Whoopie Wednesday chat

Paige - that's great news about Gracie and I agree with Jackie. I have the same medical training as she does but it just seems to make sense that staying active is a good thing.

I had an office full of coworkers yesterday and a boatload of work to get done, but I did an amazing job of making a dent in it. Today is our Board mtg and so I have guests here again but it's calmer and I can really breathe a sigh of relief when the meeting is over.

I've been in an online order craze lately. Most of it is for gift bags for family but I have this feeling that everything is going to arrive and I'm going to wonder what I was thinking. Fortunately I ordered stuff that I wouldn't mind keeping myself .

Jackie - how is Twister doing?

glenmar

Jen?  I wouldn't let the southern folks on this forum hear you say that!

Oh... I might even go so far as to say it's treif. 

I'm having a very stressful day, and a chocolate whoopie pie (or two, with milk!) would be a welcome treat.  I prefer mine with icing versus marshmallow.  A woman brings in homemade goodies to DH's office periodically, and one of her specialties is whoopie pies (she calls them moon pies).  He brought a couple home once -- they were delicious!

I'm glad to hear that Gracie had a good report from the vet, and it makes sense that continued activity is a good thing, despite her age.  Something I need to do for myself, as a matter of fact (as I sit here in one place at a desk for hours on end).

I read The Hobbit well over 30 years ago.  I don't remember much, but I like to see those kinds of "epic" movies on the big screen, so I may check it out.  The trailers look pretty impressive.

You have no idea how glad I will be when this day is over.  I haven't felt up to par for a few days -- being stressed and overtired make one feel really crummy, to say the least!

 The right to work thing actually doesn't have anything to do with protecting you from getting fired. It has to do with disabling unions. Right to work states do not require an employee to be part of a union in order to work for a unionized company. In the past, if you join a company, in a position that is unionized, you would be required to be part of that union, pay the dues, etc. Now, if you join a company, in a position that is unionized, you have the choice to be part of the union or not be part of the union. The up side of this is if you don't believe in unions, you do not have to pay the dues. The down side to this is the unions lose out on those membership fees that help them support legal battles that come up when representing union employees. Furthermore, the union actually has to represent a non-union employee if that employee asks them to but the employee does not have to pay dues. The business end of this nonsense is that companies with unions typically pay employees more, have higher health benefits, better retirement packages and more holidays/paid days off. You can see why business folks would be anti-union and you can see why employees like unions. I can see both sides. Unions have gotten too powerful imo and are not needed like they once were, when working conditions were poor, hours were too long and so forth. Otoh, do away with unions all together and it won't take long for working conditions to slip back to the poor sides of things.

I have missed seeing you guys....

just a quick hi and keep my daughter in your thoughts please.  She has apparantly developed staff in her recent hip surgery.  They will go back in tomorrow and clean it up.  She is very upset of course as she was finally feeling much better and was given permission to go to a cane on Monday.  

We have been so very busy here....will try to check in a bit more often.

Jewlieee

You really have to be a special sort of person to be in politics.

My boss just got back from his Jamaica vacation. Looks tan, rested, and out of place standing in 4 inches of snow helping me break and dip out chunks of ice so we can close up a swimming pool for the season. We've had several days of below freezing weather, with temps below 0º at night. Snow across most of the state. It's the middle of Dec. You think the owner would notice 30,000 gallons of water getting harder. Fortunately, it warmed up to 30º today and was sunny. A cup of hot cocoa with some Baileys should help thaw the fingers a bit.

shadowsgin

just a quick hi and keep my daughter in your thoughts please.  She has apparantly developed staff in her recent hip surgery.  They will go back in tomorrow and clean it up.  She is very upset of course as she was finally feeling much better and was given permission to go to a cane on Monday.  

Sorry to hear that she's had a setback, but will keep fingers and paws crossed that they can clear up the infection quickly.

After all the talk about this cold rain we were supposed to have, it's a sunny, balmy day without a cloud in the sky and it's certainly not particularly cold. I really expected to wake up to a storm. I've got a few errands to run, but DS #1 is supposed to pop in later on so I may as wait until after he comes and goes.

Joyce

Jewlieee

. Furthermore, the union actually has to represent a non-union employee if that employee asks them to but the employee does not have to pay dues

this isn't exactly correct.  There's a lot of misunderstanding about the right to work law and I don't pretend to understand every nuance of it but the above isn't true, partly correct but non union members do have to pay partial dues if they want to be represented on certain issues.  I've seen union membership from both sides and there is good and bad to union and non union companies.  Like most issues it's rarely black or white or simple.  Union leadership is often like politicians: out for themselves but act like they're working for the people they represent.  

Ginger, I'll keep your daughter in my thoughts and prayers. Please keep us posted.

 totally agree with you on union leadership being like politicians. And yeah, it is both good and bad. Unions do enable poor work performers unfortunately. Not always, but the ability to fire someone in a union is more difficult than not. Most often people are just shuffled around to different positions instead of firing them because it is easier on the employer. On the same token, our last gov'r enacted a 3% pay cut across the board under the guise of "retirement health care" for all state workers. The unions took the state to court, the court found that the money was not being used for "retirement health care" at all and the law was actually written so that it didn't have to be used for that, so the 3% cut was reversed. Oh, then the state all of a sudden came into a windfall surplus of money they didn't know they had. Funny how accounting works sometimes. If the unions hadn't been there, the pay cut would have remained in place. So, yeah, there are abuses on both sides and good and bad to both.

 OK, back to Whoopie Pies...I may live in the south now, but I grew up in MA.  The recipe comes from my Mom who is still in MA and 90 years old!  I'm also guessing she may have gotten it from my long deceased Grandma! 

Southerners don't know what Whoopie Pies are...they are too in love with Moon Pies!

marty_ga

Southerners don't know what Whoopie Pies are...they are too in love with Moon Pies!

Keeping the mood light...........I believe all the napkins Bugsy ate at the party are out now. That was some seriously colorful poop he's been having, and sparkly.

Throat is still raw and still feel kind of feverish. So.freaking.tired!  But much to do. Just keep my feet moving and its good

Off to take B for his 3 yr rabies - he is so allergic to the world I get nervous about any vacc's

I have seen both good and bad from unions - I will say that in this job market they do provide a bit of safety for employees and I do think that employees deserve a modest safety net.

tacran

I'm glad to hear that Gracie had a good report from the vet, and it makes sense that continued activity is a good thing, despite her age.  Something I need to do for myself, as a matter of fact (as I sit here in one place at a desk for hours on end).

Anyway, I gotta take my vet's advice for both of us, I think. I had a group picture taken of me and a couple of our students who were at a show together.  HOLY WIDE SIDE!  I'm huge!  We all have double chins, but I didn't realize just how heavy I am now until I saw that picture!  YIKES!  Time to get that resolved.  Again.

ALright, I gotta leave for a Christmas gathering that I'm about to be late for if I don't get off this computer.  Hope your day improves Tracy.  Good thoughts for Ginger's daughter!

shadowsgin

just a quick hi and keep my daughter in your thoughts please.  She has apparantly developed staff in her recent hip surgery.  They will go back in tomorrow and clean it up.  She is very upset of course as she was finally feeling much better and was given permission to go to a cane on Monday.  

Oh Gin, I'm so sorry and will keep your daughter in my thoughts and prayers that they can get this infection cleared up quickly and easily.

Board meeting is over and as with the last few we've had, it was absolutely painful to sit through.

DH is union and it's been an eye-opening experience for both of us, especially with the city's budget problems the last few years. I credit the union with keeping DH and others from losing their jobs but some of the tactics they've used have been questionable.