I'm not here to talk about shoveling snow! We've gone a whole week without new stuff to remove.

There are some around here who remain disappointed that we're a few inches away from a record seasonal snowfall. It seems that our light November and December keep our Super Record high January and February from being the most snow ever. I'll live with the shortfall; I'm done with the stuff.

It's been a good week for on-plan eating for me - a whole week with snacks under control. It seems a tad unscientific to correlate that with lack of snow, LOL.

Good Morning!

Looks like I'm going to be working in a week with daily highs above zero C all week.

Natalie has adjusted to DST so she didn't start to poke me until around 4:40 this morning. I'm hoping DH adjusts tonite so I can get some sleep.

Good week all!

Dagmar

Glad there is no snow for you, Bill!

Wasn't easy getting up today!

DH and I went for a long bike ride yesterday -- 71 miles! We were out five hours, just the two of us. Weather was gorgeous. I got some sunburn on the edges of where my shirt was where I guess I missed applying the sunscreen.
My app said I burned 3500 calories. Tried to eat a ton last night but you just aren't hungry after all that. I know I will be starving today so packing extra stuff!

3 more weeks till Spring Break.

The thaw has lifted my spirits a little -- though the tension caused by snowfall unexpectedly imprisoning me for whole days will probably be replaced by tension from the workplace, as my manager and other colleagues start piling work on me again because of my gradual recovery.

Yes, I've got a messy document to clean up for publication this morning. It's always the senior analysts, the ones who've been around for 20 years, who never bother learning systems or processes, and who get to leave things half-done, for other people to straighten out.

I haven't slept well for three nights running. Usually one bad night is followed by a good night so I don't know what is going on.

I'm looking forward to several things this month. We have a Wine Women dinner at the end of the month at a beautiful resort, outdoors. Last year it was threatening to be windy but was just ideal--until the earthquake hit! That was the highlight of the night! We have a golf tournament the weekend before that. My son is coming home for spring break in less than two weeks and my birthday is in a little over a week. I'm planning a dinner a few days before that for my in-laws--crab and avocado enchiladas and a lemon ricotta cake. Not sure what else. MIL thought we ought to go out to dinner, but why, when I like to cook?

Whenever you mention food you are planning to cook it always sounds totally delicious . Any time you want to visit Toronto Allison I will be most glad to have you over for dinner. I'll supply whatever you need and be your kitchen prep and clean up crew and you can cook!

Dagmar

Hey-- I'm closer to Allison! I claim her first!

Sharon-- that sounds like such a huge ride! Wow! What app do you use that shows your calorie burn?

I'm just checking in briefly. Spent almost the entire weekend calculating the Read-a-thon statistics-- and I came in to more in my "box". We have already surpassed our goal so I'm thrilled!!

I try to avoid most sugar as it leaves me craving more. My dear friend sent me chocolate covered strawberries and cake pops (really just chocolate that looks like cake pops) for my birthday. I ate the last one last night but I'm already thinking I'm going to miss something sweet tonight. I figure maybe I'll wean myself off with diet hot chocolate.

My back and whole body is stiff and sore. All the paperwork/computer work did me in. I kept getting up to stretch and walk around. I went to yoga yesterday but the heater wasn't working properly, and I'm not nearly as flexible without the heat-- so it didn't help.

I'm debating body pump today (I like to do it on Monday but I also tend to miss a lot) or yoga (not sure if the heater is fixed...).... not sure which will help my back... Body pump has aggravated it before so it maybe yoga....

My dd comes in Sunday for her Spring Break... My book fair is next week so we are preparing this week and setting up on Friday. This is my "tax season"!

I slept poorly last night as well, I can't blame it on DST as I haven't slept well for a week plus now with being sick. I got up last night after lying in the bed from 9:30 pm until after midnight and drank some milk, read a little bit, tried to slow my head down some until I could sleep again. Fell asleep after 2, back up at 5.

I haven't been at my office in over a week, and tomorrow I have to be healthy and rested enough to go in for at least half the day. Sigh. I've gotten used to working from home.

Yes, I'm back at work. Four meetings today and three writing jobs to work on. Yesterday on the phone, I counseled a coworker, not within my department, who's cracking under the stress of what she feels are unreasonable expectations.

There was a freeze overnight, but again, a thaw in the forecast. I'm reminding myself this is what makes the sap run in the maple trees and leads to a decent production of maple syrup. Upstate, where I grew up, there will soon be sap houses boiling away and guys sitting in them with cans of beer, talking about Syracuse's NCAA infractions and penalties.

I'd love to cook for any of you, but I'm more comfortable doing it in my own kitchen, so if anyone wants to visit you'll be in for a treat!

I don't know if I mentioned that one of our employees (our estimator) quit suddenly in January. He claimed the job was too stressful. Granted there was one job he was bidding that was a doozy, but one job in close to 15 years? Anyway, we replaced him and the replacement has already shown to us that the old guy really wasn't working to his potential. She is knocking out proposals right and left whereas the other guy (old, he's younger than we are!) was assigned to do two before Christmas and only managed to do one (while my husband did three as well as all his managerial stuff). The new person doesn't take 2 hour lunches, either, so that's a bonus.

IMO As hard as it is to do in a small company I think employees have to be periodically assessed for job performance. It sounds like you and your DH are carrying some weight for others Allison. That can be a real motivator and morale builder but you can't let the employees take advantage for long periods of time. That eventually gets in the way of productivity, advancement, and profit. It winds up no longer being a benefit for anyone.

Dagmar

I'm back at my office for the first time in close to two weeks. It is really hot in here today, which isn't helping the breathing. I'm already sad that I can't take an afternoon nap here like I've gotten used to doing the last two weeks.

Saef - I'm glad you are back at work and doing well.

Sharon - that is a heck of a bike ride!

Allison - the new estimator sounds fantastic. Do I remember you saying you thought the old one was going to try to come ask for his job back?

Michele - I hope you are feeling better today. You don't want to go into book fair week already tired!

Bill - you guys have had so much snow up there, I can't even imagine. We closed schools down here over the idea of snow, and then only got a spit of it.

Have a good day everyone!

Yes, he texted DH to ask to see him after hours on a Friday. DH asked why, he said "work." DH thought about it and texted him back the next day saying "we have no open positions at the moment but I'll keep you in mind if something comes up."

Interestingly enough, a few weeks after he left someone called for him. I explained he no longer worked here and asked if I could help him. He said he'd talked to the old employee several weeks prior and was told a position would be open and he should call. Just goes to show that he'd been planning this for a long time.

And Dagmar, this employee had been reprimanded several times, and had been docked pay for the more serious infractions. We have it all well documented in case he were to accuse us of any wrong doing, too.

DH and I are glad he's gone. We're glad we have the new estimator. Things are much more relaxed and calm around here. That said, we discovered a huge error he did on an order (ordered a 5 panel pocket door that should have been a taller 6 panel door--no way to make this thing fit at all). Worse part of that it was to be installed in a house a contractor is building for his own mother. And this is a good contractor--the kind we like to work for because he's nice, he pays promptly and he does good work.

We also think that the old employee didn't really think things through, either. He really didn't see how good he had it here--paid vacation, paid health insurance, paid auto allowance, paid gas. I'm sure just a couple of weeks without a regular paycheck and having to pay for one's own gas and then not getting that extra $400 auto allowance probably hit him pretty hard.

Allison, I wanted to ask you how you are getting tomatoes in March. I know your weather is mild, but are last year's plants still producing??! We get a few freezes every winter, so tomatoes and peppers have to be planted again every year. I do have a lovely little greens garden growing right now - red and green romaine, spinach, chard, kale and arugula. Also the oregano and chives survived the winter in my herb garden on the deck although the basil didn't. Glad the new employee is working out so far.

Jay, if you feel below average in Silicon Valley, consider a move to Bakersfield! You'll feel sooo above average

Sharon, nice bike ride! You'll probably be hungry today. I did a 24 mile training hike with the full 40 pound pack last Saturday (Caliente Mountain at Carrizo Plains National Monument) and didn't feel very hungry. But when I totaled up everything I ate, it came to 3700 calories!! Fortunately I burned 4100. Weight shot up 3 pounds from food bulk/edema.

Dagmar, hooray for warmer weather!! I'm sure the dogs are dancing too.

Saef, where did you grow up in Upstate New York? I went to college in the Finger Lakes region at Hobart & William Smith, and most family lived near Albany, Syracuse and Rochester. We had no car so we'd take the New York Central train every summer to visit for a few weeks.

Shannon, your respiratory stuff is really hanging on. Hope you are feeling more comfortable today.

I am slightly stressed by several events right now, one of which is possible imminent retirement if the County pushes through their demand to lower the maximum number of vacation and sick leave hours one may carry. I'm almost maxed out on vacation, and if they pass the new contract, I will not accrue any more vacation until I burn up 400 hours. That's equivalent to a 10% cut for me, and I will retire rather than tolerate it. Why do they want to punish responsible employees who don't abuse their sick leave and those of us who have always been too overworked to use all their vacation? I know it's about the County saving money, but in that case, I am dollars ahead by retiring immediately and cashing out my vacation and sick leave hours.

I planted the tomatoes and peppers in October. When we had threat of frost we put Christmas lights around the plants and covered them with a sheet at night. The plants survived. The few tomatoes that were on at that time still developed and tasted fine but had a different texture. The new fruit is perfect. I had also planted some squash, but they all died. I found out they do not like any cold weather. I planted a couple zucchini seeds the other day and they've germinated. DH said that if this garden is successful, he'll have the gardener pull out bushes in two other areas so we can expand!