popkin16

I want to thank everyone who sent me a Christmas card - I really appreciate it and it brightened my day considerably!

This was my first holiday season as a manager, and was it a rough one! We were 9 people below headcount, and our efforts to get people in and trained before things got CRAZY were of mixed success. I don't remember last Christmas season being this horrific - especially the two weeks before Christmas! I stayed late almost every shift and had to work one 13 hour day. I am drained and so are my people.

We got a new store manager, and there was a lot of drama surrounding him. He cut hours all over the store despite it being the holiday season, and an assistant manager position opened up and he promised it to someone from his previous store - completely ignoring the fact that there were people at our store that wanted the position. He also likes to talk shit about people behind their backs, but in front of other managers, and he spent all the money the store uses to have a Christmas party for the associates on renovating his new office. He likes to sneak up on people and stand uncomfortably close to them as well. He also said he's not going to promote from within our store, which is a slap in the face to all the great people who want to move up in the company.

So when my department started to struggle because we were drowning under orders, we'd get on the radio and call for help...only to be told there was little to nobody around to actually help. I've been in the online pickup department since it opened, and we've NEVER been this busy. Which I guess is good - I mean, job security and all that - but it got to the point where I was just so stressed and dreading going to work every day. And then one of my co-managers accepted a position at another store because they want to promote up eventually and it's not going to happen here. I'm particularly bummed because she and I were often of the same opinion on things, and she was not afraid to argue and speak...I wouldn't say aggressively, but perhaps passionately, with our boss. My boss has also made comments about wanting to leave, and I REALLY hope she doesn't. While she's not the best boss, she's not so bad - surprisingly reasonable about things - and better the devil you know.

I do read the messages on WhatsApp, and I keep meaning to show up for the Squee video chats, but to be honest all of my energy just went to surviving the holidays. I miss everyone though, and I hope I get to talk to everyone soon.

I hope everyone had the best holiday!

Thank you for all the happy birthday wishes 💜 I know I've been quiet on this platform, and that's more because I have nothing going on worth talking about than a desire to avoid contact.

I played and beat Tears of the Kingdom, the sequel to Breath of the Wild. I love BOTW more but it was still fantastic and I really think those games are going to be in my top 5 games forever lol. After that, I fell into Hollow Knight, a notoriously difficult metroidvania game that is beautiful and hand drawn. The music is also fantastic, but the plot to the game is REALLY sad. And now I'm playing Sun Haven, which is just like Stardew Valley but with a fantasy twist (and a couple other features I really love).

For reading, I'm still slowly finishing books. My TBR keeps growing and the books I keep reading aren't even on my TBR...sometimes thinking about my overwhelming TBR gives me anxiety lol.

Fandom-wise, I'm still really bouncing around. Anime, adult cartoons, video games, books, and tv shows (mostly old favorites, like SGA and Due South). I've also been reading a ton of webtoons lol.

I've started and not finished writing a ton of fics across at least three fandoms. I'd like to write, but motivation/energy are issues.

Work is going......................ok. We're still really short-staffed and our state gave everyone summer EBT. If you already get EBT, you get more. If you don't get EBT, you get some. It's because children are going to be at home so no meals at school. So they gave parents some EBT to help pay for kids to eat, which I'm all for. But it does mean we have more and/or bigger orders on top of being short staffed. We've been so busy I haven't even really been able to do management things; I'm helping with the basics of the job just to get that done.

I really need my vacation 😂

Me! I'm going back to school :) I had to take out a loan and I'm stressing about the payments (mostly because money stuff already gives me anxiety) but I'm going for my certification to be a pharmacy tech.

We're really busy at work these days. Maybe we catch a break at the end of the month because people are out of money (and food stamps), but it's not a guarantee. And then I found out that pretty much all my good co-workers are leaving the night shift, leaving me with the less-than-stellar workers. I don't want to work twice as hard to get half as much done, and then have my boss yell about it. I thought about moving to a different department, but there are some managers I don't want to work for, some jobs I don't want to do, and it left me with very limited options.

I'm kind of hoping the frustration I feel at work when things are going to shit - which is often - will be good motivation for me to stick with it. I was always better at English and History in school, and this requires science classes.

Of course, my managers are aware we're losing all our good workers and have been asking me who I want on my team and telling me about all of these much needed changes they're making, but I've already taken out the loan and signed up for the classes. I'll need a job while going to school anyway, so I might as well stick with the one I have. And there's no guarantee I'll get a job in a pharmacy after - if there are no nearby job positions, I'll just stick with the job I have. But it'll give me options, which is good.

It's 100% online, go-at-your-own-pace. I keep forgetting that bit; I have to pay off the loan in 12 months, so my brain is like, "You've got to finish classes in 12 months too!" but that's not really true lol.

We'll see how it goes~

Has anyone seen it yet? I've been seeing some posts on tumblr and I want to watch it, but also...the heartbreak...

I received a postcard from the incomparable ride_4ever! It really cheered me up, and I'm going to tuck it away with my other cards for safe keeping <3 Thank you so much!

Why must I get sick *now* of all times???

I'm doing...ok. Work has been extremely overwhelming - they increased the number of grocery orders per day we can get (worst timing ever), and on top of that we have the expected online holiday craziness. Lots of new people, quite a few experienced coworkers on leave, and all combined it leaves me feeling exhausted and overwhelmed a lot. Two days off doesn't seem to be enough time to recover before I'm thrown back into things. I'm by turns exhausted and apathetic, and I keep forgetting things. Nothing too important (like meds or appointments, for example), just...little things. I've been setting a lot of reminders on my phone, and then forgetting to check my phone. Brain fog is the worst.

Hopefully things will settle after the New Year and I'll feel less like I'm treading water. We'll see.

I'm jumping between fandoms like I'm playing a game of hot potato. SGA, James Bond, Critical Role, Dresden Files, BFU. Right now I'm revisiting the Fullmetal Alchemist fandom, which is weird because I haven't watched the anime (either of them) in years. Then again, the last time I visited the Dresden Files fandom it was 2011, so...hm. Maybe it isn't so weird. I've also started reading Silmarillion fanfiction even though I've never read the book. A friend of mine told me about a ship of theirs from the book, and despite the many characters (why do they all have five names each??) and tragic events, I sought out fic and fell in love.

Buzzfeed Unsolved is officially done, but the boys have announced a ghost hunting show called Ghost Files on their own channel. My exhaustion/apathy means I'm behind on MANY of their stuff. I've also watched a few episodes of Only Murders in the Building and it's a perfect mix of comedy and mystery, and luckily I'm watching it with a friend - which means I'm actually going to finish it lol.

Literally nothing else of interest has happened ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 I'm writing a Practical Magic AU for the atlantisfilmfestival. I've wanted to do it for aaaaages, because I love the idea of little Rodney wishing that his true love will be this impossible person so he'll never have to fall in love. And then John shows up *grins*

But a lot of the movie isn't about romance. It's about the sisters. I'm about 9k in and John hasn't even shown up yet, and I'm starting to feel like there's just not enough McShep in my McShep fic. I'm a McShep girl FIRST, always. The whole desire to write this fic was for Rodney's wish, even if I do find the witchy bits super fun.

There's also not enough time left for me to start another film fusion lol. The wonderful escriveine  assures me the fic is wonderful. But! But the boys! And their love!

Maybe I should write a really schmoopy McShep fic after I finish this. Just a quick one-shot. I have no ideas, but maybe it'll make me feel better.

Hey guys! atlantisfilmfestival is now open for posting. The minimum word count for a movie fusion is only 1k ;) There's even an ao3 collection :D This is a low-key festival, no sign ups or anything required. If you're inspired, write and post~ I know what I'd like to get done (mcshep Practical Magic au)!

After three years, my job has switched me from second shift to mostly first (with a couple second shifts thrown in). It's been a difficult transition for me. I've never been much of a morning person. Working second shift meant I could stay up a little later and sleep in more, which I haven't been able to do lately. I'm tired all the time. I haven't written anything in ages, and what I have written feels flat. Mostly I've just been reading...

I'm hoping I can force myself to finish the next chapter of my werewolf AU (which I already have a start on) and, if I finish quickly enough, maybe get something done for the Atlantis Film Festival. No promises though, given how dull I've been feeling lately.