Really?

I didn't get that impression from the legislature or the yokels who sent crayon manifestos to the paper saying they didn't notice the shutdown and didn't need any government. But the signs and the thank you note from the commissioner were nice.

Back on the chain gang

You call it "work." We call it state-sponsored cat neglect.

What a difference a day (or 2) makes

Can I just say that the difference between 78 and 98 degrees is HUGE?! Currently sitting out on the patio and it's wonderful. This past week was horrible. Record dew points (82, i.e. tropical) and temps well into the 90s kept the lot of us hiding inside with the air conditioning going full blast. Luckily, I was still laid off, so both dogs got the benefit of attention and very brief trips into the yard.

I'm going back to work tomorrow. The shutdown ended last Wednesday and work restarted on Thursday, but I elected to make use of the "report within three days" provision of the MOU, and told the big boss I'd see her on Monday. Slackitude, thy name is Sage. I'm not really looking forward to the projects that await me, and I'm a tad resentful that the last union contract froze salaries and step increases for two years. My anniversary date before the contract was in December, but I accepted a new position that changed my anniversary date to June. The "promotion" did not include a raise and I managed to dive into the no increase gap. Thus, I've had the same salary for over two and a half years. Not that it's necessarily a bad salary, but I'm the lowest paid person in my group, though I've more job responsibilities than the others and I generate more work product. If I think about it too much, I get an even worse attitude. So, I'm certainly not going to beat myself up over two extra unpaid days off.

I did have fun during my time off, despite the dreadful weather. I got some yard work done, built a compost bin, developed a Twitter addiction...

So I ran a lot while laid off

It looks like the Great Minnesota Government Shutdown of 2011 is coming to a close. The DFL governor capitulated to the brutish bullies of the GOP-controlled legislature and pretty much gave away the farm. Well, he managed to get them to agree to keep some of their more insane policy ideas out of the forth-coming budget bills, but I'm not going to hold my breath on that one. Those policy issues will come around again. Next time, the legislature will just pass a raft of constitutional amendments (majority in both houses of legislature, not veto-able by the gov, then a majority of those who vote in the next election, voila, a constitutional amendment is born).

But perhaps I'm too angry and cynical. I'd hoped that Dayton was a different kind of Democrat, you know, one with a spine. Why shut most everything down for two weeks only to take the stupid, non-revenue generating, postpone the problem til later, dumbass budget gimmicks that Pawlenty pulled which got us into this mess (oh that, and the income tax rate cuts since the 90s)? Yes, I'm pleased that there won't be a blanket 15% reduction in the state workforce, but my agency has been cut 20% since I started there 5 years ago. We've had a soft hiring freeze for going on four years. No raises (even if you get a promotion, I know that one personally) or step increases in two years. We have contract negotiations coming up again, and guess what the bullies are going to insist on? Having their way. Don't think that just because they're dropping the 15% cut now, they won't bring it up (and worse) again later. They know they can win now. All they have to do is hold out.

Huh. I was going to talk about running. Time off was good for running, I guess. I got 35 miles in last week and will be up to 41 this week. I've gotten back to the point where a mid-distance run fits in during the week and doesn't kill me for the long run that looms on the weekend's horizon. I'm still struggling with the late miles of my long runs, but I've noticed that I can pull off 8 or 9 or 10 miles and it feels just fine. I'm feeling stronger, but strangely still out of shape. I can't figure that one out. I have a t-shirt that says: "Running is a mental sport and we are all insane." Umm... maybe some days. But, I have found that psyching myself up for the long run is really helpful. I run my planned route in my mind several times the day before and it seems to make at least the first 2/3 pretty much enjoyable. Blue and I ran the first half of today's 18 miler together and I was goofy happy the whole time. Even when I saw orange lightning in the south, something I'd never seen before. We got rained on a little, but it was only bad the last half mile to the house. Then I hopped on the treadmill in the garage while it poured outside. Now I'm hiding out in the house with the dogs and thinking about eating some more. It's pouring again!

Minnesota Shutdown Cat

Glam shots

Dusty

Blue

During the government service interruption

The animals, at least, are not experiencing any hardship.

Dusty

Blue

Tonks

Luna

Paranoid dogs

The dogs kept us up pretty much all night last night. C's dog has had a longstanding phobia about fireworks, and hey, she's 8 and probably entitled to a little paranoia now and then. But Blue, on the other hand... It's hard to sleep with a 50 pound dog trying to climb under your pillow.

I don't remember that she freaked out last year, cuz the 4th of July was the day after I broke my toe in the Afton 25k Trail Race. Umm... yeah, don't remember so much about what the dog was doing.

In the past four days

Of the government shutdown, I have:

attended two parties,
weeded and planted many things in the garden,
bagged up a ton of yard waste,
cooked a bunch of crazy stuff,
slept mostly badly,
ridden my bike to the farmers market,
attempted to clean out the gutters,
done a 10 mile run and a 4 mile run,
vacuumed,
swept up a small mountain of animal hair,
done 2 loads of laundry,
flipped the mattress,
changed the sheets,
babysat the blondies, and
made peach ice cream.

I probably did more stuff too, but now I don't remember. I may take a nap today.

Shutdown, laid off.

As a non-essential state government employee, I find myself with idle hours today in light of the State of Minnesota closing for business. I am, however, keeping good company, since 23,000 other state employees were laid off today, too.

It's really hot and I gardened way too much.