The Generic Support Group Thread - Page 3

mrnoodle · 11-15-2005, 09:40 AM

I have gotten woefully out of shape in the last 5 years. Not having a physically demanding job, combined with the RA and a liking for potato chips and sodie water, has added a good 25 pounds. It's nothing but fat, too. I have twiglike arms and legs, and a beer gut that forbids tucked-in shirts. I'm quite mesmerizing when nekkid.

I need to work out desperately, but when I tried to do pushups the other day, I could only do 2. Two. Not so long ago, it was 100 a day, with 100 crunches. Now, it would take me 12 hours to get 100 pushups done, and I'd be bedridden the next day. Ding! I've identified a possible cause of the intermittent depression -- the knowledge that it will take a good 6 months of hard work to get even halfway in shape. Gah. I hate working out.

Seize the day, laebedahs. While your motivation is up, take full advantage of it -- I'm trying to regain the mindset that you have now, and it's a big leap. I know that once I can make a habit of living healthier, it won't seem so bad. But damned if I can take that first step.

Oo. There's leftover halloween candy on the table by the coffee machine at work. brb.

warch · 11-15-2005, 12:36 PM

bit by bit, choice by choice, the littlest things add up.

laebedahs · 11-15-2005, 05:31 PM

This mindset is out of necessity. Since my wife has moved out I've had to really cut back on the wants and concentrate on the needs; the frozen dinners/cold sandwiches provide a good balance for that.

Sundae · 11-17-2005, 06:16 AM

Not sure of the best place to put this, so thought I'd stick it here, as it deals with frustration & work problems.

The kitchen at work is driving me crazy.

The office cleaners clean the surfaces, mop the floor & empty the bins every morning. Everything else is up to us. We do have some visitors to the building, but anyone entering has to be signed in (there is patient-specific information here)so they aren't exactly roaming about unaccompanied.

So why does the kitchen get into such a state?

Someone has a habit of leaving mugs with the detritus of Cup-A-Soup on the edge of the sink, filled with soapy water. This is presumably "leaving it to soak", but the mug will stay there for days. Other people subsequently decide it’s a repository for dirty teaspoons. I eventually get hacked off & wash them all up – in the mean time people resort to using plastic forks to make tea/ coffee because there is no clean cutlery.

Other people leave their dirty teaspoons on the clean draining board. How can that possibly be justified in a communal kitchen?

I admit I am frothing at the mouth about this, but its just NOT RIGHT. I can't think how to address it without threatening to install CCTV.

Below is the picture & text of a notice I have suggested the Head of HR puts up in the kitchen. Its far more polite than my feelings.

RECOGNISE ANYTHING?

We are all responsible for the state of the kitchen.

- Every time you do not wash up a spoon, a knife, a fork, a mug.
- Every time you leave bits of your lunch in the sink.
- Every time you use a piece of paper towel & don't throw it in the bin.
- Every time you leave a dirty spoon on a clean draining board.

You Are Asking Your Colleagues To Clean Up After You.

The cleaning staff DO NOT do our washing up

Please show some consideration. We are only asking that you do what you would do at home.

glatt · 11-17-2005, 08:14 AM

Wow. That's disgusting.

The sign is a good first step.

I think you make a huge mistake when you clean up after anyone else. You are teaching them to leave their mess. If it were me, I would bring my own mug/bowl/cutlery and keep it at my own desk. Wash when done, and put it in my own desk drawer. Clean up any mess you make in the kitchen. Let the pigs figure out what to do with their own mess.

BigV · 11-17-2005, 03:17 PM

I have it good at work. I was interrupted unloading the dishwasher at work by someone whose office is right next door, she came in and said "Oh, sorry, I thought you were Mike." I said, "Did you mistake the sound of the dishwasher being emptied as your cue that Mike was here?" She said "Yes." Mike is the president of the company. Needless to say, if he's doing it, the example is set that no one is too "important" to "stoop" to doing it. You understand what I mean. We're like a family here, and we all have to work together to make it work. I'm proud to be a part of this organization.

But I have worked in places where this was not the prevailing mindset. Your lower threshold for this funky clutter is a disadvantage for you, certainly. I disagree with glatt's suggestion that cleaning up after others is a mistake. I would add this small modification to your ritual. You could publish this on your sign, if you like.

Clean as much and as often as you feel you need to. But dry the dishes in the garbage can. This problem will disappear sooner or later.

Clodfobble · 11-17-2005, 08:24 PM

In my office it's a weekly rotating responsibility. The list of names and dates is posted right over the sink, so if it gets even a little dirty, everyone can complain loudly to that person. And that way, even the slobs who don't care if it's dirty yell at other people when they slack off just because they got yelled at when it was their week.

And even better, I'm a contractor so I'm not in the rotation.

Sundae · 11-18-2005, 03:03 AM

I'm feeling a lot calmer about it today (I was out of the office yesterday afternoon on training). Thank you for not smacking me with the fact it's a minor thing to get so worked up about.

Perhaps making the sign & having my rant will enable me to ignore the state next time I walk in there. I do use my own crockery/ cutlery that I keep in my desk (and subsequently feel like a student in a shared house using my own toilet paper). I think more than anything its the frustration that other people just can't see how easy it would be to have a spotless kitchen. And how much more pleasant.

Maybe I'll start bringing a flask.

wolf · 11-18-2005, 10:18 AM

Here in America, we have plastic and styrofoam.

I'll use plasticware, but I won't drink hot liquids out of a styrofoam cup. I have my own mug. It is probably classifiable as a biohazard. I rinse it out occasionally. I only drink coffee out of it, and I think that the hot liquid kills the germs.

I think.

Artwork from my mug:

11-18-2005, 10:41 AM

I agree with Clodfobble. Most offices - actually libraries - that I've worked in had the rotating cleaning system. If it was your week to do the staff kitchen, you made sure it was spotless before you went home each evening or else. The nasty looks from your co-workers and the person coming up to you with a martyred look on their face to inform you that they'd cleaned up since you had forgotten were enough to keep everyone in line about their KP duties. The list of whose turn it was hung in a prominent spot in the break room. You might suggest something like that, Sundae Girl.

mrnoodle · 11-18-2005, 12:14 PM

Our place has -- or had, I don't go up there much -- a sign in the kitchen that simply read "Your mother doesn't work here. Clean up your own mess, please."

We have a pretty clean breakroom, don't know if it's the sign or not.

wolf · 11-19-2005, 12:47 AM

Damn you people who have things like breaks and special rooms to go to for them.

We have a small area in the office where the Shrine to the Goddess Caffeina is located, along with a small refrigerator and very micro microwave. There is no sink. We have to use the bathroom sink for things like washing the mugs, and since we're having to constantly wash our hands, nothing gets left in the sink.

One of the midnight guys is obsessive compulsive and loves the smell of Formula 409. He is in charge of policing the coffee area, wiping up spills and suchlike, and is the only person in the office who become frustrated enough by the frost buildup in the fridge to do anything about it. Even then, it does often get left until things reach the point where you can't close the fridge door anymore.

We will all die of massive mold infections if he ever retires.

Trilby · 11-19-2005, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wolf

We have a small area in the office where the Shrine to the Goddess Caffeina is located,

Trilby · 11-19-2005, 04:02 PM

Um, yeah, stacey. #1) that's not "fat", #2) you're not bald, and #3) if you don't feel better pretty soon, maybe you should go see a doctor.

Brett's Honey · 11-19-2005, 08:27 PM

Have you or are you now, trying any nicotine replacement of any kind? Gum, patches, lollipops.....could help maybe.
And other advice I recall is changing your routine (and by that I DO NOT mean stop showering and brushing your teeth!), but whatever would be different for you. Taking walks.....and.....well, you know....

11-15-2005, 09:40 AM	#31
mrnoodle bent Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: under the weather Posts: 2,656	I have gotten woefully out of shape in the last 5 years. Not having a physically demanding job, combined with the RA and a liking for potato chips and sodie water, has added a good 25 pounds. It's nothing but fat, too. I have twiglike arms and legs, and a beer gut that forbids tucked-in shirts. I'm quite mesmerizing when nekkid. I need to work out desperately, but when I tried to do pushups the other day, I could only do 2. Two. Not so long ago, it was 100 a day, with 100 crunches. Now, it would take me 12 hours to get 100 pushups done, and I'd be bedridden the next day. Ding! I've identified a possible cause of the intermittent depression -- the knowledge that it will take a good 6 months of hard work to get even halfway in shape. Gah. I hate working out. Seize the day, laebedahs. While your motivation is up, take full advantage of it -- I'm trying to regain the mindset that you have now, and it's a big leap. I know that once I can make a habit of living healthier, it won't seem so bad. But damned if I can take that first step. Oo. There's leftover halloween candy on the table by the coffee machine at work. brb. __________________ Sìn a nall na cuaranan sin. -- Cha mhór is fheairrde thu iad, tha iad coltach ri cat air a dhathadh

11-17-2005, 06:16 AM	#34
Sundae polaroid of perfection Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 24,185	Not sure of the best place to put this, so thought I'd stick it here, as it deals with frustration & work problems. The kitchen at work is driving me crazy. The office cleaners clean the surfaces, mop the floor & empty the bins every morning. Everything else is up to us. We do have some visitors to the building, but anyone entering has to be signed in (there is patient-specific information here)so they aren't exactly roaming about unaccompanied. So why does the kitchen get into such a state? Someone has a habit of leaving mugs with the detritus of Cup-A-Soup on the edge of the sink, filled with soapy water. This is presumably "leaving it to soak", but the mug will stay there for days. Other people subsequently decide it’s a repository for dirty teaspoons. I eventually get hacked off & wash them all up – in the mean time people resort to using plastic forks to make tea/ coffee because there is no clean cutlery. Other people leave their dirty teaspoons on the clean draining board. How can that possibly be justified in a communal kitchen? I admit I am frothing at the mouth about this, but its just NOT RIGHT. I can't think how to address it without threatening to install CCTV. Below is the picture & text of a notice I have suggested the Head of HR puts up in the kitchen. Its far more polite than my feelings. RECOGNISE ANYTHING? We are all responsible for the state of the kitchen. - Every time you do not wash up a spoon, a knife, a fork, a mug. - Every time you leave bits of your lunch in the sink. - Every time you use a piece of paper towel & don't throw it in the bin. - Every time you leave a dirty spoon on a clean draining board. You Are Asking Your Colleagues To Clean Up After You. The cleaning staff DO NOT do our washing up Please show some consideration. We are only asking that you do what you would do at home. Attached Images

11-17-2005, 03:17 PM	#36
BigV Goon Squad Leader Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Seattle Posts: 27,063	I have it good at work. I was interrupted unloading the dishwasher at work by someone whose office is right next door, she came in and said "Oh, sorry, I thought you were Mike." I said, "Did you mistake the sound of the dishwasher being emptied as your cue that Mike was here?" She said "Yes." Mike is the president of the company. Needless to say, if he's doing it, the example is set that no one is too "important" to "stoop" to doing it. You understand what I mean. We're like a family here, and we all have to work together to make it work. I'm proud to be a part of this organization. But I have worked in places where this was not the prevailing mindset. Your lower threshold for this funky clutter is a disadvantage for you, certainly. I disagree with glatt's suggestion that cleaning up after others is a mistake. I would add this small modification to your ritual. You could publish this on your sign, if you like. Clean as much and as often as you feel you need to. But dry the dishes in the garbage can. This problem will disappear sooner or later. __________________ Be Just and Fear Not.

11-18-2005, 10:18 AM	#39
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	Here in America, we have plastic and styrofoam. I'll use plasticware, but I won't drink hot liquids out of a styrofoam cup. I have my own mug. It is probably classifiable as a biohazard. I rinse it out occasionally. I only drink coffee out of it, and I think that the hot liquid kills the germs. I think. Artwork from my mug: Attached Images __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

11-18-2005, 12:14 PM	#41
mrnoodle bent Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: under the weather Posts: 2,656	Our place has -- or had, I don't go up there much -- a sign in the kitchen that simply read "Your mother doesn't work here. Clean up your own mess, please." We have a pretty clean breakroom, don't know if it's the sign or not. __________________ Sìn a nall na cuaranan sin. -- Cha mhór is fheairrde thu iad, tha iad coltach ri cat air a dhathadh

11-15-2005, 12:36 PM	#32
warch lurkin old school Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Minnesota Posts: 2,796	bit by bit, choice by choice, the littlest things add up.

11-15-2005, 05:31 PM	#33
laebedahs Abecedarian Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 172	This mindset is out of necessity. Since my wife has moved out I've had to really cut back on the wants and concentrate on the needs; the frozen dinners/cold sandwiches provide a good balance for that.

11-17-2005, 08:14 AM	#35
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	Wow. That's disgusting. The sign is a good first step. I think you make a huge mistake when you clean up after anyone else. You are teaching them to leave their mess. If it were me, I would bring my own mug/bowl/cutlery and keep it at my own desk. Wash when done, and put it in my own desk drawer. Clean up any mess you make in the kitchen. Let the pigs figure out what to do with their own mess.

11-17-2005, 08:24 PM	#37
Clodfobble UNDER CONDITIONAL MITIGATION Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 20,012	In my office it's a weekly rotating responsibility. The list of names and dates is posted right over the sink, so if it gets even a little dirty, everyone can complain loudly to that person. And that way, even the slobs who don't care if it's dirty yell at other people when they slack off just because they got yelled at when it was their week. And even better, I'm a contractor so I'm not in the rotation.

11-18-2005, 03:03 AM	#38
Sundae polaroid of perfection Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 24,185	I'm feeling a lot calmer about it today (I was out of the office yesterday afternoon on training). Thank you for not smacking me with the fact it's a minor thing to get so worked up about. Perhaps making the sign & having my rant will enable me to ignore the state next time I walk in there. I do use my own crockery/ cutlery that I keep in my desk (and subsequently feel like a student in a shared house using my own toilet paper). I think more than anything its the frustration that other people just can't see how easy it would be to have a spotless kitchen. And how much more pleasant. Maybe I'll start bringing a flask.

11-18-2005, 10:41 AM	#40
marichiko Guest Posts: n/a	I agree with Clodfobble. Most offices - actually libraries - that I've worked in had the rotating cleaning system. If it was your week to do the staff kitchen, you made sure it was spotless before you went home each evening or else. The nasty looks from your co-workers and the person coming up to you with a martyred look on their face to inform you that they'd cleaned up since you had forgotten were enough to keep everyone in line about their KP duties. The list of whose turn it was hung in a prominent spot in the break room. You might suggest something like that, Sundae Girl.

11-19-2005, 12:47 AM	#42
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	Damn you people who have things like breaks and special rooms to go to for them. We have a small area in the office where the Shrine to the Goddess Caffeina is located, along with a small refrigerator and very micro microwave. There is no sink. We have to use the bathroom sink for things like washing the mugs, and since we're having to constantly wash our hands, nothing gets left in the sink. One of the midnight guys is obsessive compulsive and loves the smell of Formula 409. He is in charge of policing the coffee area, wiping up spills and suchlike, and is the only person in the office who become frustrated enough by the frost buildup in the fridge to do anything about it. Even then, it does often get left until things reach the point where you can't close the fridge door anymore. We will all die of massive mold infections if he ever retires. __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

11-19-2005, 04:02 PM	#44
Trilby Slattern of the Swail Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 15,654	Um, yeah, stacey. #1) that's not "fat", #2) you're not bald, and #3) if you don't feel better pretty soon, maybe you should go see a doctor.

11-19-2005, 08:27 PM	#45
Brett's Honey whatever Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 308	Have you or are you now, trying any nicotine replacement of any kind? Gum, patches, lollipops.....could help maybe. And other advice I recall is changing your routine (and by that I DO NOT mean stop showering and brushing your teeth!), but whatever would be different for you. Taking walks.....and.....well, you know....

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