is where at any given time.

So I figured I was going to make the best of it...I left work yesterday (Thursday) at 4, told my partner that I would see him in the afternoon. I got all of my end of the week stuff handed in to the people that is normally due Friday. Told THEM that I wasn't in in the morning. Went home...had a few drinks later on. Talked on the phone till 1:30 am.

7:30am...phone call from my partner: "where are you?" "Where is so and so?" "you are on the schedule at 7". "bleepity bleep bleep bleep...be right there"

First of all, I live an hour away, but he knows that because he lives 5 minutes from me. Not even thinking I just jumped up in panic mode...no shower, no makeup: just brushed my hair, brushed my teeth and left.

At NOON, I says that I cannot wait until 3:00 (to go home). Partner: "you scheduled yourself until 11. You are working a double"

Ok, more bleeps here. I photocopied my rough copy of the schedule and posted it instead of posting the final schedule. When I am trying to work around something I just throw my name in there, USUALLY knowing full well that I am just a place holder in that spot. 7 is my regular spot and I stuck myself in both while trying to get the second shift covered. It somehow makes sense to me LOL. I guess it is a visual reminder that if I don't figure it out that I am going to get stuck with it lol. MEANWHILE I shorted somebody an 8 hour shift...which should have been his shift that I inadvertently signed up for. But he was apparently good with it because it gave him a 3-day weekend...never said anything about it, he just took a flight up to New York to see family LOL.

Unexpected long long day. At 9pm my night partner tells me to go ahead and leave because it slowed down. I'm like no...this place can turn around in 30 seconds. Finally at 10:30 I went ahead and clocked out. About 20 minutes into my drive home she calls me...the injector isn't working. I tell her all the different little things that I knew how to troubleshoot it "call me back". I am about to get on the turnpike and she hasn't called back yet. I am panicking again, because if I get on the turnpike, then I basically have to go all the way home before I can go back because there are no exits for 27 miles. So I got off on an exit on 95 and head back to work. I walk in and she is standing there with her purse "omg did you come back just for this? Its working. I forgot to call you." MAD MAD MAD. Tried not to be too mad because she has only been doing this since October when she graduated lol.

And I know you are thinking that I could have called her...but I was on the highway and I cannot drive and use a phone at the same time. I am not good at it and siri hates me. I can answer a call, but as far as operating phone...just can't. I honestly do not know how anybody can text and drive. Anyway, it was a split decision to turn back because I was at the exit that would lead me onto the turnpike.

Everything happens for a reason though, because my night-shift tech was super impressed that I wouldn't abandon him even though I worked a double, and drove all the way back to make sure he wasn't stuck, so I guess that's a plus.

 

[Kari Howie]

My gripe is about myself today LOL.

I made a scheduling snafu this week, and not in my favor. We are so short-staffed at work. When I do a schedule (I do a month at a time), it is like playing sudoko with all the time slots. It is a really frustrating way of doing it, but that is the our departments speadsheet. I even came up with a nice clean calendar-like schedule, but the "people" did not like it that way (even though my department did).

I normally work 7a-3p. I had it in my head all week that I put myself on the schedule for last night 3-11 because one of the girls had already scheduled herself at another job because Friday nights are not part of her normal schedule. I said it multiple times to my partner that I was working 2nd shift Friday. I have been whining about it all week really lol.

I never bothered to look at the schedule, because I made it and I can pretty much tell you who is where at any given time.

So I figured I was going to make the best of it...I left work yesterday (Thursday) at 4, told my partner that I would see him in the afternoon. I got all of my end of the week stuff handed in to the people that is normally due Friday. Told THEM that I wasn't in in the morning. Went home...had a few drinks later on. Talked on the phone till 1:30 am.

7:30am...phone call from my partner: "where are you?" "Where is so and so?" "you are on the schedule at 7". "bleepity bleep bleep bleep...be right there"

First of all, I live an hour away, but he knows that because he lives 5 minutes from me. Not even thinking I just jumped up in panic mode...no shower, no makeup: just brushed my hair, brushed my teeth and left.

At NOON, I says that I cannot wait until 3:00 (to go home). Partner: "you scheduled yourself until 11. You are working a double"

Ok, more bleeps here. I photocopied my rough copy of the schedule and posted it instead of posting the final schedule. When I am trying to work around something I just throw my name in there, USUALLY knowing full well that I am just a place holder in that spot. 7 is my regular spot and I stuck myself in both while trying to get the second shift covered. It somehow makes sense to me LOL. I guess it is a visual reminder that if I don't figure it out that I am going to get stuck with it lol. MEANWHILE I shorted somebody an 8 hour shift...which should have been his shift that I inadvertently signed up for. But he was apparently good with it because it gave him a 3-day weekend...never said anything about it, he just took a flight up to New York to see family LOL.

Unexpected long long day. At 9pm my night partner tells me to go ahead and leave because it slowed down. I'm like no...this place can turn around in 30 seconds. Finally at 10:30 I went ahead and clocked out. About 20 minutes into my drive home she calls me...the injector isn't working. I tell her all the different little things that I knew how to troubleshoot it "call me back". I am about to get on the turnpike and she hasn't called back yet. I am panicking again, because if I get on the turnpike, then I basically have to go all the way home before I can go back because there are no exits for 27 miles. So I got off on an exit on 95 and head back to work. I walk in and she is standing there with her purse "omg did you come back just for this? Its working. I forgot to call you." MAD MAD MAD. Tried not to be too mad because she has only been doing this since October when she graduated lol.

And I know you are thinking that I could have called her...but I was on the highway and I cannot drive and use a phone at the same time. I am not good at it and siri hates me. I can answer a call, but as far as operating phone...just can't. I honestly do not know how anybody can text and drive. Anyway, it was a split decision to turn back because I was at the exit that would lead me onto the turnpike.

Everything happens for a reason though, because my night-shift tech was super impressed that I wouldn't abandon him even though I worked a double, and drove all the way back to make sure he wasn't stuck, so I guess that's a plus.

I’m getting PTSD from my anesthesia days just reading this. I hope you’ve been able to get caught up on your rest.

 

[Catscankim]

You know what gets me...this injector incident excluded because she is so new, is that I work with a group of experienced techs. Trouble shooting isn't something you are taught, it just comes with the experience of "sink or swim" when something isn't working correctly. There is no class on what to do if something goes awry.

I get middle of the night phone calls from people who have worked there for 30 years. "so the table won't move"..."is there a light blinking on the machine? Yes? PUSH IT." LOL

"Hey Kim, I have an error message that the gantry is disabled. It won't let me scan"...Did you try pushing the gantry ENABLE button?

"There is a table sensor error"...is there a picture on the machine that says which sensor? Yes? reach down and hit it LOL.

The computer isn't working....did you call IT??

Did you power it off and back on? Did you kick it?

Machine isn't working and you tried all of the above? Did you put in a service request? You know, the people that are actually getting paid to answer the phone off-hours.

You tried all of the above AND put in a service request AND did troubleshooting on the phone with GE and it is still not working? Ok here is what I need you to do. Listen carefully...walk out the door, make a left. Push elevator button to go up to the 1st floor. Down the hallway to our other scanner and warm it up. You may now proceed to scan your next patient.

I need to make a list for troubleshooting LOL.

Honestly, the only thing I ever called my old supervisor for was to get approval for a PO for service after hours, and if it was the middle of the night I would make up a PO # and let our people know in the morning what number I got "approved". (I would make a long fancy easy to remember number: date and time lol #021820231207).

 

[TheGecko]

My order for yarn and B&B supplies was supposed to be delivered today, but both are stuck in Portland because it snowed on Wednesday and folks in Oregon (excepting Eastern Oregon) don't know how to drive in the snow so here it is Friday and traffic is still a mess up there.

 

[Nona'sFarm]

My order for yarn and B&B supplies was supposed to be delivered today, but both are stuck in Portland because it snowed on Wednesday and folks in Oregon (excepting Eastern Oregon) don't know how to drive in the snow so here it is Friday and traffic is still a mess up there.

And I thought it was only people in my area who don't know how to drive in the snow. Heck, in my area they cancel school even if there is a chance of snow.

 

[Johnez]

And I thought it was only people in my area who don't know how to drive in the snow. Heck, in my area they cancel school even if there is a chance of snow.

Around here it doesn't take snow to make bad drivers, heh.

My gripe: is it me or does Walmart just want to get rid of store brands? I swear, laundry detergent, dish soap, bandaids, transmission fluid...I could go on-always sold out. I was ecstatic the last time I found 2 (TWO!) big bottles of Walmart brand dish soap, one of them with a broken lid....and I was still thinking of buying it lol. They might claim inflation is under control but I call BS. I'm spending 20-50% more every time I can't find a cheapo brand. Very annoying.

 

[Johnez]

You know what gets me...this injector incident excluded because she is so new, is that I work with a group of experienced techs. Trouble shooting isn't something you are taught, it just comes with the experience of "sink or swim" when something isn't working correctly. There is no class on what to do if something goes awry.

I get middle of the night phone calls from people who have worked there for 30 years. "so the table won't move"..."is there a light blinking on the machine? Yes? PUSH IT." LOL

"Hey Kim, I have an error message that the gantry is disabled. It won't let me scan"...Did you try pushing the gantry ENABLE button?

"There is a table sensor error"...is there a picture on the machine that says which sensor? Yes? reach down and hit it LOL.

The computer isn't working....did you call IT??

Did you power it off and back on? Did you kick it?

Machine isn't working and you tried all of the above? Did you put in a service request? You know, the people that are actually getting paid to answer the phone off-hours.

You tried all of the above AND put in a service request AND did troubleshooting on the phone with GE and it is still not working? Ok here is what I need you to do. Listen carefully...walk out the door, make a left. Push elevator button to go up to the 1st floor. Down the hallway to our other scanner and warm it up. You may now proceed to scan your next patient.

I need to make a list for troubleshooting LOL.

Honestly, the only thing I ever called my old supervisor for was to get approval for a PO for service after hours, and if it was the middle of the night I would make up a PO # and let our people know in the morning what number I got "approved". (I would make a long fancy easy to remember number: date and time lol #021820231207).

I'm a tech. This makes me laugh so much. I'd say a good 25% of the machine problems I come across are solved by either unplugging, or resetting. The number goes up to 33% if you include variations of "start from scratch" (new product, emptying and refilling), and up to 50% if you include actually having the product they are complaining isn't dispensing. I exaggerate....but only slightly.

 

[TheGecko]

The yarn made it, but my new supplies are still in Portland. Or course, there are a few boxes involved. Got my cornstarch...had to order it from Amazon as the stores have been out of it. I use it for cooking, not soaping. My Isopropyl Myristate is supposed to be here on Monday...pretty excited about that.

And I just picked up some destash items from the SM FB Group: Meadowfoam Oil, Evening Primrose Oil, and Raspberry Seed Oil, and Kentucky Bourbon FO.

Oh...and I just found a new source for fresh GM and possibly lard.

On the work front...we have let the Office Admin go and are in the process of hiring another on. Sadly the boss hired another accountant without digging into her resume. That's okay...I'm taking 'happy pills' now.

 

[AliOop]

I feel your pain, @TheGecko. My citric acid shipment has traveled around the country and supposedly been in my town for the past three days - but no delivery and no update from Amazon. Other sources of CA are much, much more expensive when shipping is factored in, and no local restaurant store or chemical supply place carries it, either. Guess I won't be making any more bathbombs for awhile...

 

[TheGecko]

@AliOop - My BrambleBerry order made it to town at 9:32am this morning so I should receive it tomorrow or Tuesday. Unfortunately it's tax season so I won't be playing until the weekend.

I bought two kits...Lip Balm and Cucumber Facial Cream. Kind of silly for the first one since there are tons of Lip Balm/Butter recipes out there, but just like when I bought the soap kit...I don't know if I'm going to want to mess with making this and so I would rather have just what I need to start out and then go from there. And I've been wanting to make lotions, but don't want to hassle with making it from scratch, so I am trying several different bases (multi-tasking again). I also got some of that African Back Soap Quick Mix because I have had some inquiries about it so why not.

I am never, ever going to make bath bombs. They are hella messy to make and I don't care much for them and one of my rules is not to make anything that I wouldn't use myself.

 

[MelissaG]

That nearly all markets in my area are outside in the heat, rain, humidity, and cold. It's completely insane. If by some miracle you find one that's inside, it's normally quite expensive.

 

[Catscankim]

I went through the car wash last week. I freakin knew there was something wrong with the way my car was sitting in the tracks. At one point it felt like it "clunked" down to finally sit right.

I never thought about it again, until the other day I noticed a big chunk of the rubber pulled back on my tire and the inside exposed. There's nothing I can do about it as far as the car wash place goes since it's been over a week and there's no way to prove it, but now I'm petrified to go through a car wash again.

I had two guys look at it and they said it's fine and just make sure it doesn't start to look like its swelling. I drive 50 miles highway back and forth each day and it unnerves me...but they said it was fine. They are big off road type truck tires, so I think they would be expensive...but they are brand new with the truck so grrrrr.....

I KNEW there was something wrong when I was going through the car wash, I just knew it!

 

[Catscankim]

I been trying to stay away from the gripe thread LOL. But I am at my wits end.

I get along with my neighbors. I really do. We let ppl park in each others driveways when company is over etc. They have been living in their house longer than I have been in mine (5 years for me, or so). Her mom gave me plants when I moved in...we bring each others trash cans in. We don't really talk..just a peaceful neighbor existence. I was living here when they got married and then later divorced.

I watched their kids grow up. Their daughter started dating and I chased a boy off her lawn when she seemed t'd off at him when her parents weren't home (long story LOL)

The two younger boys always were able to use my connecting yard to play in. But now I have a fence. THE FIRST DAY of my fence being installed....BANG BANG BANG. Kids are kicking their soccer ball on my fence. Ok it's new to me and I was super stoked to finally get a fence, but don't be a Karen LOL.

I practically watched these kids grow up. But now they are pissing me off by kicking soccer balls over my fence, then relentlessly banging on my door to get them back. They have a soccer goal thing, so they should just kick the ball in that right? LOL

I always come home super drained from work. My feet hurt. I really want to decompress. I gotta get the dog out, take care of the cats etc...One day I'm sitting on my porch and again a soccer ball flys over the fence. Its 9:30pm. They start ringing my doorbell, banging on the door, LOOKING THROUGH THE WINDOW. I put the dog in the crate and answer the door. "listen dudes. I am NOT going out there in the dark to get your ball this time. I am tired and still working. You need to wait until tomorrow." They whined about it. Oh well. I am up at 5am every day, work or not. So as soon as it was light out I threw the ball over the fence.

Next night another ball flies over the fence...actually I only knew about it when my dog brings it in the house after he MAULED it LOL. So the next morning I threw it over the fence thinking this will teach them.

Last night...FIVE balls in my yard. And the kids banging on my door right after I got home from work then knocking on my living room window. I was on the phone with my boss, so I relocated outside on my porch when they started jumping up and down over my fence yelling to give their balls back.

My dog was already in the process of destroying one of their soccer balls. I ended up just going in the house and hung out in the bedroom, because again, I am not going out there in a dark yard to retrieve their balls. Ring doorbell....for about 5 minutes. I got Henry in his crate walk outside and tell them it is the last time. STOP IT I AM TIRED.

Not to mention, their balls are hitting a garden that I just planted.

So while I was on the phone with my boss, and obvious to her that I was distracted, I finally tell her the problem I was having. I don't have kids but I have a kid problem. She tells me to call 911 or pop all of their balls LOL. I'm not going to do that LOL.

So I guess I have to have a conversation with mom, which I really stink at confrontation if I want to keep it nice LOL. Confrontation I am good at, but keeping it nice is where I don't excel.

I don't know much about soccer. But I know that the ball goes into the net LOL. I guess maybe these kids suck at keeping the ball in the net, I dunno LOL. I don''t really care about the balls in the yard, it is the kids banging at the door or ringing the Ring doorbell all night long that irritates me.

 

[Nicolesica]

I’d say Henry now has a lifetime supply of free soccer balls!

 

[Kari Howie]

I think you need to have a discussion with the mother. Loving, but firm. She may not be aware, which is a problem in itself. I also think this whole Karen thing is an attack against those of us who stand up for manners, good behavior, excellence, and Christian principles all of which fly in the face of our debased culture. You know what these boys are doing is wrong and the mom has no basis for claiming otherwise. I understand they may be struggling with the effects of mom’s divorce, but it’s still not an excuse for bad behavior.

 

[AliOop]

I think you need to have a discussion with the mother. Loving, but firm. She may not be aware, which is a problem in itself. I also think this whole Karen thing is an attack against those of us who stand up for manners, good behavior, excellence, and Christian principles all of which fly in the face of our debased culture. You know what these boys are doing is wrong and the mom has no basis for claiming otherwise. I understand they may be struggling with the effects of mom’s divorce, but it’s still not an excuse for bad behavior.

100% agree. I’d start off by explaining that you had to get the fence bc of your new dog - not bc you wanted to keep them out of your yard. That may help diffuse any resentful feelings that may be simmering bc they believe you fenced them out, rather than fencing your dog in.

 

[Catscankim]

Well I reached the inner child in me LOL. They came knocking on my door today and I hit the alarm on my car from the key fob and they ran. Then as I was watching them through the window, as they walked past my car a second time, I hit the alarm again.

Next time they knock I will "test" my house alarm