We were already pushed to after the holiday (MIL worked at airport, SIL was a firefighter, I work in a hospital - everyone is agreeable to not celebrating on the actual holiday which is a relief) so now we are going to pivot to celebrate my SIL's 12/26 bday and push out holiday gathering a week.

Pour one out for my MIL who I am sure is a wound ball of stress. Of course it is supposed to be 45 outside and not helpful. (We are pushing our celebration to January so she can do her fabulous brunch spread as she wants without having to work out of a cooler.)

I keep coming back to your first sentence. That he is mad about hurt feelings. I hope this is a lesson to be learned from, but I don't have faith things will change on that end. (Also I love your card every year. Good job.)

Last night J asked if he needed to do anything since he is off today and tomorrow. I mean thanks for recognizing I am working all week, but that check in would have been more helpful LAST WEEK. Shit is done dear.

I had our eldest niece's entire basketball team over to decorate sugar cookies after a game on her bday last weekend. Baked, prepped everything (Gluten free, dye free accommodations and all). Send a pic of youngest niece frosting with J in family text thread and my MIL responds what a great uncle.

Every couple of years J catches me watching this and comments "what is this? There's a lot of stars in this."

I paid $31 to ship a gift pack to my best friend 90 miles away. Priority mail used to get there overnight but now takes at least 4-5 days. I kept watching the tracking fully expecting it to go states away for no reason.

This is maddening from your stance but amazingly delightful from mine.
I still have a Milwaukee Bucks sweatshirt I full on stole from my dad when I was 12. I think he got it for Christmas and wore it once. I did the family laundry and it never went back in his drawer again.

Managing people sucks. I know this. I do not need to be well liked. It IS incredibly disheartening when I fight for this team that they think things would be better without me.
I am pleased to have a supportive boss in place with coverage and hoping that in 2026 I can tag out a bit more.

This goes in my FIL's stocking every year. I hunt for the package with the dogs. (My MIL has stated she prefers the stick shapes for dunking in her coffee, but it's not her stocking...)

Several coworkers checked in on me last night and this morning. So it's still not great, but I got a little reassurance in humanity and compassion and that is a drop in my bucket.

We have both in the house

For pure maple syrup (vs pancake syrup) I do refrigerate once opened. If accidently left out in a glass bottle and I do not see any visible mold I would probably keep. For a opaque plastic jug left open in a cabinet for a couple weeks I would probably toss because unseen mold is not worth it to me.

I always assume it is bumped up to cover administrative costs of the transaction, not just the credit card fee, but also there would still be administrative costs on their end if I mailed a check. I don't send an extra $1.56 for them to open the envelope.

Oh very much so. Same as they did not eliminate the VP of Facilities until after Joint Commission survey.

Sure does. It is not advisable to be bitching out in the open about the company I am pulling a paycheck from, but holy hell they are really making it hard to want to stay.

My new boss was at least present to support the meeting. (I have not had a direct boss or any coverage since April and they eliminated the position of the VP I was reporting up to while we have no director in place.) But sure I see how *I* am the problem here.

My staff did not bring literal pitchforks to the meeting so at least I had that going for me.

I had a pretty spectacular one on Saturday, but I'm thinking I will squeeze another one in sometime today or tomorrow.