Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

It's Gonna be Camping Time!!!

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • It's Gonna be Camping Time!!!

    Finally! My harrasment claim has been settled and I'm getting just over 13 weeks of leave reimbursed. So, a camping trip is coming up!! It's been ages since I had enough leave to take a few extra days off. Dogs will be thrilled to go play. I'm thrillec to go play.
    “One could not be a successful scientist without realizing that, in contrast to the popular conception supported by newspapers and mothers of scientists, a goodly number of scientists are not only narrow-minded and dull, but also just stupid.” - James D. Watson

  • #2
    Re: It's Gonna be Camping Time!!!

    Originally posted by toedtoes View Post
    Finally! My harrasment claim has been settled and I'm getting just over 13 weeks of leave reimbursed. So, a camping trip is coming up!! It's been ages since I had enough leave to take a few extra days off. Dogs will be thrilled to go play. I'm thrillec to go play.
    I am both happy and jealous. I was going to try to sneak out tomorrow but have too much to do. Next best chance will be October. My brother invited me squirrel hunting and I suggested we make it a camping trip. Nothing is set up yet but we both want it to happen. We just have to make sure we have the same days available.
    “I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority.”
    – E. B. White

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: It's Gonna be Camping Time!!!

      Thanks. I understand completely. I've been happy for my friends going on trips, but I've also been jealous about their trips. It's nice to be able to have my own.

      Of course, I just found out our HR office screwed up my existing leave balances. So I have to go get that cleaned up before they reimburse me - cause I KNOW they will screw that up.

      But I'm going camping to my favorite campground. I'll sit on my clipper's step in the morning drinking my hot cocoa and watching the fish jump in the little pool of the creek.
      “One could not be a successful scientist without realizing that, in contrast to the popular conception supported by newspapers and mothers of scientists, a goodly number of scientists are not only narrow-minded and dull, but also just stupid.” - James D. Watson

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: It's Gonna be Camping Time!!!

        Hi, i'm totally new here! This is the first article i see in the forum so i think i shoud also leave the first comment :D Are there any guides for a new person like me? Need your help and guidance now everyone!

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: It's Gonna be Camping Time!!!

          Originally posted by kevincamp145 View Post
          Hi, i'm totally new here! This is the first article i see in the forum so i think i shoud also leave the first comment :D Are there any guides for a new person like me? Need your help and guidance now everyone!
          Welcome to the forum.....:sarcastic:
          “I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority.”
          – E. B. White

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: It's Gonna be Camping Time!!!

            Originally posted by toedtoes View Post
            Thanks. I understand completely. I've been happy for my friends going on trips, but I've also been jealous about their trips. It's nice to be able to have my own.

            Of course, I just found out our HR office screwed up my existing leave balances. So I have to go get that cleaned up before they reimburse me - cause I KNOW they will screw that up.

            But I'm going camping to my favorite campground. I'll sit on my clipper's step in the morning drinking my hot cocoa and watching the fish jump in the little pool of the creek.
            I am so curious to ask about your harassment thing but couldn't think of a way to ask tactfully.







            So....how was that?
            “I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority.”
            – E. B. White

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: It's Gonna be Camping Time!!!

              Oh boy. It's been a ride. It started my being offered to work on a project that I had been working on before this position. But, as soon as I said OK, the project changed to a completely different one. When I said no to that, I was ignored. For about 6 months, I was under severe stress and anxiety over this project. I was verbally told to do unethical and illegal things. Finally, my health was affected and I had a severe sinus infection and my asthma was the worse it had ever been and was not improving with meds. So, my Dr took me out of work for 2 weeks (over t-day so it was really only about 5 days).

              That's when the harrassment started. My boss was contacting me daily pressuring me to come back to work right away. When I'd tell him that I was exhausted just getting out of bed, he suggested that he drive me to and from the office each day. I stopped answering his texts and calls. My Dr put me on an anti-depressant. I had Serotonin Syndrome from it and had to be put on valium for a week to get through the symptom effects and withdrawals (I had only taken 3 pills of the zoloft). My asthma still didn't get better so my Dr took me out of work for the month of December.

              My boss contacted me all the time making comments like "I need to bribe your Dr to say you can come back to work now". He'd ask me questions that I had no way of answering and that I had provided the answers to before I went out.

              When I finally came back in January feeling better health wise, he started making comments about thinkin I was going to go out on disability retirement. Then a week into work I had a kidney stone. So for the month of January I was in and out of the office with Dr appts, ultrasounds, pain, etc. It was at that point his harrassment went beyond pressuring me to come back to work. He started reprimanding for "not being happy" and not playing social director (which was not my job).

              In April, he punished me for not socializing at lunch by taking away my workload that he had just given me. That was the straw that broke the camel's back. I got my things and told him I needed to leave and left the office (I had been having gut pain all day and he knew it). The next day he verbally reprimanded me, again for not being social, etc. That lunch I went pick up some meds at the pharmacy and seriously considered running my car into a tree so I wouldn't have to go back to work. The next day my psychiatrist took me out of work through June 30 due to stress. Yeah, I had started seeing him in February because of the stress. He was having me try different anti-depressants to find one that would work and not give me Serotonin Syndrome again.

              When I came back to work in July, my boss started to make jokes about having to go out on stress leave and suggesting I go out on disability retirement daily. He never let up. In addition, a co-worker (the suck up on the office) told another that I "was trying to split the unit apart" on the 2nd day I was back.

              That went on through August. At the end of August, we had a staff meeting and he'd ask for opinions and when I gave mine, he'd shut me down. That afternoon he asked to meet about a memo I had drafted. Then he proceeded to verbally berate me for not being happy, etc. He told me I was required to say good morning and good night to everyone in the office. Then he offered to "contact your doctors and convince them to take you out on disability retirement". He then asked if I had a problem with the suck up co-worker and I said yes and pointed out several instances when she jumped into my work in order to show I did something wrong (and in all cases, I had done nothing wrong). Then I added that she had told the other employee that I was trying to tear the unit apart when I had been out for 3 months. He blew it off with a "I didn't know that. I suppose I could talk to her." The next day I called in sick. When I checked my work email for a password I needed, I found a message from him reprimanding me for not being happy, tearing the unit apart, for not doing my workload, for not saying good morning and good night every day, for going awol in April, and for " inappropriate behavior" that had occurred 6+ months before. He also emailed my other co-worker (not the suck up) and reprimanded her for comments I made during the staff meeting and for sharing "confidential information" with me. That last was because he claims that he told suck up that I was tearing the unit apart in confidence, so this person had no right to tell me what suck up told her outside of that confidential discussion. (Yeah, that's some logic).

              I went out on stress leave for the month of September. At that time I filed the workers comp and harrassment claims. When I returned in October, the worker's comp claim was investigated. The final decision was that his actions caused my stress, but that because he was my manager he was not responsible for anything he said or did...

              The positive outcome of that was that someone higher up told my boss to knock it off. So, he stopped with the daily harrassment. He'd still try to pull crap, but backed off as soon as I called him on it. During this entire time, I was dealing with various medical issues (including med interactions, severe gut pain, migraines, stress issues like scratching my entire chin raw, torn cartilage in both knees, chronic neck and shoulder pain and headaches induced from that pain, and trying to stabilize my meds for the asthma, depression, anxiety, prevention of more kidney stones, constipation, etc.).

              In January my harrassment claim was looked at. The dept of fair employment and housing agreed that "what Ibwanted from it" was fair and reasonable (I asked for the leave that I used for the stress related issues and the medical costs for stress related issues be returned to me and he stop harrassing me). So, they reached to my dept for a settlement. In May, we agreed on the terms. Last week we signed the papers.

              Oh, and that project I mentioned at the beginning of all this? That November before I was out with the asthma, my boss' boss told me that my doing that project was getting my boss a promotion. Apparently that is why he harrassed me - when I went out sick and they had to have someone else do the project, my boss lost that promotion. So he was pissed at me.

              And what was I getting for soing that project? I was told (by my boss' boss) that I could claim all the overtime I wanted and I didn't have to work any of it...

              Well, that's the bulk of it. I have never dealt with anything like this. Before this happened my boss and I got along great.

              As of today, things are much better. He's no longer harrassing me. And just yesterday he actually apologized for arguing with me over an interpretation of some instructions. Seems after we met and he argued with me, he actually read it and realized I was right. He has never apologized before. Suck up is still trying to get me in trouble. He won't call her out on it, but he isn't taking her word as gospel and reprimanding me for stuff I didn't do.

              So, in the near future I get 533 hours of leave back and $1000 cash. That will put me back to normal numbers (I am currently using all my leave each month just for Dr appts) so I can take 4 day weekend camping trips each month again. I'm also going to China for 2 weeks this fall (so that cash is going towards the dogs' hotel stay). Meds are stabilized. Will be on the anti-depressant at least until I can retire. Back and shoulder pain and headaches are just about eliminated since I got electrocuted in my neck. Got lube jobs on my knees so no pain under normal situations (still have to be careful hiking) and I can postpone surgeries for a few years. Stress is for the most part manageable. I do notice that if I'm tired, sick, etc., my ability to handle stress is non-existent, but for most days I can handle it. Gut pain is under control for the most part. And my face is starting to look human again.
              “One could not be a successful scientist without realizing that, in contrast to the popular conception supported by newspapers and mothers of scientists, a goodly number of scientists are not only narrow-minded and dull, but also just stupid.” - James D. Watson

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: It's Gonna be Camping Time!!!

                Wow, that is a lot and I feel for you. The last company I worked for was ripping off its employees by requiring they work overtime but not paying the overtime pay, just regular pay. I got into it with the area manager and ended up filing a complaint with the Dept of Labor. I had to think a long while before I did that because I knew it would put a target on my back, which it did. I got written up for not doing something that I had proof that I did. I laughed at how clumsy and stupid an attempt it was and thought about suing them for harassment but in the end just moved on to another job.


                In the end the Dept of Labor found that they knowingly violated the labor laws and had to pay 3 years back pay. The frustrating part was the amounts they came up with. I think the largest check was 5k. I tried to warn the guys that those numbers didn't make sense. (I figured that one guy should have gotten around $70k) He and a couple others were going to sue but in the end I think I talked them out of it. I pointed out that while they would probably win in the short term they would get fired for some reason or another and that company actually paid pretty well. And unlike me they didn't have the options I had for finding a new job. (which sounds kind of insulting but I was seriously overqualified for that job. I found a much better job within a month of looking and could have had a comparable job within a week.)


                In the end they screwed with the wrong guy. I took the job as a bridge between self employment and a real job so taking on that fight was low risk for me and they ended up paying hundreds of thousands in fines. The disappointing part is how many coworkers told me I was wrong and going to ruin a good thing. I still don't understand that. They are still one step away from the end of the fight though. The company doesn't approve any overtime but gives out more work then people can do in 40 hours and looks the other way when it gets done. But I figure that if a person wants to work unpaid overtime that is their decision.
                “I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority.”
                – E. B. White

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: It's Gonna be Camping Time!!!

                  I remember when you were getting out of there. I agree with you on the other guys not suing. When you are really dependent upon that income, you have really think it all out. I'm a single income household and while I have a lot saved, I couldn't afford to lose my job at this point. I'm close enough to retirement that it would have completely messed up my plans for the future. And I actually really like my job. I could apply and transfer to another position/dept, but the jobs at my level are mostly budgets and contracts and I have no experience in those areas nor do I want to do that type of work. For the few positions that would be a good fit, I applied but never got called. I know a lot of that was due to my health issues (lots of time off required), but I suspect my boss and Suck up were badmouthing me. I've always been a strong candidate and have always gotten interviews before this.

                  So I was really in bad place that I couldn't just walk away from, but I couldn't take the stress anymore either.

                  Plus our dept is notorious for retaliating, so everything I did had to be weighed against that.

                  What really saved me is that California state has some strong protections for employees (including state government employees like me) and that I learned Personnel from two of the most knowledgeable people in the state and I understand and can research laws (took legal courses in college). My boss depended on Suck up to provide him with what he could do and she does not know 1/3 of what I do (even though she spent many years performing that work while I had spent only about 4 doing process improvement - not the actual work). He is a smart guy and can bluff his way with people, but he forgot that I think like him and know how to call his bluff. He also knows that Suck up will lie for him, but he didn't remember that she had once sent us an email that basically admitted that she'll lie to authorities for him. And I know how to document and how to effectively counter false accusations. So, he played it as he usually does, and I nailed him at every corner.

                  Heck, even my union got involved and requested the legal reference that requires me to say good morning and good night everyday. There is no such regulation and they can not require you to do so. He got called on that one by the higher ups as soon as the union made contact.

                  I really sympathize with anyone who has ever had to deal with this stuff. I've always handled stress well, but with the health issues it was just too much. All I wanted to do was do my job and he tried to make that impossible so I'd leave. All because he didn't get that promotion. And none of the other employees are competent at the stuff I am - so he shot himself in the foot and he knows it.
                  “One could not be a successful scientist without realizing that, in contrast to the popular conception supported by newspapers and mothers of scientists, a goodly number of scientists are not only narrow-minded and dull, but also just stupid.” - James D. Watson

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: It's Gonna be Camping Time!!!

                    Originally posted by kevincamp145 View Post
                    Hi, i'm totally new here! This is the first article i see in the forum so i think i shoud also leave the first comment :D Are there any guides for a new person like me? Need your help and guidance now everyone!
                    Welcome to the forum...
                    There aren't a lot of guides here, so your best bet would be to start a thread (probably in general camping)... it will help us to help you if you generally state the type of camping you like; camper, pop-up, tent, vehicle, back packing etc. along with your experience level...
                    I for example am a Jeep tent camper.
                    Lots of knowledge and good folks here!

                    Enjoy!
                    2006 Jeep Rubicon, TJ; 4.11 gears, 31" tires, 4:1 transfer case, lockers in both axles
                    For DD & "civilized" camping; 2003 Ford explorer sport, 4wd; ARB & torsen diffs, 4.10 gears, 32" MTs.
                    Ground tents work best for me, so far.
                    Experience along with properly set up 4WD will get you to & through places (on existing, approved 4WD trails) that 4WD, alone, can't get to.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: It's Gonna be Camping Time!!!

                      Originally posted by toedtoes View Post
                      I remember when you were getting out of there. I agree with you on the other guys not suing. When you are really dependent upon that income, you have really think it all out. I'm a single income household and while I have a lot saved, I couldn't afford to lose my job at this point. I'm close enough to retirement that it would have completely messed up my plans for the future. And I actually really like my job. I could apply and transfer to another position/dept, but the jobs at my level are mostly budgets and contracts and I have no experience in those areas nor do I want to do that type of work. For the few positions that would be a good fit, I applied but never got called. I know a lot of that was due to my health issues (lots of time off required), but I suspect my boss and Suck up were badmouthing me. I've always been a strong candidate and have always gotten interviews before this.

                      So I was really in bad place that I couldn't just walk away from, but I couldn't take the stress anymore either.

                      Plus our dept is notorious for retaliating, so everything I did had to be weighed against that.

                      What really saved me is that California state has some strong protections for employees (including state government employees like me) and that I learned Personnel from two of the most knowledgeable people in the state and I understand and can research laws (took legal courses in college). My boss depended on Suck up to provide him with what he could do and she does not know 1/3 of what I do (even though she spent many years performing that work while I had spent only about 4 doing process improvement - not the actual work). He is a smart guy and can bluff his way with people, but he forgot that I think like him and know how to call his bluff. He also knows that Suck up will lie for him, but he didn't remember that she had once sent us an email that basically admitted that she'll lie to authorities for him. And I know how to document and how to effectively counter false accusations. So, he played it as he usually does, and I nailed him at every corner.

                      Heck, even my union got involved and requested the legal reference that requires me to say good morning and good night everyday. There is no such regulation and they can not require you to do so. He got called on that one by the higher ups as soon as the union made contact.

                      I really sympathize with anyone who has ever had to deal with this stuff. I've always handled stress well, but with the health issues it was just too much. All I wanted to do was do my job and he tried to make that impossible so I'd leave. All because he didn't get that promotion. And none of the other employees are competent at the stuff I am - so he shot himself in the foot and he knows it.
                      It is tough being in that situation and trying to move around within the same company. I was told by a former coworker that the area manager said if he knew I was applying at the company I got hired at (they are one of our vendors) he would have made sure I didn't get the job. What an idiot. You are trying to get rid of me but would have stopped me from leaving? Part of me wanted to stay there and do some REAL damage but like you said. The stress grinds you down.
                      “I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority.”
                      – E. B. White

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: It's Gonna be Camping Time!!!

                        Yeah, I have a lot more sympathy for others having gone through it. I was lucky in that I had money in the bank and was able to claim SDI (state disability insurance) during the 3 months I was out. They provided 2/3 of my monthly pay for that time. I can't imagine having to deal with this with no protections.

                        I found that people become vindictive to the point of biting off their nose in spite of their face. They want you gone, but they want to hurt you more. And then with folks like Suck up, they have to put you down in order to feel better about themselves.

                        If the weather would cool down a bit, I'd get the clipper ready to go now. Poor dogs are going nuts - if they go out front, they will not come back in the house. They circle the SUV until I take them somewhere. If they go out the back gate, they circle the clipper until we spend several hours in it. They want a trip so bad.
                        “One could not be a successful scientist without realizing that, in contrast to the popular conception supported by newspapers and mothers of scientists, a goodly number of scientists are not only narrow-minded and dull, but also just stupid.” - James D. Watson

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: It's Gonna be Camping Time!!!

                          Originally posted by toedtoes View Post
                          Yeah, I have a lot more sympathy for others having gone through it. I was lucky in that I had money in the bank and was able to claim SDI (state disability insurance) during the 3 months I was out. They provided 2/3 of my monthly pay for that time. I can't imagine having to deal with this with no protections.

                          I found that people become vindictive to the point of biting off their nose in spite of their face. They want you gone, but they want to hurt you more. And then with folks like Suck up, they have to put you down in order to feel better about themselves.

                          If the weather would cool down a bit, I'd get the clipper ready to go now. Poor dogs are going nuts - if they go out front, they will not come back in the house. They circle the SUV until I take them somewhere. If they go out the back gate, they circle the clipper until we spend several hours in it. They want a trip so bad.
                          lol, those are some good dogs.
                          “I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority.”
                          – E. B. White

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: It's Gonna be Camping Time!!!

                            Well, not sure about the "good" part - at least in reference to Bat-dog. But, they are very happy campers and have really gotten used to camping every month. The last couple years have been rough on them. Even the bird is frustrated about not going camping - at 30 years old when I got him, I didn't know if he would like it, but he loves to go. He watches the wild birds through the clipper windows. He refuses to eat people food unless we're camping. Anything I try to feed him at home other than his bird food is immediately tossed. When camping, he will eat potato chips, tortilla chips, ice cream, etc. And he's much more polite (although that may be because I threaten to feed him to the vultures and eagles if he's rude).
                            “One could not be a successful scientist without realizing that, in contrast to the popular conception supported by newspapers and mothers of scientists, a goodly number of scientists are not only narrow-minded and dull, but also just stupid.” - James D. Watson

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: It's Gonna be Camping Time!!!

                              Well, I finally got out for a camping trip!

                              I had reservations at my favorite campground site for this past week. Took the week off work and Monday morning got up to head out.

                              Stopped to fill the 2 tanks with gas and as I started filling the front tank, gas started pouring out from underneath. My tank sprung a leak!

                              Rushed over to my repair shop and while they finished up another job, the dogs, bird and I watched gas continue to pour out of the tank into a big tub. They got it up on a lift and since it's a plastic tank, they drilled 3 holes to drain the rest of the fuel so I could continue on my trip. I filled up the rear tank and headed out.

                              I will say right now I HATE gps.

                              I haven't been to this campground in a couple years and while it's a straight run, I was using the gps to keep on track through a series of small towns in the sierras.

                              The gps has me make a series of turns and twists in one town in order to follow the 2 lane highway. At the end of which, I am on the wrong 2 lane highway - going east instead of north.

                              Gps directs me to a different route that will take about the same amount of time so I decide not to backtrack or to continue the long way around (my current direction).

                              I can see the full route and it shows me arriving via the forest road behind the campground. So, off I go. I go through a smal mountain town and start climbing up a mountain road that is paved around turns but not on straightaways. Signs leading me to lakes, campgrounds, etc., appear occasionally.

                              I reach the top having passed 2 trucks only and start coming down the other side. The road gets rougher and rougher as I go, but I'm still on route.

                              I drive past a popular camping lake, over a dam, and continue on the unpaved road. Past another lake and over another dam. Soon, gps says to turn onto a 2nd unpaved road. As I start down this road, I start to question the gps. The road is turning into a trail. Getting tight with the motorhome. Then the gps says "in 4 miles go off road".

                              WHAT!?!?!?!?!?!?

                              Off road?????????? Why in the world would a gps direct me off road??? Only 5 miles from the my campground!!!

                              It's now 7:30 pm and getting dark. I have between 1\4 and 1\2 a tank left and it will take over 2 hours to backtrack to a paved road. So, I turn around and find a campsite at the 2nd lake I had passed. There is a truck & 5th wheel nearby so I figure I can get help in the morning.

                              Park and settle in for the night. It's a nice little lake with lots of space for the dogs to check out.

                              The next morning, I see a grader come through smoothing out the unpaved road so I head over to ask for help.

                              The night before I had tried to find some alternate routes using the gps - it could only find one. When i asked the workers, they said there was no way I wanted to take the alternate route or the original. They were very impressed that I had come the way I had. Apparently, I was only 1.5 miles from a paved road and 24 miles from a main sierra highway. Yet the gps continued to direct me down unpaved, 4wd and off road routes...

                              So, by 8:30 am I was on my way to a real road. For those 24 miles, the gps continued to tell me to turn off onto unpaved forest roads and refused to acknowledge the paved road as a viable route. I ignored the gps.

                              I stopped for gas - whew! And then drove another 1-1\2 hours through road work to my campground.

                              Goot there, got set up, took the dogs for a nice hike along one of the trails. Within minutes of getting back to camp it started raining. It rained pretty much the rest of the time until Friday morning (when I'm leaving). Big storm came through, snow and accidents on I-80 over the p**** and very cold temps at camp. So we spent most of it inside, escaping for quick jaunts whenever possible.

                              Not the trip I had planned, but overall a success. I don't doubt the abilities of my RV after that trip. It can handle most anything. For all that gps garbage, I stayed relax and calm for the most part. The leaking gas tank didn't claim my trip.

                              I came home with a bent step, broken antennas, lost backup light and some scratches, but otherwise in good shape.

                              Even with the rain, we had a nice time. Sounds of the creek, a good book, and lots of blankets.

                              I am sending a very nasty email to garmin about their gps - it should never take you on a route that includes "go off road" without informing you at the beginning that the route is such. I could have easily have gotten in trouble anywhere along that route and been stuck for days waiting for someone to come by. And that it never offered me an alternate route using actual roads and highways is ridiculous

                              But we made it! And we got to go camping.

                              And i will be staying at that other campground in the future!
                              “One could not be a successful scientist without realizing that, in contrast to the popular conception supported by newspapers and mothers of scientists, a goodly number of scientists are not only narrow-minded and dull, but also just stupid.” - James D. Watson

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X