Actual Work
Jul. 21st, 2022 01:23 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
taz_39Monday was less of a clusterf*ck than it could have been because I knew which rooms were available to me.
I got there right at 7:30 and started setting up in two rooms. Whichever computer loads fastest, wins.
That turned out to be the computer in Room 5, so there I went.
Got all of my documents ready, gathered my video meeting invites, reached out to the judge to let her know I was here.
She requested that I add her to the meeting first.
So, I opened Teams. And there was no waiting room.
Everyone was just, THERE, all at once.
The judge decided that this was MY fault and had a lot to say about it, followed by a lot of heavy sighing and exasperation because the lawyer said he was in the waiting room (there WAS no waiting room!)
I contacted tech support to confirm that the issue was not on my end, and then getting a new link for a new meeting took about 20 minutes. While this was happening I tried to break the awkward silence with updates on what was happening, only to have the judge snap, "I'm not familiar with the technology," so, ok, my bad, shutting up now :X
In the judge's defense, they said this was the third or fourth time they've held this hearing because some technological snafu has always gotten in the way of either the proceedings or transcript. I get it, and I hate MS Teams for this reason. But considering we were still perfectly able to hold hearings and were only delayed 15-20 minutes, I didn't think it was worth the rage being dished out.
But whatever, it's just another Monday in whatever miserable alternate timeline we've all fallen into here in 2022.
Thankfully we only had two hearings, and the second one was only five minutes long.
But then I looked at my docket for tomorrow and it's the same judge for the whole day. Sigh.
They are all phone hearings, so hopefully things will go smoothly and that will put the judge in a better mood.
The IT department was too busy to set me up in any rooms today, so I spent a little extra time preparing my paperwork for the next two days, hoping to spare myself stress. With that done my biggest concern is being able to find an available hearing room, and frankly if there isn't one that's not my fault either.
On the way home I stopped at FedEx to mail out some of the custom Beef on Weck pins I'd ordered to my bandmates.
It is really bothering me that I haven't heard anything about Tootsie yet, but I know I need to be patient.
On the way home I picked up Target sushi for myself, but then Jameson's rehearsal got cancelled so I had nothing for him.
Not only did the rehearsal get cancelled; the whole show, because of covid. I guess we're not through it yet.
And then he got the bill for his surgery ("Not a bill, just a summary") for FORTY THOUSAND DOLLARS.
Not a real bill, but god DAMN, I truly hope his insurance covers 99% of that because otherwise we are in TROUBLE.
I try not to think about this country's horrific, bullshit healthcare system.
But at some point it will rear it's ugly head, and one of us will be facing bankruptcy over a stubbed toe.
-------------------------------------------------
Early, so early on Tuesday.
Breakfast of cold overnight oats with flax and raspberries, Greek yogurt, and ultrafiltered protein milk. And coffee.
At work I was able to sign in and get set up with minimal issues. A miracle.
It was the same snippety judge as yesterday, except today they were in a good mood so there was no excuse for how they talked down to some of the claimants, and at one point bit the vocational expert's head off for talking too fast (she was talking at the same speed she'd been all day as far as I could tell). Whatever, this is just not my favorite judge and hopefully I'll be assigned to them infrequently.
I avoided any demeaning talkdowns in my direction by simply saying "Yes Judge" and "No Judge" and "We're on the record Judge" and not much else all day. All of the hearings went smoothly because MS Teams wasn't involved, thank god. I was happy to send my paperwork in and drive home.
Another day of hearings tomorrow, this time they'll be spaced an hour apart which I think is perfect. Most hearings are around 30-45 minutes, and having 15 minutes at the end to wrap up paperwork or set up for the next hearing or just PEE is ideal. I don't care if it makes the day longer, it makes more SENSE and it's more accommodating to claimants, too. When the hearings are only 15 minutes apart you are guaranteed to be seen late, and I think that's inconsiderate scheduling. But what do I know, I just got here.
Just to clarify, I really do like this job. I like the work, the people seem really nice, most judges so far have been awesome, and hearings are incredibly interesting. I complain either because something got under my skin (happens at every single job) or because there are inefficiencies that I dearly wish could be made better, thereby making this a better job.
-------------------------------------------------
Another 5am wakeup because I needed to set up in a different room and early morning is the only time it's usually possible.
Bless his beautiful heart, John the IT guy was ready and waiting for me when I walked in at 7:30.
We got my station all set up, just in time for my first case at 9am.
Yes, it took about an hour to set up a normal Windows profile and applications.
But unfortunately the Judge was the one with issues this morning.
I dialed everyone into the Teams meeting, and she couldn't hear anyone, although we could all hear her.
This was definitely an issue on her end, so there was nothing to do but wait while Tech Support helped her out.
That took a whole hour, so we didn't get started until 10am.
We continued on that way, an hour late for each case, until noon because that had been a scheduled break.
So, skipping the noon break made the last two hearings on time.
Go figure. I desperately stole bites of wheat bread, green beans, "Tone It Up!" bar, tuna, and pear during lulls in transcription.
At least I was still able to eat.
The worst part of all of this isn't the technical issues or the missed lunch breaks.
It's that those issues, combined with poor scheduling, mean you end up sitting in uncomfortable chairs hunched over a keyboard for the ENTIRE DAY. No time whatsoever to stretch or go for a short walk, except to the bathroom. Overall it seems like whoever is running this operation thinks everyone working in this system is a robot with no biological needs. It's really weird. I mean I know some jobs are intensive or repetitive or whatever...but it seems to me that an agency that handles nothing but disability claims would have, I don't know, policies in their own workplace to prevent work-related disability!
Anyway, Despite all that it was a good day because all the cases were held.
I was exacting with my transcripts, so didn't have to stay late to edit them.
Doing my paperwork a day in advance was wonderful. I just had to check a few boxes for each case. Glorious.
I set up my paperwork for my next workday before leaving.
On the way home I stopped at Sprouts to get bulk seeds.
I want to add seeds to my next loaf of wheat bread, just to see how it goes.
I got pepitas, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, hemp seeds, sesame seeds, and poppy seeds (I wanted chia but they didn't have.)
And I grabbed some wings, we can enjoy them for dinner tomorrow.
Pretty bland week because I was working, but I'm glad to have the work.
I got there right at 7:30 and started setting up in two rooms. Whichever computer loads fastest, wins.
That turned out to be the computer in Room 5, so there I went.
Got all of my documents ready, gathered my video meeting invites, reached out to the judge to let her know I was here.
She requested that I add her to the meeting first.
So, I opened Teams. And there was no waiting room.
Everyone was just, THERE, all at once.
The judge decided that this was MY fault and had a lot to say about it, followed by a lot of heavy sighing and exasperation because the lawyer said he was in the waiting room (there WAS no waiting room!)
I contacted tech support to confirm that the issue was not on my end, and then getting a new link for a new meeting took about 20 minutes. While this was happening I tried to break the awkward silence with updates on what was happening, only to have the judge snap, "I'm not familiar with the technology," so, ok, my bad, shutting up now :X
In the judge's defense, they said this was the third or fourth time they've held this hearing because some technological snafu has always gotten in the way of either the proceedings or transcript. I get it, and I hate MS Teams for this reason. But considering we were still perfectly able to hold hearings and were only delayed 15-20 minutes, I didn't think it was worth the rage being dished out.
But whatever, it's just another Monday in whatever miserable alternate timeline we've all fallen into here in 2022.
Thankfully we only had two hearings, and the second one was only five minutes long.
But then I looked at my docket for tomorrow and it's the same judge for the whole day. Sigh.
They are all phone hearings, so hopefully things will go smoothly and that will put the judge in a better mood.
The IT department was too busy to set me up in any rooms today, so I spent a little extra time preparing my paperwork for the next two days, hoping to spare myself stress. With that done my biggest concern is being able to find an available hearing room, and frankly if there isn't one that's not my fault either.
On the way home I stopped at FedEx to mail out some of the custom Beef on Weck pins I'd ordered to my bandmates.
It is really bothering me that I haven't heard anything about Tootsie yet, but I know I need to be patient.
On the way home I picked up Target sushi for myself, but then Jameson's rehearsal got cancelled so I had nothing for him.
Not only did the rehearsal get cancelled; the whole show, because of covid. I guess we're not through it yet.
And then he got the bill for his surgery ("Not a bill, just a summary") for FORTY THOUSAND DOLLARS.
Not a real bill, but god DAMN, I truly hope his insurance covers 99% of that because otherwise we are in TROUBLE.
I try not to think about this country's horrific, bullshit healthcare system.
But at some point it will rear it's ugly head, and one of us will be facing bankruptcy over a stubbed toe.
-------------------------------------------------
Early, so early on Tuesday.
Breakfast of cold overnight oats with flax and raspberries, Greek yogurt, and ultrafiltered protein milk. And coffee.
At work I was able to sign in and get set up with minimal issues. A miracle.
It was the same snippety judge as yesterday, except today they were in a good mood so there was no excuse for how they talked down to some of the claimants, and at one point bit the vocational expert's head off for talking too fast (she was talking at the same speed she'd been all day as far as I could tell). Whatever, this is just not my favorite judge and hopefully I'll be assigned to them infrequently.
I avoided any demeaning talkdowns in my direction by simply saying "Yes Judge" and "No Judge" and "We're on the record Judge" and not much else all day. All of the hearings went smoothly because MS Teams wasn't involved, thank god. I was happy to send my paperwork in and drive home.
Another day of hearings tomorrow, this time they'll be spaced an hour apart which I think is perfect. Most hearings are around 30-45 minutes, and having 15 minutes at the end to wrap up paperwork or set up for the next hearing or just PEE is ideal. I don't care if it makes the day longer, it makes more SENSE and it's more accommodating to claimants, too. When the hearings are only 15 minutes apart you are guaranteed to be seen late, and I think that's inconsiderate scheduling. But what do I know, I just got here.
Just to clarify, I really do like this job. I like the work, the people seem really nice, most judges so far have been awesome, and hearings are incredibly interesting. I complain either because something got under my skin (happens at every single job) or because there are inefficiencies that I dearly wish could be made better, thereby making this a better job.
-------------------------------------------------
Another 5am wakeup because I needed to set up in a different room and early morning is the only time it's usually possible.
Bless his beautiful heart, John the IT guy was ready and waiting for me when I walked in at 7:30.
We got my station all set up, just in time for my first case at 9am.
Yes, it took about an hour to set up a normal Windows profile and applications.
But unfortunately the Judge was the one with issues this morning.
I dialed everyone into the Teams meeting, and she couldn't hear anyone, although we could all hear her.
This was definitely an issue on her end, so there was nothing to do but wait while Tech Support helped her out.
That took a whole hour, so we didn't get started until 10am.
We continued on that way, an hour late for each case, until noon because that had been a scheduled break.
So, skipping the noon break made the last two hearings on time.
Go figure. I desperately stole bites of wheat bread, green beans, "Tone It Up!" bar, tuna, and pear during lulls in transcription.
At least I was still able to eat.
The worst part of all of this isn't the technical issues or the missed lunch breaks.
It's that those issues, combined with poor scheduling, mean you end up sitting in uncomfortable chairs hunched over a keyboard for the ENTIRE DAY. No time whatsoever to stretch or go for a short walk, except to the bathroom. Overall it seems like whoever is running this operation thinks everyone working in this system is a robot with no biological needs. It's really weird. I mean I know some jobs are intensive or repetitive or whatever...but it seems to me that an agency that handles nothing but disability claims would have, I don't know, policies in their own workplace to prevent work-related disability!
Anyway, Despite all that it was a good day because all the cases were held.
I was exacting with my transcripts, so didn't have to stay late to edit them.
Doing my paperwork a day in advance was wonderful. I just had to check a few boxes for each case. Glorious.
I set up my paperwork for my next workday before leaving.
On the way home I stopped at Sprouts to get bulk seeds.
I want to add seeds to my next loaf of wheat bread, just to see how it goes.
I got pepitas, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, hemp seeds, sesame seeds, and poppy seeds (I wanted chia but they didn't have.)
And I grabbed some wings, we can enjoy them for dinner tomorrow.
Pretty bland week because I was working, but I'm glad to have the work.
