Who's up for some complaining?
I warned you last week that I was feeling some complaining coming on, and since you all said you would appreciate an occasional "Let's all vent!" post, here we are.
I have two things to complain about today.
The washing machine saga
So. I FINALLY got a second washing machine delivered this past Thursday. I was so excited!
But after the delivery guys left, I noticed a piece of blue packing tape still left on the machine.
I absentmindedly took it off, and lo and behold, there was a dent underneath. SIGH.
I do not understand why it seems so challenging to deliver an un-dented appliance.
I am also irritated because it seems like perhaps someone purposely left that tape on there, hoping I wouldn't notice. I mean, how likely is it that one single piece of tape just happened to be over the dent??
I'm sort of glad I didn't notice until they left, because at least I have a machine to use now.
I immediately washed all the heavy things that had been stacking up! I had not been able to wash items like towels and hoodies for a while because anything remotely heavy would make the machine get off balance and bang across the floor.
I let my landlord know as soon as I discovered the dent, and I am still waiting to hear how she wants to handle this. I told her I honestly do not mind using a machine with a dent, so if she wants to just get a discount from Home Depot and keep this one, it's fine with me.
I'm pretty tired of dealing with washing machine appointments, so I'm kinda hoping she'll opt for a dented-machine discount!
This BSN class
I know I already spent a whole post complaining about this class, but I have more to say, ok??
In all of my prior college experiences, if you fulfilled all the stated requirements for an assignment, you could reasonably expect to get all of your points.
For instance, if the assignment instructions said you were required to cite four scholarly sources, doing so would earn you all the points.
But in this class, not so.
Buried in the rubric, you find "For full points, use five sources."
Or the instructions will tell you to reply to three classmates, but actually you have to reply to four if you want all the points.
So, you have to carefully read the rubric, and then do more than the assignment instructions tell you to do unless you want to lose points.
WHAT THE HECK?
It feels like you have to do extra credit work just to get the normal points.
And it almost feel purposely confusing. Why in the world would the rubric and the instructions not match??
Thank goodness I am a person who usually reads rubrics thoroughly, or I'd have missed out on points already.
I alerted my friends in the class too, so that they won't miss points.
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Also: I continue to just feel overwhelmed by the assignments in this class. I made a whole PowerPoint presentation, complete with a voiceover last week and the week before.
And then I wrote a 5-page paper (seven with the title page and reference page).
Then I looked to the next week and DANG IT, a whole 'nother PowerPoint presentation with a voiceover is due. Plus, we are supposed to be working on a multi-component group project.
I would not mind so much if it seemed remotely helpful to my nursing practice, but my goodness, I don't think any of the BSN material thus far is going to make a meaningful difference as I take care of patients. Sigh.
For example, this large group project we are working on involves designing a system to keep the hospital running when the internet goes down.
I really do not think I will ever be doing IT work like this as a nurse! If I wanted to do IT, I would, uh, not have gone to nursing school.
BLEAH.
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Your turn! If you want to complain about something, have at it in the comments.
(Gentle reminder: keep it non-political, please. We're doing some relatively unserious complaining here!)
I really hate group work and I also really hate needlessly complicated instructions, so you have my sympathies. I recommend having some kind of small treat after class to make it more bearable!
My complaints are that things at work are super stressful and things are kind of up in the air right now.
Less stressful but still annoying is that I am not a morning person and I'm especially not a morning person when it's pitch black when I get up (those special lamps don't seem to help). I also get peeved at the superiority complex some (not all!) morning people seem to have!
Finally, everything is just so expensive right now. I'm trying to save but it seems extra challenging this month. I have to get Christmas presents and buy a flight home and I got a haircut. I don't have anyone to cut my hair for free and I really don't trust my own abilities. I only cut my hair once or twice a year but it's another expense! This isn't about expenses as such but I went on a meh date and it's especially annoying fur an introvert who likes to stay home;)
@Sophie in Denmark, for not fur! Oh yeah, and my rent is being raised!
@Sophie in Denmark, I cut my own hair a week ago. It’s far from great but I didn’t spend 90.00. And, I have eye problems so I have pretty bad vision.
I vote that you watch some videos and then try it next time.
@Sophie in Denmark,
I 100% get it about everything being so dang expensive! My DH and I have had a rough couple of months, including (but not limited to) a BIG car repair - something my DH told them about back in June, which they didn't diagnose properly and therefore didn't fix properly - now they found what was wrong, and wanted to charge us $2300 to fix it. Ummm, no, *YOU* didn't figure it out until now. DH had all the communications, etc., from last time, so they agreed to $900 instead. Then DH's car needed new tires, and still needs new brakes. Add in vet bills, DH taking a last minute trip to see his sister in Texas (he did use airline points; his sister passed away a little more than a month after his visit), blah blah blah......DH was despondent after paying the monthly bills, saying "we just can't seem to get ahead". I get it. it sucks!!
I have many memories of "meh" dates, too, before I met my DH. It's tough out there for us introverts!
@Liz B., I'm sorry about your brother's sister! And the car misery. Dating's the worst! As is people telling me they just 'ran into' their partner. I'm still running!
Kristen, I do sincerely empathize with you in reference to your frustration with your BSN program. My perspective as a prospective hospital patient (hopefully way, way, way in the future) is a little different from yours. I would be thrilled to know that my nurses were put through rigorous training, and well-educated not just on specific skills but in their understanding of the medical field as a whole. As students move upward through academic levels, the work required to achieve certain degrees or professional certifications becomes more rigorous, ensuring that the students who obtain those degrees have truly earned them. You are being challenged, but in a positive way and for a very good reason. We all know "you got this," so hang in there! It won't be long before this coursework will be in your rear view mirror. I don't live anywhere near you, so I'll never have the privilege of having you as my nurse. But I would love to wake up in a hospital room with one as knowledgeable and dedicated as you. This is not to say you shouldn't vent - it's better to vent than internalize that frustration. And this is certainly a safe and supportive place to do it. I just wanted to share a different perspective.
My pet peeves this week . . . Restaurant hosts and hostesses who can't even be bothered to smile at and warmly greet guests. Drivers who think it's perfectly okay to abruptly switch lanes nearly sideswiping a car that was already there. People who think "it's all about me." Okay, I'm done. Getting down off my soapbox now.
Wishing all a good week ahead!
I think my problem is not that I mind rigorous work (I went through plenty of rigorous stuff in my efforts to get my RN) but more that I am not seeing the usefulness of what I'm doing. At least, not for my particular career path!
Alas, it is required for everyone who gets a BSN, and pretty much everyone has to get a BSN.
Here's hoping my future BSN classes will be less IT-heavy!
Also: I think it's so odd that someone who doesn't want to greet people would even take a job as a hostess. Why not get a less people-y job?
@Kristen, exactly! And those staff members are the front line - responsible for your first impression of the business.
@Kristen, they most likely needed a job and took a job. Many times at that pay level it's not about finding a good-fit job, it's just about taking any job that is offered. Especially right now.
Hmmm, that's a fair point. The entry level job market here is still ok, but I heard that in other places this is not so, and that a basic entry level minimum wage job is very hard to come by (I heard people talking about this when I visited Portland).
@Kristen,
I understand your frustration with this class - and there will be others - given where you are in your nursing career. Your initial training taught you to be a mechanic, now you are learning to be an engineer. The content is not as important as learning critical thinking skills, evaluating research, statistics, etc. I always was a direct patient care provider from a nursing assistant, a hospital staff RN, inpatient and outpatient NP but also considered part of my job to be an advocate and change agent for my patients and families in ways I would not even imagined 40 yrs ago (opening our state nurse practice act twice to make APRN practice changes to increase access to health care, dealing with reimbursement issues, writing more Epic/EHR content than I care to think about - we went on EHR in 2002 when there was basically no content and, believe me, IT was completely useless in that area - just a couple of examples.) Anyway, more than you wanted to think about, my point being that I would encourage you to think of all learning as a valuable experience.
Feel free to ignore and disagree with me. And from an economic perspective, you are putting money into these classes, so may as well get your money's worth.
@Kara,
This.
I’m sure there are more knowledgeable people out there who can give a full accounting BUT there are totally lots of nurses who end up on the IT side of things! Informatics. The only way Epic and other EHR’s can actually achieve workable and safe interfaces is by having nurses (and docs and pharmacists) on the team! My dream job at the moment is to be an Epic Pharmacist!
Oh yes, this is an informatics class. Ha. I know some nurses love to do this kind of thing but I am not FAINTLY interested in doing nursing-related IT work.
However, I am so glad there are people like you who do want to work in the field!
@Ginger, never thought of that, but there are a lot of nurses in my large insurance company that do IT work and statistics, etc. Thanks for the reminder.
@Kristen, I looked a little more closely at the typical courses and goals of the BSN program and part of it does seem to be to give nurses the groundwork for many different nursing careers. So it makes sense that some of it seems irrelevant to your plans.
OTOH, you never know what will be useful later. (Several personal examples deleted.)
@Kristen, I wonder if you will have a capstone project in your last semester. Some of this may be applicable there.
Long time lurker, I think first time commenter! When I went back to school for my NP the course load was just so overwhelming. I ended up asking myself ‘will this help me be a better NP?’ And if the answer was NO then I didn’t give my 100%. I just couldn’t!! So I’d, for example, only reply to 3 students in the forum instead of 4- knowing I wouldn’t get full points. I also gave myself a strict time limits for these responses, because they were so tedious (ours included using references in our replies).
I guess my point is- do you need to get full points to keep or obtain a scholarship? If not, have you considered just doing good enough? It was a super super hard pill for me to swallow- having graduated my RN at the top of my class (In Canada you do RN and BSCN together). Just something to think about!! And I completely commiserate on how terrible the RN stuff is! Hang in there?.
My complaint will be that when I came downstairs this morning may house still smells like dinner from last night. Ew.
Hmm, that is a good reframe. Maybe I am trying a little too hard in a course that doesn't ultimately matter for my career path.
And yep, our discussion replies have to have references too. Some of them have to have two references per reply!
@Kristen, Janelle has an excellent point. I think, as you progress in your career, that you will find that there are areas of practice where you need to give more energy, and other areas where "good enough " is, indeed, good enough. The medical world is constantly coming up with new initiatives that are given to staff. Some are more useful than others. All to say, practicing with your class on how much energy to give to it will train you for future prioritization opportunities.
Also, I lived the dancing washing machine life for a long time, and I know how frustrating it is.
Also long time lurker, first time (?) commenter. I just want to second Janelle's point. I pursued my BSN as a second career as an adult. With my first go at college (BS and MS in engineering), I aimed for perfection. As an adult getting my BSN, I learned the art of "just good enough" (like what is the absolute minimum I can do and still get an A) for the BS (ha!) BSN classes (think informatics or my absolute least favorite as a NICU nurse - geriatrics). I just want to validate you that these classes are ABSOLUTE MISERY, though. Anyway, I'm sure as an amazing achiever, you're used to doing your absolute best. But I agree, use your discretion on what applies to you / your interests in nursing and do just enough to get through because if your experience was like mine, this is the first of many of the classes like this, sadly. Also, think about it freeing up time for things that are more valuable for you (like researching skills that would benefit you as an RN or something personal that brings you joy), not as slacking off. My slacking was really a survival tactic as I was still balancing my part-time engineering job (to support myself) and working as a student nurse (to get my foot in the door at my dream hospital), so I think that helped me with the reframe. Perhaps you can find a way to reframe too, to help fight against your natural achiever tendencies. All that to say - hang in there - and I hope your next class is less torturous and relates more to your nursing interests.
@Janelle, thanks for your comment! A perspective like yours has been helpful both in my undergrad and my current career.
In undergrad, a psychology class my spring semester senior year gave clear guidelines for the criteria for each grade (A, B, C, etc). The A was MUCH more work. In a very Kristen-esque fashion, I calculated my GPA and realized I could get a B and still graduate with top honors. So I completed the less -stringent requirements the best I could, got the B I hoped for, and all is well!
Now, the reality of my middle-aged brain involves a change in processing capacity (complicated...results of medical treatments, hormones, work stress. Working on it from multiple angles but also it won't resolve overnight and may not resolve fully). So I truly can't approach my work in the way I "always have." I am having a harder time making decisions, which is especially hard as a high school teacher whose job it is to process information, make decisions, and complete tasks literally all day. I have been going through a major reframe for myself and constantly telling myself that OK is excellent when OK is the best you can do.
Best wishes as you slog through this class, Kristen! That new car is in sight!
You and my daughter(20y) must be taking classes by sibling professors because she has near identical rants about a class of hers that is actually a required/elective( she goes to a Jesuit University and this religion class will not help her in her goals to becoming a PA one day.. and the amount of work per class rivals some of her core classes/labs).
How nice of the delivery guys to leave a highlighted spot to show off their dentwork! I am team "complain for a discount!"
I haven't heard an update yet about the washing machine plan; here's hoping she just gets a discount! I kinda want to keep the machine. 😉
Send my sympathies to your daughter!
@jes, I wonder if the duck tape was to highlight the dent and someone was supposed to ask you about it.
@WilliamB, that sounds like a very plausible explanation!
Designing a system to keep the hospital running when the Internet is down?
Hmmm. Not sure that should be an IT based project as there are whole departments that cover this, especially when Epic (the system behind MyChart) goes down in a hospital (been there when that happened. OMG. The hospital ground to a halt. Staff running around like crazy people. Very unsettling.)
Now, if this course projects means you list what has to be done/changed/stopped when by you and other staff when you no longer have access to say, MyChart info used to get someone into the hospital, treated, etc. well, that IS relevant. And it makes sense to list what would be necessary alternative action to take to keep patients safe.
(I don't know. Are ANY patient files while in hospital kept in a non-digital format so you can access if power or internet is out?)
One of the things I've learned over the years with suff needed to be done and/or required and no way out of it, no matter what I think...you allow yourself some venting...and then you move on. Continuing to focus on what you hate, continuing to in essence resist, is a waste of your energy.
Instead, get it done as best and as fast as you can. I used to put off doing similar tasks until I realized that I was just prolonging the agony. I then made the most onerous and unliked tasks number one on my daily list.
Respectfully, it's time to shift focus and as the slogan says: JUST. DO. IT. and get through with as much as you can. Also, don't let the group waste time complaining at this juncture. Agreed. You sincerely and intensely dislike it. Keep going and just get it done.
It is very hard not to keep focusing on what we dislike. VERY HARD. But we need our energy and this focus depletes us. So just do it.
Given the difficulty in getting anything done in our lives these days, we have to learn how to keep focused on getting things done as best we can (Multiple times with stupid customer service people? OMG!) as quickly and as accurately as we can.
So much in life just sucks at this point in terms of processes (Let's not talk about getting needed healthcare shall we? I had to take a moratorium for a few weeks because I was so upset by some things that happened with doctors and hospitals, but then I had to regroup and keep moving.) and requires so much energy, we truly don't have any to spare for continuing to focus on what we dislike but must do.
I have no problem reading about your frustration. I just want to see you move through and hopefully be done sooner than later. Debating its merits? It's compulsory so why waste anymore time?
(FYI: I had to remind myself of this with a recent issue with forms for a particular needed health service. I railed and carried on about the stupidity of the process and how it was almost impossible for an average doctor to actually do this the way they wanted it...plus I found the rationale such BS, that it set me off all over again. BUT...I don't have the luxury of NOT getting the form filled, so instead, I shifted gears and focused on GETTING IT DONE. And I did. I did not keep muttering about how poorly this was set up ---although I did make notes and did send a letter to the company about it. Unfortunately, the company was only following a mandate from the Department of Health in our state. And of course what I was really POd by was that I knew this process was designed so that it would discourage people from applying for the service. That incensed me so much that I then really did hunker down and got it done...just to show them that hell, no, you are not denying me this needed service. Here's your form...now
give me the service!
Luckily, I have a doctor who, once you get the appointment, will do what is needed to fill out the form. That isn't even an option for some people.
FYI: If you think you are going wild with that course? Imagine you are disabled and a new company has taken over the program that provides your home care. EVERYTHING changed and pretty much everything that could go wrong, continues to the point of lawsuits, multiple, and ongoing advocacy to-dos, etc. where literally every aspect of your care is in jeopardy. Dealing with this situation has literally sickened and traumatized many of us who are already quite ill and cannot take any more stress than our daily conditions already impose. KEEP IT MOVING. Things could be a lot worse, Kristen.
I am so sorry to hear about the troubles you are experiencing and I hope that there is some kind of resolution for you soon. Dealing with extended health care systems is such a mess and I'm sorry it is that way.
I do want to address one thing, which is that you ended with, "Things could be a lot worse, Kristen." I do recognize that, and it is why I ended my post by saying this is a rather light-hearted type of complaining. If I wanted to do some serious complaining about Actual Large Problems, I would not be talking about my class or my dented washing machine. 😉
However, I will say that there is almost no circumstances under which I think, "Things could be a lot worse." is a helpful thing to say to someone else. It is ALWAYS true that it could be worse. All of us here are alive, after all. 😉 And by those standards, no one who is alive should ever complain.
I don't approach my nursing care with a "Things could be a lot worse." framework. So when a patient is crying after a minor abdominal surgery, I offer them comfort and I do not ever say something like, "Some people here have had their whole leg amputated. Things could be a lot worse."
And that's because it is not a comforting or helpful thing to say.
I doooooo thing it can be a helpful thing to say to ourselves! Just not to others.
@Kristen, you phrased that very kindly, Kristen. I like your safe space to vent a bit about things that are frustrating, not alarming, heavy life circumstances.
@Kristen, well-put. “Things could be worse” is the equivalent of “At least he doesn’t beat you”.
@Kristen,
Well put!
100% Agree!
@Central Calif. Artist Jana,
Or my favorite: "The beatings will continue until the morale improves...."
The advice I always give to people when there are group projects is, "Just pretend as if you're the only person in the group." As in, don't expect anybody else to pull their weight.
I mean, they might! I'm not saying everybody is a slacker! But it just takes one person not doing their bit and then the whole group suffers if their part of the project isn't done. So when I had group projects in my Intro to Health Care class, I just went ahead and did alll the parts, and kept the parts that other people were responsible for on hand in case they didn't upload theirs in time. I actually did have one group member alert us that her computer was broken and she might not be able to get her stuff in on time, so we were able to reassure her that the project would be completed. (In the end she was able to do it).
My complaint today is about DS#2's car. First he took it to a body shop (it was drivable!) rather than bringing it home to show DH, who could have possibly fixed it for a LOT less than I suspect we are going to pay for it. Because he had this accident right before our nurse aide training class, we now have to take the truck, meaning DH doesn't have a vehicle to get to work now that he's back at work (while he was furloughed this was reasonable!).
Then, they STILL have the car, two weeks after the accident, and the last time he called they said it might be done by the 24th. Might be. And then when it is done we have no idea how much we'll have to pay, even with insurance paying part of it. Then his premiums will go up. UGH.
And this was because he decided on a whim to go get his license renewed, only to find out that he was too early to renew it--and, as we've pointed out to him, he could have bicycled to the license bureau OR just worked on doing it online. Sigh. When do adult children figure out how to adult?
Okay, I'm done now.
Oh man, I'm so sorry to hear about the car troubles! It is so frustrating to be in a state of stuckness like that.
Thankfully, my two group-mates are really good about getting their stuff done, so at least I do not have that to worry about. Whew. I, like many people, have had some pretty terrible group experiences in the past with people not doing their fair share. So, I count myself blessed with this group!
@Kristen, my advice for group work is to have regular meetings (preferably in person) to ensure everyone is staying on track. I hate working on groups and those meetings are not my favourite thing, but they do help get things done (assuming people don't get distracted).
@Karen A., "When do adult children figure out how to adult?" I am right there with you!
@Lynn, we found that overseas experiences gave our kids some quick growing up. Also, the Marine Corps will really make sure a kid grows up.
@Lynn,
I don't think being a parent ever ends. My children are in their 30s. They still call me and ask me life questions. I am happy to share my wisdom about insurance, work, cooking, design, and money. By the time I was in my 30s, I was an orphan and had to figure it all out myself. There were and are still things that I wish that I could ask them.
@Karen A., why could he not renew his liscence early?In Michigan you can renew (unless turning 21 I think because new type of liscence & have to retake written test) you license up to 6 months earlier than your birthday. I did not know this until I was griping at SOS when I was renewing plates for (now Ex) vehicles & that I would have to return again (later) to renew my license.
@Regina, They recently changed it here in our state, you have to be at least 30 days before it expires. Will be encouraging him to explore online renewal!
My rant today isn't really a rant, but an unpleasant fact. I'm getting a hip replacement in 3 weeks. My second joint replacement this year! As soon as I'm mobile my husband will be getting both of his knees replaced. I'm so sick of arthritis!!
Ohh, I'm sorry you have to navigate that so soon again. I hope your recovery is smooth and that your new hip serves you well.
I found myself having uncharacteristically positive thoughts about texting and phones last week when a person who would not normally really have a serious discussion with me felt comfortable enough to do so over text, and it was helpful. But then I got a text from my son's teacher about signing up to bring a snack for a class party with a link to a site that requested my Google account to sign in and . . . nope. I'll bring the snack. I will not use another thing that requires me to sign in. I get why they do it, but I'm just gonna bring some crackers and cheese without using my Google account, okay?
@kristin @ going country,
Is that sign up genius? The only reason I like that is you can see what's taken and what's needed, so the activity doesn't end up with 7 cheese and cracker plates and no chocolate. One teacher I know does use Google sheets, sharing the link to the spreadsheet, which works without the whole extra sign in thing.
I won't use Facebook, which is what my older kids activities used to use as a group , which was so invasive.
@mbmom11, Yup. Like I said, I get why they use it, but I can actually see what everyone else is bringing without signing in myself, and then I can just bring what isn't spoken for. Which is pretty much always the non-sugar things. 🙂
Isn't it amazing hospitals and doctors used to have paper charts? Although I love the convenience of our new systems, I often have wondered what would happen in the case of a disaster. I suppose it is still important to keep a list of your medications and for a friend or family member to know your health history.
Many years ago about 10 days before Thanksgiving, my oven stopped working. The repair service did not have an open appointment until mid-December. I was expecting 20 for Thanksgiving dinner, so I did a very unfrugal thing. I went to the big box store and bought a new oven. The oven's delivery was scheduled for the Saturday before Thanksgiving. Even after confirming delivery and receiving multiple text messages, the delivery truck never showed up. It was a nightmare! I finally received the oven the Wednesday before the holiday, but it was not easy to get this done.
I am a little stressed, because I can't seem to get anything done or done in a timely manner. This is through no fault of my own. I went to the post office to send a package. I was the third person in line and it took nearly 25 minutes to get it posted. I ordered a new lock for the backdoor, and it was broken when it arrived. The backplates on the new outdoor lights did not match up to the outlets already there. I brought my car in to the dealership last week to fix a warranty issue, and today I have to bring it back again. I feel like Sisyphus. I roll that rock up the hill everyday and every morning, it is at the bottom of the hill once again.
I am thankful, however, in the scope of things. None of this really matters. It's just aggravating. I am praying for a productive week ahead.
@Bee, that's a long and aggravating list of problems. Absolutely worth complaining about.
@Bee,
I had the oven thing happen to me 1, ONE day before Thanksgiving. I had a Dacor, so awfully expensive to repair or replace. I called my favorite local appliance repair family and he brought a Bosch out that day. I've used it hard for 5yrs and no complaints. I could buy 4 Bosch for one dacor...crazy.
@Bee, I hate stuff like that. Incompetence, apathy, shoddy workmanship, carelessness, disregard for the customer’s time. . . all complaint worthy!
@Blue Gate Farmgirl, you have my sympathies. Our house came with a Very Expensive Dacor 36" stove/oven combination. Early on, it crapped out as I was baking cookies in prep for hosting our second annual neighborhood holiday cookie party. DH, who can fix anything, had to completely dismantle the top to fix it. I ended up buying cookies from a fancy bakery. Ouch.
Later, the latch for the self cleaning function stopped working. Despite mighty efforts from DH, it could not be fixed. No self cleaning for me.
It's gas, and every time I use a burner, the self igniter clicks at least twenty times, no matter which burner I'm using.
Setting the oven temp has always been fiddly. You chose the oven function and the temp automatically starts at 350. You use toggle arrows to adjust the toggle arrows to adjust the temperature in 5 degree increments. This is a pain because I make a lot of pizza. Now the LED readout is fading, to the point that I can't even see it unless i turn all the other lights in the kitchen off. I count each push of the button and hope I get close to the desired temperature. DH could replace the motherboard again. It's a very expensive part, but it's no longer available, whomp, whomp. Believe me, he's a master at sourcing parts.
Am I going to replace this appliance that originally cost over $10,000. Heck, no!
Funny, this wouldn't have even been on my complaint list. I've just gotten used to its quirkiness. I just wanted you to know you're not alone in your pit of Dacor despair.
And with that, I'm out of time, so no complaints from me today. I'm off to a charity event. I'm grateful that I can afford to do so.
P.S. Don't think I'm a Pollyanna, I vent all the time. There's a lot of food for thought in today's post and the comments.
@Dicey, @Blue Gate Farmgirl, our house came with separate Dacor refrigerator and freezer units. They're like commercial appliances and we absolutely love them. HOWEVER, the previous owners spent north of $15,000 (!) on them to fit the unique shallow space that houses them. My husband and I say we need to move before they need to be replaced.
Hey, I'm gonna do something really productive and complain about our current Central NY weather. 😛
The problem isn't so much that snow has arrived earlier than it's done for the past few years; that's just something we have to roll with. (And every time I think about the snow Lindsey and her husband have in Alaska, I remind myself to stop being a wimp about snow.) The problem is that when it's not snowing, we're getting epic--and I mean EPIC--rainstorms. (Not to be confused with the Epic medical records system. 😛 )
I got caught in one of these storms Saturday afternoon on my way home from our JASNA region's otherwise highly enjoyable "JA's 250th Birthday Open House" program in the next city to the west. The rain wasn't so bad when I left that city--but about halfway home, it turned into Niagara Falls, with thunder, lightning, and small hail into the bargain. Worst weather I've ever encountered on the NY State Thruway. I drove the rest of the way in the right lane at 50 mph with my emergency flashers on!
@A. Marie,
My sympathies regarding the weather. My son married a woman from upstate NY. After a couple of winter trips there, I am certain that they will not be relocating any time soon. However, I think that he wouldn't mind spending summers in the Finger Lakes.
Oh dear, I'm glad you made it home safely!
Kristen, if this is inappropriate, please remove it. Your revelations about what you have been experiencing in this "class" deeply disturb me. I trust your judgement more than mine right now. Thank you.
No wonder you are so frustrated! I am a retired teacher, and absolutely appalled at the ridiculousness of this so called class. From the abusive amount of assignments, to the busy work quality of them, and the power trip evaluations. Their practices are the antithesis of what education is about!
Kristen, we all know that you can and will survive this. But please document EVERYTHING! Encourage your classmates to do the same. When the class is over, and you already have your grades posted, please take all your collective documentation to the head of your program or whomever you believe is the appropriate person. This abuse of power has to be stopped.
I believe you and your cohorts are the right ones for the job! You have lived with abuse, broken free, and methodically built a new life. You are leader in every good sense of the word. This egomaniac who is
crusading as a teacher should be exposed, so appropriate actions can be made. The very minimum would be a closely monitored plan of improvement. Truthfully though, they are just in the wrong career, or they have gone off the rails. Either way, they need to get out of the classroom. Hope you all take this opportunity to make the program better and effective for those behind you.
With hope, prayers, and love for all of you and the remainder of the class. This too shall pass!
@AZ Lynn, Thank you so much for saying this because the second I read that the rubric and the syllabus didn't match my teacher alert alarms went off. Bringing your concerns to the administration will hopefully have the curriculum reevaluated or at a minimum audited. It feels like this teacher is setting student up to fail, which is not how we teach.
@AZ Lynn, hmmm, I just had a possible revelation. I wonder if the attention needed to pick up “hidden clues” in their rubric is a reminder to always look at the smallest or conflicting piece of data/research when developing a plan of care.
@Janice, I had the same thought as you, but I still agree with @AZ Lynn. Even if that is the teacher's rationale, class structure doesn't equal sussing out conflicting data/research, and there are better ways to illustrate that concept in a more real-world manner.
That second dented washer, that they literally covered up with tape, is so annoying!
All the talk about group projects made me remember a complaint from last year. My son had a class where groups were penalized for other students not participating. The group could get everything completed, but be penalized for the one slacker. This was a big issue with one group where a student refused to do anything other than play on their phone in class. I was very mad that the teacher was expecting teenagers to somehow convince their classmates to participate when the teacher couldn’t even do it, and docking points as a result. Two students completed the project and they got 1/3 of the grade marked off for that third student. You’d think the student who refused to participate would simply get a zero. The teacher must have changed their ways at some point because this didn’t continue to be an issue.
I was supposed to get a CT scan Friday, but was sick instead, and had to reschedule. I’m glad radiology isn’t as backed up as other departments and I only have to wait another month, but I’m ready to get it over with. Six months ago, I had a scan after abdominal pain and they just happened to see a nodule on my lung. It needs to be rechecked to make sure it isn’t growing/changing. I don’t enjoy all the random things that pop-up with age!
@JenRR, good luck with that. All hopes that it continues to be just a random thing.
@WilliamB, Thank you!
Well I'm getting frustrated for you on both situations!!! Hope this will be a good week for you!!
Kristen, you yourself have a background in teaching, having successfully homeschooled your children, and had a very organized approach to it. I can totally see how the structure of this class is aggravating.
Sometimes professors like to be known as hard graders for the ego boost. The A&P class I took years ago in technical school -- thought it might be useful if I got a medical office job but it also was for fun because I like that stuff -- had a retired nurse teaching it who liked to brag that no one had ever gotten over a 90 in her class. I watched everyone wilt in their seats every time they heard that. Some of them obviously stopped trying so hard. Not me -- I love a freaking challenge and wrung a 99 out of the class. She acted like it was going to kill her to give me my final grade, but I just smiled at her.
I hate when professors are like that; there is no reason to withhold a high A from a deserving student.
Good for you!!
@Ruby, excellent revenge.
@Ruby, I too have been wondering whether the problem with Kristen's class may be the professor rather than the class. And I wouldn't blame Kristen in the least for giving a not-so-flattering evaluation of both at the end of the semester.
@Kristen, I read Beverly Cleary's autobiographies and when she wrote about her experience in library school, a professor docked her grade because she 'looked bored'!
Haha, well, maybe the professor should have been more interesting then. 😉
@Kristen, I'm sure I would have got very low grades if my classes were based on expressions 😉
@Sophie in Denmark, a teenage boy who was visiting our "JA's...Open House" (see my comment above) with his mother and sisters on Saturday was wearing this T-shirt: "I am not responsible for what my face does when you're talking." He was looking rather bored till I complimented him on the shirt. 🙂
My parents are here to do projects and I have a cold which has put us severely behind on the projects ??. I worked so many extra shifts in the last two months so I could have a lot of days with them and I'm sitting on my couch catching up on Disney movies instead. (thankfully, they are in an Air BnB so we aren't just trading germs back and forth).
Definitely report this class after you're done, hiding things deep in the syllabus and rubric is a sign of too many rewrites or a toxic instructor. (My emergency manager brain says your IT crashing assignment is actually wise, but this class is already asking too much of you for it to be the fun and entertaining assignment that it should be.)
BOOOO to the timing of this cold.
And hmm, that's an interesting idea; too many rewrites is a plausible explanation of the problem here!
So I have to ask, is it the instructor that is making the class hard or the actual course work that was designed by someone else that is making it hard? Seems like a ton of work to do in addition to working. Are others working as well?
And I'll just complain about my procrastination on finishing the painting so I can get the other work around here done before Thanksgiving. The list is long and time is running out. And we got a nasty email from the lead on Friday about not taking time off before the end of the year because of the projects we have. But yet, she is taking the month of December off.
Just keep repeating to myself -- 5 more months; 5 more months!
I have wondered the same thing, but I am unsure of the answer! Does the college make every informatics class have exactly these same assignments and directions? How much is up to the professor? I don't know! And yes, everyone else in my class is also working as a nurse.
I will celebrate with you when your job is over!!
What your teacher is doing is an unpleasant trick. Unless the point is to teach you to read very carefully? Like that band and the brown M&Ms.
I want to complain about my dog. (Note that I adore the furry critter.) I wasn't supposed to be the one who had to care for him but, well, that's not how life worked out.
Now ~I~ have to walk him, he won't go far with a teenager walking him and the professionals cost too much for me, and I don't always want to or have time to. He follows me around the house, often managing to stand in my way and being a pest. He zigs and zags and once caused me to fall and gave me a black eye.
He's constantly barky when people come to visit, which can be intrusive as all get out. We have to plan who will deal with him when we have workers in the house. Giving him his monthly pills is a two-person ordeal. Boarding him is pricy. He's pretty much impossible to train (he was a 4 yo traumatized abandoned-pet stray when I adopted him). Recently he got into the habit of asking to go to the backyard 5 times in a half hour.
Now please excuse me while I go back to my morning cuddles in bed with my cute pooch, even if his nickname is Mr. Underfoot.
@WilliamB,
Aren't dogs wonderful!!!??? I adopted a dog that is 1/2 Great Pyrenees. Since she weighs 100 pounds, we sought the help of a trainer who trained us. However, guardian dogs are always in charge. She makes me a bit crazy, but I couldn't imagine life without her.
As I a professor I think it is OK to hate a class. Vent away! There are definitely classes that professors hate teaching, but still have to teach. Just like there are classes students hate taking, but still have to take. And if complaining helps one get through the experience, then complain. Now, I will add that if I am teaching a class and the course feedback tells me that a large portion of the students hate the class, I will do my best to make changes. But I also realize that we all have particular subjects that we don’t enjoy and sometimes there is no getting around that. Good luck slogging through the rest of the course and may your next one be more enjoyable!
Hubby and I went to Michigan on Nov. 3 via united and had tickets to come home on the 10th. We had a very lovely time as always! It was extra special because they made the office in the shop into a suite (hubby calls it the honeymoon suite) for us! Mini fridge, coffee pot, comfy chairs, table and two chairs to have breakfast if needed, and a king size bed, and bathroom! Our son and his wife have 5 children and so it’s nice to let them have their space! Anyway our flight home was something to complain about, but not as bad as some customers! We got home from the airport at 1 am. Now today the flights are back on schedule……we should have stayed another week!
Your gut is right. I have purchased several scratch and dent appliances and most have identified the dents and scartches with...wait for it...blue painters tape. The salesman at American frieght told me that it comes off cleanly. I check out each of these very well and have almost never had an issue (except for the freezer that got stuck in defrost which they replaced.) HD should give her a discount.
The rubric seem to be designed to go above and beyond. I hated those and never held my students to that. It is unfair, grade to the instructions.
@Amy, I'd second your thoughts on the rubric. Where I teach we mark with a 4 point rubric, but a 3 fully meets expectations. To earn a 4 (Extending) a student has to go above and beyond and show extra knowledge or skill. However, this shouldn't be hidden from the student
I believe the rationale for this marking system is to give a way for students to show excellence beyond the set expectations.
Mine is a bit more medical, but I got a small scratch on a brand new tattoo! Sounds like nothing, right?
WELL, it got infected and turned into cellulitis. It's extra scary since I've got immune issues, but I got antibiotics for it, healed fine.
BUT THEN I also got capillaritis (harmless but looks scary) and also eczema, which got misdiagnosed as more cellulitis. So I got another round of (very strong) antibiotics.
Everything seemed fine, but then I got my monthly autoimmune treatment. Then BAM - C. Diff. -_- and unfortunately it became severe the night before my husband was scheduled for surgery, so we had to delay his surgery the morning of because I was too sick to care for him and we couldn't have a sterile home.
So a tiny scratch led to months of hassle and stress and delayed surgery and etc etc etc. I am super thankful for all the doctors that helped me with the process of this whole mess, but I'll be relieved when the surgery happens and I have an uneventful autoimmune treatment and I can call this done!!
OH MY GRACIOUS what a saga!! You poor thing.
@Rachel,
So sorry you went through this! I also have an essentially non-existent immune system (secondary to a blood cancer and treatments for that, including a less than successful stem cell transplant, but could always be worse). In spite of being the bleach and hand washing queen, I have had multiple c diff infections. Forget smallpox, I think it would be the ultimate bioterrorism weapon. 🙂
Best wishes as you continue on your healing course.
@CeeCee, well, and I was starting iron at the same time (famous for stomach upset), so I didn't realize at first and ignored the whole thing for a few days until I was like, oh no. -_-
Luckily I eat for my gut biome (Greek yogurt, probiotics, and sauerkraut all daily) so I was able to heal relatively quickly this time, but ugh. And yes, I agree, it's not as easy thing to deal with!!
Good thoughts to you as you go through your times - not having a good immune system is honestly such a hardship!!
This is the BSN class from heck, isn't it?
Oh, my daughter took online classes for her master's, and she was assigned to a group of four - three from California and one (her) from Florida. Hello, time differences! She worked a full-time job and had to be up early every day while they were full-time students. It took her a little while to get them to understand that she could not review and comment on their portions at midnight each time.
I hope you landlords keep the washer. Nuff's enough.
Okay, my complaints.
Sorry, I'm a scrooge. I don't like houses and stores already decorated for Christmas. What you do inside your own house is up to you, but flashing reindeer dancing across rooftops in early November is the kind of thing that makes me say "Bah, humbug!" ( I hereby admit and acknowledge that other people may feel very differently from me and that is their right to do so and decorate as they wish.)
I have waited 2 weeks to get word on whether a dead tree is in the road right of way or on my property. I've called twice already, so I'll call again today. Since it could easily fall into the roadway (which is state owned) or on power lines in a storm or when taken down, I don't want to be the person blamed for any issues that might come about.
Ooh, I hope the dead tree is not yours! I like for dead trees to belong to someone else so that I don't have to pay to take them down. Hehe.
@JD, I join you in your hopes about the dead tree. I'm about to have to shell out $3900 to have a dying tree that's indisputably on my property taken out. 🙁
-Work is very stressful now, and we are not operationally up to snuff. I'm new & trying to resolve that, and it's been a challenge.
-Irritated that someone used my credit card fraudulently, and it spins up a bunch of work for me. How dare you, scammer? I hope you have the day you deserve.
-For myself mostly, that we had one plan for our big upcoming trip to NZ, but we've changed our minds a bit & now almost everything is booked up. It's spoiled really, because anything we choose is going to be fantastic, but I've got this idea of how we should spend the last few days there, and the options left are outlandishly expensive, which is not in the cards.
BLEAH that's so frustrating about the scammer! It's such a headache to deal with the fallout.
When we bought our last house, we ordered all the appliances from Lowes, and it was a horrible experience. When they finally showed up 12 hours late, they dropped the stove onto the driveway and then tried to bring it in house. Thankfully, DH watched it happen and highly suggested they not try to bring that into the house or I would lose my mind. We tried contacting everyone from our local store to corporate and no one would return my calls or emails. So, 20 years later we still will not shop at Lowes. Kristen's Home Depot experience sounds similar. We stick with local companies for appliances and delivery now.
I have two major complaints this week:
1) the long-term disability company promised DH that they would call him by COB last Thursday with a decision on his claim. Still waiting for the call. We are anxious to learn their decision and eager for him to get paid again after his short-term disability ran out over a month ago.
2) My sister and I have a weird issue with our cell phones. Starting a week ago last Friday, I can no longer receive text messages from her, but she can receive mine. We have different carriers and we have both been in contact with customer service for hours, but still no resolution. She is the only one I cannot receive texts from and I'm the one person that her texts don't reach. We typically text multiple times a day so this issue is extremely frustrating.
I bet an inspector marked that dent as a "second" to be sold as such. Possibly the dealer bought a shipment of them at a reduced price. Just something to ponder.
I would like to focus my complaining on the fall back time change. I do not feel great when it gets pitch black dark at 430 pm. I do not understand why we still do this. THE STATE OF AZ DOES NOT DO THIS. I live in the Eastern Time Zone and it’s miserable for me.
I am so sorry about your insane busy work class.
@Stephanie,
I am not sure there is good way to approach shorter days other than spending the winter months in the Southern Hemisphere. This time of year, I am ready to put on my PJs at 630 and settle in. This is not really practical. However, it is nice to see a little glimmer of daylight when I am waking up in the morning.
@Bee, my sister and I text each other our pj time after the time change. Sometimes it is 430 pm! Wahhhhhh
@Bee, 6:30 p.m. is when I usually ask my husband, "What time is it?" thinking it has to be at least 8:30. He responds, "Not late enough" and I laugh every time. To make the evenings seem less interminable, I am going to try doing my games (Spelling Bee, Sudoku, Wordle, crossword puzzle and Blossom) after dinner instead of first thing in the morning.
I also started my RN career with an ADN and feel my BSN did nothing for my practice other than a raise for having the higher degree and a lot of frustration with group projects. I now have an MSN in nursing education and seeing that I transferred to a clinical educator role it was useful. I am in the hospital setting but if I ever switch to academia I refuse to add group projects to my curriculum!
I am angry because I cannot seem to get an answer to a very simple question: How much will I receive in my Social Security check if I go with my current Medicare Advantage plan? (They take the latter amount out of your check each month.) The plan I get is via a hospital/HMO chain. They said to call Medicare. I did. Medicare said they didn't know. I'm supposed to call Social Security. Ever try to get through over there? Supposedly, the amount has not yet been determined. I need to know the amount so I can make an informed decision about which plan to go with. I only have until Dec. 7 to do so. No one seems to have the answer, so I am literally shooting in the dark over this! Once your plan is locked in place, that's it -- no changing it for a year! If I choose wrong, it will cost me an arm and a leg. And I need all the $ I can get these days.
The other reason I'm angry and hurt is that I unfairly got booted out of being a substitute teacher. I'd planned on subbing for another 2 years, and this would have put me on Easy Street, financially speaking. They can lock screaming, frightened Special Needs students in closets ("Calming Rooms") without any repercussions, but I can't playfully tap a kid on his seat after he boxes me in the chest (and caused bruising on my breast)? Where's the common sense in that? [He was laughing as he ran away from this (obviously amused that my breasts bounced when he hit 'em), no harm done to him, for Pete's sake!] Meanwhile, I need to install flooring in my bedroom, fix the kitchen counter, and replace the bathtub in the guest bathroom -- major repairs! -- and I'll have to wait until/unless I can afford all of that. If I were still subbing, I could've had everything done by February. Oh, and even the witch who fired me said I was "highly commended" as a substitute teacher, with no prior blemishes whatsoever on my record. So why not issue me a reprimand and let me keep working with the older, non-special ed, kids?
That leaves me just working at the store for such low wages that even the Salvation Army bellringers make $1 more an hour than I do. They long ago took down the Plexiglas screens that had been up during the Covid epidemic, so I'm exposed to whatever colds and flus and airborne viruses our drug store customers may be carrying. That really stinks.
Oh man, I am so nervous about navigating that whole system.
If I'm still blogging at that point, I will for sure write posts after I've figured it out.
And I'm so sorry about the substitute teaching job loss. That is so unfair.
@Fru-gal Lisa, I refuse to go back into classrooms because of what I deem drastic changes, similar to this.
Quick question, the students are allowed to physically touch/hit you (especially on your chest/breast area) without repercussions? I understand that Special Needs/education have different rules of engagement but to me that could be considered minimum inappropriate for the student, especially since it seems they were aware of their actions (laughing), but could be viewed (legally) as assault. The fact that the school fired you is crazy! Did they even address the physical interactions of this student with you?
I would request a meeting with your substitute teacher representative/teacher union (?) to inquire if proper process/procedures were taken by school. And ask legally why you were fired? If you want to go back or continue to sub.
@Fru-gal Lisa,
Have you tried SHIP? The Florida SHIP gave me information on the different plans, including costs. I found this online - I hope this helps you. SHIP is free of charge.
Also, try going online for Social Security and see if you can get anything there.
https://www.shiphelp.org/about-medicare/regional-ship-location/texas
I'm so sorry about your job!
@Regina, I second your motions--that is, if Lisa even wants to go back into a classroom after all this.
And FWIW, the advice I was given by the neighbor next door to the Bestests (who's a past president of the county medical society, and who steered DH and me through the whole Medicare process) is that going with a Medicare Supplement plan (aka "Medigap") may be better for a couple of reasons than a Medicare Advantage plan. The main one is that any time you need a doctor or service that's out of network for an Advantage plan, you're out of luck--and this happens all too often. With a Medicare Supplement, you have a much wider range of choices.
@A. Marie, it depends on the MA plan and where you live. We have a very wide network and there is some out of network coverage.
@Fru-gal Lisa, your Part B premium will be deducted from your social security. Some MA plans rebate $30 back per month. Check out the MA plans in your area to see how robust in-network coverage is.
I have been a nurse long enough that we used paper charting when I first got out of nursing school. I was on maternity leave with my second child when we ‘went live’ with computer charting, and I felt like I returned to an entirely new job. It changed almost every aspect of my job. I have long said that if I knew I was going to spend so much time staring at a screen, I might have chosen differently. I’m in full agreement with you Kristen, and have been known to say that I have a degree in nursing, not computer science. Hang in there-just a few more weeks and you’ll be done with this class.
My cough is lingering. The doctor confirmed that I did get this cough from my dogs – I didn’t even know that was possible! The pups are still coughing a couple times a day but they are much better than they were. Hopefully that means my cough will taper out soon too.
My son’s learner’s permit has his dad’s address on it because his dad took him for the test. This makes me irrationally angry because anything that needs his address listed is my address since he spends over 80% of his time in our house. He refers to our house as home and his dad’s place as his dad’s place. He doesn’t even have the access code to get into his dad’s building on his own, how can that be his legal address on a government document?
Pre-complaining – it’s going to be rainy/slushy/snowy during the commute to work tomorrow. Only in the morning. Only tomorrow, one of the two days I go into the office. And even though we live in MN where it snows multiple times every year for some strange reason everyone seems to forget how to drive as soon as those tiny white flakes start to fall from the sky.
@Geneva,
can your don get change of address sticker on his liscense after he receives it from his dad's house? Go into SOS & show child's address is actually your address & request change of address. Usually they just change in computer & put address change/update sticker on back of license. Nothing else sent.
@Geneva, first I smiled at your "pre-complaining" and then frowned when I learned that we (both in the Twin Cities) are getting rain/slush/snow. Hope your commute is uneventful.
I think the whole concept behind this post is to vent your complaints. I don’t think Kristen is looking for comments as to why or how this particular course with its projects is going to be helpful to her. It’s just venting, not advice seeking.
I’m in the mood for complaining, and it’s medical so ... on topic?
6 weeks ago I had a mammogram. Yay for free, routine diagnostic tests that can save my life. Boo for the tech who inadvertently sublux’d my “good” shoulder. 2 days ago the same shoulder sublux’d again. Today I had a previously scheduled appointment with an orthopaedic surgeon who looked at the shoulder and thinks we’ll probably have to operate. I live alone, in a tiny village with no public transport and no Uber-equivalents and surgery would be a 3+ month recovery and no driving for 6 weeks. The logistics of this are ... horrendous. I feel like I’m paying a high price for doing the right thing and am currently feeling very sorry for myself.
@Mands, that sounds very frustrating! I hope you may end up being spared that surgery; maybe time + PT or something. Gold stars on getting in for your mammogram!
@Mands, oof, that is all too much. I'm sorry, too.
I agree that instructions in activities and grading rubrics should align. The instructor needs to spend some time revising for this.
Content of the course should align with course objectives and course objectives should align with program objectives. Program objectives should align with degree aims -- what kind of skills, etc. should a graduate of the program with a particular degree have at the end? If these don't align, there needs to be work done to change that.
It was interesting to me when you said, "I don’t think any of the BSN material thus far is going to make a meaningful difference as I take care of patients. ...For example, this large group project we are working on involves designing a system to keep the hospital running when the internet goes down." It made me think about the role that nurses play in the larger scheme of things. Maybe nurses need to be ready to advise about needs since they are the ones who are directly interacting with the patient clients? I'm not sure.
Sorry you are feeling not so happy right now. Being a student is hard. And being a good teacher, program director, etc. is also hard, especially if a program is developing.
Dh developed another infection, so 3 days in the hospital getting antibiotics. Came home and 2 days later, we go back because he has pneumonia. He's 65, A stroke survivor, had a 6 bypass heart surgery and is diabetic so I jumped getting him to the ER. Today is Day 6 and we are going home. But, he has a kidney stent that needs to come out. NOTE: they are only temporary. Who knew? Sooo, he will go home to strengthen up, then come back to get it taken out. Ugh...
Plus, ICE has invaded the Charlotte metro area. Dd is a teacher and has parents who have to keep their kids home out of fear. Some of them have been born here and are completely legal, but we have found it doesn't always matter.
I'm part of a community housing investment group that I joined on purpose to make housing better, and also because I love houses in general, and the group cannot get its &%$# together long enough to finish anything on time or within budget. I've volunteered to serve on committees and help with person-hours on site and the whole nine yards, but cannot seem to make any meaningful difference. Frustrating.
I think with designing the system going when the internet goes down is just contingency planning and teaching you to think on your feet. I know it's easy to want to just be the "I pick things up and I put things down" mode of a job, but I can see that there is some purpose behind it.
Just two cents from a guy with a business degree.
Also, per the dents: They hire the cheapest labor and the machines are the thinnest sheet metal. Dealing with local appliance shops is usually better as they can't always compete on price so they make up for it in service. I know your landlord was taking care of it but still.
Also 100% that tape was on there to show where the dent was and the guys on the truck were either ignorant or malicious.
So great that you have a washing machine.
I got my bsn in an accelerated program, so much of the extraneous shhhtuff was given less priority, the admins are awesome. Still painful group projects...
I have nothing to complain about. I went to the largest funeral this weekend. I've been to senator, governor funerals, this one had them all beat by a mile. I can't help not feeling gratitude for life and a life well lived.
My tv died the day my house guests arrived and these guys love their sports. I called my favorite nephew and he went to Costco and bought a 65" for $379. W/a 5 yr warranty. Then it had weird stabilizer feet and would only work on one piece of furniture. All ended well and the guys watched sports.
All the oak leaves are down. I love this time of year!
OMG. LOVED all the pictures—your face describes how I feel these days, haha. And I am FULL of complaints now, so I will vent on this post!
-The real estate agent is being slow to contact my mom and me. Yes, I know she has other clients, but I will be so annoyed if my mom loses the house she wants to put an offer on just because the agent is incommunicado!
-My job is being weird. They laid me off, then brought me back for a bit. And while I'm grateful to have earned money last week, everything is just so up in the air, it's frustrating!
-And speaking of jobs: I have enough saved to pay a mortgage for literal YEARS. But can I get a mortgage? NOOOOOO because I don't have W-2 income after this contract is up. How much you have saved is irrelevant to mortgage lenders if you aren't bringing in income. (At least I have a solution to this one: a super nice guy I worked with is vouching for me at another firm, so hopefully I will have a more stable contract soon.)
-I lost a potential client for my accounting firm yesterday. I thought for sure she was going to sign with me. NOPE. All of a sudden, her current mediocre accountant who doesn't even give her accurate advice is like her BFF. What the heck!?
I think I'll stop there and try to focus on something more relaxing... like crocheting or watching birds. I hope everyone's week gets better from here!
My complaint is that I spent last week in the hospital and this week in a care center both of which places I really needed to be. BUT, to lose 100% of your autonomy at age 78 is VERY hard. I don't have any power over what I do when. Initially that even meant when I could go to the bathroom. Now I am on my own for toileting but I am always being interrupted. I do need nurses, aides, PT, OT, social worker, meals, etc. but never when it is convenient for ME. I hope I get to go home soon. This afternoon I get to escape a bit to go see my own doctor. I'm looking forward to that.
@Linda Sand,
Hello there!
Nurses aide here.
I just wanted to assure you that you really are seen and heard by the people taking care of you and they very much care about how you feel and how your doing.
BUT.
In any kind of patient care facility many things are on a set schedule for a reason and there are usually MANY more individuals being cared for at the same time you are.
Personal preference sometimes just can't be accommodated unfortunately.
It's just how it is.
Feel better.
This class sounds like it is a supervisor/management level class & the instructor is not very forthcoming. I hope that this class is at least a 4+ credit class because it is definitely more than normal work (unless for management class). I would find out if there is some kind of review board(?), someone to ask/bring attention to about the variation of differences about the class work & instructions/rubrics. And the very confusing amount of Power Points for a nursing class. I would be curious to know what percentage of nurses that take this class are 3.0 or less for their grade for this class. It almost seems like the instructor is trying to make it difficult. 🙁
I have bought many scratch & dent new appliances for discounted price & had delivered, but I was aware before purchasing. Many contractors usually get the scratch & dent appliances first for rentals they are working on (building or repairs) in our area, so they go quick. But at up to 35-40% discount & warranty still applies then why would you not. 🙂
A few quick complaints.
What is going on at the grocery stores? I didn't think we were in a shortage supply of food (meats). And has anyone else noticed that holiday food sales are not very good??? Yes, there are $40 Turkey dinners 🙂 But like fresh sweet potatoes are over $1/pound & usually about $0.57-$0.79/pound (last year). It seems grocery prices increased again instead of lower.
And the amount of seriously crazy people at the stores. Driving fast through parking lot lanes, cutting people off & leaving grocery carts rolling around in parking spaces instead of returning to cart corral/inside. I saw a person hit a cart as was pulling into parking space & cart hit another parked vehicle. That same crazy spills out into the roads.
Thank God I really don't have to Christmas shop because if this is a preview of holiday shopping, I'm good.
Has anyone else had problems with your insurance agent/company not answering phone calls, not calling back & being oblivious to why your policy was changed (without your permission or any reason), even after supposedly looking at policy. And telling you the changes you did request were done but actually were not (& reflected on billing/description). I'm to the point of changing insurance agents because I can not get anywhere with the current agent.
After learning (neighbor) that many insurance companies just have person take insurance test (online) & take online training (not long) if necessary & then work in agent office for <6 months before person can become own agent (Farmers). Yet I thought people go to college to get insurance degrees (daughter & SIL college had insurance program for degree). I almost want to ask how much experience/time on job/qualifications now.
What's the immediate huge push for LOTS OF MASSIVE AI CENTERS ALL AT ONCE? Has anyone else had this big push suddenly happen in their area/state? Michigan has 12-20+ surprise we are going to build AI centers (up to 250+ acres for (one) AI center) become aware of within 150 miles. Why the sudden urgency to get these into various area so fast?? I'm hearing of some AI centers wanting to be done in Ohio (upper part of state, possibly by Lake Erie) but not hearing about other areas (National News/Social media).
Ok. I'll step down from soap box now. 🙂
This sort of busy work is EXACTLY why I never ever liked school. Pointless assignments. AREN’T WE SUPPOSED TO BE LEARNING USEFUL INFORMATION?? Such a waste, perpetrated by petty insecure bullies or stupid people just filling up space and Co2.
The schlocky non-existent work ethic is infuriating. I sure do hope your landlady pushes for a dent discount.
Phone trees with non-helpful choices, designed to keep people from interacting with customers, sending us to time-wasting websites with the often irrelevant FAQs, with heavy shields around anyone who knows anything or has any decision making power just INFURIATES me.
And that’s all I’m gonna complain about.
Thanks for the opportunity!
With regard to the rubric discrepancy: My son noticed so many discrepancies with his community college classes. Dates didn't line up. Assignments didn't line up with what had yet been learned in the class. Tests didn't line up with things which had been covered. I really think it is teachers not being thorough with the materials they might be revising from previous courses and/or borrowing from other teachers? Could this be the case? I would definitely report it in the course evaluation.
A few more thoughts:
1. About group projects: you don’t know these people so you don’t know if they are trustworthy and will do what they say they’ll do or if they understood their portion correctly. So in addition to the hassle of the project itself, there is the undercurrent of worry.
2. SO MANY PEOPLE need reminders. When they have a responsibility, they put it back on other people—“remind me”, “text me”, “help me remember” —NO!! I have my own things to remember and you need to be responsible for your things!!
3. Do you really need to get straight As? to be at the top of your class? What if you just “phoned it in” on the stupid busywork, and then put all your best efforts into the actual nursing classes?
My complaint today is that my cat has the chance to be a hero and didn't take it.
I spotted a mouse in my house last night (*shudder*), then woke up this morning and spent a lot of time at my dining room table. While sitting there, I saw my cat carefully watching one particular spot and then heard a bunch of squeaking. It had caught the mouse! Hooray! I quickly opened the door to our back porch (where my cat likes to hang out whenever possible) and tried to encourage the cat to take it outside. I was so proud of the cat. I thought the cat was the hero of my day. THEN, instead of taking it outside, it played with it and eventually LET IT GO. Now the mouse is still alive. In my house. Why couldn't it have just taken it outside? Or killed it? Now I will continue to be on edge all the time at home. Come on, cat!
@Ruth T,
I had a mouse in the mudroom. I walked out to the barn, wrangled a cat, walked him to the mouse and he ran the other way! I went out to the garage, grabbed an old pair of bbq tongs and caught it myself. Took it outside in a tall bucket to the back field.
@Blue Gate Farmgirl, Oh man. That's a lot of work for the cat to not come through for you. Kudos on being brave and catching it, though!!
Hello very infrequent poster here but I just wanted you to know I've been cheering you on this whole time. You've got this despite any nonsense.
Complain away as much as you need to!
Since I'm here I'll share a gripe or two. Sorry if they're not very lighthearted. I don't really sweat the small stuff.
1. Rates for All our insurances are going up again as well as electricity in January which means we need to pony up quite a lot of extra dollars on top of what we already pay per month. Ouch.
I'm grateful we can manage but geez.
2. Daughter who's in the army is dealing with some pretty relentless toxic masculinity from one of her first seargents. She's dealing with it best she can (she calls me when it all gets to be a bit much to rant, rave and get it all out which helps her to stay calm) it's just awful so many...not all, so don't come at me... men are like this. It's gross.
If I could I'd kick his butt so hard his brain would hurt.
3. So much unkindness. People are stressed and scared over things they shouldn't have to be anxious about. Makes my heart heavy and wish I could do more to make it better
Well, that's my two pennies.
Everyone stay safe out there.
Your number two: oof, I feel that too, but with my girl who has been working on planes. The trades are definitely a place where you are almost guaranteed to find some toxic men...she's worked at a lumberyard and several auto shops in addition to the plane hangar and it's been the same story every single place.
There are occasional lovely men who are kind to her in these environments, but overall, the experience has been extremely unpleasant.
(And like you, I am not saying all men are like this or that all tradesmen are like this. But after so many experiences like this in so many different trades, it's fair to say she's observing a theme.)
@Kristen,
A theme that these man/children need to realize is simply an awful way to be.
With that being said, three cheers and a huzzah for all the kind men out there.
@April,
Yes!
I worked at construction to finance schooling, am 56 ears old now and I thought that this type of stupids would just extinct for the simple fact that nobody wanted to breed with them. Wrong. I don`t know how they multiply still. So disappointing. So much waste of time, energy, talent.
More house related complaining! Not only have we had 2 plumbing issues, but now the roof which we thought would last another 2-4 years is getting replaced now! sigh...
A roof is a most annoying thing to spend money on! So expensive and in the end your house looks basically the same. So unrewarding!
I hear your frustrations.
I also live in a town where both hospitals shut down their IT systems after a breach. Medical care here was a mess all Summer. Everyone was thankful for the older staff who knew how to run a hospital system on paper. Your class might be a PIA, but that particular group project is a good one.
Kristen and Fru-gal Lisa
I posted a link for SHIP (for medicare plan information) in Texas that I found online. I wanted to give a heads up about that, and to encourage Fru-gal Lisa to check for my response. I believe I am correct that she is in Texas?
I'm just going to complain that my dog (german shepherd) is shedding like MAD right now. It's late in the season, and so much worse than usual. Her hair is everywhere despite so many brushings by my wonderful husband.
Here in the UK, most hospital emergency departments still chart on paper, including intake and rounds. Which means I’ve gotten *very* good at rounding case histories for my complex-needs kiddo who is frequently bounced from hospital to hospital during an admission because our nearest paediatric emergency facility doesn’t have the inpatient facilities to accommodate his oxygen support needs when he needs to be admitted, but the emergency facility at the hospital that can manage him inpatient is too far to get to unless he’s been stabilised. I have zero medical background, but after a rash of hospitalisations when he was two, I can summarise a case history as cleanly as a second-year resident, and tell a clean lung xray from one that will send us to pulmonology.
As a business continuity expert, I can say there’s definite value in having a cohort of nurses who know what an appropriate solution to widespread IT failure is…it means you’re all in a position to understand the impact of damaged IT and the key issues that will drive any temporary fixes.
My Monday moan is that the local primary school is not at all set up for families with parents who have full time jobs…they never fail to schedule necessary meetings and workshops in the middle of the day and frequently forget to communicate an end time so that we can judge how long we need to be away from our work!
I have tons I could complain about, but I’ve only got a couple minutes and I just wanted to say that your face in the picture under the heading “this BSN class” made me laugh. Sorry your class sucks, but I appreciate the giggle.
I really struggle on Mondays at my job and find that I "text vent" to a couple of friends who also work in Imaging. The whole vibe of weekends vs. M-F is different and with more people, stressful. We also have too many people for the amount of work to be done - something I never had an issue with at the Trauma 1 hospital most of us were previously at. Sounds silly to complain that there's no work to do until you realize we work 12 hour shifts. I'm happy to be here, I'm happy to be here, I'm happy to be here...click those heels!
Oh man, the misalignment of the assignment and rubric would get me so mad!
I will complain about my much beloved pets. We got a cat in February and a dog in May. I love them! They’re great! They’re driving me crazy. The cat has taken to midnight meowing. She’s super loving and wonderful, but my sleep!
the dog is just an adorable tornado of destruction (he’s almost 2 years old) and is constantly needing vet visits, eating weird stuff outside, getting into my donuts, etc. They both bring immeasurable much joy and laughter to our little family (especially our only child), but this is a judgment free vent zone 🙂
Ugh, that class indeed sounds awful. And it's really unethical to have misleading/conflicting instructions like that between the rubric and the prompts. Assuming what you are supposed to be learning is not how to QC rubrics, but how to do whatever the class is covering (data analytics? forgive me, I've forgotten the subject matter). I'm guessing you and others have brought these things up to the professor; do you think it's worth alerting a supervising committee or person? It's really unfair for them to be doing that to their students.
Also, from the perspective of someone who has done grading before...it's so much more work because if you are giving feedback you have to give feedback to more people and then you have to field all of the inquiries from students when they don't understand why they got fewer points than expected.
The BSN class sounds as intensive as my graduate program.
Complaint
it’s cold. I like the cold, but the first bit of it feels extra brutal because we still have another 40+ degrees to drop before we’re done bottoming out and I’m not sure I’m going to stay warm this winter.
I know…it *will be* fine, but I haven’t gotten to that part of the brain cycle yet.
Separating the wheat from the chafe so to speak IMHO. Nursing does require attention to detail and at times, the details may require a bit more delving. You'll get through it. And the exercise to keep the hospital running if the internet is down is not bad idea. No one is asking you to write code - just put to (digital) paper how to get things done san internet (or network for that matter).
In the IT world, your assignment is a business continuity plan. Which we practice four times a year.
In the summer I run high on energy, have fun and try to do and fix everything. Now that it is cold, dark and rainy - not so much.
No solution for this, no sunlite lamps, Vit D, and moving for a sunnier place is not on the table. It is quite stable here, and my super pale skin would not appreciate.
My next dermatologist appointment is in february, requested about 3 months ago. At least it is free!? (unless they try to sell you random procedures the health insurance does not pay for...) So I have to go to a person I do not know and undress fully (No, not this time. As a chronic sick person I have been treated like a puppet too many times, that`s an other anger point- do not touch/treat me without asking) to let them check my body for unruly moles.
Why I left the last dermatologist? I saw people walking by on the street and waved to them, they waved back. She thought nothing of it, I left. Ok. She has super bad patient reviews, I did not even bother to write one, but still.
I do need an appointment, because one of my moles is indeed running havoc. I just want it removed. And you know what? If there is anything wrong about it, or even not, I bet everything that I hear the sentence: "You should have come sooner!" After spending time making phonecalls, online portals, explaining I am high risk with skin cancer from both parents - everything.
I`ll close with a loose translation from a quote of Hanns Kneifel (very old fiction)
If you are alone and in trouble, nobody will come.
It will start to rain, your fire burns out and you can hear the wolves howling.
Reclaimer: I am not much online lately, but overall everyone (Cat/DH/Me) is good, no need to worry if I don`t respond.
I called my BSN my bullshit degree. Just lots of busy work . I did not really learn anything.
I have a 'friend' who I take long breaks from speaking to... she seems to have a lot of issues, and often tells people different versions of her reality based on the crowd for sympathy. I dont even know how to describe her, except not hearing from her has been so peaceful.
Example she wanted to have a party but not rent the neighborhood building, she buddied up to me for a few months and then asked for the big give of would I host at my house? She is a legitimate hoarder and hasn't entertained ever in the ten years I've known her. I stopped going to her house because it stresses me out. My SO went in her house in the last year and described it as walking paths. Back to the party, I said yes, as she told me she had financial constraints that made renting the neighborhood center unfeasible for her. I never expected anything in return, and low and behold she purchased a sound system, a lot of food and alcohol, decorations, etc probably to the tune of $1k. She then returned food which was partially used to stores with generous return policies like Costco, and claimed disposable party items like balloons were somehow defunct asking for returns... along with this she regularly goes to food pantries. It seems like her ability to get things for free often allows for a lack of moderation with say the alcohol or the new sound system that could have ben forgone. I felt used, she also didn't come back until late the next day and my family and I had already cleaned and staged the mess that was left. It just felt, inconsiderate. She later asked if I would consider letting her host cooking classes at my home, I said no.
The same friend, who does not work, can do substitute teaching but just doesn't, her husband is an engineer. They are constantly in debt and late on payments. She then goes out and buys excessively priced new items for herself think $40 leggings and a $100 study bible. Her daughter needed new sneakers and she refused to buy her 13yro sneakers, having her daughter wear a pair of women's dress shoes which were clearly too narrow for her feet and not appropriate for things like gym class that the daughter needed to participate in. For the daughter's birthday my SO and I took her out shopping and let her pick a pair of sneakers and that was our gift to her. The daughter often wears the same clothes on repeat and they are often dirty, this is in part because her mother wont buy her clothes, and because of the hoarding....yes, I feel bad for her kid.
I run a backpack giveaway for a few years now. The 'friend' the first year said her daughter doesn't need the book bag so she will take twice as many supplies, we had to politely tell her no, one bag and one set of supplies per kid. This year she came to my house with her daughter the day before the bookbag giveaway to do a social media video, my SO and I were not home, my son let her and her daughter in, where they did do a video, the 'friend' then proceeded to take two bookbags home despite her daughter and my son, older teens, telling her dont take two. I confronted her and she became hysterical saying I was taking out my personal problems on her, that she would give them to her neighbor who is also a SAHM with a husband who is an engineer, and that her daughter just wouldn't get a bag because of me... she did return both bags, and I put one aside for her daughter which she instructed the daughter not to take, but when the mom cooled down the daughter took on a month or so later. She then came to the bookbag giveaway to 'help' and looked disheveled and seemed drunk, but wasn't? She proceeded to talk about politics most of the time, which I didn't care for, and brought her two untrained large dogs which routinely get kicked out of restaurants and other places for behavioral issues.
At a Bible study we went to she also complained saying I shouldn't give away 'cheap' book bags but instead just do the school supplies since they have more value and the book bags I give out just fall apart anyway and no one uses them. A friend was sitting there and his mouth just about hit the floor. She went on to explain that her daughter didn't like our book bags and needed to pick her own. Sorry, some people that go to book bag drives legitimately can't afford to buy their children book bags and that is the purpose, to help people who actually can't afford to provide basics for themselves or their children.
Ok I could go on but will stop
Oh my goodness, this person sounds exhausting!
I needed a good vent post! As a college professor myself, I have to say I would NEVER do this to my students. My philosophy is that the material is hard enough, why make people have to work overtime just to understand basic instructions.
Here's my complaint this week:
I got a random Labcorps bill. At first I thought it was spam because we paid our full out of pocket max in early February, so I have been blissfully not paying for health services we've received since then.
But this seems to be a bill for a Labcorps thing that was not covered and was submitted super late (so after I stopped regularly checking the insurance claim site so I could anticipate bills). I don't remember agreeing to a $4,000 test for our daughter that was not covered. And after paying our full out of pocket max a couple years in a row, I am really tired of paying medical bills. So I've got a call in with the doctor's office that I am assuming ordered the labs. Of course they are busy and I was in a meeting when I finally did have someone call me. I'll have to keep working on it.
Good job following up on the Labcorp issue. That is such a high amount, it could be very very worth your time!
OK I'm actually not here to complain about ME but to complain about Kristen's instructor. I am a college prof and the people who do these kinds of shenanigans (one thing on the rubric, another in the instructions) give us all a bad rep. My projects are transparent and they all involve useful real-world skills (yes, even though I teach a lot of classes about medieval literature, haha) ... I'm sorry you are dealing with that, ugh.
I wish you were teaching my informatics class! 😉