(no subject)

[the_rck]

I started a new story yesterday. I'm not sure if it will go anywhere or not, though, because it's definitely getting into characterization/backstory/world building rather than the smut requested in the prompt. I made a list of the prompts that I'd saved and ideas I have that I thought might be quick to get done. That gave me a list of 106 options. I'm beyond boggling at that. It's too many for me to easily pick one-- or even a handful-- to focus on without resorting to randomization.

At any rate, I'm almost 1000 words into this one, and it's all set up. I still have the two stories that need rewriting, but I have no real idea where to start with them. (They're both Weiss Kreuz, 8K-10K words, explicit, and potentially squicky. I don't think that canon knowledge is required for either, though, and I'd adore help.)

We're supposed to take mashed potatoes and a vegetable to Thanksgiving dinner at Scott's parents' place. The pressure cooker makes mashed potatoes fairly easy, as long as we're not wanting to remove the skin (and I like the skin left in). Scott picked up some bok choy yesterday since that's on the list of things that are probably safe for me to eat. Cordelia hasn't tried it in years, so maybe she'll be willing to eat it now.

My uncle has been transferred to yet another hospital. He's now waiting either to die or to get a lung transplant. My assumption is that the doctors must think his chances with a transplant are good because I don't see them suggesting it otherwise. I have no idea how long the waiting list is for lung transplants or how hard it is to match well enough to make it worthwhile.

Scott still doesn't know his work schedule for the weekend. Most years, he has Thursday off and then works Friday. Some years, he also works Saturday; some years, he doesn't. Usually, he'll have Sunday off. The schedule simply hasn't been set yet, and there's a rumor going around that they might get both Thursday and Friday off but then be required to work Saturday and Sunday to compensate. Scott and I just want to know so that we can plan.

Comments

[wendelah1]

It's Tuesday. How can they not have a schedule posted for this week? I obviously don't understand his industry.

Hospitals have fluctuating censuses at holiday time, but they never close down for even a single day. Yet we managed to post a holiday schedule weeks and weeks in advance, and give most people their first or second choices of the three holidays. By the beginning of November, I knew what my work days were all the way through New Year's Eve and Day, and usually the week after that. We always staffed as if we were at full capacity. We always staffed to have a charge nurse and a backup working. If the census dropped, we gave extra holidays.

[the_rck]

This is manufacturing. A few decades back, the government started taxing inventory on hand (this is part of why books go out of print so fast. Having unsold copies in a warehouse increases the publisher's taxes). The industry in which my husband works moved to what they call 'just in time' manufacturing. That means that they don't make anything at all in advance, not even if they know that the orders are certain. They won't store anything. It all gets made right before shipping, and if more bottles are wanted, people have to work overtime.

Every year, they need to make more bottles in the summer. Every year. And August through the end of October is crazy busy due to cider season. Basically, they often don't decide until Thursday or even Friday whether or not they'll be doing production on the weekend at all. Sometimes, they shut down completely for both days. That means they don't have staff specifically hired for those hours and that people who've already worked all week have to do overtime.