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PeppermintC · Nov 30, 2020 12:18 PM

I'm frustrated right now with real life. I work for a small barn. We've had a lot of bad news this year. I won't get into it right now, because most of it is deaths which we had no control over (people and horses). But right now what is irritating me is my PT workers. They are hourly employees. (If you've ever worked in a barn, you probably realize hourly is rare because it works out to be very expensive.) Well, with all the chaos they've been staying longer hours than authorized. Today they asked me if one of them could go get pizza. But they wanted to do it while on the clock (I don't know of any hourly job that lets employees take paid lunch breaks). We are always right on that line. We don't make money, we barely survive on the boarding part of things. I'm salaried, my boss doesn't take a paycheck from the boarding barn, only the training money. So I'm frustrated. I have no idea what to do. We have talked to them previously about minimizing hours unless given a project. Today all the horses have been in due to weather since noon, yet the second PT worker was there 6 hours (yes that is more than normal, it is a 12 stall barn). And they aren't doing the extra projects today, since most of that is outside. I realize I'll have to have a conversation with them, I'm just frustrated by it because I'm at my breaking point right now, and I cannot make my boss do it as she is sitting with someone on hospice.

Anyways, anyone want to tell me something good that has happened recently? Anything? Even something little? I'm just so tired...

Mystic rose · Nov 30, 2020 12:33 PM

That sucks! I worked on a yard for 2.5 years and I got so low I left because some were pulling more weight than others and did all the hard work , I know how annoying it is! On the other hand , I got a new job, so I can keep my two mares, my mare is currently half way through her pregnancy and I can’t wait !

If your having issues at the yard , try your best to focus on your jobs , one way or another the boss will find out who’s really the worker :)

CoppiLane · Nov 30, 2020 12:55 PM

I’m sorry you have to deal with them! I work on a dairy that my husband is a partner owning, been doing this over 2 years PT, 1.5 FT, and the milker who started maybe 6months ago seems to think he is my boss 8-| tries telling me how to do my job (anything calves) and when to do it. Not quite the same situation, but I understand your frustration!
What do they do exactly? Are they someone who could be suspended without pay for a week? Or maybe someone you could have a talk with and dismiss early that day (after 2 hours work) to show you and your boss are serious about this?

As for my good news, I’m looking to start making wood/epoxy items and sculptures, and I’m getting a lot of donations towards that! Including large live edge rounds and a 10ft live edge slab! It’s been very exciting!

PeppermintC · Nov 30, 2020 1:20 PM

Thanks, and the boss knows. I'm the manager. The other three are PT. We just can't seem to find PT workers who actually work consistently these last couple of years. The irony is, if we are looking at just base money (not benefits) they get paid better than me (hourly). I currently cannot have them quit, with my boss away. We could possibly take action once she gets back. Just frustrating not to be able to address it right now.

Mystic rose And yay! foal! I'm looking forward to pictures. I love foals, though not sure I would want one on this property (not set up for it).

CoppiLane I have no idea what most of that means but it sounds like a fun hobby (or is it going to be a job?)!

CoppiLane · Nov 30, 2020 1:45 PM

@PeppermintC well shoot, hopefully you’ll be able to address it soon! Maybe they’ll feel weird about just hanging around if they’re being closely monitored? But it sounds like they’re pretty bold about it and you’re probably a little too busy for it.

Have you seen those videos going around of people making river tables? Typically two wood boards (slabs) with the bark still on it (live edge) and blue metallic liquid between the two! I’ll try to post pictures of what I hope to start doing. Right now just a “hobby”, might sell as cash only until I get on my feet, and then hopefully a business one day!

CoppiLane · Nov 30, 2020 1:49 PM

These are the kinds of things I’m hoping to create!

PeppermintC · Nov 30, 2020 2:04 PM

Those look awesome! I saw a table made like that, now that you explain it. I am not handy in that way at all. I'm lucky if I can get the pasture fencing on straight! Yeah, it will have to be addressed soon. If I was a horse I'd have ulcers from the stress.

CoppiLane · Nov 30, 2020 2:21 PM

Maybe in the meantime just throw yourself in your own work like Mystic said. Just focus on doing the best you possibly can, and maybe doing a stress relieving hobby during your time off? Or hard core self care! Mud masks, bath combs, lavender, candles and low lights. Really as long as it’s either fun or just plain relaxing, dive in!

I’m really excited to start :) I don’t really know how to describe it, but at my HS, we basically had a school within the school. We had an art program that was classified as separate schooling, but the HS allowed for the last three periods of the day to be dedicated to the art institute and their version of English class. During that time I took a wood working masterclass, but that was all my education specifically in wood, but then a few months ago I actually made my husband a ping pong table and that really got me interested in it. I could use my interest in art and still be very hands on and potentially make money off it so win all around!

PeppermintC · Nov 30, 2020 3:18 PM

The problem is today is (one of) my day's off. But if I feel like I'm constantly having to supervise, it eats at my days off. Which is what was happening today. Both work fine when I'm the main on the day. But when put together it takes them twice as long, and they get nothing but the bare minimum done. I need some more relaxing hobbies that I can do inside. My current ones are running, martial arts, riding, and dog sports. Hard when it is 30 mph winds and pouring out.

Wow! I wish I had been into workshop or similar in HS. I was very much a science, math and language nerd. With a side of always doing a competitive sport (lacrosse, soccer, swimming).

Seaswell · Nov 30, 2020 3:31 PM

I've wanted my own lathe since high school to make resin and wood bowls and lamps @CoppiLane. I hope your business takes off, and you are able to make a living off of it.

@PeppermintC Being in charge while the boss is busy is hard. Too many people try to take advantage. I hope you at least turned him down on a paid lunch break. As for them running the clock while the boss is away, there really is nothing to do about that but send your boss a text. Ask her if she has any advice she can get back to you with while her loved one is napping. She may just tell you she will handle it when she gets back. For now, just keep doing your work and keep your chin up.

I know this is a little thing, but I'm making a gift for my son's girlfriend this year. It's a crochet wrap with pockets, made with my favorite yarn. This is the first year one of our children has been in a real long term relationship with the potential to be a mate, and I really like the girl. I like the way my boy talks about her when she's not looking. Here's hoping they have many happy years to hug each other.

CoppiLane · Nov 30, 2020 3:34 PM

What about inside workouts? Squats, pushups, burpees.. it seems you like to be active so that might help!

I wish I would’ve paid better attention in that class, in high school I very much slacked off and I kick myself for it every day! But the sitting and painting portions were always fun!

CoppiLane · Nov 30, 2020 3:38 PM

Thank you @seaswell! You should definitely go for it one day, there’s so many different ways to create these kinds of things!

CeffylDwr · Nov 30, 2020 4:00 PM

Oooph that sounds like rough times at the barn. Sorry your PT workers are acting like that. :(

Something good but a bit of a sad backstory, back in October my heart kitty Zigen, stopped eating and went into hepatic lipodosis, even though the vet thought we had a good chance at saving him it was a hard go. He got worse, bloodwork got worse and we resorted to a feeding tube but he kept getting worse even with the tube. We almost gave up and let him cross the bridge but the day I was going to call it quits his bloodwork showed a rather large jump in the right direction, he was improving!

He got the 100% all clear this past Wednesday and they took his feeding tube out. Zig did the impossible and that makes him mighty. So I'm celebrating his beating near impossible odds by making a complete recovery!

PeppermintC · Nov 30, 2020 6:09 PM

@CeffylDwr yay kitty! I'm so glad he is beating the odds!

@CoppiLane I've been kind of lazy/unmotivated towards physical fitness recently. I should try it though. Or get back into yoga. When I'm not training for a race (mostly marathons and half marathons over the past 2 years), I find it hard to run, and all non virtual races were canceled due to Covid.

@Seaswell I'm trying not to harass her, or lay it at her feet at the moment. She does the same when I'm out for similar reasons (our positions were reversed in September, and she was careful to only tell me good news from the barn, so I assume she wants the same from me). I've been in charge when she is gone before. She goes south for 3-4 months every year, and leaves the north to me. These two workers are new(er). One has never worked during winter at the barn, the other started last winter because the other woman we had working was unreliable. I've worked as the manager for 4 years, and spent one year as the weekend barn help before that (it was my second job, I picked it up for the money not because I was looking to get back into horses, lol). I'm trying not to let the passive aggressive tone of her response bait me. If there is one thing that really bothers me it is passive aggressive. I hate conflict, but back stabbing is even worse.

CoppiLane · Nov 30, 2020 6:46 PM

It can be very hard to get back in the swing of things! I severed my acl during powderpuff my junior year of hs and wasn’t able to work out for about 1yr, and I haven’t gotten the motivation to do committed/daily workouts since :)) (about 5 years!)
Have you ever done any baking/cooking? I know that’s another hobby I really enjoy, it gives you an opportunity to create something with your own hands, it could be a decent forearm/shoulder workout, it’s not mindless so it still feels like you have a lot going on, but are able to do it at whatever pace suits you. Plus afterwards you’ll have the BEST tasting food!
If you are interested I can send you some recipes depending on what you like! No pressure though, I understand how after a long day the last thing you want is to feel like you HAVE to do even more.

PeppermintC · Dec 1, 2020 3:44 AM

@CoppiLane I love to bake! I guess I forgot about that hobby. This weekend I made overnight sticky buns, for Thanksgiving I made a chocolate cream pie and pecan squares, and I usually make my own bread. I do bake often. And I like to watch baking/cooking shows too. I'd love some recipes! I'm vegetarian, and am not a huge fan of white chocolate, but anything else goes!

CoppiLane · Dec 1, 2020 10:56 AM

Will pm you!

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