Off? OFF! AHHHH

Alright. 
I wasn't too surprised when I got into work yesterday morning, glanced at our feeder goldfish tanks...and saw that there were a lot of dead fish in them.
Because for whatever random reason, those feeder goldfish decide to go through a die off...and there's not much you can do about it. *exhales* Just fish out the dead fish and hope the rest survive.
So I wasn't too surprised to see dead fish. Because the past week the goldfish have been slowly doing just that. Dying off.

It took me like half an hour to realize what else was wrong with that scene. 
It was when I went to the other tanks holding other fish to check for dead that I realized what the sense of 'wrongness' was.

The fish system was off. 
The water that flows through all the tanks to give the fish a constant supply of fresh water and oxygen...wasn't flowing.
Off.
Off.
OFF.

-Okay, the feeder goldfish tanks weren't off, that water flows unless you like completely turn off the system with the whole 'pull the lever!' sort of thing. But the feeder goldfish's locklines (which bring fresh water into the tank) had basically all clogged up...meaning they too weren't getting flowing water.

In any case.
The main issue was....there was no flowing water!!!
Which this isn't the first time it's happened, but it has been a while since I've come into the system being off. 

*exhales*
A glance in the back where the controls are told a partial story.
As we have the ability to turn off our fish system, so the water stops flowing in the main tanks (but still flows in the goldfish tanks) so that we can feed the fish without the food getting swept right out of the tank. We have the ability to put the system on a 'feedhold' which basically means you press a couple of buttons and the system is then set on a timer where it will automatically turn back on after a certain time frame.

Only...my coworker who'd turned off the fish system...had forgotten the last step in ensuring that the timer had been activated.
Which meant...that unless someone went into the back and manually turned the system back on...the system wasn't going to turn back on.

It wasn't quite surprising that this happened. It was a newer coworker who was in charge of the department the previous day. So the fact that they forgot a step. Not surprising. It's happened before. 

But what I don't get...
Is why the closing coworker didn't notice. 
Because like...unless they talked to by a manager, they did the fish feeding correctly today, timer and everything. 
So why Sunday evening...did they not realize that the fish system was off? Why did they not notice for hours upon hours that the water wasn't running?

I have no idea.
But depending on when they turned the system off to feed the fish....
The fish had been without flowing water for around 18 hours. :S
Which is a pretty long time.

I'm honestly surprised we didn't lose more fish from it. *shakes head* 

Thankfully it was an easy fix and the water was quickly flowing again. :) So yay for that! :D 

Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

October 2017 General Conference -Saturday Morning

Dieter F. Uchtdorf -A Yearning for Home

• Deep within us is a longing to somehow reach past the veil and embrace Heavenly Parents we once knew and cherished. 
• No matter your history--if you have faltered, failed, feel broken, bitter, betrayed, or beaten--know that you are not alone. God still calls to you.
• Sometimes it seems that our lives are more difficult because we are trying to live our faith. 
• No, following the Savior will not remove all of your trials. However, it will remove the barriers between you and the help your Heavenly Father wants to give you. 
• As you serve God and as you care for and help your fellowmen, you will see great progress in your own life, in ways you could never imagine. 
• Blessings will come not so much because of your abilities but because of your choices. 
• God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty. 
• Life is not a self-driving car. It is not an airplane on autopilot. You cannot just float in the waters of life and trust that the current will take you wherever you hope to be one day. Discipleship requires our willingness to swim upstream when needed. 
• Come, join with us and trust the Lord. 

Bonnie L. Oscarson -The Needs before Us

• Those who live only for themselves eventually shrivel up and figuratively lose their lives, while those who lose themselves in service to others grow and flourish--and in effect save their lives. 
• We are touched when we see the suffering and great needs of those halfway around the world, but we may fail to see there is a person who needs our friendship sitting right next to us in class. 
• Heavenly Father may have placed those who need us closest to us, knowing that we are best suited to meet their needs. 
• Serving others can begin at almost any age. ... It need not be on a gran scale, and i tis noblest within the family. 
• Begin where you are.
• God does notice us, and he watches over us. But it is usually through another person that he meets our needs. 

Dallin H. Oaks -The Plan and the Proclamation

• Every generation has its tests and its chance to stand and prove itself. 

John C. Pingree Jr. -"I Have a Work for Thee" 

• God has important work for each of us. 
• Every one of us has a meaningful role to play in furthering God's work. 
• God has always used ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things. 
• The Lord has more in mind for you than you have in mind for yourself!
• While some spiritual gifts may not be prominent by the world's standards, they are essential to God and His work. 
• Our trials help us discover and prepare for the work Heavenly Father has for us. 
• Satan discourages us with feelings of inadequacy. He makes our work appear too difficult or intimidating. However, we can trust God! He loves us. He wants us to succeed. 
• Every assignment from God is important, and we will find fulfillment as we "glory in that which the Lord hath commanded [us.]" 

D. Todd Christofferson -The Living Bread Which Came Down from Heaven

• We are the product of all we read, all we view, all we hear and all we think. 
• Service is not something we endure on this earth so we can earn the right to live in the celestial kingdom. Service is the very fiber of which an exalted life in the celestial kingdom is made.

Jeffrey R. Holland -Be Ye Therefore Perfect--Eventually

• The Lord would never give us a commandment He knew we could not keep. 
• As children of God, we should not demean or vilify ourselves, as if beating up on ourselves is somehow going to make us the person God wants us to become. 
• If I know the way home [but] am walking along it drunkenly, is it any less the right way simply because I am staggering from side to side?
• Every one of us aspires to a more Christlike life than we often succeed in living. I we admit that honestly and at trying to improve, we are not hypocrites; we are human. 

Until you next see these words;

I'll be watching the leaves.

Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

Alarm?? Why?

I had a weird moment of confusion this morning.
Because my alarm went off.
Waking me up.
And I literally was like "Why is my alarm going off? I don't work today!"

It took me longer than it should have to realize that the alarm was going off so that I could get up and get ready to go to church. lol. *shakes head* 

That's one downside to early morning church and/or early morning work. 
My ability to sleep in is drastically cut down to like...one day.
And there are times where I just....really want more than one day to sleep in. lol.

Though what is amusing about alarms today;
Is that when I got home from church and went and crashed for a bit.
-because I needed more sleep-
I'd set an alarm as well to wake me up after a certain time period.
(Though I already knew I was going to ignore it.) 
And when it went off, I did ignore it. 
I pressed snooze to give myself 10 more minutes. 

Only...i think the second time I did that, I hit "off."
So I wasn't expecting my phone to go off again.
Only it did.
Which I was like....why?
So when I cracked open my eyes and glanced at my phone to turn off my alarm.
I discovered it wasn't my alarm.
It was a phone call. 
O.O 
Huh?
lol. 
Yah, was kinda surprised and had to click from 'sleepy' to 'i'm totally awake' gear pretty quickly. (pretty sure I did not manage that.) 
So that I could get up and let my family in, as they were calling to say that they were standing at the front door, waiting to come inside. ^^;;
Heh. Oops.
But yay for visits!
lol and waking up to my 'alarms'. ^^;; 

Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

Error Error

There are times when I think Life just likes throwing me curveballs. 
*exhales* 
So like. I've been probably what one would consider 'stressed' for the past little bit.
I honestly don't know. Like. It's the same old drama different day.

But in any case. Things were just getting to a point where I just wanted to get away from home and work and go somewhere.
So one of my friends was like "Can I help?" 
and I was like "Yes! Let's just meet somewhere, grab food and let me vent and distress for a bit." 

Which I do on occasion. Cus sometimes just talking out the problems and annoyances in your daily life help to make them less of a mountain and more of a molehill. 

And with my friend and I, we usually meet up at like Wendy's to chat.
Since I love that place.

But for whatever reason, yesterday I was like. "Why not eat somewhere different?" 
And so after the choice was left up to me,
I decided that it would be fun to meet up at Arby's.
Mostly because I hadn't been there in a while, and their curly fries sounded really good. 

So we get there.
Order our food.
Get our food.
Sit down and you know chat and such. 

And I was in the middle of...well I think I was telling my friend some info about one of the story ideas I've been playing with.
When one of the workers came up to us holding a shake.

Which my first thought was. "That's not mine, nor my friends so the dude obviously has the wrong table." 
And I was preparing to tell him that that wasn't ours.

When he turns to me and goes something along the lines of. "Hi, I saw you and thought you were really pretty. So I made you this shake, could I have your number?"

*cue brain error* 
*blinks* 
*blinks again* 
Umm what? 

I glance to my friend to make sure that she heard the same thing I heard because what? 
Like...I've never had a guy do this to me before.
So I was just....really at a loss.
So I was like "Sure." and wrote down my number and gave it to him and he left and I was left with this chocolate shake (which was good) 
And my brain still trying to comprehend what just happened.

A guy....asked for my number?
Huh?

*shakes head*
It really is telling that I don't interact with guys much for this to throw me so off track lol.

And when I say "interact with guys" 
I mean "interact with guys outside of work." 
Because at work, yah I'm constantly talking to guys both coworkers and customers. But it's like...a different scenario there. Different expectations.

Outside of work....guys don't really talk to me.
So having one come up out of the blue and offering me a shake?
Yah. 
I was surprised lol. 

And I'm like still unsure of how to proceed and such because....like I said....I haven't had this happen to me before. 
*exhales*
Yay for more stress on my life.
That's just what I need. 
*shakes head* 

Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

The Bird Bedding Change

It's always interesting to open my department with people I haven't opened with before.
Usually this is an occurrence with the greenies that we train.
Where it's always a learning experience of me figuring out how to train them so that they understand what is supposed to be done with minimal miscommunication.

However, yesterday was slightly different.
As we've been shorthanded in my department (due to people quitting) I've been getting other people from the rest of the store into my department who haven't...done the opening tasks for my department before, but have been working in the store for months even a year or so in other sections. Which is always fun because the other departments don't quite always realize how much needs to be done in the mornings or how time consuming and energy consuming opening can be.

Which is kinda what happened yesterday.
I was scheduled to open with a coworker who's been with us for a while, is trained in my department, but rarely actually works in my department....if ever. Like they were trained, and helped out for a week or two before being shifted to fill a different vacancy that had opened up elsewhere in the store.

In any case. 
I was a bit leery of working with this particular coworker when I saw that they were on the schedule as my opener.
Because a) I haven't opened with them. and b)...well...they're a bit....temperamental. Some days you can work just fine with them, and other days...it's like dealing with a two-year old who likes to believe that they're the boss of everyone else (when they're not.) and doesn't like to be told what to do. 

And yah...it was an interesting experience for sure. 
One that resulted in a headache because...well this particular coworker's energy/attitude is not always the easiest to deal with. And thankfully my interactions are usually limited to a few minutes at a time.
But constantly dealing with them for multiple hours? Definitely draining.
Because they're constantly being self-deprecating which always stirs up my instant "NO YOU MUST FEEL BETTER" instincts of wanting to help anyone in trouble. Which is annoying because in this case I'm pretty sure it's like pouring water into a bucket full of holes. *exhales* 

It started with me just checking in to see what they knew how to do.
Again, I haven't opened with them before, but I knew they had some experience in my department. 
And my coworker said they had experience with the regular opening tasks. But not the bedding change.
Which. Since they're a 'new' coworker to the dept, I was halfway thinking that they could just open the rest of the department while I worked on the bedding change as a) I'm more familiar with the bedding change and b) it's better for them to know how to do the rest of the department because that's a more...useful skill. 

Only my coworker was like "I'd love to learn how to do the bedding change!" 
To which I was like...lol, well I was amused. Because most people end up not loving the bedding changes. I'm probably the odd duck in that I like to do them. ^^;; 
So I was like "You sure? It's the birds today" 
-Which usually means you end up covered in feathers and dust because birds are spazzy panic balls that zip all around your head. So it's always an experience of having to 'defeather yourself' after that particular bedding change.

But they were insistent. My coworker wanted to learn this particular task as they'd never done it before and liked 'learning new things' 

So, when my coworker was officially in my department (as the first couple of hours of their shift they were scheduled elsewhere) I went and showed them how to do the bedding change.

Which with birds.
It's pretty easy.
Though perhaps I'm judgmental because I've been doing this job for forever.

But we have like this enclosure. Pretty small. Like Five feet by 3 feet? Who knows I never measured it. 
But it's cramped with two people standing in there. 

So usually what I do is I pull the tray with the bedding on it out of the cage, take it out of the enclosure and dump the bedding (which is pine pellets) into the garbage can, clean the tray, put in fresh pellets, and leave it sitting on top of the garbage can while I go inside the bird enclosure (and shut the door) so that I can open up the bird cage and clean the glass and such, before I go and grab the tray and put it back in.
Pretty easy process. 
Nothing too difficult.

I can usually get everything done in a couple of hours. It's the quickest of our bedding changes we do among all the animals.

*shakes head*
But...my coworker like....complicated it?

While I didn't think it was a major issue to constantly be opening and shutting the door to the enclosure. (as I'd open it to grab the tray and clean it, close it to clean the glass of the cage it self
 without fear of the bird inside the cage getting loose in the main store, close the cage, open the door grab the tray slip it in and repeat the cycle.) 

The coworker apparently thought it was too much work....
To open and close a door....

*shakes head* 
So they decided to pull the garbage can, the container full of bedding and themselves....into the tiny enclosure, and do the bedding changes in there. 
Which...
Like I said. It's cramped quarters.
They could barely move.
And bedding got all over within that cage because there wasn't any room to maneuver about and properly dump the tray and such. 
(Like outside of the enclosure it also makes a mess, but...this seemed....excessive.) 

And again, somehow, with every cage they opened, they managed to get the birds out of the cage...and into the enclosure....
Like the parakeets I can understand, that door is basically one side of the cage that opens up so it's very easy to get the parakeets into the enclosure.
But our canaries? Doves? Finches? No. The door is smaller and it's rare for the birds to hit the right zone to get out of it and into the enclosure. Doesn't mean it doesn't happen. It does. But it's rare. 
Yet, it seemed like everytime I glanced at my coworker, they had somehow gotten the bird out of the cage and into the enclosure.
*shakes head*
I'd told them that they didn't need to worry about taking the birds out of the cage, and to clean around them.
But to see the bird consistently out...means that my coworker possibly caught them and let them fly about their head while they were cleaning the cage.
*exhales* 

Again....why? Why complicate it?

I was expecting the bedding change to take forever.
That I knew from past experience because people who are new to things tend to move a bit slower because they don't quite have the groove down. 
That wasn't surprising.
So the fact that the bedding change was taking longer than two hours?
Yah, totally expected.
I didn't mind, kept my coworker mostly out of my hair.

What was odd though.
Was as they were finally finishing the bird bedding part of the bedding change. (where they only needed to sweep up and then go grab all the perches and dishes and such to put back in the cage.) 
My coworker comes over the radio and is like "So how is the rest of opening going?" 

Which, since I'd been the one on the floor while they'd been focusing on bedding changes...it was going slowly. As I was constantly helping customers as well as helping my greenie cashiers that were on registers as well as dealing with some other small issues. 
So at that point I was like. "Still got the fish tank stuff to do." 
Which is Scrubbing/Vacuuming/Putting Ornaments Back/and Feeding fish.
I actually would have gotten those done sooner, but I'd chosen to work on our bug shipment first because I didn't want this coworker working on that if they happened to get done with the bedding change. 

So I told them that I was still opening and they were like: "Oh, well...I was hoping that you could take over the bedding change for me, putting everything back, because you're so much faster at it than I am, and I'm kinda tired, so I was hoping to just watch the floor while you finished the bedding change."
*narrows eyes* 
Ummm what?
You're tired? And because you're tired you want me to finish the task that you volunteered to do?
Ha. Ha.
No. 
I ain't playing that game. 
*shakes head* 
If you volunteer to do something you're going to do that thing until you finish it or your shift ends, whichever comes first.

I honestly couldn't comprehend that statement though. "I'm tired, so could you finish it for me?" 
Um. No. 
If I'm able to do my job when I'm suffering from 3 hours of sleep, a major headache, and shaking like crazy. (not yesterday, but I have done it before) then the fact that you're 'tired' is well...pathetic really. 
(Yes I know I'm crazy in that I will stubbornly do something even if I'm not feeling well, and I know other people aren't like me.)
But still...a couple of hours cleaning glass and dumping bedding into a trashcan and you're tired?? *shake head* 

So I was like. "Why not go take your lunch then first?" 
Because it was my coworker's lunch time. 
"But the bedding change?" 
Ah yes. I remember those days where I thought I had to complete a task before I could take a break. :) 
So I was like. "It's fine. The birds will be fine for another half an hour while you go eat something." 
"Are you sure?"
"Yah, I do it all the time. Go take your lunch." 

Because if you're tired, go take a break. While I'm expecting you to get the task done, I'm not expecting you to work like a crazy person to get it done before you can rest. If you need to take that break, go take that break, I'm not stopping you. 
But I am not going to take over that task for you just because you're tired. *shakes head* 

So yah....
My coworker tried a couple other times *eye twitch* to get me to take over the bird bedding change. You know with the usual flattery "You do it so much better/faster than I would" 
Um. No. 
Stop being lazy. Get to work. 

And finally like five hours after they started the bedding change. They finished it. *shakes head* 

Like I said.  Not unexpected for it to take longer.
Though I do believe that they made things more difficult on themselves instead of easier. 

But yah...
My coworker still was trying to get me to do stuff for them.
"could you take this to the back for me, could you do this for me." 
*rolls eyes*
Some of it, sure, I could do.

but *shakes head*
Even the manager started noticing how much my coworker was asking for help.
(since most of it was done over the radios and everyone can hear everyone over the radios) 

And the manager was like "You're sooo needy, do you ever hear Sarnic asking for this much help?"

Which. No.
Because I learned a while ago (before I started working at Starsmet) that I am my own most reliable person. I don't expect help, because I a) don't expect to get help even if I ask (back when the managers were less likely to leave the office to help out in the store) or b) know I can do the task myself and if I want it done right and in a timely fashion....I do it myself.
Basically, I'm pretty independently minded.
And that is mostly because when I do need help...like 9/10 times I don't usually get it. 
I mean...it is slightly getting better with our radios as now I can ask for help easier, like if I get swamped with customers. 
But yah. It's not fair to compare me to other coworkers because I'm....really independent. 
Like it's great that my coworker was willing to ask for help. 
Especially if they weren't sure how to do a task.
The fact that they were like "Hey can you take this item to the back for me." yah...kinda lazy on their part.
I see that they want to 'save time' and try and get things done by having others help them...but at the same time...it's like...you're wanting me to step away from my own tasks in order to do something you could do in two seconds yourself, therefore pulling me away from my task therefore making my task take longer. 
....yah sometimes people don't think things through....

In any case.
Definitely a learning experience for my coworker on how bedding changes aren't the easiest to do.
And I am, if they end up opening the department with me again, plan to have them continue to do the bedding change. Because a) they need to learn and b) it gets them out of my hair and c) you only get faster with practice. 
So we'll see...
We shall see.

Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

A Chain of Help

Let me tell you a story that happened this July on Panama City Beach in Florida.
Late in the afternoon, Roberta Ursrey saw her two young sons screaming for help from 100 yeards out into the ocean.
They had become caught in a strong current and were being carried out to sea.
A nearby couple tried to rescue the boys, but they also got caught in the current.
So members of the Ursrey family dove in to rescue the struggling swimmers, and quickly nine people were caught in the rip current.

There were no ropes.
There was no lifeguard.
The police sent for a rescue boat, but the people had been out in the ocean struggling for 20 minutes, and they were exhausted and their heads were slipping under the water.
Among the onlookers on the beach was Jessica Mae Simmons.
Her husband had the idea to form a human chain.
They shouted at people on the beach to help them, and dozens of people linked arms and marched into the ocean.
Jessica wrote, "To see people from different races and genders come into action to help TOTAL strangers [was] absolutely amazing to see!!"
An 80-person chain stretched toward the swimmers.

Everyone on the beach could only think of traditional solutions, and they were paralyzed.
But one couple, in a split second, thought of a different solution.
Innovation and creation are spiritual gifts.
When we keep our covenants, it may make us different from others in our culture and society, but it gives us access to inspiration so we can think of different solutions, different approaches, different applications.
We aren't always going to fit in with the world, but being different in positive ways can be a lifelines to others who are struggling.

Once that human chain was stretching toward the swimmers, she knew she could help.
Jessica Mae said, "I can hold my breath ... and go around an Olympic pool with ease!
[I knew how to get out of a rip current.]
I knew I could get [each swimmer] to the human chain."
She and her husband grabbed boogie boards and swam down the chain until they and another rescuer reached the swimmers, and then they ferried them one by one back to the chain, who passed them to the safety of the beach.
Jessica had a distinct skill: she knew how to swim against a rip current.

-Sharon Eubank -Turn on Your Light -October 2017 General Conference

Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

In A Category

It was an exciting discovery when I logged onto interntland today. 

So, you remember that I write fics right?
Right.
Because I feel like I've been talking about them a bit more this year than I was last year. ^^;;
Which isn't surprising considering how many amazing things are happening with said fics!
I mean, fanarts and fansongs?! LIKE WOW.

And today. New discovery! 
So, for one of the fandoms I write for. 
One of the blogs in the fandom is doing this "Awards" thing for the fics within the fandom. 
With multiple different categories people could nominate fics for. 

And I saw the post about it.
Clicked on it for fun just to see if any of my favorite fics had made it into the running.

And discovered.
That one of my own stories has been nominated!!
Like WHAT?!?! 
()_() People actually like my stories enough to nominate it?!! WHAT?!?!

The crazy thing.
Is that my story is up against some of my favorite fics. 
And I'm like. ()_() Am I really on that same level as these other stories?
Because wow. These other stories are amazing! 

Lol and because the other stories are so amazing.
I am not expecting to win in my category at all.

But the fact that people nominated me in the first place.
Ah. I'm just so excited!!! :D Like. It's an honor. ^^;; 

It just makes me want to go write more. To see if I can create even more stories that I love and that readers will love. ^^;; 

Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi