blogging and science
Ren and I are going to be spending the next two weeks apart. Tragic, I know. This has nothing to do with us and everything to do with work. Work...
Ren and I both regard work as a necessary evil--she'd rather be sleeping and I'd rather be reading but nobody has offered either of us money for those activities so we still go to work.
Back to the topic at hand: Ren's job is going to be more stressful for the next 2 weeks. They're doing a major installation which for a variety of reasons--that's code for "I didn't understand her explanation"--requires warm bodies in the department at all times. 24-7. Merely being on-call just won't cut it. So for two weeks everyone in her department will be working 12 hour on/off shifts.
Ren needs at least 8 hours, preferably more, sleep a night. Between driving to and from work, feeding herself and those other necessary activities, she'll only have 10 hours open and her kids and the fur patrol (4 cats and a dog) will make inroads into those hours. She's going to be soooo tired!
The temporary work schedule also screws up a semi-planned celebration. Her birthday comes at the end of the month and it's a big one. I can't tell you how old she is--since I value my life--but for some reason the topic reminds me of getting ready for a big brunch party. I have two cartons of eggs in one hand, and two cartons of eggs in my other hand--and I think: wouldn't it be nice to have two more eggs so the number would come out even. But enough about eggs. And, Jesus, that's a lot of eggs!
And finally I come to the point in my round about long winded way--I'm going to a blogging conference this coming Saturday. Sounds pretty geeky, huh? Yet, it gets even worse. It's a conference about science blogging! How's that for geek squared?
The conference is being held at UNC in Chapel Hill and here's the address if you want to see what's going on there.
It's a one day event from 9am to 5pm with some before and after food goings-on for the more socially inclined--not my cup of tea, y'know? There's going to be 170 participants and might push me a little more towards blogging about science again. I've not done many science posts of late.
How do you like their logo over there to the left?
The conference has several scheduled speakers and the whole thing seems almost as oriented towards journalists as it is for bloggers and scientists. It should be interesting and if nothing else, it'll take my mind off of poor Ren slaving away at her job. Poor tired Ren.
Ren and I both regard work as a necessary evil--she'd rather be sleeping and I'd rather be reading but nobody has offered either of us money for those activities so we still go to work.Back to the topic at hand: Ren's job is going to be more stressful for the next 2 weeks. They're doing a major installation which for a variety of reasons--that's code for "I didn't understand her explanation"--requires warm bodies in the department at all times. 24-7. Merely being on-call just won't cut it. So for two weeks everyone in her department will be working 12 hour on/off shifts.
Ren needs at least 8 hours, preferably more, sleep a night. Between driving to and from work, feeding herself and those other necessary activities, she'll only have 10 hours open and her kids and the fur patrol (4 cats and a dog) will make inroads into those hours. She's going to be soooo tired!
The temporary work schedule also screws up a semi-planned celebration. Her birthday comes at the end of the month and it's a big one. I can't tell you how old she is--since I value my life--but for some reason the topic reminds me of getting ready for a big brunch party. I have two cartons of eggs in one hand, and two cartons of eggs in my other hand--and I think: wouldn't it be nice to have two more eggs so the number would come out even. But enough about eggs. And, Jesus, that's a lot of eggs!
And finally I come to the point in my round about long winded way--I'm going to a blogging conference this coming Saturday. Sounds pretty geeky, huh? Yet, it gets even worse. It's a conference about science blogging! How's that for geek squared?The conference is being held at UNC in Chapel Hill and here's the address if you want to see what's going on there.
It's a one day event from 9am to 5pm with some before and after food goings-on for the more socially inclined--not my cup of tea, y'know? There's going to be 170 participants and might push me a little more towards blogging about science again. I've not done many science posts of late.
How do you like their logo over there to the left?The conference has several scheduled speakers and the whole thing seems almost as oriented towards journalists as it is for bloggers and scientists. It should be interesting and if nothing else, it'll take my mind off of poor Ren slaving away at her job. Poor tired Ren.
Comments
Mike
That work situation sounds awful but at least it is only temporary. For something most of us regard as an unecessary evil it does take up a lot of our lives and then some!
Thanks for your comment. There are plenty of lovely places near wher eI live in the UK and just as soon as the weather stops raining I will be out and about(around study etc.). I did take some this last weekend and will post them soon :-) I also posted some pics last summer that I took with my old camera that are in my archives should you wnat to take a peek!
Love the science blogging button...very cute!
I love your cartoon, too.
Have fun you little geek! And happy birthday to Ren!!!
Things not to do on her birthday:
Do not get a wheel chair, IV pole with a bag of fluid or a foley catheter and force her to be wheeled into work in this state.
Do not get a sweat shirt that says.... Insufficient Memory At This Time.
Do not give her a mug that states:
In Dog Years I'm Dead
although one with the picture of a cute clutch purse and a 357 Magnum and the words: "I'm all out of estrogen and I've got a gun!", might help her ward off those STUPID people we all come in contact with at least once a day at work.
Actually, sending her a bouquet of long stemmed red roses... one for each year of her age... would be appropriate. And since that is what my folks did when I reached this milestone.... they will take a monster sized vase. You would not believe how gorgeous that number of roses is...
mariamusic.
That does sound geeky but they are no different that other bloggers you meet online like moi;)
btw-of course I can tell you exactly how old my dear Captain is....................if my math is right, 4 dozen eggs. :) LOL!
UGH! 12 on, 12 off. She may get a little grumpy, too.
WORK, sucks!
I may have to be on call at work this weekend - to audit the counting done by others - so I may have to forgo the Science Bloggers conference.
Wish I could go!
I do, however, see that Tiff signed up...
May y'all have an awesome time, and may both of your cameras work!
May your Ren (not Renn) - get some sleep!
Of course, the suits were nowhere to be seen at 2 a.m. on a Saturday night while my wife walked the floors with our munchkin and I sat alone in a semi-darkened office responding to senseless e-mails.
I still work insane hours. But I get to do it from home, and it's a stress entirely of my own doing.
I hope this time goes quickly for you both. Michele does, too!