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So much STUFF
7 February 2025 16:39Having to keep up with all of the awful news sucks, but it's now part of my job and I have to actively seek it out to share. We just got an alert today from the marine sciences department that NOAA was forced to kill a program that "provides internship opportunities for undergraduate students largely under-represented in the marine science and resource management fields, as well as mentorship/training opportunities to the host investigators and institutions so that they learn together with the students." It had "Inclusive" in the title. I hate this timeline.
I did let bossdude know that if there were students already identified for the program that would be involved in research that we have going on, as long as our land-grant USDA program stays intact, we have the authority to direct funds to at least pay them to do research. It's something.
Our virtual town hall to assure folks that we're on top of things had nearly 100 people on it. So people that I've been working with for about a decade that have never seen me know what I look like now. Aside from the crisis assurance, we're also going to be doing regular webinars to keep people informed and educated about our stuff, currently every other month. This is such a 180 where Elaine and I were always the people behind the curtain. As an introvert, it's kind of stressful but at the same time, it makes me feel valued to get to do this.
Emily (who is just getting over the flu that she got from her niece and it knocked her out BAD), found out that her sister (who got Covid - mask up folks, it's BACK with a vengeance and making the rounds big time, though you won't hear it on the news) is closing on a house near the end of March. That's significant to me because I don't think I mentioned it but Emily and I were planning on doing a whole Golden Girls situation and the house her sister, sister's wife and twin nibblings is currently in is technically Emily's house. We all live in the same town. Her twin niece and nephew that just graduated high school last year don't yet have their drivers licenses. Her niece works locally and her nephew takes the bus to community college, neither of which would be feasible to the distance where her sister is moving.
Emily wants to get the basement of that house, including the stairs to the basement, in much better shape and she is also hoping to overhaul the upstairs bathroom. I told her what she should do is stay where she's at in Emily's Mom's house and let the niece and nephew stay in the house while it is getting renovated and then when the work is done, swap houses and give the kids the stipulation that they can live in their grandmother's house for one year rent free to save up $ before the house is sold to put the proceeds in the bank for her ongoing nursing home care. In this way, it'll give the kids time to figure out how to live more independently but they'd still have Emily nearby and give them time to get their drivers licenses (though going to be hard for her niece who is traumatized when she totaled Emily's sister's car the first time she got behind the wheel).
Whenever I move in - the first floor has a bedroom/bathroom that would be my domain - depends on when the swap happens and IF it happens. Emily was implying recently about her nibblings staying there and um, noooo. Especially since they have two cats and with me having JonJon, that's more chaos than I'm prepared for. That and honestly, although we're not as heartless as Emily's sister at chucking the kids out on their own with little notice, they do need to figure things out. I'd be fine with hosting them for Sunday dinner or whenever they need to pop by for moral support and also teaching them life and money skills but being under the same roof 24/7 is wayyyyy too much.
Anyway, there's that. I need to get to my doctor's office to pick up paperwork sometime since she wants me to get a coronary calcium test done to make sure I don't have blockages. I also have to have her sign my form and give me a script to renew my disabled placard. The fun never stops.
All this stress is making things flare up - this week it's sciatica. Woo hoo.
Hope y'all are doing ok. Hugs n stuff.
I did let bossdude know that if there were students already identified for the program that would be involved in research that we have going on, as long as our land-grant USDA program stays intact, we have the authority to direct funds to at least pay them to do research. It's something.
Our virtual town hall to assure folks that we're on top of things had nearly 100 people on it. So people that I've been working with for about a decade that have never seen me know what I look like now. Aside from the crisis assurance, we're also going to be doing regular webinars to keep people informed and educated about our stuff, currently every other month. This is such a 180 where Elaine and I were always the people behind the curtain. As an introvert, it's kind of stressful but at the same time, it makes me feel valued to get to do this.
Emily (who is just getting over the flu that she got from her niece and it knocked her out BAD), found out that her sister (who got Covid - mask up folks, it's BACK with a vengeance and making the rounds big time, though you won't hear it on the news) is closing on a house near the end of March. That's significant to me because I don't think I mentioned it but Emily and I were planning on doing a whole Golden Girls situation and the house her sister, sister's wife and twin nibblings is currently in is technically Emily's house. We all live in the same town. Her twin niece and nephew that just graduated high school last year don't yet have their drivers licenses. Her niece works locally and her nephew takes the bus to community college, neither of which would be feasible to the distance where her sister is moving.
Emily wants to get the basement of that house, including the stairs to the basement, in much better shape and she is also hoping to overhaul the upstairs bathroom. I told her what she should do is stay where she's at in Emily's Mom's house and let the niece and nephew stay in the house while it is getting renovated and then when the work is done, swap houses and give the kids the stipulation that they can live in their grandmother's house for one year rent free to save up $ before the house is sold to put the proceeds in the bank for her ongoing nursing home care. In this way, it'll give the kids time to figure out how to live more independently but they'd still have Emily nearby and give them time to get their drivers licenses (though going to be hard for her niece who is traumatized when she totaled Emily's sister's car the first time she got behind the wheel).
Whenever I move in - the first floor has a bedroom/bathroom that would be my domain - depends on when the swap happens and IF it happens. Emily was implying recently about her nibblings staying there and um, noooo. Especially since they have two cats and with me having JonJon, that's more chaos than I'm prepared for. That and honestly, although we're not as heartless as Emily's sister at chucking the kids out on their own with little notice, they do need to figure things out. I'd be fine with hosting them for Sunday dinner or whenever they need to pop by for moral support and also teaching them life and money skills but being under the same roof 24/7 is wayyyyy too much.
Anyway, there's that. I need to get to my doctor's office to pick up paperwork sometime since she wants me to get a coronary calcium test done to make sure I don't have blockages. I also have to have her sign my form and give me a script to renew my disabled placard. The fun never stops.
All this stress is making things flare up - this week it's sciatica. Woo hoo.
Hope y'all are doing ok. Hugs n stuff.