So, we're going to Worlds (and Oceans) of Fun this weekend. I'm taking a couple days vacation, which got me looking at my paystub for this last check.
Square at the top (where you'd find a return address on a "modified block" style letter) are the leave balances for our vacation and sick time.
At the county, our sick leave accrues at 4 hours a month (a half-day for most) and 8 hours (a day for most) a month for vacation. I understand that; what supervisor wouldn't want to give you an incentive to schedule leave time in advance? Pretty much every supe who has to cover shifts, I suspect; which is probably why I get 96 hours of vacation time a year and only 48 hours of sick time.
I only have one problem with the whole setup; and that is vacation time is capped. Admittedly, I can build up to 3 weeks worth of time before I hit that "use it or lose it" ceiling. And most people only get 2 weeks per calendar (or in some cases, fiscal) year. So I've got it good. But even after this weekend, I'll have over two weeks of VC left on my next check. Which means - assuming I don't take another vacation (which I don't plan to any time soon) - by the end of the year, I'll be back at the ceiling.
Our sick time, on the other hand, doesn't have a ceiling. At the end of July, I'll have 3 full weeks of sick time built up -- even right now, I've stored up the sick time from over 2 years worth of paychecks.
Which - for me - helps to offset the lower wages. That, and the health/dental/Rx/vision insurance that the county pays for (no insurance fees out of my pocket), the retirement plan and life insurance.
I'll be back on Sunday night.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Monday, May 26, 2008
Memorial Day
Well, today is Memorial Day. More precisely, it's right around 10 am on Memorial Day and I'm sitting in my drawers, eating a breakfast treat.
The answer to both questions that are probably popping up in your head right now[1][2] is one and the same... I mowed the lawn this morning after work.
I absolutely detest mowing the lawn. Not because of any particular love of a tall lawn, nor of the oddly-shaped flowers that appear on said lawn when it reaches a prerequisite height. Quite frankly, mowing the lawn kicks my ass. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that I'm allergic to mowing the lawn.
OK, maybe not quite that far. I'm not allergic to mowing the lawn per se; I just don't get along with the sheer volume of pollen and dust that gets kicked up when the lawn gets mowed. Even when I wear a dust mask, in order to function the rest of the day, I pretty much have to shower as soon as the lawn is done.
This past week, an old acquaintance of mine tracked me down. She and I were fairly close at one time. It took me a very long time to get over how the two of us parted ways. But we played email tag for a bit and started IMing on Yahoo Messenger. Long story short, she's moving back to the general area - about an hour's drive away - and we're friends again. I'm not going to air my dirty laundry anywhere other than need-to-know, but I'll say this: being willing to discuss your feelings honestly with someone you care about makes things a lot easier
Well, by now, the lawns been mowed and I've finished my breakfast. I'm going to bed.
[1]"DJay, you work the night shift, what are you still doing up at 10?"
[2] "Why in the world are you sitting in your underwear?"
The answer to both questions that are probably popping up in your head right now[1][2] is one and the same... I mowed the lawn this morning after work.
I absolutely detest mowing the lawn. Not because of any particular love of a tall lawn, nor of the oddly-shaped flowers that appear on said lawn when it reaches a prerequisite height. Quite frankly, mowing the lawn kicks my ass. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that I'm allergic to mowing the lawn.
OK, maybe not quite that far. I'm not allergic to mowing the lawn per se; I just don't get along with the sheer volume of pollen and dust that gets kicked up when the lawn gets mowed. Even when I wear a dust mask, in order to function the rest of the day, I pretty much have to shower as soon as the lawn is done.
This past week, an old acquaintance of mine tracked me down. She and I were fairly close at one time. It took me a very long time to get over how the two of us parted ways. But we played email tag for a bit and started IMing on Yahoo Messenger. Long story short, she's moving back to the general area - about an hour's drive away - and we're friends again. I'm not going to air my dirty laundry anywhere other than need-to-know, but I'll say this: being willing to discuss your feelings honestly with someone you care about makes things a lot easier
Well, by now, the lawns been mowed and I've finished my breakfast. I'm going to bed.
[1]"DJay, you work the night shift, what are you still doing up at 10?"
[2] "Why in the world are you sitting in your underwear?"
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Tornado near-miss
Last night was fairly active for tornados in our part of the state. At least three touched down in eastern Edwards County, and at least one in the western half. We lost a couple houses near the Pratt county line (no injuries there); on on U50 at the Stafford county line (1 leg injury), and some outbuildings, power poles and trees along the Arkansas river.
We got lucky; a tornado took out a couple of outbuildings out at my cousins house, and put a 2x4 in the outside wall. They live about 3/4 mi south of town. A half mile north and we wouldn't have a football field, about a mile northwest and we'd be out a hospital (and my house).
Other tornados skirted around Greensburg and Haviland, and Protection made CNN's front page.
We got lucky.
The best part; the forecast for tonight [Saturday] is more of the same. I think, when I get home, I'm going to pop open one of my delicious Boulevard Unfiltered Wheats before I go to bed.
We got lucky; a tornado took out a couple of outbuildings out at my cousins house, and put a 2x4 in the outside wall. They live about 3/4 mi south of town. A half mile north and we wouldn't have a football field, about a mile northwest and we'd be out a hospital (and my house).
Other tornados skirted around Greensburg and Haviland, and Protection made CNN's front page.
We got lucky.
The best part; the forecast for tonight [Saturday] is more of the same. I think, when I get home, I'm going to pop open one of my delicious Boulevard Unfiltered Wheats before I go to bed.
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