Always a good sign

When the indicator button on the scanner lights up green today, after being illuminated in red yesterday (and subsequent to which, the scanner didn't work), that's progress. The tech support guy is working on it now. Then I can scan charts on my own workstation, in my own office, instead of the shared scanner at the nurse's station. 

OK, whose idea was the SLEET?

What the Sam Hill? On my lunch break, I went to get a TrailPass for February. It was freaking SLEETING out there. Dagnab it. Like the 22.4 inches of snow we got a week ago weren't enough, now we get more freezing precipitation. Well, at least it's not accumulating, so that's a good thing. It's also a good thing that for only $10 more than a monthly TransPass, which allows for use for buses, trolleys, the Subway and the El, a Zone 1 TrailPass will allow all that plus access to Regional Rail trains in Zone 1. That means I can take any Regional Rail train from where I work that goes to Jefferson Station, without having to tear my hair out dealing with street traffic. From there (11th and Market), I can get a 17 bus. Given what the bus stops look like after the freaking blizzard, that ability would've been welcome this week. Some of those stops are a disaster because they were plowed in. The one at 30th and Market, where I normally catch a bus to get into Center City, looks like the Arctic tundra right now. I swear I spotted a polar bear walking through it. Unbelievable that they haven't cleared the snow mountains away from a bus stop where no fewer than six buses pick up passengers... yes, I know the whole city is a mess, and I appreciate that. But I would've thought that a major location like 30th and Market would get priority when the snow clearing plans were made. Well, it's no matter. Starting Monday, I have the option of taking the Regional Rail OR buses to get into Center City. I'm counting that as a WIN.

Another good thing: GIRL SCOUT COOKIES. :-) Like the ones I'm going to pick up when I go to Joe and Jean J's tonight. (I still work with my deaf-blind friend on Fridays, even though I've been working at my new temp job.) Gotta remind myself to hit the MAC machine before I leave here.

Hmm. Lunchtime's just about over. I'd better hit SEND and post this.

Blizzard of 2016

The totals are pretty much in. We scored 20.8 inches of snow. I'm not interpreting tomorrow. Between here and the parish where I interpret, there are no guarantees that all the streets will be passable. Getting stuck in snow, in these temperatures, is a Certifiably Bad Idea. 

Meanwhile, I fill my weekly pill minder on Saturdays. Once again, I am mystified by the fact that the bottle of glucosamine chondroitin, which is for joint pain, has a tamper-proof seal that requires an act of God to open. Exactly how are people with hand pain supposed to manage this feat, short of resorting to explosives? Even Mark, whose hands are not in chronic pain, couldn't pull the darn thing off the bottle on the first three attempts. Jiminy H. Cricket. Is this a ploy to make sure we keep needing to take supplements for joint pain?

An hour after filling the pill minder, I was STILL sore. Hello, BioFreeze ointment. 

Awaiting the Blizzard

The city and state are prepping for the major blizzard that's supposed to arrive tonight, and last well into tomorrow.

Fortunately for those of us who reported to work as normal, the evening rush hour is not likely to be impacted by this. If anything, it might be a little easier than usual, given the lower number of ridership I noticed this morning going in to work. I might not have to arm-wrestle anybody for a seat on the bus. ;-)

The break room here continues to astound. 55 degrees this morning... edging gently upward to 56 degrees now. Yikes! Pardon me while I make more tea, stat. 

Still BRRRR

The break room is a little warmer today. It's 62 degrees instead of 61.

Jiminy Cricket. I'm surprised that a building as new as this one (opened in 2008) has this level of trouble with temperature-control. (She says, while waiting for the space heater to de-Arcticify this office).

De-Arctifify. Is that a word? I think I just invented a word.

BRRRRR

Did I mention that the breakroom is 61 degrees? Eek. I'm thinking that the insulation in there needs work. (It's especially bitter cold outside today.)

Even in the office where I'm working, I have a space heater going full blast and I still find it chilly. Which only makes me wonder how frigid it'd be in here if there were no space heater.

Is it spring yet?

Something new every day

In the "You learn something new every day" category...

There's an actual medical name for the sun allergy I've mentioned having in prior posts. 

Photosensitivity dermatitis. It's an actual thing. An annoying thing, to be sure, but a thing.

It's why sunblock and I are good friends now.

Full-Time FTW

I haven't filled out any official paperwork yet, but the good news is that I've been reporting for 40-hour weeks for the past two weeks, and I just got word that it's going to continue. So the conversion from part-time temp to full-time permanent is likely to happen a lot sooner than originally expected.

I'm also hoping that I get a desk of my own soon, if that's the case, as it's a challenge to get things done when I'm bouncing between different locations. Last week was nice, as I was able to work from an unused office all five days. But the office, which belonged to my former manager, is not likely to remain unoccupied for long, so unfortunately I can't presume that I'm going to inherit it. Darn. ;) It's more likely going to be used by the manager I report to now. I might land in one of the buildings in the main hospital where our department also has some real estate. Hey, from where I sit (or don't sit yet, lol), it's all good. Just plant me at a desk and I'll be good to go.