sketches & ghosts

Trip is doing the "scratch at briefcase to say he wants to go home" thing again ... it's 10:37. Yeah, I think we're at work until 6 today, buddy. I feel bad that he is lying down and licking his paws, but I don't know how to relieve his stress at, um, being in my office, which is not inherently stressful.

I already did my chocolateboxcomm noms, because I did not nominate anything I'm 100% confident someone else will (like, I don't need to worry about Machineries of Empire or Queen's Thief). I'm really hoping anyone requests either Spotless or A Girl and Her Fed (even if some of my noms were Rachel, Phil, Jason, Santino and Bell so that's kind of more books-ish) because that's what I most want to be writing except for original works.

Work is ALL ANNUAL REPORT ALL THE TIME and I have been hunting down missing data which is why I'm delayed in things I owe people. I promised two people beta reads on fics yesterday, and both of you will be getting them back today, I promise! I have read and enjoyed them, I just need to make my notes slightly more competent and less bullet points on literal post-its. I have a Yuletide treat I need to finish myself, and then decide whether or not I want to ask for a beta, since the only people I know who actually know the canon all can't do it right now ... except for the canon's original author, who said she might do it, but I'm not sure if that wouldn't be a little too weird for the recipient.

Beta reader who doesn't know the canon? Letting the actual author of the canon do it? No beta? IDK.

I was stuck standing in the 16 degree weather waiting for the M96 for half an hour last night and have still not actually recovered, because cold urticaria is the actual worst, but I had dressed like I was doing winter sports so that helped a little. Not enough to block a reaction, apparently.

Hello, New Friends: I'm sorry that this, the first public post you will see, is all complaining.


ETA: Since I have new people on my list and I do not have an about me, please feel free to ask anything you'd like here! Longtime readers can ask things too. I'm also doing the January meme.

tucker-draws-things did another one of my dragon characters for me last night! Sometimes he does $1 Dragon nights for his players and I was lucky enough to squeeze into the last slot.

( Here is a pretty dragon. )

The rest of my life is a TERRIBLE WHIRLWIND of WORK and PACKING. I hate packing. I'm excited to travel, but oh man am I ever already exhausted by putting things inside other things and then putting them in a big thing that is going to go in the luggage compartment of a plane. Concerned about going over the weight limit even though I've literally never done it. And trying to get all the work done before I leave combined with the fatigue caused by all the damn snow happening means that when I get home I am kind of too dead to pack.

Also still having issues with the Sprint signal on my iPad not actually working, but as far as Sprint can tell it's getting service, so in conclusion: I do not have time to deal with this and will take care of it later. I am too busy desperately hoping that my shampoo, replacement 1 piece bathing suit and glasses wipes (unfortunately my glasses are still Disaster Scratched because I had no time to get new ones in time to leave!!!) actually show up on time, since nobody's going to be able to mail me anything while I'm gone.

But if I get through this exhaustion, I just get to get on a plane, and go away for a week with 8 of my favorite people. I will immensely miss my dog -- who will be at training camp, and I really hope he likes it because two weeks is a long time! -- and I will probably miss my husband a little bit too, I guess. :)

Just right now, my entire body hurts and my eyes are crossing and I want to lie down and die, and instead I have to go home and deal with MORE PACKING, importantly finding all of the stuff I needed that has gone missing. But hey, the dragon at the top of this post is great!

ETA: I got a request to post a link, so if you want to donate to Trip's and my fundraiser for the pancreatic cancer walk you can do that here. We love you no matter whether you do or not! Yes, feel free to link it around.

Awkwardly I will be at NatCon through the 27th so I may be super tired for that too, but so long as it isn't as freezing as last year's walk we'll be golden.

1) Do you enjoy your work?
Yes! I mean, I have been at this job three weeks, but I do enjoy it. I also enjoy the fact that when I do things vs take breaks is largely in my control and flexible, hence the uptick on my doing things like posting to DW or having any life at all (though what days I work is not flexible at present). Having a job where I'm actually using my degree and am not overtaxing my introvertedness is a really nice change.

2) Are you overpaid or underpaid for the work you do (or last did)?
I'm actually paid fairly, which I'm ... pretty sure has never happened to me before in my life.

3) What one thing do you dislike most about your work?
The fact that the office is often so cold I can't actually get anything done. That and federally imposed deadlines but the cold part is worse.

4) What one thing would make your work life happier or more satisfying?
An office or even an entire cubicle with walls; I'm currently in a foyer. I do not do anything that involves talking to other humans 98% of the time and it's awkward because I'm outside all the financial-people offices and end up getting asked finance questions. Not only do I not know anything about finance but I'm bad at math, don't ask me!

5) Do you try to fit into your workplace’s culture? What does that entail?
If there's really any socializing or social culture involved here, I don't know about it. I'm the youngest employee at really-really-close-to-thirty. Everyone gets along well but generally only interacts about work, and conversation topics tend to stick to work or work-adjacent (commuting, public health policy etc) topics. Even were I not autistic, I wouldn't be sure how to get a read based on that of what fitting in would entail. I do my job and interact pleasantly with people when I actually have to interact with people!