63 thoughts on “December 7, 2020: Transit”

  1. I just saw an email from some HR person discussing our "return to work" program (some people are back in the office full time and some are rotating, while people like me requested an exemption) that stated that cases in Wisconsin are going down, and I was like, "whaaaaaaaat?" No way in hell am I going back to work until I can at least get a vaccine.

    1. Will love to see how well that "cases going down" rationale holds up in say mid- to late-January.

      1. fwiw, the Wisconsin case and hospitalization numbers are indeed trending down. Deaths, not so much.

        Whether the recent, downward trend in cases and hospitalizations fully reflects the Thanksgiving holiday effects yet, I dunno. I hope so. But that spike earlier in November was pretty damn high and, presumably, is still driving the deaths trend. We should see this week whether deaths have crested.

        "Opening up" at this stage still seems pretty dumb.

        1. That's the thing, TG cases will likely just now be showing up, so it's pretty bad timing to make the trending down claim. The tone of the email and the tone of upper management since this started has been of the Epic Systems type of "we don't think you can be productive outside the office" thought.

    2. Due to the nature of my job I need to be on site in order to work. As a team leader I've worked very hard to develop programs for my team to work from home occasionally and built programs for them to spend an extended period of time still on the clock should they need to quarantine, but that stuff is mainly busy work and not the essential portion of our job. Today I got notice that I was around someone who was around someone who tested positive in our workplace. This is the 3rd such exposure I've had at work. The mental stress is lower with each exposure as I know the routine, but the exhaustion and frustration are still there. Also, as it turns out, having a large portion of your team and other colleagues in quarantine makes performing our job duties very difficult.

    3. Went to Sam's Christmas Village for lights. Maybe 50% wearing masks on the walking path. (Plus plenty of coors) It was busy and we did our best to distance which wasn't too hard in Somerset besides the initial line.

      1. I don't think this needs to be spoilered but whatever; jic

        Spoiler SelectShow
  2. Due to unforeseen circumstances, the new batch of Initials that was going to start today... will not start today. Possibly tomorrow.

  3. I obviously can't go anywhere on Christmas Eve. I haven't decided whether I'll go to Armour to see my Mom on Christmas Day. It depends on how Mrs. A is doing (she's recovering quite well from her knee replacement so far), what the nursing home's visitation policy is at that time, and of course what the weather is doing.

    1. The gang that usually takes part in the yearly post-Christmas service get together has decided we'll do it virtually this year. I'm okay with that, although I'm going to miss the large food layout.

    2. We have cancelled our annual December trip to Minnesota, to risky for our blood. All the Minnesota relatives are still getting together though, 6 different households, 15-20 people, all in one house.

      1. The in-laws' best friend died of Covid yesterday. That may take a little pressure off me being the only family that didn't make it back for Thanksgiving. Or not.

  4. For lunch yesterday I made Korean Meatloaf Melts. Basically, mixed ground beef with egg, breadcrumbs, soy sauce, pickled ginger, scallions and Gochujang. Pattied the mixture up as burgers and served on grilled bread with mozzarella cheese, grilled onions and peppers. I made a Gochujang ketchup using some roasted cherry tomatoes. This was perhaps the best sandwich of I ever eaten, which is an accomplishment considering I just tossed it together trying to use up some ingredients in our refrigerator. Alas, I failed to take pics.

  5. I would not be opposed to a reunion

  6. I am in the market for project portfolio management software for work. Any experiences to share?

    I need something relatively inexpensive for a small office (~40 FTE staff, including a 5 person executive team and five additional managers), Because Government. Learning curve has to be easy to climb and data needs to be easy to enter and maintain. Because Government Employees. Best would be something that offers a pretty solid set of visualization tools to allow our executive team to focus on progress toward major milestones.

    Look at me and my lip service to management buzz words.

    1. I was a kid then, and where I lived we didn't have a lot of access to sports media, but i can remember what a big deal it was to some broadcasters and writers when he wanted to be called "Dick" rather than "Richie". The attitude among many of them seemed to be "How dare he think he has the right to say what his name should be?" One of many things that we look back at and wonder what the big deal was, but it was a huge deal at the time.

      And of course, there are many things that seem like a big deal now that years from now people will look at the same way.

      1. Right, I find it incredibly offensive that a human being wouldn't get to ask for how they want to be called. Not to mention the fact that most of the sportswriters were white, telling a black man what his name should be. My word.

      2. I don't remember the "controversy" from the time, but when I learned about it later, it certainly changed my understanding of how he was regarded.

    1. True neutral on the sandwich board?

      I find that I like a little mix of mayo and dijon, plus dill pickle planks or slices, to liven up ham and cheese. Tomato if available and good, of course, and I see you have the leaf lettuce (or is that a green peep sticking out on the right side, looking north???).

      How did you dress this one?

      1. Agreed on mix of mayo and dijon (or other mustards). Pickle, thin sliced onion, and lettuce if you've got it. Quality of the bread, ham, and cheese all play a big factor, but in my mind a ham sandwich can be darn near a 10 with just these elements.

        1. Spicy mayo and wilted β€œspring” mix. Though the mix was more hearty than spring so...also wilted.

    2. I can't compete with the Earl. But I can sh!talk zooomx for not uploading pics.

      Chile-marinated, roasted tenderloin and aged gouda on toasted, homemade sourdough wheat. Dressed with red leaf, pickled onion, mayo and a dollop of OHMYEFFINGGAWDTHAT'SHOT(tm) toasted chile de arbol salsa.

  7. As a dude that hasn't watched very much NFL football in the last decade, let me assure you that I'm taking opportunities to watch Patrick Mahomes. That dude is G-R-E-A-T.

    1. I blame this comment. You made the cardinal sin of believing in them. Never believe in MN teams. Their playoff performance is directly inverse to the level of belief their fans have.

        1. This was the first soccer I've watched in more than a year. I thought I was enjoying it, but the aftertaste is making me rethink that assessment.

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