Big Crazy Friday
Friday, June 2nd, 2023 11:40 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
snoozefestaudio88F and sunny this Friday morning, on it's way to 90F. Two kitties and one puppy present and accounted for.
I got up before 11AM, for the first time in quite a while. I need to leave at 1:20 or so, to get to the Building & Grounds office, and fill out that paperwork to go back to part time.
Then it's over to Cloud to hang out until everybody's out. Then I set the alarm and go over to Gingham to move furniture for six hours in a 95F building. Yay!
I probably can't get out of doing 8 hours on Monday, because that's another, "all hands on deck," day at Gingham... but thankfully it'll only be 84F that day.
Don't know how fast I can return to part time, but I'm gonna push for next week.
------------{=0=}------------
It's supposed to be 90F again tomorrow, and then 82F on Sunday... with no rain in sight.
I'd planned on getting the plywood for the new hatch door tomorrow, but... well, it'll be the full moon, and it's bad luck to start a new project on the full moon, right?
I think it's better just to focus on filling in ruts with dirt this weekend. That mound of topsoil's not gonna move itself.
I can probably get somewhere on Saturday, if I take it slow, and come in for frequent breaks.
It's just shoveling dirt into a wheelbarrow and dumping it in a different spot. If I stop mid-shovel and come inside, nothing's gonna fall apart, or explode.
The goal is, by Sunday evening, to have the whole area in back filled in, with grass seed mat down, and the sprinkler repositioned to hit it all during the week.
I'm gonna reprogram the timer for Zone 1, as well.
That seed mat over the barbecue hole doesn't get wet enough, and it dries out immediately during the day.
Maybe it's better to really soak the hell out of the mats at night, and then forget about watering during the day?
If I'm part time, I can always water manually when I get home.
Anyway, that's the goal this weekend... just to patch up the yard and get new grass going.
But it doesn't count as starting a new project!.. because I started this all last weekend!
------------{=0=}------------
As far as the basement hatch goes, to clear space on the porch, I can put stuff in the music room.
Yvette has still not pooped or peed in there at all, in over a month... and she's even less likely to do so if I'm part time.
So I can stash most or all of the porch furniture in there, clean the porch up, and then have a space to stain and prep the new hatch door.
I'm starting to think that the big fail point was the eye bolt where the rigging connected to the door...
I didn't think about the fact that this eye bolt would be literally leading rain water down inside the wood!
Indeed, this is where all the dry rot is centered!
Spot around the bolt gets soaked... wood splits apart... more rain water can soak in... wood splits apart in a larger area... more rain water can soak in...
Freezing water expands inside the cracks... summer UV fries the boat deck sealant right off...
And it's all happening right where the load is centered. So... NOT the best design!
For, hatch door 2.0, I'm gonna use shoulder bolts...
If I use these, on top of big fender washers... with sealant or a rubber gasket under the washers... that'll do a lot more to keep the water out.
And yes, I'm still going with two, instead of one. That'll spread out the load and keep the door from flexing as much.
From what I've learned, I'll have to seal all the cut edges, and the insides of the holes with preservative quite well, before the door is deployed, because it's what they call, a "ground contact," use of the plywood.
That'll mean I need to take my sweet time in the staining process, out there on the porch... applying several coats around the edges and allowing it all to dry properly.
So, it could be out there for a few weeks.
If I'm careful to waterproof the other hardware... the hinges and handles... then, 2.0 should last a lot longer than four years.
------------{=0=}------------
12:06AM
Okay!.. what a day!
So I drove over the the building and grounds office, and when I got there, all the managers were in some crazy emergency meeting.
I told the receptionist why I was there, and she went to get the paperwork for me, but Kristina brought it out... looking all frazzled and in a daze.
She filled out the paperwork in front of me... it wasn't very involved.
I told her I could still work Monday for 8 hours at Gingham, since that's the, "all hands on deck," day over there, but I'd like to start part time on Tuesday, and she said that was fine.
I said I'd like to do 12PM to 4PM, but I'm flexible... and she jotted that down on the form.
I signed it... and then Tony came in with a new prox card for me...
And at this point we have to rewind to Wednesday and Thursday...
------------{= FLASHBACK =}------------
Wednesday, May 31st, you'll recall, was the day it was so hot, and we got SOO slammed with garbage... that I almost quit, but decided I'd go back to part time instead.
And Rosa was there on Wednesday, getting slammed in her area too! I saw the mountain of garbage she had staged at the back door... waiting to go out as she struggled to get her bathrooms and vacuuming done.
--<>--
Okay, then yesterday!.. Thursday, June 1st, I'd been TOLD, by chantele and others, was the last day for the kids at Cloud.
And I operated under that impression all night... because again it was hot, and tonight, I was being slammed even harder with garbage than Wednesday!
But I figured this was the end of it!
But Rosa called in, here on Thursday. And they sent a girl who'd never been to Cloud before, so I had to spend time orienting her... and then I had to help her with her garbage, because she had cans so heavy it took two of us to get them into the dumpster!
Also, because was struggling so hard to lift heavy cans and bags into the fucking dumpster all night... at some point, my ID badge vanished!
And I think it got snagged on a bag, or some sticky tape shit hanging out of a bag, or whatever, but it was gone!
I texted Kristina about it, and they deactivated the badge and said I could get a new prox when I came in... though I'd have to go to a different place to get a new photo ID printed up.
--------{= END FLASHBACK =}--------
Okay, so now it's today, Friday June 2nd, and I've signed the paperwork saying I want to go back to part time for the summer, and Tony handed me a new prox card.
Kristina then told me that Rosa had called in again, so I needed to stay at Cloud tonight and just take care of my areas like normal.
I thought, "Great!" Because I didn't want to go to Gingham today, at all!
--<>--
I had time to go to the school district building and get a new photo ID to go with my new prox card, then I high-tailed it over to Cloud and clocked in at exactly 2:55PM!
But, to my astonishment... the building was FULL of KIDS!
I walked into the crowded building with kids lined up in the hallways, all parading around and clapping for each other as music played over the PA system (everything is awesome!...) and found Jeremy.
I said, "I was told that yesterday was the last day for the kids!"
"Nope!"
Then my phone rang, and it was Chantele... who had just gotten back from a vacation trip.
She told me that there was no replacement for Rosa tonight, so I'd have to get the garbage and bathrooms in her area, as well as my own... but not to worry about vacuuming unless there was time.
But this was Friday night... which meant I also had to get the garbage in the offices, and the staff lounge!
And HO-LY SHIT!..
AGAIN, I was not done taking out garbage until 9:30 PM!
I got an earlier start on it, and took fewer breaks... even though it was still 90F in the building... but it STILL took until 9:30, because of having to get Rosa's area, and the office and staff lounge.
I was rushing, in the final hour, to get all my, and Rosa's bathrooms done!
------------{= ANALYSIS =}------------
Okay, so what the fuck happened this week?
I think Geostaff was genuinely under the impression that June 1st was the last day for the kids, and did NOT realize that was a typo... until TODAY!
Four schools are getting major renovations over the summer, and those of us in the four quadrants of the district were all told to go to one of those four buildings (for us it was Gingham) TODAY!.. EARLY!.. to make a BIG PUSH to clear out all the classrooms!
"All hands on deck! June Second! Evening staff report in at 9AM!" They told us for two weeks!
Last week Chantele had told me to come in at 3PM like normal, so I could relieve Jeremy and set the alarm at Cloud when the staff was gone... THEN, report to Gingham for the evening session of the big push!
--<>--
So imagine the total chaos, when all the Geostaff custodians, both day and night shifters, started showing up at these four buildings today... only to find out the kids were still there!
And the kids were also still at their home buildings!
"No no-no no!... go home! Go back to your home building or go home and come back at 3PM if you're evening shift! Abort! Abort! Code Red! Abort!"
------------{=0=}------------
But another layer down, at least at Cloud, there was this maniacle dumpster spamming going on, that kept getting more and more abusive, as the final day approached!
I told you about the literal box of rocks!.. and that was a couple weeks ago!
Carts full of books... cans crammed full of papers... furniture...
Extra garbage cans stolen to cram full with junk, and leave in the halls...
Obnoxiously heavy mountains of shit, every day!
--<>--
And I guarantee you!.. that's why Rosa called in on both Thursday and Friday.
Like me, she had fucking had ENOUGH on Wednesday!
Her instinct was to just call in and let somebody else deal with it.
My instinct was to go back to part time.
And such was the trauma of Wendesday, that two days later, I was still so motivated, I got up early and went to sign the paperwork to make that real!
--<>--
But I didn't have to worry at all about looking like a cop out, because the entire school district was in free fall collapse today, and I actually showed up!
Like, I imagine that a LOT of other custodians did quit this week, or, like Rosa, just bailed!
Sure, the hardcore ones... the lifers... showed up and muddled through like they always do, but a lot of them were probably bitching up a storm.
So... I'm probably the only one who just, politely asked to go back to part time, but pretended it had nothing to do with a cascading failure of the system!
°¦}
https://soundcloud.com/snoozefestaudio
I got up before 11AM, for the first time in quite a while. I need to leave at 1:20 or so, to get to the Building & Grounds office, and fill out that paperwork to go back to part time.
Then it's over to Cloud to hang out until everybody's out. Then I set the alarm and go over to Gingham to move furniture for six hours in a 95F building. Yay!
I probably can't get out of doing 8 hours on Monday, because that's another, "all hands on deck," day at Gingham... but thankfully it'll only be 84F that day.
Don't know how fast I can return to part time, but I'm gonna push for next week.
It's supposed to be 90F again tomorrow, and then 82F on Sunday... with no rain in sight.
I'd planned on getting the plywood for the new hatch door tomorrow, but... well, it'll be the full moon, and it's bad luck to start a new project on the full moon, right?
I think it's better just to focus on filling in ruts with dirt this weekend. That mound of topsoil's not gonna move itself.
I can probably get somewhere on Saturday, if I take it slow, and come in for frequent breaks.
It's just shoveling dirt into a wheelbarrow and dumping it in a different spot. If I stop mid-shovel and come inside, nothing's gonna fall apart, or explode.
The goal is, by Sunday evening, to have the whole area in back filled in, with grass seed mat down, and the sprinkler repositioned to hit it all during the week.
I'm gonna reprogram the timer for Zone 1, as well.
That seed mat over the barbecue hole doesn't get wet enough, and it dries out immediately during the day.
Maybe it's better to really soak the hell out of the mats at night, and then forget about watering during the day?
If I'm part time, I can always water manually when I get home.
Anyway, that's the goal this weekend... just to patch up the yard and get new grass going.
But it doesn't count as starting a new project!.. because I started this all last weekend!
As far as the basement hatch goes, to clear space on the porch, I can put stuff in the music room.
Yvette has still not pooped or peed in there at all, in over a month... and she's even less likely to do so if I'm part time.
So I can stash most or all of the porch furniture in there, clean the porch up, and then have a space to stain and prep the new hatch door.
I'm starting to think that the big fail point was the eye bolt where the rigging connected to the door...
I didn't think about the fact that this eye bolt would be literally leading rain water down inside the wood!
Indeed, this is where all the dry rot is centered!
Spot around the bolt gets soaked... wood splits apart... more rain water can soak in... wood splits apart in a larger area... more rain water can soak in...
Freezing water expands inside the cracks... summer UV fries the boat deck sealant right off...
And it's all happening right where the load is centered. So... NOT the best design!
For, hatch door 2.0, I'm gonna use shoulder bolts...
If I use these, on top of big fender washers... with sealant or a rubber gasket under the washers... that'll do a lot more to keep the water out.
And yes, I'm still going with two, instead of one. That'll spread out the load and keep the door from flexing as much.
From what I've learned, I'll have to seal all the cut edges, and the insides of the holes with preservative quite well, before the door is deployed, because it's what they call, a "ground contact," use of the plywood.
That'll mean I need to take my sweet time in the staining process, out there on the porch... applying several coats around the edges and allowing it all to dry properly.
So, it could be out there for a few weeks.
If I'm careful to waterproof the other hardware... the hinges and handles... then, 2.0 should last a lot longer than four years.
Okay!.. what a day!
So I drove over the the building and grounds office, and when I got there, all the managers were in some crazy emergency meeting.
I told the receptionist why I was there, and she went to get the paperwork for me, but Kristina brought it out... looking all frazzled and in a daze.
She filled out the paperwork in front of me... it wasn't very involved.
I told her I could still work Monday for 8 hours at Gingham, since that's the, "all hands on deck," day over there, but I'd like to start part time on Tuesday, and she said that was fine.
I said I'd like to do 12PM to 4PM, but I'm flexible... and she jotted that down on the form.
I signed it... and then Tony came in with a new prox card for me...
And at this point we have to rewind to Wednesday and Thursday...
Wednesday, May 31st, you'll recall, was the day it was so hot, and we got SOO slammed with garbage... that I almost quit, but decided I'd go back to part time instead.
And Rosa was there on Wednesday, getting slammed in her area too! I saw the mountain of garbage she had staged at the back door... waiting to go out as she struggled to get her bathrooms and vacuuming done.
Okay, then yesterday!.. Thursday, June 1st, I'd been TOLD, by chantele and others, was the last day for the kids at Cloud.
And I operated under that impression all night... because again it was hot, and tonight, I was being slammed even harder with garbage than Wednesday!
But I figured this was the end of it!
But Rosa called in, here on Thursday. And they sent a girl who'd never been to Cloud before, so I had to spend time orienting her... and then I had to help her with her garbage, because she had cans so heavy it took two of us to get them into the dumpster!
Also, because was struggling so hard to lift heavy cans and bags into the fucking dumpster all night... at some point, my ID badge vanished!
And I think it got snagged on a bag, or some sticky tape shit hanging out of a bag, or whatever, but it was gone!
I texted Kristina about it, and they deactivated the badge and said I could get a new prox when I came in... though I'd have to go to a different place to get a new photo ID printed up.
Okay, so now it's today, Friday June 2nd, and I've signed the paperwork saying I want to go back to part time for the summer, and Tony handed me a new prox card.
Kristina then told me that Rosa had called in again, so I needed to stay at Cloud tonight and just take care of my areas like normal.
I thought, "Great!" Because I didn't want to go to Gingham today, at all!
I had time to go to the school district building and get a new photo ID to go with my new prox card, then I high-tailed it over to Cloud and clocked in at exactly 2:55PM!
But, to my astonishment... the building was FULL of KIDS!
I walked into the crowded building with kids lined up in the hallways, all parading around and clapping for each other as music played over the PA system (everything is awesome!...) and found Jeremy.
I said, "I was told that yesterday was the last day for the kids!"
"Nope!"
Then my phone rang, and it was Chantele... who had just gotten back from a vacation trip.
She told me that there was no replacement for Rosa tonight, so I'd have to get the garbage and bathrooms in her area, as well as my own... but not to worry about vacuuming unless there was time.
But this was Friday night... which meant I also had to get the garbage in the offices, and the staff lounge!
And HO-LY SHIT!..
AGAIN, I was not done taking out garbage until 9:30 PM!
I got an earlier start on it, and took fewer breaks... even though it was still 90F in the building... but it STILL took until 9:30, because of having to get Rosa's area, and the office and staff lounge.
I was rushing, in the final hour, to get all my, and Rosa's bathrooms done!
Okay, so what the fuck happened this week?
I think Geostaff was genuinely under the impression that June 1st was the last day for the kids, and did NOT realize that was a typo... until TODAY!
Four schools are getting major renovations over the summer, and those of us in the four quadrants of the district were all told to go to one of those four buildings (for us it was Gingham) TODAY!.. EARLY!.. to make a BIG PUSH to clear out all the classrooms!
"All hands on deck! June Second! Evening staff report in at 9AM!" They told us for two weeks!
Last week Chantele had told me to come in at 3PM like normal, so I could relieve Jeremy and set the alarm at Cloud when the staff was gone... THEN, report to Gingham for the evening session of the big push!
So imagine the total chaos, when all the Geostaff custodians, both day and night shifters, started showing up at these four buildings today... only to find out the kids were still there!
And the kids were also still at their home buildings!
"No no-no no!... go home! Go back to your home building or go home and come back at 3PM if you're evening shift! Abort! Abort! Code Red! Abort!"
But another layer down, at least at Cloud, there was this maniacle dumpster spamming going on, that kept getting more and more abusive, as the final day approached!
I told you about the literal box of rocks!.. and that was a couple weeks ago!
Carts full of books... cans crammed full of papers... furniture...
Extra garbage cans stolen to cram full with junk, and leave in the halls...
Obnoxiously heavy mountains of shit, every day!
And I guarantee you!.. that's why Rosa called in on both Thursday and Friday.
Like me, she had fucking had ENOUGH on Wednesday!
Her instinct was to just call in and let somebody else deal with it.
My instinct was to go back to part time.
And such was the trauma of Wendesday, that two days later, I was still so motivated, I got up early and went to sign the paperwork to make that real!
But I didn't have to worry at all about looking like a cop out, because the entire school district was in free fall collapse today, and I actually showed up!
Like, I imagine that a LOT of other custodians did quit this week, or, like Rosa, just bailed!
Sure, the hardcore ones... the lifers... showed up and muddled through like they always do, but a lot of them were probably bitching up a storm.
So... I'm probably the only one who just, politely asked to go back to part time, but pretended it had nothing to do with a cascading failure of the system!
°¦}
