fishfood
October 28th, 2009, 12:00 AM
Well, as most of you knew, I got a new job about 12 weeks ago. Since then, my schedule was exceedingly hectic. I posted on both the WGMS site and this one that I was going to miss a few months, due to working afternoon/nights.
I write afternoons/nights because in the past weeks, my weekly work hours consisted of being between 75 and 88 hours a week. My highest week so far was 88.75 hours.
Sure it sounds great to go from suffering and no work to a LOT of work, but now I suffer in other departments. I have worked my way out of some debt, with lots left over, but am making a dent. My tank as well has begun to suffer. Working those many hours has given me next to NO time to take care of the tank. But rest assured, this week is the first week I am back on human hours. Monday to Friday, 7 to 3:30. I have a life again, my fiancee is starting to remember who I am, and my tank will start to get the TLC it needs.
Currently I am run over with bryopsis (sp?), but am working on a "cure". I know my RO/DI definitely needs the cartridges changed, my TDI is bouncing between 5 and 10.
But most importantly, the WGMS. It seems to have suffered the most in my absence. I know Syzmek has done his best job trying to keep things a float, but as he mentioned, things happened (personal and work) which prevented the powers to be to perform their required tasks.
I have not and will not give up on the WMGS. I was disappointed though in regards to Septembers meet about having a family BBQ, but when you don't get the response you hope for, there's not much you can do. Yes, October's meet discussion was left too late as well. But what's two months out of the rest of the clubs life right?
I know I have been getting PM's from ppl regarding this and that, and I hope those understand the caliber of how non existent I was by the lack of my response to their PM's. I worked from 10am to between 2 and 3 am every day, including weekends for the past almost 3 months. I would literally get home, shower, "take a nap" and get up to go back to work.
Ya sure, some friends would text message me, telling me I would burn myself out, but as we all know, in this day and age, you have to take what you can get, and you don't ever dare to say no to work. because odds are, the moment you do, someone else will be there to take your spot. Good thing I enjoy my work, or all this work may have wiped me a lot more than it did.
My last day of crazy hours was this past Friday. So I have had my first weekend off in who knows how long. I have been able to relax, and think some things through.
It seems the biggest bottleneck for the WGMS is/was meet locations. Sure, things were great in the start, ppl volunteering left, right and center. But now volunteers have become sparse. So, I too like the idea that was mentioned about if there is no meet location, we all meet somewhere, like a Boston Pizza, for a drink or two, and discuss random topics. I vote we pick ONE place to fall on every time we need, to avoid the clutter and confusion in trying to find a place every time we need.
Maybe even make this place, our main place to meet. And we reserve peoples houses for the special meets. That way there is no pressure on ppl to volunteer their place for 5 to 20 tank crazed people. Say we have a guest speaker, in that case, I am sure their would be enough ppl willing to offer their place.
My point is, if we have ONE concrete solid place we can all rely on, we eliminate a substantial amount of guess work, posting, etc, on where the meet will be next. So, between Brampton, Mississauga, Milton, Oakville, Burlington, and Hamilton, I vote we find a place in Oakville. It seems to be the most central and easy to get to from all regions.
Brampton can head down the 410, to 403 to Oakville
Mississauga can head down the 403 to Oakville
Milton has Trafalgar
Hamilton and Burlington have the QEW
Yes yes, I am aware that most of the fun for some members is getting to see other ppl's tanks. But who knows, maybe after a few meets somewhere where we can all sit and chat over a drink, or milk in a dirty glass for others, ppl will be less hesitant to offer their places for meets.
Personally, not for the food really, but for the enormous pitchers of beer, I vote on finding a Boston Pizza.
Now, I know for some, their greatest concern was what's happening with their $20 membership fee they paid. I for one would be concerned too. In the beginning, we regimented a fiscal year for the duration of our membership fees. I haven't really pitched this idea to others yet, not even Syzmek, JMANCANDIAN, or Juiceworld yet, but maybe we should extend ppl's current memberships two months, to HELP, but not completely, make up for the loss of the past two months. I see no harm in that.
As for the aim to do group buys, that is still one of our goals. But as I already stated a few times, I was too swamped with work to make the WGMS a priority of mine, so I slacked off on the department of looking to the LFS's to help us. Now that I have room to breathe again, it amongst other WGMS issues is on the top of the priority list.
I was/am also super stoked to see the increase in enthusiastic people from the Burlington/Hamilton area too. Expanding is always fantastic for any club.
So, it's five to midnight, and I need to hit the sack. I am sure I can ramble on some more, but I best get some sleep for work tomorrow. I'll admit, right now I am still feeling like I should be watching the clock for the few hours I used to have left of work each night.
I am sure ppl will have lots to say, or have piled up thoughts of their own in the two month lull the WGMS went through, so please post any replies, thoughts, or concerns you may have on the WMGS.
I write afternoons/nights because in the past weeks, my weekly work hours consisted of being between 75 and 88 hours a week. My highest week so far was 88.75 hours.
Sure it sounds great to go from suffering and no work to a LOT of work, but now I suffer in other departments. I have worked my way out of some debt, with lots left over, but am making a dent. My tank as well has begun to suffer. Working those many hours has given me next to NO time to take care of the tank. But rest assured, this week is the first week I am back on human hours. Monday to Friday, 7 to 3:30. I have a life again, my fiancee is starting to remember who I am, and my tank will start to get the TLC it needs.
Currently I am run over with bryopsis (sp?), but am working on a "cure". I know my RO/DI definitely needs the cartridges changed, my TDI is bouncing between 5 and 10.
But most importantly, the WGMS. It seems to have suffered the most in my absence. I know Syzmek has done his best job trying to keep things a float, but as he mentioned, things happened (personal and work) which prevented the powers to be to perform their required tasks.
I have not and will not give up on the WMGS. I was disappointed though in regards to Septembers meet about having a family BBQ, but when you don't get the response you hope for, there's not much you can do. Yes, October's meet discussion was left too late as well. But what's two months out of the rest of the clubs life right?
I know I have been getting PM's from ppl regarding this and that, and I hope those understand the caliber of how non existent I was by the lack of my response to their PM's. I worked from 10am to between 2 and 3 am every day, including weekends for the past almost 3 months. I would literally get home, shower, "take a nap" and get up to go back to work.
Ya sure, some friends would text message me, telling me I would burn myself out, but as we all know, in this day and age, you have to take what you can get, and you don't ever dare to say no to work. because odds are, the moment you do, someone else will be there to take your spot. Good thing I enjoy my work, or all this work may have wiped me a lot more than it did.
My last day of crazy hours was this past Friday. So I have had my first weekend off in who knows how long. I have been able to relax, and think some things through.
It seems the biggest bottleneck for the WGMS is/was meet locations. Sure, things were great in the start, ppl volunteering left, right and center. But now volunteers have become sparse. So, I too like the idea that was mentioned about if there is no meet location, we all meet somewhere, like a Boston Pizza, for a drink or two, and discuss random topics. I vote we pick ONE place to fall on every time we need, to avoid the clutter and confusion in trying to find a place every time we need.
Maybe even make this place, our main place to meet. And we reserve peoples houses for the special meets. That way there is no pressure on ppl to volunteer their place for 5 to 20 tank crazed people. Say we have a guest speaker, in that case, I am sure their would be enough ppl willing to offer their place.
My point is, if we have ONE concrete solid place we can all rely on, we eliminate a substantial amount of guess work, posting, etc, on where the meet will be next. So, between Brampton, Mississauga, Milton, Oakville, Burlington, and Hamilton, I vote we find a place in Oakville. It seems to be the most central and easy to get to from all regions.
Brampton can head down the 410, to 403 to Oakville
Mississauga can head down the 403 to Oakville
Milton has Trafalgar
Hamilton and Burlington have the QEW
Yes yes, I am aware that most of the fun for some members is getting to see other ppl's tanks. But who knows, maybe after a few meets somewhere where we can all sit and chat over a drink, or milk in a dirty glass for others, ppl will be less hesitant to offer their places for meets.
Personally, not for the food really, but for the enormous pitchers of beer, I vote on finding a Boston Pizza.
Now, I know for some, their greatest concern was what's happening with their $20 membership fee they paid. I for one would be concerned too. In the beginning, we regimented a fiscal year for the duration of our membership fees. I haven't really pitched this idea to others yet, not even Syzmek, JMANCANDIAN, or Juiceworld yet, but maybe we should extend ppl's current memberships two months, to HELP, but not completely, make up for the loss of the past two months. I see no harm in that.
As for the aim to do group buys, that is still one of our goals. But as I already stated a few times, I was too swamped with work to make the WGMS a priority of mine, so I slacked off on the department of looking to the LFS's to help us. Now that I have room to breathe again, it amongst other WGMS issues is on the top of the priority list.
I was/am also super stoked to see the increase in enthusiastic people from the Burlington/Hamilton area too. Expanding is always fantastic for any club.
So, it's five to midnight, and I need to hit the sack. I am sure I can ramble on some more, but I best get some sleep for work tomorrow. I'll admit, right now I am still feeling like I should be watching the clock for the few hours I used to have left of work each night.
I am sure ppl will have lots to say, or have piled up thoughts of their own in the two month lull the WGMS went through, so please post any replies, thoughts, or concerns you may have on the WMGS.