music: “What Am I Supposed to Do Now” – Riley Green
Here we are in August and it already feels like the longest month ever. We’re in “heat advisory” weather, which means HOT outside and hoping to stay cool inside with the a/c. Thank goodness for air conditioning!
I have been watching so many videos on the Galaxy Z Fold8, the passport sized foldable from Samsung. I have been fascinated by the book style foldables but they have been stupidly expensive and I contented myself with the Z Flip as my second phone after the hubby abandoned the Flip 4. I really liked the Flip 5 and it’s been even better with the Flip 7. It’s really such a nifty form factor and I would definitely recommend it, so long as you’re mindful with your devices. ๐
When the Pixel Fold first came out, I was super intrigued. I was drawn to the form factor for sure but Google quickly abandoned it with its next foldable. So it seemed that the more attainable foldables like the Z Folds and Pixel Folds would basically have the same form factor. I was never really tempted after all the foldables seem to look the same. Plus the price tags on the devices are just stupid expensive. STUPID EXPENSIVE. The Z Flips are a bit more reasonable, especially with their darn cute form factors.
Rumor has it that Apple will be debuting their first foldable this autumn and it will be a passport style. So is Samsung getting ahead of the game with their Z Fold8? Heck yes! You know when Apple shows off their foldable, everyone is going to declare that Apple has reinvented the category and refined it. It’s a tale as old as tech time. One might say that waiting for Apple’s release would be the smart thing to do. Let the tech reviewers out there try out the phone, compare it to the ones already out then let the audience decide on what they want to spend their hard earned cash on. I’m sure there a lot of people out there waiting to see how it all shakes out. And I’m very sure Apple is going to sell a lot of foldables, especially in light of their new upgrade (leasing) plan.
I wish I could say that I’m smart enough to wait and see what Apple offers. It’s a good play, especially since my main phone is an iPhone and I’m ready for an upgrade. Shouldn’t I wait and possibly get the Apple foldable? Here’s the thing– the first Apple foldable will be Apple’s first and I’m not sure I want my main phone to be an experiment. It’s exciting to be an early adopter but I’d rather have a device that’s gone through some iterations and revisions. No matter how awesome Apple is, the fact that this will be their first foldable is enough for me to say, “Maybe in a couple of years.”
If you haven’t already guessed, my next new device has been ordered. T-Mobile has a pretty good deal involving trade-ins, so I’ll be going from my Flip to a Fold. I’m excited for a device that will genuinely be new for me. The Flip is fantastic but it’s a form factor reinvented. I’ve had flip phones back in the day. The Flip is reimagined into a smartphone. The Z Fold8 is sort of like the slab smartphones of today when closed and a bit like a tablet when opened. I am excited to try it out! It might turn into my weekend phone, as in the one that’s out of the purse when we’re out as opposed to the iPhone. We’ll see. ๐
I was trying to think of my next thing to write and I remembered– work drama. I can’t be specific about it because I don’t know who reads this and I don’t want to offend anyone even though I feel personally affronted. So how to tell this tale in a vague way without outing anyone?
I’m too busy at work to care about what other people do at work. Our department is too busy to worry about what other departments do in their offices. We MIND OUR OWN and strive to do our jobs to the best of our ability. No one needs to be concerned about what we do except perhaps for the superintendent. After all, she is in charge of the whole district.
It is bad enough when parents complain, accusing us of not helping them or being dismissive when it’s just a case of them not liking the process and us telling them what that process is. It’s so much worse when other departments who don’t know the first thing about what we do think that we’re not doing our jobs. If you don’t know what our duties entail, how can you say one thing is not someone’s job but someone else’s? And even if that’s the case, how is it a concern to you, someone not in our department?
I personally believe that some of it is jealousy. Our department dynamics aren’t the same as other departments, as we have two clerical support staff. We work together. Our duties blend in some aspects. But everyone has stuff that’s only theirs and if help is needed, it’s support. For example, a LOT of my job is transfers. I’m the one who logs them, preps them, prepares them. I’m the one who generates the letters or releases then online. I have to share the lists with the registrars. I have to file them away at the end. I’m not the only one who touches the transfers but I’m the one who can readily answer the question, “Did Student A turn in a transfer?”
The only people who should question what I or the other classified staff do in our department are the administrators like our immediate supervisor or the superintendent. After all, they see the big picture and would know what changes need to be made for efficiency. Another rank and file classified employee, however, need not concern themselves with our duties. They don’t need to wonder why one person is doing one thing and why another is not doing something else. We don’t go into other departments and ask why someone isn’t do this or that so why would anyone go into ours?
It is so damn annoying. The lesson– MIND YOUR OWN!
Let’s do the random stuff now…
- One of my bookshelves is filling fast with books I need to read! I need to finish Iron Flame so I can start on Heart of Glass. Maybe I should make it my goal to finish the book this week. I’ll update on this next week. ๐
- Our department went out for drinks on Friday afternoon. It was a great way to end the second week of school. I had a Guinness and successfully split the G.
- We keep missing the farmers market! We went out on Saturday afternoon and I had two glasses of Pinot Grigio at the wine bar. When we hit BCBC, I went for iced tea. I ended up taking a nap later after we were back home and had eaten.
- The Z Fold8 was ordered while we were at the wine bar. I was not the one to click on buy, in case you’re wondering. ๐
- I love that we have a king sized bed now but my sleep hasn’t been consistently good. It’s probably the work stress and just getting used to something new.
- What am I going to call “my” room? My reading room? My den? Office seems impersonal and computer room isn’t quite accurate. Hobby room?
- Oh, and what am I going to call my new phone? My Z Flip 7 is called “Nymeria” because we were re-watching Game of Thrones when I got it. My previous Flip was called “Beaudoin” because of my latest fangirl crush. Whatever shall I call the Z Fold8? I’m getting the lavender one. Hmm. (My iPhone is Your Grace IV – Princess Irulan.) I’ll have a name by next week.
I just realized that the title of this post, “trying to stay cool,” isn’t just about the weather. I’m trying not to be bothered by the frenzy of the start of the school year, the unnecessary work drama, and yes, the weather. (I say this as I see it’s 100ยฐF at the moment. Yowsa.) Count your blessings, right?
And now, the music in my ears is “If I Don’t Leave I’m Gonna Stay” by Carly Pearce and Riley Green. I LOVE this song. It’s a good point to end this post.
Have a fantastic week, gentle reader. Muah!