Friday OT - Dear Abby

[Angie]

Dear CF,

I switched jobs about a year and a half ago, going from a job with quite a lot of responsibility, managing a team of around 10. At my new job, I am "just" a worker bee, with very little responsibility. Thing is, I am bored out of my mind half the time. My boss just gave me a busywork kind of project, and I am thrilled that at least it will kill an hour of my day.

I got a decent pay bump taking this job, and also cut my commute drastically. It's flexible and no one keeps tabs on me or micromanages me. It is virtually stress-free.

Do I overlook the boredom and be happy taking the good and easy paycheck, or look for a more challenging position?

Signed,

My Days Last Forever

Dear Days,

Regardless of what you do at your job, you have to find a way to be challenged. So, here are your two options:

1. Find another job where you're challenged. But take your time and be very choosy, and maybe make sure to ask specifically these types of questions when you interview; or

2. Keep the good/easy paycheck, and start a really challenging hobby. If you have down time at work, IDK, maybe do research for the hobby. It's not going to fulfill you during the 9+ hours at work, but maybe the challenge outside of work hours will balance it out for you?

There is no right decision. I think you could maybe just dip your feet into both one and two, but be patient with both. Make sure you find a job closer to home in your pay range, don't just jump at the first thing you see. Find a hobby you LOVE and that meets your needs - start rebuilding old record consoles or something with music, IDK. But don't just reach for low-hanging fruit.

 

[CtownCyclone]

Dear CF,

I switched jobs about a year and a half ago, going from a job with quite a lot of responsibility, managing a team of around 10. At my new job, I am "just" a worker bee, with very little responsibility. Thing is, I am bored out of my mind half the time. My boss just gave me a busywork kind of project, and I am thrilled that at least it will kill an hour of my day.

I got a decent pay bump taking this job, and also cut my commute drastically. It's flexible and no one keeps tabs on me or micromanages me. It is virtually stress-free.

Do I overlook the boredom and be happy taking the good and easy paycheck, or look for a more challenging position?

Signed,

My Days Last Forever

Can you work remotely?

 

[cyclones500]

Some weeks they will eat 3-4 boxes.

What do they do with all the cereal that's inside?

 

[BoxsterCy]

LOL - um, def don't post any topless (or bottomless) photos. And I don't particularly care about swearing, so long as you let the filter catch it. Maybe just try and shy away from being graphic or violating other CF rules?

The MBB threads seem within the CF rules but are still pretty obscene to me.

 

[Angie]

Nailed it! Try and tell me not everyone knows that gif. For obvious reasons.

Thank you.

I know that social media sites are a tight-knit community and as a mod on a very high profile and important social media site, can you be sure to pass this advice on to the real JLH through your connections? I think she'd truly appreciate hearing your wisdom.

I will pass this along! I'll try and go find her profile on "Party of Two" - a Party of Five website dedicated to the two most important things on the show.

 

[throwittoblythe]

Dear CF,

I switched jobs about a year and a half ago, going from a job with quite a lot of responsibility, managing a team of around 10. At my new job, I am "just" a worker bee, with very little responsibility. Thing is, I am bored out of my mind half the time. My boss just gave me a busywork kind of project, and I am thrilled that at least it will kill an hour of my day.

I got a decent pay bump taking this job, and also cut my commute drastically. It's flexible and no one keeps tabs on me or micromanages me. It is virtually stress-free.

Do I overlook the boredom and be happy taking the good and easy paycheck, or look for a more challenging position?

Signed,

My Days Last Forever

This was me about 6 months ago. I'm 2-3 years into my current job, but came from a very busy environment where if you weren't working to the hilt, you weren't doing your job. This current job started out fast with lots of things to do. Then 2019 was a very, very slow year for our part of the business. My job was not in jeopardy at all, but I would guess I had REAL work only about 25% of the time. I seriously considered if maybe this wasn't the right fit. I'm paid well, I had total flexibility in my schedule and day-to-day, and I have an 18 minute commute which is great for MSP.

At first, I felt really, really guilty. To the point where I felt like I had to make sure my boss knew how little I had on my plate. He sits in Denver and comes to MSP about once or twice a quarter, so we don't interact that frequently. I had serious impostor syndrome. I kept waiting for the day when I would be "found out" and they'd read me the riot act or let me go. Instead, I kept getting raises and bonuses. I would tell my boss my calendar was wide open and he just said "ok."

For me, I just had to embrace it. I had to realize that my new job just didn't require a 50+ hour week like some of my coworkers and I was lucky for it. I would fill the open time with reading books (kindle app on computer is key - I wasn't bold enough to bring a physical book to work), learning skills I wanted to (like improving my handwriting) and just trying to be a better "me." (I did spend some time on youtube...shhhh.) I felt I could at least justify that because it would make me a better employee in the long run. I was also not shy to leave at 3 on a Friday if I had nothing to do. If my work was done, I don't give a sh*t what my co-workers think of my schedule.

 

[jcyclonee]

Nailed it! Try and tell me not everyone knows that gif. For obvious reasons.



I will pass this along! I'll try and go find her profile on "Party of Two" - a Party of Five website dedicated to the two most important things on the show.

According to my wife, Matthew Fox was one of the two most important things on the show. My opinion of the two most important things is a bit different.

 

[isucyfan]

This was me about 6 months ago. I'm 2-3 years into my current job, but came from a very busy environment where if you weren't working to the hilt, you weren't doing your job. This current job started out fast with lots of things to do. Then 2019 was a very, very slow year for our part of the business. My job was not in jeopardy at all, but I would guess I had REAL work only about 25% of the time. I seriously considered if maybe this wasn't the right fit. I'm paid well, I had total flexibility in my schedule and day-to-day, and I have an 18 minute commute which is great for MSP.

At first, I felt really, really guilty. To the point where I felt like I had to make sure my boss knew how little I had on my plate. He sits in Denver and comes to MSP about once or twice a quarter, so we don't interact that frequently. I had serious impostor syndrome. I kept waiting for the day when I would be "found out" and they'd read me the riot act or let me go. Instead, I kept getting raises and bonuses. I would tell my boss my calendar was wide open and he just said "ok."

For me, I just had to embrace it. I had to realize that my new job just didn't require a 50+ hour week like some of my coworkers and I was lucky for it. I would fill the open time with reading books (kindle app on computer is key - I wasn't bold enough to bring a physical book to work), learning skills I wanted to (like improving my handwriting) and just trying to be a better "me." (I did spend some time on youtube...shhhh.) I felt I could at least justify that because it would make me a better employee in the long run. I was also not shy to leave at 3 on a Friday if I had nothing to do. If my work was done, I don't give a sh*t what my co-workers think of my schedule.

OMG, this is me exactly. I could have written this. I am also in MSP, have a 12 minute commute, and feel super-guilty and like I will be "found out". My boss just posted a company-wide "atta-boy" for my work on our company communication feed, and I have already gotten a raise and bonus, but still feel like at any moment I will get fired for not doing much.

We have more of an open plan, so I can't really read/etc., as anyone walking by can see my computer screen. I listen to a lot of podcasts and audiobooks, but even that gets old. I have started being less self-conscious about taking a long lunch, leaving early, etc., but get paranoid that it will look bad. I don't know if it is in my work DNA to go all "Office Space" and not care what others think about my schedule.

Part of me feels like I should be thankful, but I am restless and imposter syndrome is a *****. I am at a good company, and think that there might be opportunities in the future to do other things, so I will probably just stick it out. Also, I don't know that I could get a better salary elsewhere in my profession.

 

[BoxsterCy]

Serious, but not personal. So not sure if it fits. Was thinking of starting a new thread anyway about this so here goes:

My winter project is scanning a lifetime of photographs. The idea was to finally get them all sorted and then ditch (shred) the hard copy prints.

I've made great progress in the scanning task, but now I have to figure out how to electronically organize them. Obviously the main goal is to be able to find specific photo or photos when I want them.

To complicate the matter I also have all my parents' photos and a good portion from my paternal grandparents too.

Lastly, one of my long time best friends is a frustrated still photographer so has, since college, taken and sent me many many pictures to include hundreds of concert and celebrity photos (Mostly concert)

My first thought was categories like

Family:
- Immediate
-Paternal Grandparents & families
- Maternal Grandparents & families
Friends
Celebrities
-Concert
-Other
Pets and animals
Places
-Vacations
- Homes past and present
-General landscapes
Documents (baptisms, Funeral and birth announcements etc)
Unknown places/people

I kind of started to do this but ran into lots of conflicts. Pics of family and friends.
Vacations with family at places probably should be kept together as a set. Pets with family. Pets with friends. etc etc.

Actually labeling/titling the photos is another question. Any hints?

Bottom line - Anyone here done this and found a simple way to categorize your life images?

(PS: Also having a very difficult time making myself shred the older photos. Just seems like such a shame that they've survived so long and then I'm just going to trash them - even though I've scanned them and made backups. I can be a bit sentimental about 'things'. Thinking of maybe offering them to family members if they want them.)

Shredding? Blasphemer!

Like the idea of the categories, not so sure about the labeling. My new scanner does have a default to label each batch with a preset prefix title. Kinda dealing with the same issue although I haven't done more than some select scanning of old photos, not bulk batching much yet. The thing lost, at least to me, is the proper size for viewing. For example, lots of my dad's pre-war and WWII era pictures are around 2x3 prints. Even scanned and edited/corrected these look best when viewed at approximately that size. Depending on the device and resolution it's going to display differently on an iPad vs a laptop vs a phone vs a large monitor. With a print you select the size to match resolution, digital and it's a crap shoot regardless of the resolution you first scan at unless you edit back to the size and cut to 72 dpi or something and still that will display as an array of sizes.

BTW, going to drag this over to the photo thread to see what the photo peeps think although I may have posted something about sizing there before and got no replies.

 

[isucyfan]

Can you work remotely?

I can work remotely. I might do more of that in the future.

 

[coolerifyoudid]

Dear CF,

My co-worker does a great job, is a nice guy and is always eager to help. He's the kind of guy that would help you move or tell you a joke when you need a laugh. We've worked together for 18 years. The issue is that his e-mails all read like ransom letters. Misspellings, random capitalized letters and grammar issues are all commonplace.

In his defense, he grew up in a small town in Missouri, and I'm pretty sure every one around him still thinks the Civil War is going on.

I started out ignoring the issue and simply burying my head in shame when I was included in his emails. I've since increased my efforts and have now settled with open ridicule (printing out E-mails and red-pen-correcting them, loudly chastising him in front of his office mates, using finger puppets and small words when explaining things, etc)

Do you have any advice on how to make him stop?

Sincerely
Too Close To Missouri

 

[coolerifyoudid]

Dear CF,

I switched jobs about a year and a half ago, going from a job with quite a lot of responsibility, managing a team of around 10. At my new job, I am "just" a worker bee, with very little responsibility. Thing is, I am bored out of my mind half the time. My boss just gave me a busywork kind of project, and I am thrilled that at least it will kill an hour of my day.

I got a decent pay bump taking this job, and also cut my commute drastically. It's flexible and no one keeps tabs on me or micromanages me. It is virtually stress-free.

Do I overlook the boredom and be happy taking the good and easy paycheck, or look for a more challenging position?

Signed,

My Days Last Forever

Have you considered applying to be a CF mod?

The work is thankless, but at least the pay is terrible.

 

[jcyclonee]

Dear CF,

My co-worker does a great job, is a nice guy and is always eager to help. He's the kind of guy that would help you move, tell you a joke and help you move. We've worked together for 18 years. The issue is that his e-mails all read like ransom letters. Misspellings, random capitalized letters and grammar issues are all commonplace.

In his defense, he grew up in a small town in Missouri, and I'm pretty sure every one around him still thinks the Civil War is going on.

I started out ignoring the issue and simply burying my head in shame when I was included in his emails. I've since increased my efforts and have now settled with open ridicule (printing out E-mails and red-pen-correcting them, loudly chastising him in front of his office mates, using finger puppets and small words when explaining things, etc)

Do you have any advice on how to make him stop?

Sincerely
Too Close To Missouri

More finger puppets is always the right answer.

 

[throwittoblythe]

OMG, this is me exactly. I could have written this. I am also in MSP, have a 12 minute commute, and feel super-guilty and like I will be "found out". My boss just posted a company-wide "atta-boy" for my work on our company communication feed, and I have already gotten a raise and bonus, but still feel like at any moment I will get fired for not doing much.

We have more of an open plan, so I can't really read/etc., as anyone walking by can see my computer screen. I listen to a lot of podcasts and audiobooks, but even that gets old. I have started being less self-conscious about taking a long lunch, leaving early, etc., but get paranoid that it will look bad. I don't know if it is in my work DNA to go all "Office Space" and not care what others think about my schedule.

Part of me feels like I should be thankful, but I am restless and imposter syndrome is a *****. I am at a good company, and think that there might be opportunities in the future to do other things, so I will probably just stick it out. Also, I don't know that I could get a better salary elsewhere in my profession.

Yeah, I know exactly how you feel. All of last year I was worried that I was screwing my job up badly, but just didn't know. I felt a lot better once I felt like my boss was aware of the situation and was just ok with it. My job goes in waves. Right now I'm slammed for the next 3 months, but then it might slow down after that again. I just learned to accept it and realized not every job requires a person to be slammed 100% of the time.

And it's not that I don't give a sh*t about my job (Office Space). I'm just comfortable enough in my own skin to not care that my coworkers think I'm a slacker because I get to work 40 hrs a week sometimes and not 50+ every week like them. I hear the "bankers hours" comments and stuff, but I just brush them off because I know their opinion doesn't matter; it's my boss's opinion of me that matters and he likes what I'm doing.

 

[BoxsterCy]

Nailed it! Try and tell me not everyone knows that gif. For obvious reasons.

Seriously, no clue as to that gif.

 

[isucyfan]

Have you considered applying to be a CF mod?

The work is thankless, but at least the pay is terrible.

Ha, not sure if you are being facetious, but I was a mod here for years! Various life changes made me "retire", but I still love CF!

 

[Angie]

According to my wife, Matthew Fox was one of the two most important things on the show. My opinion of the two most important things is a bit different.

Also, I think I read that Adam Scott was on there for a while, so ask her if he is the other important thing!

 

[jcyclonee]

Also, I think I read that Adam Scott was on there for a while, so ask her if he is the other important thing!

I don't think so. We're watching Parks and Rec now and I don't see her drooling unless Rob Lowe is on the screen.

 

[BuffettClone]

I don't think so. We're watching Parks and Rec now and I don't see her drooling unless Rob Lowe is on the screen.

You should start watching the new 9-1-1:Lone Star, or at least she should if she likes Rob Lowe.

 

[Angie]

Dear CF,

My co-worker does a great job, is a nice guy and is always eager to help. He's the kind of guy that would help you move or tell you a joke when you need a laugh. We've worked together for 18 years. The issue is that his e-mails all read like ransom letters. Misspellings, random capitalized letters and grammar issues are all commonplace.

In his defense, he grew up in a small town in Missouri, and I'm pretty sure every one around him still thinks the Civil War is going on.

I started out ignoring the issue and simply burying my head in shame when I was included in his emails. I've since increased my efforts and have now settled with open ridicule (printing out E-mails and red-pen-correcting them, loudly chastising him in front of his office mates, using finger puppets and small words when explaining things, etc)

Do you have any advice on how to make him stop?

Sincerely
Too Close To Missouri

Dear Missouri-Adjacent,

First of all, I think you are giving your coworker too much credit. Have you ever read a letter from the Civil War from soldiers to their families at home? They are poetry. Maybe liken his missives to pamphlets for "Billy Bob's Inbreeding Convention" or similar.

I shouldn't admit that I totally have red-pen corrected an email before and put it back in someone's mailbox at an old job, but I did. It was satisfying, but potentially dangerous. Might you try employing physical repercussions for each grammatical catastrophe? Perhaps incorporate punches to the testicular reason each time? It is sort of like the opposite of Pavlov's bell via negative reinforcement. He'll eventually associate being a dimwit with physical pain and stop. Unless he's a gimp, which "Pulp Fiction" has taught me is a whole thing with rednecks.

With love,
CF