I'm being asked to come in early to work for a coworker who's emotionally breaking down completely. Not sure what to say to him.
87 thoughts on “March 20, 2015: Broken”
The best advice I can suggest is to just let him know that you care and are there for him. Don't worry too much about what to say. Just be there. I know that may sound trite, but I think it really is the best thing you can do.
His fiance left him two weeks ago, and reality is starting to set in. I haven't been through a breakup since 2001, but I had a lot of them, so I empathize. And I know that very little can be done and that time is the great healer in this one.
Just a quick reminder for those who were interested yesterday.
Lunch around 1120-1130ish at Be'Wiched Deli, 800 Washington Avenue North, Minneapolis, MN 55401. At least I think thats the right place.
Yessireebob.
What he said.
(I plan to spend the entire lunch doing nothing but agreeing with whatever AMR just said.)
That's what she said.
leaving my office now.
I should add, I don't know who you or ben will recognize. I'm dressed like a lumberjack today.
Well, crap. I'm, um, not really dressed like a lumberjack.
I'm here, no lumberjacks. I'm in a black jacket
What he said.
You failed to do this at lunch.
Sigh, I know. I should have been sitting at the same table as you.
Just wanted to say that it was fun meeting y'all. Sorry I had to run.
now that you and Ben are in town and the weather's nicer: more often.
I'm always in.
What he . . . oh, never mind. It was a nice time, and we should definitely do it again!
I ended up spending all day Wednesday, and most of the day yesterday, without internet. It was kind of refreshing.
My new job is going to have me staying away from my family at least once a week, and the place I'll be staying will be without an internet connection. I'm going to try to turn that into good distraction-free time to be productive, and work on some project or other. Looking forward to it, actually.
Also, I'm considering a Monday evening trip to Alex, if other citizens (you know who you are) would be interested in that. Not a long evening, just dinner or something along those lines.
There is a possibility there. Let me check it out. I'll get back to you.
Fantasy Baseball question... why are there 2 rounds listed for some possible keepers?
My guess is because of two keepers being drafted in the same round. One of them would take the next pick then so I think the second number indicates that.
I don't think this explains it. For example, I have baumgardner listed as round five and round two.
half bakef.
I'll look into it.
The Bumgarner thing was an error on my part. The rightmost keeper column was for any players who were traded (I think). For Bumgarner and one other player, I didn't change the two columns to match, which was my mistake. I've cleaned up the spreadsheet and everything should be good now. Also, I've hid the second keeper column, so it should be a simpler look.
Thanks!
How do I designate a keeper again? What email?
Last night, my wife and I went to a small Phoenix bar that only serves good beer and good food, yet continues to employ shifty-eyed rednecks and such. As a result, though everything tastes wonderful, they're now oh-for-three in getting our food order 100% correct. Last night this proved to be particularly problematic, as I was served (and ate) salmon. I pay very little attention to pretty much everything around me, so I ate a good deal of it before my wife recognized it and told me I had to stop (as some of you'll recall, I'm allergic to seafood). Next time I think we'll just do the drinks.
Ah! Hoping the reaction was mild and the recovery quick!
Aye. It wasn't a lot.
It was really delicious. I have to admit, it was an acceptable accident, all things considered.
wow. what kind of salmon dish was it that you didn't recognize it as fish?
Thinly-sliced and under a hunk of goat cheese.
And please realize, I've never actually seen a salmon dish in person. My families don't serve or order seafood when I'm present, so I'm wholly ignorant on it. I suppose that's not the safest course, particularly when one is frequenting a place that has a history of messing up a quarter of the order on a regular basis.
The New Britain Rock Cats will be moving to Hartford next year. They will be called the Hartford Yard Goats.
After reading what a "yard goat" is, I have moved my opinion of the name from "That's assinine" to "That's kinda silly".
What is a "yard goat?"
According to CT Now, the name is related to Hartford's railroad industry, "a slang term for an engine that switches a train to get it ready for another locomotive."
Yep, it's a switcher engine. Although I believe it will be pronounced "Yaaaahd Goats"
I thought I wanted a tshirt. Now I don't.
So, like Thomas?
possibly.
Here's your prototypical yard switcher
shorter and less horsepower. in some yards, they're even remote controlled
Looks like an oily diesel to me.
The tiny oily diesel that's come to take Thomas's job!
suck it, Thomas!
But he's so useful!
Oh, the indignity!
I had pretty much the same reaction. Can't be much worse than this:
Have we decided on a common platform for the cribbage tournamef yet?
Pete and I were going to use the "Cribbage Pro" app last night and announce our findings, but I ended up out late with my wife. I still can't get last year's to play along with my computer.
Hopefully we can give it a try later tonight.
How bad are the Knicks? Well, the Wolves needed to sign this guy to get to eight players in uniform last night and still beat them. This question can also be answered by the fact that they gave Alexey Shved 43 minutes of playing time last night and he's been averaging 33 minutes a night over the last five games.
I watched a majority of that game (why? I have no clue) and Shved flashed a couple plays of brilliance, but was negated by about a dozen bone headed plays. So, nothing has changed.
While the Timberwolves are terrible because of the injury bug and bad players being plugged in, the Knicks are bad because they are actively tanking (yes, Carmelo Anthony is injured, but they were terrible with him)
I'm sitting in a coffee shop currently, next to two elderly ladies who are complaining endlessly about the roundabouts that were recently put into two of the more problematic intersections in town. I love the roundabouts, except for the the occasional person who refuses to pay attention to how they're supposed to be driven. These two ladies are those people... and they're being quite vocal about their refusal. It would be funny if they weren't likely to cause accidents by their obstinance.
At least the accidents they cause will be lower speed and likely not result in any serious injury!
True. That didn't stop them from arguing the opposite though.
I was in Mankato a few weeks back and the roundabouts near the Mall surprised me. But they were easy to navigate except for the folks who obviously did not know how a roundabout works.
I'm with the old ladies. Roundabouts do not compute.
Many fewer major accidents/fatalities. Better traffic flow. Couldn't ask much more.
Clark Griswold disagrees. "Hey, kids. There's Big Ben!"
I agree. I wish they had done that in 2006. (Has it really been almost a decade since that magical season? Oh, my!)
Wow. I've been coming to this basement for 10 years
And I have for seven. That doesn't seem right.
When they look across the court, the Zags will see an up-and-coming program that looks a little like theirs did once.
I think this is true. NDSU has an up-and-coming basketball program. Their biggest disadvantage is the conference that they play in. However, some teams are in great conferences and suck, other teams make their conferences. UNI and Wichita State made their conferences. The Bison would love to be in the Missouri Valley in basketball (that's the football conference that they turned into a behemoth at the FCS level), but instead, they'll have to make the Summit League. Together with their partner, South Dakota State (who beat a #1 seed in the NIT two nights ago), I think that they will.
Seems a bit rotten for select classes of society, and those without credit cards.
Uh huh.
I love on-line stores that charge a "convenience fee" to do the transaction on-line instead of in-person. I think the Twins do this for tickets. I'm so sorry I conveniently purchased something from my computer so you could hire fewer staff and have fewer big box stores.
While on vacation, I purchased tickets online to the Florida Aquarium in Tampa; $2 off, and we whizzed by a long line of ticket purchasers to show the confirmation # on the cellphone to guest services and got right in. That's the way it should work.
It took the Twins all of three days to go from 7-3 to 7-7, not that spring training results matter or that I should be disappointed in .500. It just sucks for them to lose four games in three days no matter when it is.
Yeah. No matter how many times I tell myself spring training games don't matter, I still like to see them win.
The wife is doing a closing shift, so I'm doing a night of hoops and hops. Moose Drool and Smithwick's for the latter. For some reason I feel like I've earned this weekend more than most.
A disappointing, but probably appropriate end to the Gopher wrestling team's championship hopes at the NCAA's. Previously undefeated Chris Dardanes was dominated by a lower seeded wrestler from Oklahoma in the semi-finals, and Dylan Ness had to forfeit his semi-final due to an injury.
As an aside, if anybody is following this tournament, the way the Cornell wrestler that benefited from Ness' injury default made it to the semi-finals illustrates everything I hate about the coach challenge replay system. The ref did not award an escape point to a wrestler who eventually lost by one. Upon discovering the error post-match the NCAA said - "meh - you had a coach challenge to use and you didn't use it" - see, now it's the coach's fault that the referee failed to award a point. Accountability!
While I'm airing grievances, ESPN3 has inexplicably decided that carrying the round robin phase of the World Women's Curling Championship was a good idea but the championship round, not so much.
Dammit. And here I thought we were making progress. (That's actually really bizarre, since they've had the championship round for everything else. Must be a broadcasting rights thing?)
Looks like NBCSN has it for the weekend, which would explain why ESPN3 wouldn't be showing it. Sometimes ESPN3 is allowed to show a replay of an event the next day if they can't show it live.
The Knicks managed to follow up a shocking win over San Antonio with losses to the short-handed Wolves and the hapless Sixers.
The best advice I can suggest is to just let him know that you care and are there for him. Don't worry too much about what to say. Just be there. I know that may sound trite, but I think it really is the best thing you can do.
His fiance left him two weeks ago, and reality is starting to set in. I haven't been through a breakup since 2001, but I had a lot of them, so I empathize. And I know that very little can be done and that time is the great healer in this one.
Just a quick reminder for those who were interested yesterday.
Lunch around 1120-1130ish at Be'Wiched Deli, 800 Washington Avenue North, Minneapolis, MN 55401. At least I think thats the right place.
Yessireebob.
What he said.
(I plan to spend the entire lunch doing nothing but agreeing with whatever AMR just said.)
That's what she said.
leaving my office now.
I should add, I don't know who you or ben will recognize. I'm dressed like a lumberjack today.
Well, crap. I'm, um, not really dressed like a lumberjack.
I'm here, no lumberjacks. I'm in a black jacket
What he said.
You failed to do this at lunch.
Sigh, I know. I should have been sitting at the same table as you.
Just wanted to say that it was fun meeting y'all. Sorry I had to run.
now that you and Ben are in town and the weather's nicer: more often.
I'm always in.
What he . . . oh, never mind. It was a nice time, and we should definitely do it again!
I ended up spending all day Wednesday, and most of the day yesterday, without internet. It was kind of refreshing.
My new job is going to have me staying away from my family at least once a week, and the place I'll be staying will be without an internet connection. I'm going to try to turn that into good distraction-free time to be productive, and work on some project or other. Looking forward to it, actually.
Also, I'm considering a Monday evening trip to Alex, if other citizens (you know who you are) would be interested in that. Not a long evening, just dinner or something along those lines.
There is a possibility there. Let me check it out. I'll get back to you.
Fantasy Baseball question... why are there 2 rounds listed for some possible keepers?
My guess is because of two keepers being drafted in the same round. One of them would take the next pick then so I think the second number indicates that.
I don't think this explains it. For example, I have baumgardner listed as round five and round two.
half bakef.
I'll look into it.
The Bumgarner thing was an error on my part. The rightmost keeper column was for any players who were traded (I think). For Bumgarner and one other player, I didn't change the two columns to match, which was my mistake. I've cleaned up the spreadsheet and everything should be good now. Also, I've hid the second keeper column, so it should be a simpler look.
Thanks!
How do I designate a keeper again? What email?
Last night, my wife and I went to a small Phoenix bar that only serves good beer and good food, yet continues to employ shifty-eyed rednecks and such. As a result, though everything tastes wonderful, they're now oh-for-three in getting our food order 100% correct. Last night this proved to be particularly problematic, as I was served (and ate) salmon. I pay very little attention to pretty much everything around me, so I ate a good deal of it before my wife recognized it and told me I had to stop (as some of you'll recall, I'm allergic to seafood). Next time I think we'll just do the drinks.
Ah! Hoping the reaction was mild and the recovery quick!
Aye. It wasn't a lot.
It was really delicious. I have to admit, it was an acceptable accident, all things considered.
wow. what kind of salmon dish was it that you didn't recognize it as fish?
Thinly-sliced and under a hunk of goat cheese.
And please realize, I've never actually seen a salmon dish in person. My families don't serve or order seafood when I'm present, so I'm wholly ignorant on it. I suppose that's not the safest course, particularly when one is frequenting a place that has a history of messing up a quarter of the order on a regular basis.
The New Britain Rock Cats will be moving to Hartford next year. They will be called the Hartford Yard Goats.
After reading what a "yard goat" is, I have moved my opinion of the name from "That's assinine" to "That's kinda silly".
What is a "yard goat?"
Yep, it's a switcher engine. Although I believe it will be pronounced "Yaaaahd Goats"
I thought I wanted a tshirt. Now I don't.
So, like Thomas?
possibly.
Here's your prototypical yard switcher
shorter and less horsepower. in some yards, they're even remote controlled
Looks like an oily diesel to me.
The tiny oily diesel that's come to take Thomas's job!
suck it, Thomas!
But he's so useful!
Oh, the indignity!
I had pretty much the same reaction. Can't be much worse than this:
Have we decided on a common platform for the cribbage tournamef yet?
Pete and I were going to use the "Cribbage Pro" app last night and announce our findings, but I ended up out late with my wife. I still can't get last year's to play along with my computer.
Hopefully we can give it a try later tonight.
How bad are the Knicks? Well, the Wolves needed to sign this guy to get to eight players in uniform last night and still beat them. This question can also be answered by the fact that they gave Alexey Shved 43 minutes of playing time last night and he's been averaging 33 minutes a night over the last five games.
I watched a majority of that game (why? I have no clue) and Shved flashed a couple plays of brilliance, but was negated by about a dozen bone headed plays. So, nothing has changed.
While the Timberwolves are terrible because of the injury bug and bad players being plugged in, the Knicks are bad because they are actively tanking (yes, Carmelo Anthony is injured, but they were terrible with him)
I'm sitting in a coffee shop currently, next to two elderly ladies who are complaining endlessly about the roundabouts that were recently put into two of the more problematic intersections in town. I love the roundabouts, except for the the occasional person who refuses to pay attention to how they're supposed to be driven. These two ladies are those people... and they're being quite vocal about their refusal. It would be funny if they weren't likely to cause accidents by their obstinance.
At least the accidents they cause will be lower speed and likely not result in any serious injury!
True. That didn't stop them from arguing the opposite though.
I was in Mankato a few weeks back and the roundabouts near the Mall surprised me. But they were easy to navigate except for the folks who obviously did not know how a roundabout works.
I'm with the old ladies. Roundabouts do not compute.
Many fewer major accidents/fatalities. Better traffic flow. Couldn't ask much more.
Clark Griswold disagrees. "Hey, kids. There's Big Ben!"
Less waiting for no one at stop lights.
A very different (and thoughtful) take on the Chris Borland story.
Even really smart people can be irrational!
preferences!
Seems to be math guys would certainly lend themselves to irrationality more than the general population.
Marilyn vos Savant agrees.
MLB is going to start the last day of the season at the same time
brilliant idea!
I agree. I wish they had done that in 2006. (Has it really been almost a decade since that magical season? Oh, my!)
Wow. I've been coming to this basement for 10 years
And I have for seven. That doesn't seem right.
I think this is true. NDSU has an up-and-coming basketball program. Their biggest disadvantage is the conference that they play in. However, some teams are in great conferences and suck, other teams make their conferences. UNI and Wichita State made their conferences. The Bison would love to be in the Missouri Valley in basketball (that's the football conference that they turned into a behemoth at the FCS level), but instead, they'll have to make the Summit League. Together with their partner, South Dakota State (who beat a #1 seed in the NIT two nights ago), I think that they will.
Can't wait.
Alex Meyer to start the year in AAA.
Pelfrey is the last man standing, eh?
Milone and Pelfrey have looked a lot better than Meyer, SSS
Don't forget May. My money is on Milone, though.
And sadly, much of the Twins' money is on Pelfrey.
Not nearly as much as Nolasco. Pelfrey's contract is pocket change especially in the final year.
Comments told me Meyer also works as a substitute teacher. A useful internet comment!
Apparently it costs $1.05 to change your address online now. You must use a credit card.
Uh huh.
I love on-line stores that charge a "convenience fee" to do the transaction on-line instead of in-person. I think the Twins do this for tickets. I'm so sorry I conveniently purchased something from my computer so you could hire fewer staff and have fewer big box stores.
While on vacation, I purchased tickets online to the Florida Aquarium in Tampa; $2 off, and we whizzed by a long line of ticket purchasers to show the confirmation # on the cellphone to guest services and got right in. That's the way it should work.
It took the Twins all of three days to go from 7-3 to 7-7, not that spring training results matter or that I should be disappointed in .500. It just sucks for them to lose four games in three days no matter when it is.
Yeah. No matter how many times I tell myself spring training games don't matter, I still like to see them win.
The wife is doing a closing shift, so I'm doing a night of hoops and hops. Moose Drool and Smithwick's for the latter. For some reason I feel like I've earned this weekend more than most.
A disappointing, but probably appropriate end to the Gopher wrestling team's championship hopes at the NCAA's. Previously undefeated Chris Dardanes was dominated by a lower seeded wrestler from Oklahoma in the semi-finals, and Dylan Ness had to forfeit his semi-final due to an injury.
As an aside, if anybody is following this tournament, the way the Cornell wrestler that benefited from Ness' injury default made it to the semi-finals illustrates everything I hate about the coach challenge replay system. The ref did not award an escape point to a wrestler who eventually lost by one. Upon discovering the error post-match the NCAA said - "meh - you had a coach challenge to use and you didn't use it" - see, now it's the coach's fault that the referee failed to award a point. Accountability!
While I'm airing grievances, ESPN3 has inexplicably decided that carrying the round robin phase of the World Women's Curling Championship was a good idea but the championship round, not so much.
Dammit. And here I thought we were making progress. (That's actually really bizarre, since they've had the championship round for everything else. Must be a broadcasting rights thing?)
Looks like NBCSN has it for the weekend, which would explain why ESPN3 wouldn't be showing it. Sometimes ESPN3 is allowed to show a replay of an event the next day if they can't show it live.
The Knicks managed to follow up a shocking win over San Antonio with losses to the short-handed Wolves and the hapless Sixers.
Pretty good showing tonight by my squad.