The Venting Spot

[IPv6Freely 2092]

39 minutes ago, SirJW said:

Most people can't afford to take time off from work now a days....

Do they not have sick time available?

[SirJW 207]

12 hours ago, IPv6Freely said:

Do they not have sick time available?

I don't think so.

[BenBreeg 493]

We have a work from home arrangement, nice to not have to use PTO when you are sick. Plus it does keep things from spreading.  Of course with my wife working in a school and two kids in school that is cancelled out by all the plagues they bring home...

[IPv6Freely 2092]

21 hours ago, SirJW said:

I don't think so.

Brutal. I’ve never heard of a job not having sick time available except like... minimum wage jobs

[Steve_v3 289]

On 10/11/2019 at 2:17 AM, IPv6Freely said:

Do they not have sick time available?

My wife started her job in May. 6 months until she can accrue it. 
Sadly some employers still don’t have it.
she’s still looking for another job. 

Edited October 13, 2019 by Steve_v3

[caveman27 208]

I have a game this Tuesday. Looking forward to it... after a 3 week break since our last game. Scheduling in our league isn't perfect and ice time is sort of jammed up with only two rinks in the area. But, we have about a game a week from here on out which is good.

[IPv6Freely 2092]

18 hours ago, Steve_v3 said:

My wife started her job in May. 6 months until she can accrue it. 
Sadly some employers still don’t have it.
she’s still looking for another job. 

Good god that’s mind blowing.

[JoeyJ0506 192]

On 10/11/2019 at 2:17 AM, IPv6Freely said:

Do they not have sick time available?

Where I am, we get three days, and they're not paid... basically three that can be missed, due to sickness, without getting let go.

[Steve_v3 289]

On 10/13/2019 at 4:38 PM, IPv6Freely said:

Good god that’s mind blowing.

Coming from the job that I had for over 25 years with Vacation, holiday, & sick time it's truly mind-blowing she doesn't get that. 

What's even worse she gets holidays off, but only gets paid if she uses her own time.

Edited October 15, 2019 by Steve_v3

[badger_14 601]

On 10/12/2019 at 12:40 PM, IPv6Freely said:

Brutal. I’ve never heard of a job not having sick time available except like... minimum wage jobs

Officially, my workplace allows up to 48 hours of sick time (Mass. has an earned sick time law, so every employee in the state automatically accrues 1 hour for every 30-40 hours worked), which is 6 days for a normal job, but for a paramedic it's two shifts.  

They also get real, real pissy if you have to leave work sick.

[Steve_v3 289]

Well, I had the first drain capped on Monday and was excited that I was finally making progress.

This afternoon I started having pain around the second drain site & it's not really improving. Looks like I'll have to get seen in the morning.

I'm hoping it's nothing major. I just really want to be done with these drains.

[IPv6Freely 2092]

I wrote this a couple weeks ago but it looks like it didn’t post and was saved as a draft, so re-posting.

—

Joined an adult softball league. In fact, it’s a gay softball league. League rules allow up to three non-LGBTQ players per team. But that’s mostly irrelevant.

Anyway, I joined them for their 6 week fall “season” which is just a couple of friendlies each Sunday. I used to play competitive softball until I was about 20 so while I was going to be rusty at first, I definitely do know what to do. I was a catcher in a fastball league for years. I was one of the better players and especially hitters. Anyway, for league play it’s two games each Sunday, one at 3rd base (where I’m most comfortable) and the other in right field (horrible idea, I can’t judge fly balls worth crap). That’s fine.

We just played a weekend tournament. 6 games (incl 4 round-robin) on day one and 2 games (until we lost our second game - it’s a double elimination tourney) today. Saturday game 1 I was an “extra hitter” which basically means you get to bat but not field because you have more than 10 players. I thought: “okay, whatever”. Second game they change it up so they only bat 10 (a full lineup - our league uses a rover). So I sat on the bench the whole game until we were up by so much that they allowed me to bat but not field. 

Then, I got my big break and they let me play right field where I promptly misjudged a fly ball.

Next game, back to the bench. Didn’t get called up to hit. Next game, RF again. Didn’t have a single ball hit to me. Game 5 RF and I got to field one ground ball hit between 1st and 2nd.

Game 6, bench.

So keep in mind that I was one of only three guys who was on the bench at any point. One of the three has some physical disabilities and actually never plays in the field and only ever hits during league games. During the tournament, he was on the bench (and first base coach) for the whole thing. That seemed wrong to me. So he’s on the team, plays his league fees and just because he has a disability they don’t let him hit like he normally does? Guys, HES ON THE TEAM. We win with him and we lose with him and personally I’ll take an out of that’s what it ends up being to have everyone get to play.

To cap it off, we had grabbed a couple extra players from other league teams for this tournament. I don’t know why but for some reason they always try to get AT LEAST 12-13 players when you only need 10. So of course those two guys played every game, one of them at 3rd base. He was a guy in his 60s with knee sleeves, an ankle brace, a desert-style sunhat and was rubbing bengay on his legs between innings. I guess that’s the better choice?

I... seriously considered just not even showing up the second day. But I said no, I’ll drive the 90 minutes back there in the morning, maybe they’ll let me play. Nope, wrong. Since we had lost game 6 the previous day we were basically in a must-win game every game from that point forward. Even less incentive to let me play.

So I show up, and game 1... bench. They eventually let me hit once we were up by 20 (yes, 20 - they called the game on the mercy rule shortly after I hit). Game 2? Bench. I have never ever wanted to have my own team lose a game so badly in my life.

Of course, when you’re not actually invested in the games you’re gonna hit like garbage, which I did. So that doesn’t help. If my time playing goal has taught me anything, it’s that you play way way way better when you have the adrenaline pumping and the heart rate going. My 3rd periods are always infinitely better in goal.

I knew I had to get some reps under my belt for it all to come back but man, sitting on the bench isn’t going to help me. It just blew my mind that in a low tier gay softball league tournament that means nothing they’d not play everyone. Like shit, if it matters to you that much and you think that little of me then I’ll just stay home so you can win that tshirt!

—

And now, about a month later, I’m headed to Palm Springs to play in another tournament with them, against my better judgement. I already talked for the captain (she doesn’t ever actually play unless we’re short - she doesn’t actually like playing) and basically said when she asked if I was in “well, if you already have a 3rd basemen going then you don’t need another body taking up a roster spot” or something like that. Trying to convey “don’t waste my time or pull that shit again” in as diplomatic a way as I can. She knows I was pissed though. She knows the other guy who was benched was pissed too because he played as little as I did. So hopefully they make some adjustments.

I dunno maybe I’m crazy, and this is no big deal. But to me this feels like telling your below average hockey teammates that they don’t get to play the last couple minutes of a game because it’s too important to let them screw it up. Its not so much that they made me sit, but the fact that their “strategy” changes so much for a tournament. Guys, I’m part of the team too and I paid to be here like everyone else. If you’re gonna bench people it should be a rotation or something. Or at the VERY LEAST, you should be doing the “EH” thing.

Well see what happens...

EDIT: Holy shit I basically wrote a novel. Sorry aboat that eh.

[caveman27 208]

5 hours ago, IPv6Freely said:

I wrote this a couple weeks ago but it looks like it didn’t post and was saved as a draft, so re-posting.

—

Joined an adult softball league. In fact, it’s a gay softball league. League rules allow up to three non-LGBTQ players per team. But that’s mostly irrelevant.

Anyway, I joined them for their 6 week fall “season” which is just a couple of friendlies each Sunday. I used to play competitive softball until I was about 20 so while I was going to be rusty at first, I definitely do know what to do. I was a catcher in a fastball league for years. I was one of the better players and especially hitters. Anyway, for league play it’s two games each Sunday, one at 3rd base (where I’m most comfortable) and the other in right field (horrible idea, I can’t judge fly balls worth crap). That’s fine.

We just played a weekend tournament. 6 games (incl 4 round-robin) on day one and 2 games (until we lost our second game - it’s a double elimination tourney) today. Saturday game 1 I was an “extra hitter” which basically means you get to bat but not field because you have more than 10 players. I thought: “okay, whatever”. Second game they change it up so they only bat 10 (a full lineup - our league uses a rover). So I sat on the bench the whole game until we were up by so much that they allowed me to bat but not field. 

Then, I got my big break and they let me play right field where I promptly misjudged a fly ball.

Next game, back to the bench. Didn’t get called up to hit. Next game, RF again. Didn’t have a single ball hit to me. Game 5 RF and I got to field one ground ball hit between 1st and 2nd.

Game 6, bench.

So keep in mind that I was one of only three guys who was on the bench at any point. One of the three has some physical disabilities and actually never plays in the field and only ever hits during league games. During the tournament, he was on the bench (and first base coach) for the whole thing. That seemed wrong to me. So he’s on the team, plays his league fees and just because he has a disability they don’t let him hit like he normally does? Guys, HES ON THE TEAM. We win with him and we lose with him and personally I’ll take an out of that’s what it ends up being to have everyone get to play.

To cap it off, we had grabbed a couple extra players from other league teams for this tournament. I don’t know why but for some reason they always try to get AT LEAST 12-13 players when you only need 10. So of course those two guys played every game, one of them at 3rd base. He was a guy in his 60s with knee sleeves, an ankle brace, a desert-style sunhat and was rubbing bengay on his legs between innings. I guess that’s the better choice?

I... seriously considered just not even showing up the second day. But I said no, I’ll drive the 90 minutes back there in the morning, maybe they’ll let me play. Nope, wrong. Since we had lost game 6 the previous day we were basically in a must-win game every game from that point forward. Even less incentive to let me play.

So I show up, and game 1... bench. They eventually let me hit once we were up by 20 (yes, 20 - they called the game on the mercy rule shortly after I hit). Game 2? Bench. I have never ever wanted to have my own team lose a game so badly in my life.

Of course, when you’re not actually invested in the games you’re gonna hit like garbage, which I did. So that doesn’t help. If my time playing goal has taught me anything, it’s that you play way way way better when you have the adrenaline pumping and the heart rate going. My 3rd periods are always infinitely better in goal.

I knew I had to get some reps under my belt for it all to come back but man, sitting on the bench isn’t going to help me. It just blew my mind that in a low tier gay softball league tournament that means nothing they’d not play everyone. Like shit, if it matters to you that much and you think that little of me then I’ll just stay home so you can win that tshirt!

—

And now, about a month later, I’m headed to Palm Springs to play in another tournament with them, against my better judgement. I already talked for the captain (she doesn’t ever actually play unless we’re short - she doesn’t actually like playing) and basically said when she asked if I was in “well, if you already have a 3rd basemen going then you don’t need another body taking up a roster spot” or something like that. Trying to convey “don’t waste my time or pull that shit again” in as diplomatic a way as I can. She knows I was pissed though. She knows the other guy who was benched was pissed too because he played as little as I did. So hopefully they make some adjustments.

I dunno maybe I’m crazy, and this is no big deal. But to me this feels like telling your below average hockey teammates that they don’t get to play the last couple minutes of a game because it’s too important to let them screw it up. Its not so much that they made me sit, but the fact that their “strategy” changes so much for a tournament. Guys, I’m part of the team too and I paid to be here like everyone else. If you’re gonna bench people it should be a rotation or something. Or at the VERY LEAST, you should be doing the “EH” thing.

Well see what happens...

EDIT: Holy shit I basically wrote a novel. Sorry aboat that eh.

They weren't going to tell veteran team mates to sit out for the new guy. You seemed to have been shafted from the git go.

[Steve_v3 289]

7 hours ago, IPv6Freely said:

I wrote this a couple weeks ago but it looks like it didn’t post and was saved as a draft, so re-posting.

—

Joined an adult softball league. In fact, it’s a gay softball league. League rules allow up to three non-LGBTQ players per team. But that’s mostly irrelevant.

Anyway, I joined them for their 6 week fall “season” which is just a couple of friendlies each Sunday. I used to play competitive softball until I was about 20 so while I was going to be rusty at first, I definitely do know what to do. I was a catcher in a fastball league for years. I was one of the better players and especially hitters. Anyway, for league play it’s two games each Sunday, one at 3rd base (where I’m most comfortable) and the other in right field (horrible idea, I can’t judge fly balls worth crap). That’s fine.

We just played a weekend tournament. 6 games (incl 4 round-robin) on day one and 2 games (until we lost our second game - it’s a double elimination tourney) today. Saturday game 1 I was an “extra hitter” which basically means you get to bat but not field because you have more than 10 players. I thought: “okay, whatever”. Second game they change it up so they only bat 10 (a full lineup - our league uses a rover). So I sat on the bench the whole game until we were up by so much that they allowed me to bat but not field. 

Then, I got my big break and they let me play right field where I promptly misjudged a fly ball.

Next game, back to the bench. Didn’t get called up to hit. Next game, RF again. Didn’t have a single ball hit to me. Game 5 RF and I got to field one ground ball hit between 1st and 2nd.

Game 6, bench.

So keep in mind that I was one of only three guys who was on the bench at any point. One of the three has some physical disabilities and actually never plays in the field and only ever hits during league games. During the tournament, he was on the bench (and first base coach) for the whole thing. That seemed wrong to me. So he’s on the team, plays his league fees and just because he has a disability they don’t let him hit like he normally does? Guys, HES ON THE TEAM. We win with him and we lose with him and personally I’ll take an out of that’s what it ends up being to have everyone get to play.

To cap it off, we had grabbed a couple extra players from other league teams for this tournament. I don’t know why but for some reason they always try to get AT LEAST 12-13 players when you only need 10. So of course those two guys played every game, one of them at 3rd base. He was a guy in his 60s with knee sleeves, an ankle brace, a desert-style sunhat and was rubbing bengay on his legs between innings. I guess that’s the better choice?

I... seriously considered just not even showing up the second day. But I said no, I’ll drive the 90 minutes back there in the morning, maybe they’ll let me play. Nope, wrong. Since we had lost game 6 the previous day we were basically in a must-win game every game from that point forward. Even less incentive to let me play.

So I show up, and game 1... bench. They eventually let me hit once we were up by 20 (yes, 20 - they called the game on the mercy rule shortly after I hit). Game 2? Bench. I have never ever wanted to have my own team lose a game so badly in my life.

Of course, when you’re not actually invested in the games you’re gonna hit like garbage, which I did. So that doesn’t help. If my time playing goal has taught me anything, it’s that you play way way way better when you have the adrenaline pumping and the heart rate going. My 3rd periods are always infinitely better in goal.

I knew I had to get some reps under my belt for it all to come back but man, sitting on the bench isn’t going to help me. It just blew my mind that in a low tier gay softball league tournament that means nothing they’d not play everyone. Like shit, if it matters to you that much and you think that little of me then I’ll just stay home so you can win that tshirt!

—

And now, about a month later, I’m headed to Palm Springs to play in another tournament with them, against my better judgement. I already talked for the captain (she doesn’t ever actually play unless we’re short - she doesn’t actually like playing) and basically said when she asked if I was in “well, if you already have a 3rd basemen going then you don’t need another body taking up a roster spot” or something like that. Trying to convey “don’t waste my time or pull that shit again” in as diplomatic a way as I can. She knows I was pissed though. She knows the other guy who was benched was pissed too because he played as little as I did. So hopefully they make some adjustments.

I dunno maybe I’m crazy, and this is no big deal. But to me this feels like telling your below average hockey teammates that they don’t get to play the last couple minutes of a game because it’s too important to let them screw it up. Its not so much that they made me sit, but the fact that their “strategy” changes so much for a tournament. Guys, I’m part of the team too and I paid to be here like everyone else. If you’re gonna bench people it should be a rotation or something. Or at the VERY LEAST, you should be doing the “EH” thing.

Well see what happens...

EDIT: Holy shit I basically wrote a novel. Sorry aboat that eh.

Tough situation. 
I would’ve thought there would be opportunities to play. 

[IPv6Freely 2092]

3 hours ago, caveman27 said:

They weren't going to tell veteran team mates to sit out for the new guy. You seemed to have been shafted from the git go.

No but they certainly could have rotated me in once in a while. Or at least ahead of the guys who aren’t even on the team and we’re just subbing. I definitely won’t be playing with them next season. I had just already committed to playing this weekend. Hopefully worth the drive and the hotel cost...

1 hour ago, Steve_v3 said:

Tough situation. 
I would’ve thought there would be opportunities to play. 

Yeah at least a rotation or something. 

[marka 526]

Howdy,

Are softball teams really that hard to come by out there?  Because if not... Other teams beckon.

Mark

(had something sorta like that happen twice on a hockey team I was playing on.  The 2nd time was my last game with them.  Good guys on the team in general and I liked playing with them, but life is too short for me to be pissed off when I'm playing hockey for fun).

[IPv6Freely 2092]

35 minutes ago, marka said:

Howdy,

Are softball teams really that hard to come by out there?  Because if not... Other teams beckon.

Mark

(had something sorta like that happen twice on a hockey team I was playing on.  The 2nd time was my last game with them.  Good guys on the team in general and I liked playing with them, but life is too short for me to be pissed off when I'm playing hockey for fun).

I’m sure I could find another one, and hopefully one that doesn’t take over an hour to get there. It’s just a matter of finding a team to hook up with. It’s not like hockey where you just sign up and the director finds a team for you. You have to know somebody. 

[Steve_v3 289]

On 11/15/2019 at 10:30 PM, IPv6Freely said:

I’m sure I could find another one, and hopefully one that doesn’t take over an hour to get there. It’s just a matter of finding a team to hook up with. It’s not like hockey where you just sign up and the director finds a team for you. You have to know somebody. 

That’s so true. And I can understand that when you get playing time at first you need to play good because if not they’ll see you that way. 
 

You could try and find a league closer and then whoever is running the league can maybe let you know if there’s a team that needs players. When I played a lot there were always teams that were short guys constantly. 

[Steve_v3 289]

It’s just after midnight and I’m sitting in my hospital bed feeling awake. I’m still having significant pain at my newer drain site and the pain meds are only helping so much. Plus they make me itch.

I’m getting the drain upsized in the morning and hopefully I’ll be in the home stretch of having the drains. this is supposed to be the last time they upsize the drain. So if everything goes right I could possibly be drain free by the end of the year. I hope so. This isn’t a fun way to exist. 

[Steve_v3 289]

21 hours ago, Steve_v3 said:

It’s just after midnight and I’m sitting in my hospital bed feeling awake. I’m still having significant pain at my newer drain site and the pain meds are only helping so much. Plus they make me itch.

I’m getting the drain upsized in the morning and hopefully I’ll be in the home stretch of having the drains. this is supposed to be the last time they upsize the drain. So if everything goes right I could possibly be drain free by the end of the year. I hope so. This isn’t a fun way to exist. 

Had my drain upsized and they believe that the old drain was leaking into me. That’s what was causing my pain. So hopefully in a few days I will get back to be my normal. 
Now I need to keep progressing to getting these drains out. 

[IPv6Freely 2092]

At least they know what’s causing the issue. Gotta take every positive you can! 

[Jamarquan 201]

All of the Akim Aliu news that's come out in the last 24 hours. It's incredibly sad to think he never got a fair shake because of stuff like that and I hope something gets done to try and remove racism from the sport as much as possible.

Edited November 26, 2019 by Jamarquan

[Steve_v3 289]

This past week has really tested me. First I had my yearly colonoscopy. That ended up being the highlight of the week. That night I had trouble sleeping because my drain was feeling very sore. So I decided to take some pain meds to help me sleep so I’d feel good for Thanksgiving. One of the wonders of having liver disease is liver itching. It’s usually when your bilirubin is high. For me sometimes I get a little itchy when I take pain meds. Well for whatever reason I had a severe reaction and was itching like mad from 2:00 AM on Thanksgiving to late that night. I took my sleeping meds and by Friday evening I felt better. 
then I decided to change up to go to bed and managed to catch one of my drains on my pants and pulled it out over half way. So now it’s 4:00 AM on Saturday and I’m in the ER. My whole right side is killing me. Because it’s the weekend I have no idea what there going to do. 
2019 has sucked. I’m just hoping I’m not in the hospital for too long this time. 

[IPv6Freely 2092]

Damn dude. It's just never-ending BS for you 😞 It seems like the crap that goes along with the health issues is just as shitty as the issues themselves (okay, probably not, but still... it certainly doesn't make the situation suck any less!)

We're pulling for you. Hoping your 2020 is way way WAY better. 

[Steve_v3 289]

On 12/2/2019 at 2:42 PM, IPv6Freely said:

Damn dude. It's just never-ending BS for you 😞 It seems like the crap that goes along with the health issues is just as shitty as the issues themselves (okay, probably not, but still... it certainly doesn't make the situation suck any less!)

We're pulling for you. Hoping your 2020 is way way WAY better. 

Thanks. 
I’m home now & feeling better. This year has definitely been the toughest of my life. Even in my transplant years it was pretty cut and dry. I got really sick then I had my transplant and slowly got better. This year of downs has taken it’s toll. As soon as I think I’m making progress something brings me down. 
 

I got some positive news about my labs, they have looked better. Almost normal. So without getting too excited, maybe the drains are working as expected.