Musings on a Small Life

[Work rant, sorry, have to vent! Best to skip this one.] I've decided that my job title, in my email signature, should be "Lesser Bobblehead," Department Such and Such. Well, my little bobblehead is spinning today, out of control. Just one of those frazzled days. Plus, the staff union (from which I'm excluded due to confidentiality, as is everyone else in this office) voted to ratify the newly-negotiated contract with the university. I get--all we non-unionized staff get--exactly what they get. Which is nothing for the first year, other than a $750 (gross) lump sum payment. No step increase. I'm due a step increase, so I'm pissed off about that. The "big" lump sum (net) amounts to less than half of what a step increase would give me. Next year, step increases for those who qualify, plus 1%. Then in July 2017 another step increase plus 1.25%, and the same beginning July 2018. The university saved their money for faculty a...

I was bed-shopping yesterday. I need a new one in the worst way -- my 6 or 7 year old Serta "Perfect Sleeper" isn't so perfect at all, and I have been spending every night for the past 2 or so years waking up all night and in the morning, stiff and sore from lying in the gulleys of my too-soft mattress (I'm a back sleeper). So off I went to Sleep Country and Mattress Mart to see what's available in a firm mattress, one that won't sag after a mere three years, which is when my Serta started to sag. I learned a fair bit about pocket coil mattresses, depth of coil versus depth of foam padding (my current mattress has about 3.5 or so inches of padding, so it's no wonder it's sagged). There are two Kingsdown mattress sets I have my eye on (double--I want to downsize from the queen-sized I currently have), one at Sleep Country and one at Mattress Mart. They're both on sale, both comparably priced (both comparable beds), and both were so comfy...so com...