So, I work in a maintenance position that really isn’t possible to do remotely but we have a fair amount of desk work too. We’re in the process of setting up a workstation to program and new head ends for our systems. The first thing on everyone’s list when we were deciding on a location was “as far from everyone else as possible” because we all know that other people being around to make small talk is a distraction that will easily double the time it takes to get this shit done.

In every maintenance position I’ve had, every one of us has had our own secret workspaces where most other guys didn’t know to look for us just so that we could get some desk work done in peace. Co-workers are a distraction more often than they are a help and I think we’ve all known this for years.

The thing is, you don’t even need to manufacture a good story. You could tell the true story of how companies have slashed overhead by reducing the amount of office space needed or how employees working from home turn out to be just as if not more productive than those working in the offices and happier with their jobs besides.

There were companies planning to move more jobs to work from home even before the pandemic because it’s a model that just makes more sense for a lot of positions. The return to office crowd could be beaten simply by pointing out the for most positions, working on-site is a needless expense. The problem is, the media isn’t willing to tell that story.

Mine’s a little weird to explain but if a woman goes off to slip into something more comfortable (like, actual pajamas, not talking about the euphemism for changing into lingerie) I not only get turned on, I’ll get a little obsessed for a while. First time it happened was senior prom, I went with a friend of mine (just as friends) and afterwards a bunch of us ended up at her place playing video games. At one point she was like, “sorry you guys are stuck in your formal wear but I’m getting out of this thing”. She came back in sweatpants and a T-shirt and had ditched her contacts for glasses (I didn’t even know she wore glasses at that point) and for some reason, I couldn’t stop thinking about her for like, months. Tried talking her into dating a couple times but no-go. After that, when girls I dated would get into pajamas to chill with me for the evening, I’d always lose interest in chilling and want to take them right to bed. To this day it drives my wife nuts that she’ll buy sexy lingerie and not get more of a reaction than when she just changed into sweats.

I didn’t put the comfy clothes thing together until my wife and I started vacationing with other couples. Every time a woman we were hanging out with left to change into comfy clothes to hang out for the rest of the night, I’d be like, “Why the hell am I so attracted to Bob’s wife all of the sudden”. Eventually It clicked that I apparently have a thing for pajamas which was a huge relief because I was a little worried that I was falling in love with a couple female friends there for a minute. Turns out it’s a lot easier to turn off when you know what’s going on.

Public speaking ability. She was on speech and debate teams all through HS and college so she is utterly unbotherered speaking in front of a crowd. Once we were the best man and matron of honor at a wedding where the grooms had said they didn’t want us to give a speech, when the DJ double checked this the day of, they were clearly regretting the decision. She caught the DJ and told him to be ready for a toast in 15. She disappeared for 10 minutes, came back and gave a speech that literally had people in tears.

Meanwhile, I have threatened to leave a church if they insisted on making me read the pre written Sunday morning announcements.

Same here. Had been considering it for a while and then scheduled mine right after Roe fell. Best $20 I have ever spent.

I actually never minded using condoms and even still, I wished I’d done it earlier. So much better, even the stretch where we still used rubbers because the wife wasn’t ready for creampies yet, I came so much easier knowing there was virtually zero chance of pregnancy.

I like to say “don’t become an anecdote.”

Lol, this makes me think of a guy I went to highschool with. He was a farm kid who would get up early and work around the farm before school. One day he spills gas on his flannel shirt before school but doesn’t have time to change so he figures it’ll air out enough on his way to work (it didn’t). Second or third class of the day was shop. He starts working in the welding booth without stopping to put on the flame retardant overcoat. A hot spark hit that gas soaked flannel and dude light up like the human torch. He had some serious burns but makes a full recovery. For years after that though, the shop teacher used to say to anyone who complained about the overcoats, “go ask Phil if they’re worth it or not”.

I had a friend in highschool who’s dad had lost part of his pointer finger to an encounter with a saw blade. He had just a little bit of the bone beyond the second knuckle that was weirdly pointed and it hurt like hell when he jabbed you with it. I know this because I used to help them build shit around their farm and if he caught us being unsafe he’d poke us in the chest with that damn half-finger while he yelled at us about it.

Those lessons really stuck too.

“Bro, we hitting the bar tonight?”

“Hell yeah! I’m three beers away from extra heavy drinker status this month. Let’s get that AB-Inbev cash!!”

(Sounds of chest bumping)

Yeah, I also met my wife online back when you’d lie about meeting someone online. Spent our first couple years telling people we met “through a friend of a friend”.

I’m guessing this was around the time you guys met since she introduced me to StumbleUpon shortly after we started dating.

Have you ever read Command and Control by Eric Schlosser? I’ve never read anything that made feel so terrified and hopeful at the same time. The number of close calls (that we know about) that we’ve had but, cooler heads (or random chance) saved us at the last moment is both horrifying and grounds for having a fair amount of faith in most people to do the right thing with these things. Of course, the amount of times we were saved by random ass chance is absolutely terrifying.

I think if it were over 100 it would be almost always be a yes. But to be entirely honest, t probably depends a lot on the day and the mood I’m in. There are days I might do it for one or two. On the other hand, there are days when I think the planet probably needs fewer humans so yeah, as bad as it sounds to say out loud, it depends entirely on the type of day I’m having.

Today, I think it’d take at somewhere between 10 and 20. I guess I’m feeling optimistic.

Last month I picked up a grab bag at a used bookstore store in my old home town. I plan to grab one at random until I get through them all. So I don’t know what I’m reading this month but I know it’s something from this bag.

I’ve finished “Dance if the Hag” and “Pennterra” so far. Just started “northern stars” today.

I don’t know that visibility is Mastodon’s biggest problem. I’ve talked to a lot of people who tried it but just didn’t find it easy to use and just bailed. I think people expecting it to be diet Twitter and getting frustrated when it isn’t as populated or user friendly is a bigger issue at this point.