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Who is working Thanksgiving? Coronavirus edition

Started by CNGL-Leudimin, November 20, 2020, 02:08:02 PM

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kphoger

Back when I used to sometimes work Thanksgiving, it was probably the slowest work day of the year.  I was a dispatcher, which in the cable industry means work order alterations, equipment provisioning, troubleshooting, etc.  On Thanksgiving, though, there were no installations scheduled, just trouble calls.  Well, on a trouble call, there's hardly anything to alter on the account, most issues are related to wiring or configuration or settings rather than equipment provisioning, and so the large majority of appointments could be resolved without the tech ever calling dispatch.  One year, a new lady worked her first day at the company on Thanksgiving.  She sat here with almost zero calls coming in, so we couldn't really teach her anything.  But we got double-time pay for that!
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.


jakeroot

Quote from: kphoger on November 22, 2020, 03:51:17 PM
Quote from: webny99 on November 21, 2020, 02:19:40 PM
Not working, but it's going to be ... different ... just like everything else in 2020.

Should be just the same as always for my family.  My parents, my sister and her husband, and the five of us.  Dinner at my folks' house.  That's the way it is every year.

Here in WA, the governor is strongly advising against gatherings for Thanksgiving. Gathering with ones own household is the only recommendation.

My family always makes a thing about traditions, but we've put things on hold this year. We plan to see each other again by Easter. There's simply no reason for us to have Thanksgiving when the whole point of the holiday is to gather. At the end of the day, it's just a meal.

We are going to do a big Zoom gathering instead. My grandma will make some food, deliver it to us, and then everyone can chat over the internet. Should be interesting and frankly more fun!

kphoger

Quote from: jakeroot on November 23, 2020, 03:37:14 PM
There's simply no reason for us to have Thanksgiving when the whole point of the holiday is to gather. At the end of the day, it's just a meal.

The Separatists, who had suffered religious persecution because of their beef with the Church of England and their lower socio-economic standing, plus various others–mainly farmers whose way of life was being eroded by the early stages of industrialization–wishing to leave England for a new start in Jamestown colony, all expected to sail across the Atlantic to a company town on a pair of ships.  One of those ships was quickly determined to be unfit for the voyage, so it turned around and never sailed again, soon afterward being demolished.  Thus, more than 100 folks spent the next couple of months in a space about the size of a volleyball court.  With a diet of dried meat, dried peas, and salted fish, several of them developed scurvy.  Encountering severe weather while approaching America, they ended up quite a ways off course without much chance of making it to Jamestown.  After a few failed attempts at locating a place to harbor around Cape Cod Bay, they eventually found a suitable place with fresh water available, set anchor, and went ashore.

It was now December, and there was no time to build proper housing structures.  Instead, this group of "saints and sinners" all shared the same dugout/lean-to for the winter.  After having spent the voyage not wanting much to do with each other, the two groups soon found it necessary to get over their differences.  A leader was elected, and he kept getting elected every time there was a vote for years to come.  With many in ill health from the journey and foodstuff scarce, death came to many.  Several diseases spread, one of which was perhaps a yet-unnamed influenza.  At one point, there were only seven able-bodied men well enough to dig graves.  The alternative to sharing this inadequate, cramped space full of sick people was to spend the winter outdoors in the New England winter–not really an alternative, of course.  By the end of winter, roughly half the people had died.

Meanwhile, the company ship remained anchored offshore all winter long, not being able to return till spring, with the crew living halfway comfortably onboard.  When spring finally arrived, the opportunity presented itself for people to give up and return home.  Many had lost wives, husbands.  British fishing techniques didn't work in the new land.  Oats didn't grow here.  Prospects were bleak.  And yet not a single one of them decided to return to England on the Mayflower.  For all of them, freedom and a new start in life were worth all the hardships, were worth facing illness and even death.

By a series of seemingly miraculous turns of events, they were greeted by a handful of Natives willing to help the newcomers make a living here–not least of whom was an ex-slave who had already converted to Christianity in Europe and learned English well enough to communicate.  They learned to make fishing nets, fertilize hills of Indian corn, etc.  Against the odds, the harvest that year yielded enough surplus for them to hold a festival of thanksgiving.  The Natives, having killed and brought five deer to the feast, made up more than half of those in attendance.  There had been much sorrow during the previous year, much apprehension, much strife, much sickness, much death.  Prudent, perhaps, would have been to stockpile what surplus could be stockpiled, and forego such a harvest festival.  Yet they determined that it was necessary to have a celebration.  They determined to thank God for his blessings, to share with one another, to find joy amidst the tears.

The point of the holiday is not simply "to gather".  At the end of the day, it isn't "just a meal".  This year more than any previously, I find good reason to gather with my loved ones and kindle a flame of thankfulness.  Many of us find ourselves in a season of unease, apprehension, peril, and fear.  Some of us have friends and family who have fallen ill, or whom we fear will soon fall ill.  Prudent, perhaps, would be to forego the festivities and hunker down in our own huts.  But that's not what I intend to do.  I intend to celebrate life even in the face of calamity.
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

jakeroot

#28
I'm not saying the meaning behind the holiday isn't important. But at the end of the day, I'm walking away from a meal and seeing some family, two things that are being advised against in my state.

You can do whatever you want. If it's important to you to gather for your own personal mental stability, so be it. But I've not yet reached that point. Other than not being able to see each other all the time, my family is fine and we haven't lost anyone (and no positive tests). We'll all see each other soon enough.

kphoger

By the way, I think it's super awesome that your grandma is delivering food for the holiday.
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

jakeroot

Quote from: kphoger on November 23, 2020, 04:44:45 PM
By the way, I think it's super awesome that your grandma is delivering food for the holiday.

No doubt! She's a saint.

kphoger

I almost said "hero" in my last post but decided against it.  Then you go and throw out the word "saint"!  Either way, she must be amazing, remarkable, awe-inspiring, magnificent, and phenomenal.  I hope you tell her how much you appreciate the delivery.
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

webny99

Quote from: kphoger on November 23, 2020, 04:22:39 PM
...
By a series of seemingly miraculous turns of events, they were greeted by a handful of Natives willing to help the newcomers make a living here–not least of whom was an ex-slave who had already converted to Christianity in Europe and learned English well enough to communicate.  They learned to make fishing nets, fertilize hills of Indian corn, etc.  Against the odds, the harvest that year yielded enough surplus for them to hold a festival of thanksgiving.  The Natives, having killed and brought five deer to the feast, made up more than half of those in attendance.  There had been much sorrow during the previous year, much apprehension, much strife, much sickness, much death.  Prudent, perhaps, would have been to stockpile what surplus could be stockpiled, and forego such a harvest festival.  Yet they determined that it was necessary to have a celebration.  They determined to thank God for his blessings, to share with one another, to find joy amidst the tears.

The point of the holiday is not simply "to gather".  At the end of the day, it isn't "just a meal".  This year more than any previously, I find good reason to gather with my loved ones and kindle a flame of thankfulness.  Many of us find ourselves in a season of unease, apprehension, peril, and fear.  Some of us have friends and family who have fallen ill, or whom we fear will soon fall ill.  Prudent, perhaps, would be to forego the festivities and hunker down in our own huts.  But that's not what I intend to do.  I intend to celebrate life even in the face of calamity.

Well said. I really appreciate your perspective, to the point where I feel like like smiling, laughing, and crying at at once... a very Thanksgiving-esque compilation, in fact!

JoePCool14

I will not be working, and I will not be doing any classwork for university. I will just be enjoying a homemade meal with my parents since that's the only family I have nearby anyways. Then it's back to the grind for the school semester, and it will also be the last week I have before officially turning 20. :ded:

:) Needs more... :sombrero: Not quite... :bigass: Perfect.
JDOT: We make the world a better place to drive.
Travel Mapping | 60+ Clinches | 260+ Traveled | 8000+ Miles Logged

1995hoo

I have off Thursday, and my boss decided we won't work Friday despite it not being a holiday.
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

DandyDan

With my current employer, and between my previous work location of Omaha and my current location of Clear Lake, Iowa, I have never worked Thanksgiving, although they do have volunteers who will come in Thanksgiving night to make sure the truck drivers get their stuff.
MORE FUN THAN HUMANLY THOUGHT POSSIBLE

kphoger

I just found out I'll be the only one in the building on Friday.
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

thspfc

Quote from: jakeroot on November 23, 2020, 04:37:03 PM
I'm not saying the meaning behind the holiday isn't important. But at the end of the day, I'm walking away from a meal and seeing some family, two things that are being advised against in my state.

You can do whatever you want. If it's important to you to gather for your own personal mental stability, so be it. But I've not yet reached that point. Other than not being able to see each other all the time, my family is fine and we haven't lost anyone (and no positive tests). We'll all see each other soon enough.
See, this is good fair advice. Much better than 'anyone who sees their family is Hitler', and much better than 'I am obnoxiously boasting about intentionally trying to get COVID'. Both of those are more or less lines that I've seen on this forum recently.

kkt

I have never had to work on Thanksgiving, and now I'm retired so it seems very unlikely that I ever will.

GaryV

Quote from: 1995hoo on November 24, 2020, 09:42:47 PM
... and my boss decided we won't work Friday despite it not being a holiday.

Hopefully they aren't doing what my company did a few years ago.  They decided to give non-essential employees Christmas Eve off.  But if you wanted to be paid for it, you had to take a vacation day.  (Worked out for me, because they decided IT was essential.  Then the boss kicked us all out early.


In_Correct

Quote from: kphoger on November 23, 2020, 04:22:39 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on November 23, 2020, 03:37:14 PM
There's simply no reason for us to have Thanksgiving when the whole point of the holiday is to gather. At the end of the day, it's just a meal.

The Separatists, who had suffered religious persecution because of their beef with the Church of England and their lower socio-economic standing, plus various others–mainly farmers whose way of life was being eroded by the early stages of industrialization–wishing to leave England for a new start in Jamestown colony, all expected to sail across the Atlantic to a company town on a pair of ships.  One of those ships was quickly determined to be unfit for the voyage, so it turned around and never sailed again, soon afterward being demolished.  Thus, more than 100 folks spent the next couple of months in a space about the size of a volleyball court.  With a diet of dried meat, dried peas, and salted fish, several of them developed scurvy.  Encountering severe weather while approaching America, they ended up quite a ways off course without much chance of making it to Jamestown.  After a few failed attempts at locating a place to harbor around Cape Cod Bay, they eventually found a suitable place with fresh water available, set anchor, and went ashore.

It was now December, and there was no time to build proper housing structures.  Instead, this group of "saints and sinners" all shared the same dugout/lean-to for the winter.  After having spent the voyage not wanting much to do with each other, the two groups soon found it necessary to get over their differences.  A leader was elected, and he kept getting elected every time there was a vote for years to come.  With many in ill health from the journey and foodstuff scarce, death came to many.  Several diseases spread, one of which was perhaps a yet-unnamed influenza.  At one point, there were only seven able-bodied men well enough to dig graves.  The alternative to sharing this inadequate, cramped space full of sick people was to spend the winter outdoors in the New England winter–not really an alternative, of course.  By the end of winter, roughly half the people had died.

Meanwhile, the company ship remained anchored offshore all winter long, not being able to return till spring, with the crew living halfway comfortably onboard.  When spring finally arrived, the opportunity presented itself for people to give up and return home.  Many had lost wives, husbands.  British fishing techniques didn't work in the new land.  Oats didn't grow here.  Prospects were bleak.  And yet not a single one of them decided to return to England on the Mayflower.  For all of them, freedom and a new start in life were worth all the hardships, were worth facing illness and even death.

By a series of seemingly miraculous turns of events, they were greeted by a handful of Natives willing to help the newcomers make a living here–not least of whom was an ex-slave who had already converted to Christianity in Europe and learned English well enough to communicate.  They learned to make fishing nets, fertilize hills of Indian corn, etc.  Against the odds, the harvest that year yielded enough surplus for them to hold a festival of thanksgiving.  The Natives, having killed and brought five deer to the feast, made up more than half of those in attendance.  There had been much sorrow during the previous year, much apprehension, much strife, much sickness, much death.  Prudent, perhaps, would have been to stockpile what surplus could be stockpiled, and forego such a harvest festival.  Yet they determined that it was necessary to have a celebration.  They determined to thank God for his blessings, to share with one another, to find joy amidst the tears.

The point of the holiday is not simply "to gather".  At the end of the day, it isn't "just a meal".  This year more than any previously, I find good reason to gather with my loved ones and kindle a flame of thankfulness.  Many of us find ourselves in a season of unease, apprehension, peril, and fear.  Some of us have friends and family who have fallen ill, or whom we fear will soon fall ill.  Prudent, perhaps, would be to forego the festivities and hunker down in our own huts.  But that's not what I intend to do.  I intend to celebrate life even in the face of calamity.

Thank You so very much Linus Van Pelt.
Drive Safely. :sombrero: Ride Safely. And Build More Roads, Rails, And Bridges. :coffee: ... Boulevards Wear Faster Than Interstates.

Desert Man

I want a medal for being an essential worker in 2 Thanksgiving weekends (before and after Turkey day), my grocery store had 3 cases in night crew since Aug and only one in daytime in Sep (I was told I wasn't near the anonymous person by my manager). We have 100 employees, thus a 4% rate just like the US population and 2.5% of the CA population, we are *very* careful due to the demographic is a majority senior citizens in this retirement community. We care about our customers and they should care about us, we're all in this together. 
Get your kicks...on Route 99! Like to turn 66 upside down. The other historic Main street of America.

kkt

I can't give you a medal but thanks to all the grocery workers who are continuing to work carefully during the pandemic.

Max Rockatansky

Quote from: kkt on November 29, 2020, 02:00:55 PM
I can't give you a medal but thanks to all the grocery workers who are continuing to work carefully during the pandemic.

It occurred to me the other day (being a long term retail security manager) that I'm on pace for my first year of "perfect attendance"  since 2007.  If they do certificates at work this year this whole COVID situation is about the only scenario I can envision where I could possibly want it.  Otherwise I just want to forget about anything work related from this year and never bring it up ever again.   

In_Correct

Quote from: jakeroot on November 23, 2020, 03:37:14 PM
Quote from: kphoger on November 22, 2020, 03:51:17 PM
Quote from: webny99 on November 21, 2020, 02:19:40 PM
Not working, but it's going to be ... different ... just like everything else in 2020.

Should be just the same as always for my family.  My parents, my sister and her husband, and the five of us.  Dinner at my folks' house.  That's the way it is every year.

Here in WA, the governor is strongly advising against gatherings for Thanksgiving. Gathering with ones own household is the only recommendation.

My family always makes a thing about traditions, but we've put things on hold this year. We plan to see each other again by Easter. There's simply no reason for us to have Thanksgiving when the whole point of the holiday is to gather. At the end of the day, it's just a meal.

We are going to do a big Zoom gathering instead. My grandma will make some food, deliver it to us, and then everyone can chat over the internet. Should be interesting and frankly more fun!

At the same time, Thanksgiving can also be considered Just A Meal. After all, People refer to it as: Turkey Day.
Drive Safely. :sombrero: Ride Safely. And Build More Roads, Rails, And Bridges. :coffee: ... Boulevards Wear Faster Than Interstates.

Rothman

Quote from: In_Correct on December 04, 2020, 06:00:43 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on November 23, 2020, 03:37:14 PM
Quote from: kphoger on November 22, 2020, 03:51:17 PM
Quote from: webny99 on November 21, 2020, 02:19:40 PM
Not working, but it's going to be ... different ... just like everything else in 2020.

Should be just the same as always for my family.  My parents, my sister and her husband, and the five of us.  Dinner at my folks' house.  That's the way it is every year.

Here in WA, the governor is strongly advising against gatherings for Thanksgiving. Gathering with ones own household is the only recommendation.

My family always makes a thing about traditions, but we've put things on hold this year. We plan to see each other again by Easter. There's simply no reason for us to have Thanksgiving when the whole point of the holiday is to gather. At the end of the day, it's just a meal.

We are going to do a big Zoom gathering instead. My grandma will make some food, deliver it to us, and then everyone can chat over the internet. Should be interesting and frankly more fun!

At the same time, Thanksgiving can also be considered Just A Meal. After all, People refer to it as: Turkey Day.
That's why it's the best holiday.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.



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