Today's vent session...

Dear work people, Mondays is my day off and has been for almost eight years. Please stop texting me with work issues on my day off. You texted at 9.46 am this morning and I was out of the house until about 2pm. Sorry it took me so long to respond but IT'S MY DAY OFF! And your issue is something that can wait until tomorrow. It's not crucial to running the company, nor is it life or death. That is all.

For all those in Peadom who say it's my own fault for responding, you are right. I brought this on myself from day 1. Only one more year....

It was really nice outside today. I mean perfect weather. I walked up to the top of the street because I couldn't walk a step further. My legs were aching and I started to panic. Yeah so I walked all of 300 feet.

I also found that the gym I belong to charged me twice for May's dues. Yeah. Have to wait for them to sort that one out.

I've often wondered about such complaining teachers, or maybe it's just a vent like we all need time to time. One of my best friends is a middle school teacher and she loves her job. I've never heard her complain about the job -- sometimes about a specific situation or some annoyance, but never generally. We had dinner a few days ago and were talking about retirement, and she said she'd only retire when it stopped being  so much fun.

I don't really have a vent right now. I'm enjoying my coffee with a cat in my lap and GMA on the tv. I'm sure something will come up later -- 

Our application for a payment plan with the hospital has been sent back for the 8th time in six months! I can't tell if they are just incredibly picky (they wanted copies of all the blank pages of our bank statement), or are trying to wear us down so that we give up and they can send this bill to collections. I don't understand why we are having so much trouble getting a PAYMENT plan. We aren't asking them to dismiss the bill; we will pay it. We just can't pay it in one lump sum like they prefer. I've applied for much bigger things before and never had to jump through so many hoops!

Oh how I need this thread!

Vent 1: Why is health care the only business I patronize where I have no idea of the cost of what I am buying? I had breast surgery last year, and the doctor orders an MRI at 6 months and a 3D mammagram at 1 year. I got a bill for my share of the MRI - $750! I call the insurance company because I pay a lot for Blue Cross Blue Shield and find out my share is 15% which is $750. No one told me I was having a $5000 test! It just comes in the mail as a bill - oh you spent nearly $1000 but we never told you but please pay within 30 days.

I call the insurance company, found out the test scheduled for today isn't covered at all. So of course I don't go. I have good insurance and I find myself as a person who can't afford my own medical care.

Vent 2: Even though I pluck them, under my chin grows these wirey hairs that I can't stand. Then I see little dark hairs creeping in like a mustache. Hey, biology, I'm a woman! I don't need lip and chin hair, OK?

Sad, but yes this is what healthcare has come to. I always see the tip that you should call around for pricing because costs can vary greatly. I've never done it though, but I can't imagine that the information is given up easily. But, you could call around and see if you can find a more reasonably priced 3D mammogram, or maybe they can substitute a different test?

Dear Kitchen Sink,

Thanks for making a mess of my kitchen, dining room, and living room and grossing me out in the process!

--Me

Last night, i was cleaning out my fridge, and I washed leftover salad (just lettuce and some croutons) down the drain. Turned on the disposal and everything went down fine. I turned around for a second, and I notice my sink was filling up, so I turned on the disposal again. All of a sudden, water and food starting shooting up like a geyser from the other side of my sink. Food and water went everywhere! Up the walls, sprayed into my dining room and living room. The worst is that it got on a painting that SO gave me which was one of the first gifts he ever got me. I was able to clean it up, but Im hoping there's no permanent damage to it.

I plunged the sink for about 30 minutes, and it still won't drain, so the plumber has to come out.

So disgusted.

I keep saying "only one more year", too! It's saving my sanity. I hope to retire in 16 months.

I'm sorry they are being so ridiculous, instead of being happy you will pay your bill. How frustrating.

I try to remind DH about teachers using their summers to supplement their pay or take CE units whenever he says he should've been a teacher because "they get 3 months off!" Little does he realize how much extra time they put in. I'm not a teacher but know enough about it to know it's not an easy job at all (although few jobs are).

I agree with you. I can't name a person I know with a career who doesn't work outside of normal hours. It's part of having a career vs a job in my opinion. And I really don't get *why* teachers seem to be so very vocal about it? My DD is a teacher. I have several friends who are teachers. I don't hear this in real life. I hear an occasional "only 14 days until the end of school" or how worn out they are because it's been a bad week or whatever but I don't hear it to the same degree I hear it here. It makes me wonder if you're (general) so very unhappy, why don't you make a change? 

My vent for the day....asshole agents who refuse to deal with women. Well, one in particular. He simply WILL NOT take my calls, answer my texts, respond to my emails. He'll send the info I request to one of the men in my office. And this is a young, maybe 35-40 yo, male. He was forced to face me in a closing last week and I had to correct a couple things he said. I'm not in any way a right fighter and wouldn't normally have this reaction but I loved every single second of it!

Sorry Teachers... I know this is an exception not the rule.

Dear Science Teacher, You send emails complaining about the kids not caring about their grades, not turning assignments in on time, not getting parent support.

But you don't reply to emails.

I send you an email on Sunday.. and again on Thursday asking if you received first email, you say you didn't respond on Sunday due to religious reasons. FIne I have no issue with that.. but you also did not respond, on Monday, or Tuesday, or Wednesday.. which prompted me to write again on Thursday... as there was no school for students on Friday.

Now it is Tuesday and still no response to the questions I asked 10 days ago.

I have a student who cares about her grades, works really hard, spends hours studying, works with a tutor and is still Failing and you won't provide her the accommodations on her 504 or take time to meet with her or now me after school.

It is a two-way street, you want parent support... perhaps you might want to RESPOND to the parents, and help the kids who actually want to learn what you are teaching.

And while I am at it. I appreciate that you like to be known as the "hardest" teacher in the school, and you have high expectations of your students, and feel they can be stretched to achieve at a really high standard. But when the average on your tests and projects is around the 65% you  are testing and assessing at a high level.. you are NOT teaching at a high level.

You might want to reflect on THAT!!!

I have tried so hard to explain to my son that his wife, my DDIL, needs more help from him.  I send him texts to remind him, I bring over dinners to help out. I take the older one overnight on a Friday night so that they can have some time together.
( ( ( hugs) ) )

Dear friend, you have now treated me the same way you have been complaining about being treated for the last year. Yup. You are now officially a hypocrite. Congratulations.