Wapsi Square Forum

I went through the job postings at the UAMS website. Didn't see anything about a nursing home, and I wasn't even qualified to be a janitor there, because that requires experience. (Granted, it IS a hospital.)

But I did find a job that I can do, and for which I am qualified. I applied for a position as a rehab therapy aide, so hopefully I'll get that.

Only real downside is having to get flu shots every year...

Alkarii wrote:But I did find a job that I can do, and for which I am qualified. I applied for a position as a rehab therapy aide, so hopefully I'll get that.

Only real downside is having to get flu shots every year...

I've been getting them regularly for over 20 years. I've had a significant-to-bad flu maybe twice in all that time... and one of those was in Costa Rica, just at the beginning of the swine-flu epidemic, before they had a vaccine for it. Before the vaccine was widely available, I got the flu almost every year.

It's far from perfect... but even when it doesn't completely prevent the flu, it often reduces the severity of what you do get.

Personally, for me, the benefits have definitely outweighed the minor side effects. Biggest bummer now is that I'm at an age when its effectiveness stops being so good.

Best of luck with the job application! I have a feeling that the rehab and home-health-care areas are ones which are likely to provide fairly good job prospects in the years to come, given our country's aging population. Not glamorous work and not terribly well paid (at least at first) but it's likely to be steady... and with experience and qualification under your belt you may find other doors opening up.

Well, the only time I ever got the flu, was when I got the only flu shot I ever had...

Alkarii wrote:Well, the only time I ever got the flu, was when I got the only flu shot I ever had...

Be careful not to be convinced by your own anecdotal and thus invalid evidence. Flu shots cannot cause flu - inoculations only ever contain dead or severely weakened viruses. Which means, unless you're super immunocompromised, (AIDS or something), it's not gonna get you sick.

More likely than not, you got your shot during a year when the vaccine manufacturers missed on their prediction of that year's mutation.

Getting a flu shot not only keeps you safer, it keeps everyone else around you who cannot get the shot safer - infants, immunocompromised, etc. Immunizations improve herd immunity - the fewer people in the herd (population) who don't get their shots, the more vulnerable the entire population is.

So it's kind of a duty to others as well as a duty to yourself. Like not driving drunk.

Meh. But the time I got it was right after I got the shot. Though it was only a persistent cough and congestion that lasted several weeks, because it was basic training and everyone kept passing it around.

Still, even if that does happen, I'm sure they'll let me have the sick leave.

Yeah, the flu evolves and mutates so much every year. But still best to have the shot. Got immunocompromised person in the house, so we all get the shots.

GlytchMeister wrote:Be careful not to be convinced by your own anecdotal and thus invalid evidence. Flu shots cannot cause flu - inoculations only ever contain dead or severely weakened viruses. Which means, unless you're super immunocompromised, (AIDS or something), it's not gonna get you sick.

Whether it gives me the actual flu or not, flu shots always make me miserable for a day or so.

AnotherFairportfan wrote:Whether it gives me the actual flu or not, flu shots always make me miserable for a day or so.

Not too surprising. Although the virus has been inactivated, and can't infect your cells, your body will treat it as a foreign invader and activate your immune system. If you've had a similar strain of flu before, this reaction can be fairly swift and strong... strong enough to feel as if you're "coming down with something."

It can certainly be unpleasant... but in a way it's reassuring, because it means your body is reacting properly to the vaccine and should be building a fresh set of antibodies.

It's better than dying from the flu (and that happens more than most people realize, especially along the elderly and those with chronic illnesses).

Dave wrote:Although the virus has been inactivated, and can't infect your cells, your body will treat it as a foreign invader and activate your immune system. If you've had a similar strain of flu before, this reaction can be fairly swift and strong... strong enough to feel as if you're "coming down with something."

It can certainly be unpleasant... but in a way it's reassuring, because it means your body is reacting properly to the vaccine and should be building a fresh set of antibodies.

It's better than dying from the flu (and that happens more than most people realize, especially along the elderly and those with chronic illnesses).

Yeah, well - i am finally of the opinion that i ought start getting flu shots annually, which i haven't up till now, because i almost never get the flu, to any extent anyway - the last time i had a Really Bad Case Of The Flu was something like ten years or more ago - because of how miserable the shots made me.

But now i are an elderly.

Flu shot - aches, sniffles, cough a bit, uncomfortable sleep.

Flu - Body ache. Hurts to cough. And cough. And cough. Death warmed over. Wobbly thinking. Difficulty getting down the hall to the bathroom.

Pneumonia - Hurts to breath. Elephant on chest obstructing inhalation, or anything else involving muscles. Brain full of mush. Crawl to toilet. Hurts more to cough. Begin to understand why in the 1800s pneumonia was considered a mercy to the elderly.

Heart attack - Hit self on side of jaw with brick. Have helpful friend stand on your upper arm while it's flat on a table. Wear boots. Flamethrower jalapeno indigestion. Cold sweat.

TL;DR - Get the damn flu shot.

Atomic wrote:Flu shot - aches, sniffles, cough a bit, uncomfortable sleep.

Flu - Body ache. Hurts to cough. And cough. And cough. Death warmed over. Wobbly thinking. Difficulty getting down the hall to the bathroom.

I don't get the flu.

ShneekeyTheLost wrote:You'll be cleaning bedpans, changing soiled sheets, and other unpleasant duties. . .

You do get used to that sort of thing fairly quick, though, and it's often the more messy jobs that pay the best (since otherwise nobody would ever want to apply).

Alkarii wrote:Didn't see anything about a nursing home, and I wasn't even qualified to be a janitor there, because that requires experience.

Sometimes they'll put that in the hiring ad but not really demand it all that strenuously, unless it's some sort of job that requires official certification. It doesn't hurt to send in a resumé if you think that you might have enough work experience of some type that they might consider you.

AnotherFairportfan wrote:I don't get the flu.

Nobody who gets the flu ever had it before the first time that they come down with it.

On to some relatively happy stuff:

I have done some confirming, and it is pretty much all but official that I will be ending my employment with the state of Wisconsin, entering into early retirement* on January 6 of 2018.

That will be my last "scheduled" day of work, but I will probably never have to set foot in the institution after January 1st. See, the state gives all employees 28 hours of personal leave every year, and nine paid holidays - of which New Year's Day is considered one. Since my schedule that week features days off on Thursday and Friday, I would only need to take vacation for the 1st (holiday), the 2nd and 3rd (personal leave), and the 6th (last personal day). Any other pro-rated vacation and carry-over from 2017 would just go on to a payout check. And, as I do accrue sick leave at a rate of 1 hour for every 16 regular hours worked, I will likely have enough to cover the 31st if I truly do not feel like going in that night. (I haven't decided if I will yet, TBH.)

So that means that the two weeks prior that I have off on vacation (and the one day I have used to cover a "split" in the schedule) will mean my last day of "actual" work will be December 13, 2017.

Which, as of my posting this, is 125 days away.

* - You may be asking, "Wait, aren't you a bit young to retire?" You'd be right - right now. See, the SOWI allows employees in "protective status" to retire at age 50 - and that includes workers in my classification, Youth Counselor (aka Juvenile Corrections Officer). I turn 50 on October 6. January 6 is 90 days later.

jwhouk wrote:On to some relatively happy stuff:

I have done some confirming, and it is pretty much all but official that I will be ending my employment with the state of Wisconsin, entering into early retirement* on January 6 of 2018.

That will be my last "scheduled" day of work, but I will probably never have to set foot in the institution after January 1st. See, the state gives all employees 28 hours of personal leave every year, and nine paid holidays - of which New Year's Day is considered one. Since my schedule that week features days off on Thursday and Friday, I would only need to take vacation for the 1st (holiday), the 2nd and 3rd (personal leave), and the 6th (last personal day). Any other pro-rated vacation and carry-over from 2017 would just go on to a payout check. And, as I do accrue sick leave at a rate of 1 hour for every 16 regular hours worked, I will likely have enough to cover the 31st if I truly do not feel like going in that night. (I haven't decided if I will yet, TBH.)

So that means that the two weeks prior that I have off on vacation (and the one day I have used to cover a "split" in the schedule) will mean my last day of "actual" work will be December 13, 2017.

Which, as of my posting this, is 125 days away.

* - You may be asking, "Wait, aren't you a bit young to retire?" You'd be right - right now. See, the SOWI allows employees in "protective status" to retire at age 50 - and that includes workers in my classification, Youth Counselor (aka Juvenile Corrections Officer). I turn 50 on October 6. January 6 is 90 days later.

Good news indeed. Rest and relaxation is much needed for you. Take it easy until then...at least try.

Wish that was on the Federal level, as I know several folks in your field that seriously could use that.

Good for you!

I actually retired a couple weeks before my 50th birthday - I had 30 years in with the same employer.

That is the only sad thing about all this: I will not make it to my 25th year anniversary.

But then I lie down until that feeling goes away, as they say.

The job as it is right now is far, far, FAR from what I signed up for during the early days of the Clinton administration.

I'm slowly catching up on the archives of 21st Century Fox, and I've reached the point where the two main protagonists, Jack and Jenny (foxes) are getting married.

Their wedding photo made me laugh, because of some of the cameos...



Their wedding reception/party was also impressive, as it took place at the Cross Time Cafe (some interesting cameos there, too):


I don't know why, but my browser is cutting off that second image, on the right. But it's also a clickable link, that will take you to the webcomic page with the original.

New sisters Buckingham avatar in 3... 2....

AmriloJim wrote:New sisters Buckingham avatar in 3... 2....

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