Truth be told, I only lived there the first three years of my life (only long enough to have that landscape indelibly imprinted in my mind), and we have no roots out there. My father was sent there as regional sales rep for a plumbing supply company headquartered in Omaha -- he and mom moved there in 1948 or so, intending to live out Dad's career there; the man he replaced had been there for some 50 years. But when I was 3 they closed that office and we moved . . . to York.
I'm planning to spend a full day at Fort Robinson and environs, so maybe Douglas would work. Let me ponder a bit.
A year's subscription to my grading app... at the new doubled price. Can't claim it as a work expense as they provide free blank class rosters and any decision faculty make to grade with something more efficient is between two consenting adults etc etc, but it's really starting to get my goat that the only person who doesn't have the authority to arbitrarily increase their fees is, well, me. My pay raise this year almost covered the increase in utility fees. Almost.
Most people at the college where I work will be getting raises in the upcoming fiscal year. Part time employees, apparently not. I've been there nine years, my co-worker eight years. She and I have revamped the museum from decor to programs to record keeping, but we have never had a single cent raise in all that time. Everyone knows part timers just work for fun and pin money, right?
Student and part time workers went on strike at RISD right down the street from me. Took them about 2 weeks to settle. $16.50 to $19.75 I think was the wage increase. We brought the picketers food from one of our restaurants in the neighborhood. They had bands and giant, inflatable fat cats on the back of flatbeds, courtesy of the local Teamsters. They were like three stories tall and had monicles and cigars and shit. This one is a pig but I saw a cat at one point, I think.
apparently they do rats and cock roaches too https://www.tdu.org/news_rats-fatcats-and-corporate-pigs
Depends on who you talk to. Net effect is the same for me. In my case, the restaurant industry has lost a million workers nationwide, according to the NRA (that other NRA). I believe it. The work sucks ass! Only dipshits like me are still in the game... most of the lifers I know have moved on now that every industry is hiring whomever they can find.
I remember a friend that runs a coffee shop telling me about the string of interviews he had been doing. He said the common response when they started talking compensation was "I make more on unemployment". Which is a sad commentary.
They'd probably use it as an excuse to close the museum. I sure hope they're about to make a liar out of me and give us a nice raise, but my breath is not being held.
Just got a Sapphire 3 Global Hotspot device. Hoping to use it for some onsite cowork streaming. I'll probably give it a try next week.
New Pulitzer is out, "Demon Copperhead", so I bought a first edition with the fancy edge painting while they could still be found. There are many duds in the last decade's Pulitzers. Please, please, please don't be overrated. I'm trusting you, Goodreads. At 4.5 stars (unheard of with that many ratings), I'm crossing my fingers. Please be an actual story that rocks and not another political screed in a novel skinsuit. And I must read "David Copperfield" first.
I did it. Been thinking about it for a few months now. Most of my adult life has been spent living paycheck to paycheck, but I've been able to save a little over the past few years. Also, very depressingly, my thirties ended recently. So I figured, why not do what they say? "Treat yo self." I have purchased a new, made in California, Fender American Performer Stratocaster. Can't wait for it to arrive. There are higher-end models available of course, but this was about as far as I'll let myself go with such indulgences.
Nice! That a 22 fret Strat? Don't think I've ever seen one before. It was a PRS McCarty 594 Custom for me shortly(ish) after my 30s ended. This isn't it exactly but it's close.
I approve (like anyone cares). Guitars are definitely better mid-life crisis love objects than weird ass cars no one except a contortionist can get in and out of.
Mid-life crisis? Mid-life affirmation! As hard as I've worked for 30 years playing, practicing, learning, not being deterred by incremental progress and the 10 year old kids on YouTube who play better than I ever will, I deserve some preem shit! Hahahaha!
I stand corrected, Mr. Homer, sir. Buying a guitar is mid-life affirmation. Buying a car no one can get into is mid-life crisis. It has been a while since I was middle-aged and I've forgotten what it was like.
I bought a guitar at 67. I had never touched one till then. I thought with hard work I could overcome my tone deafness and arthritic fingers. I was delusional when I bought it and continue in that vein when I try to play it. I admire those that play well.
My husband is a pretty hot flat picker, but he doesn't play much in public anymore. He says too many ten year old kids on the internet beat him cold. (Having heard that from two of you, I guess I better go look up ten year old guitarists.) I played twelve string guitar for decades and did well enough to accompany myself but I haven't picked up a guitar in so many years that I'm not sure I'd remember which side to play.
