The Coffee Roaster's Club (No De-Caff Allowed) and Random Discussion for TPBM (28)

A picture because that's why we are here

Zane, that is a fantastic shot! I L O V E it.

At this moment, all three dogs have the 'rips' and are charging up and down the hallway, around the livingroom, over the couches, through the kitchen, repeat ad nauseum.

short5 wrote in post #8408345
Nice shots of your family

thanks.

cfpackerfan wrote in post #8408449
That's a great shot, Sid.

Thanks, it had been a long time since I'd been on a teeter totter.

short5 wrote in post #8408692
A picture because that's why we are here
[IMG]http://shortwave5.smug​mug.com/photos/6124707​85_ApiSQ-XL.jpg

I like it Z!

cfpackerfan wrote in post #8408723
At this moment, all three dogs have the 'rips' and are charging up and down the hallway, around the livingroom, over the couches, through the kitchen, repeat ad nauseum.

At age 6, our guys don't do that so often anymore, but for the first 3 or 4 years they did it all the time. Watching them was more fun than watching television.

Good Morning Threadies

poppie guy wrote in post #8408063
mmmmmmm Tillamook makes a chocolate peanut butter ice cream that is to die for!

We brought a tub of it home. It is kinda magic stuff, 'cause it just seemed to disappear real fast.

CrazieCricket wrote in post #8408132
Hey that was tame compared to you in an apron.

Hey, me in an apron is quite natural. This kissy face talk is just plain yucky.
Just kidding, of course. Glad you get the opportunity now.

poppie guy wrote in post #8408235
My son Jonathan and grandson Colin at Laurelhurst park this evening. This kind of weather is great for after work picnics in the park.

Nice shot of the spawn, Mike.

short5 wrote in post #8408692
A picture because that's why we are here

Very cool, Zane.

BearLeeAlive wrote in post #8409270
We brought a tub of it home. It is kinda magic stuff, 'cause it just seemed to disappear real fast.

My wife never liked it, so I would eat it from the tub, then put the tub back in the freezer when I was finished. Mining the peanut butter was a lot of fun!

cfpackerfan wrote in post #8408723
At this moment, all three dogs have the 'rips' and are charging up and down the hallway, around the livingroom, over the couches, through the kitchen, repeat ad nauseum.

poppie guy wrote in post #8409263
At age 6, our guys don't do that so often anymore, but for the first 3 or 4 years they did it all the time. Watching them was more fun than watching television.

This is why I love our big yard. If dogs were to rip around our house there would likely be tragedies, our floors are all hardwood or tile and traction is minimal. The speed Jasper and friends blast, combined with his constant bouncing, would surely lead to either house or dog getting hurt.

poppie guy wrote in post #8409282
My wife never liked it, so I would eat it from the tub, then put the tub back in the freezer when I was finished. Mining the peanut butter was a lot of fun!

Unfortunately Lisa loves anything with peanut butter, so I had to share and only got about 75% of it.

theague wrote in post #8408013
I'll no longer have sick and vacation time, only PTO. PTO can only be used in 8 hour increments so when I need to go to the doctor etc, I just go and still get paid... lol like being salaried... what a redundant explanation.

Companies make things so complicated sometimes by trying to call a rose by another name.

For instance, we no longer have sick days, we get 3 Personal Days, earning 1 every 4 months, but; they can't be taken in conjunction with vacation or paid holidays. And they can't be carried over to the next year.

We get 2 Floating Holidays, 1 has to be taken between January 1 and June 30 and the other between July 1 and December 31. Again they can't be carried over.

Why don't the just say you get X number paid days off, whether it is for vacation, illness, or to run errands?

poppie guy wrote in post #8408235
My son Jonathan and grandson Colin at Laurelhurst park this evening. This kind of weather is great for after work picnics in the park.

Nice family memories are built in picnics in the park. One thing I've noticed with the economy being what it is, more families out walking, together. I've also seen a lot more dog walking in our neighborhood this year. Lots of new dogs, one being a beautiful Great Dane, mottled gray, I know there is a proper term for that color but don't know it off the top of my head.

Permagrin wrote in post #8408029
I wanted to thank those of you who suggested these crates. They DO seem to be inedible.

Want to try Bax out in one? Bet he would give it a good try and those fluffy bed pads would be shreds during one morning of captivity. I sure hope he grows out of that and can be let loose in the house again. He hates going in the crate and I hate that he is in such close quarters during the day.

short5 wrote in post #8408692
A picture because that's why we are here

Nice Zane.

BearLeeAlive wrote in post #8409288
Unfortunately Lisa loves anything with peanut butter, so I had to share and only got about 75% of it.

G'MAE all.

Becky N wrote in post #8409445
Companies make things so complicated sometimes by trying to call a rose by another name.

For instance, we no longer have sick days, we get 3 Personal Days, earning 1 every 4 months, but; they can't be taken in conjunction with vacation or paid holidays. And they can't be carried over to the next year.

We get 2 Floating Holidays, 1 has to be taken between January 1 and June 30 and the other between July 1 and December 31. Again they can't be carried over.

Why don't the just say you get X number paid days off, whether it is for vacation, illness, or to run errands?

Brings to mind one dark and dreary June 30th when all the fire trucks and ambulances were manned by guys wearing white shirts....seems a certain gov't agency tried that use it or use it floating holiday and the union sued...the judge struck it down and gave everyone June 30th off...or the gov't agency could pay the union members double time and give them another day of their choice off....the gov't said they had no money for OT, so let the ingrates take the day off.....we got through the day...but I can tell you....it will never happen again. I'm sure the taxpayers of said gov't agency would be less than thrilled to know they went a day with literally no protection.

*(If there had been something major, there was always a way to recall personnel and there was funding for it...fortunately for all parties, nothing happened beyond the abilities of the staff on hand....even if it was the hardest work many of them had done in several years.)

Unions and Employee Associations really can mess things up. I keep it simple, our guys get 6% holiday pay, or the equivalent of 3 weeks holidays, plus 12 statutory holidays. This is a total of 27, 8 hour working days off. Outside that, if they don't work, they don't get paid. Quite simple. With any job I have had before starting my own company things were similar.

I also allow guys to build up banked time, so that they can get extra time off and get paid for it. It is a give and take relationship and most appreciate the flexibility of it.

I watch friends at larger firms constantly taking off sick days, even when not sick but just don't feel like working. If they stay healthy and don't take sick days, they feel they are owed some remuneration for it. What ever happened to an honest wage for an honest days work? I agree with Becky that they should just be given a set number of days off to use as they please, whether for a vacation, sickness or personal stuff. Beyond that allotment they don't get anything.

Morning folks....have to go to the dentist for my bi-annual cleaning .

cfpackerfan wrote in post #8408723
At this moment, all three dogs have the 'rips' and are charging up and down the hallway, around the livingroom, over the couches, through the kitchen, repeat ad nauseum.

Install some speed bumps to slow em down

Some weird and almost confusing leave policies companies have.

My wife has a pretty straight forward one, but not lenient. They get 3 weeks paid leave, to use for what ever they want and then get one week paid due to the company closing for the Christmas holiday that is not charged against her leave balance. They get no "sick leave", but can take as many sick days throughout the year they want within reason. Dr. notes may be required, even for one day.

Me on the other hand, pretty straight forward. We get up to 240 hours of leave a year that can be carried over every year. Getting to the 240 is the hard part....for the first 3 years of employment one earns 4 hours per pay period, years 6-15 its 6 hours per pay period and then 15+ years its 8 hours. So after saving your leave and if you can get 240 hours saved to carry over, the next year...you have another 200+ hours that become use or lose. Sick leave, everyone earns 4 hours every pay period. But it can be saved till the day you retire.....however, if you are a good employee and never used the sick leave during your 30 years, you lose it (unless you fall under the old govt system of leave policy which I don't). A guy that retired a couple years ago in my office had 1,400+ hours of sick leave saved up...at least 35 weeks of sick leave he could have taken . Oh and I get all the fed holidays, otherwise known as, banker holidays

Hi guys & gals

DoodleBunz wrote in post #8407822
C
Freezer meals are the way to go. Make a little extra each time you make a meal at home and pop it in the freezer for him. Seriously. In a container that doesn't need to be returned if at all possible.

What should I charge? I was thinking like $10? I'm so confused!

Becky N wrote in post #8409445
Why don't the just say you get X number paid days off, whether it is for vacation, illness, or to run errands?

We have that in the UK. January 1st, you get all your holiday days, and you're supposed to use them up before 11:59pm on Dec 31st.

I had 31 days holiday, not including bank holidays, given all in one go. I could use it up in one month and have nothing left afterwards. We do not get "sick days" either. It comes out of your allotment. If you are "sick" and need unpaid leave, this would go against your record with HR too. A lot of people who work really hard would not use many (if any) days off till the end of the year, and then would carry the time forward (you need a GOOD reason why) then take 1.5 months off to Australia or New Zealand, using at least half of their new allotment on top of the previous year's allotment of holiday time....

Then I moved over here, and it is all about accruing time....I get 6.8 hrs off every pay period (2 weeks) or something like that....which equates to waaaaaaaaaaaaay less holiday time than in the UK, but I get 40 hrs sick time per year - which I do not think carries over....but for someone who has never taken off sick time, I find it very hard to use up sick time now, even though over here, I don't think it goes on your record when you use it up....