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Finally 2021 ended.
4 years ago
General
Well, its been a while since I posted a journal again. 2021's been one of those years. Actually two of those years. It basically feels like this:
Since I didn't say much of anything last year or this year, both a lot and little have happened since 2020. So here's the past year(s) recap:
My father dying in February 2020 sparked a depressive episode that lasted for the better part of a year. (No he didn't die of COVID, it was an abdominal aortic aneurysm.) But it was sudden and unexpected and happened just before COVID got bad which basically crystalized that state of mind for a year as everything went on lockdown and got upended.
My mom works as a ER nurse and is in her 60s and has been working throughout the pandemic. Most people act like she has the plague because she deals with COVID patients on a near daily basis and so don't want to be around her. So I became the only one she can talk to. So I have had a front row seat to the Great Medical Worker Burnout of 2021 through her. I got fully vaccinated against COVID in March and got a booster late in December, all Pfizer.
Neither I nor my mom have had COVID in any of its variations so far despite being around it a lot. Delta wreaked havoc around me earlier in 2021. My entire family (besides my mom and I) got it, two members of my extended family died form COVID and one more will likely die soon from post-delta heart complications.
My workplace changed a lot because of COVID: In June management insisted on having an in person meeting with the IT department. Because of that Delta tore through my workplace, the manager of the IT department died and many others were infected in one of the earliest Delta outbreaks. Four of my coworkers died and two others were debilitated to the point that they couldn't work. So guess who got a "you have the most experience and by the way half your department is dead fix this now plz" promotion? Whee. Except undead HR HATES that I got it, because I don't have the magical piece of paper called a bachelors degree. But HR can't find anyone to fill the slot (or any of the other positions, for that matter) because deadly pandemics make people not want to work. Imagine that. And with the qualifications they are asking for at the salary they are asking for there's been no takers, so I have stayed in the position by default. HR has been trying to make it hard and now I am having to play the Boxhecking Bureaucratic Bullshit game and get another degree (or two) to keep the position. HR would apparently rather have the position be unfilled than have someone with less than a bachelor's degree running the IT department.
Which means that I started college, again. HR says I have to have a minimum of an "IT specific degree", but left out the level of degree I need to have (despite strongly implying that it should be a bachelor's). So for now I am pursuing an associates degree in cybersecurity since, having an associates degree (General Studies), a networking certificate, a programming certificate, and several industry certs I only have to take 6 classes, two of which I have already done this last semester. I should be done with this degree by the end of 2022. After that I will likely be doing a bachelor's either by Fall of 2022 or in 2023 since that's what I am being pushed toward. We will see though.
So basically im in a "done with it all" mood at the moment. The last two years felt like an unending marathon of death and stupidity. I am hopeful 2022 won't keep it going but I also live in reality so I know better. Still Ii am hopeful 2022 will see less of it.
Sorry I haven't uploaded any art here, yes I am still getting furry art, I just have been lax about uploading it. I may eventually make a telegram channel for it as well as putting stuff up here. So I guess that is something to look forward to in 2022.
I am honestly hoping that the next year is a good one for everyone.
Since I didn't say much of anything last year or this year, both a lot and little have happened since 2020. So here's the past year(s) recap:
My father dying in February 2020 sparked a depressive episode that lasted for the better part of a year. (No he didn't die of COVID, it was an abdominal aortic aneurysm.) But it was sudden and unexpected and happened just before COVID got bad which basically crystalized that state of mind for a year as everything went on lockdown and got upended.
My mom works as a ER nurse and is in her 60s and has been working throughout the pandemic. Most people act like she has the plague because she deals with COVID patients on a near daily basis and so don't want to be around her. So I became the only one she can talk to. So I have had a front row seat to the Great Medical Worker Burnout of 2021 through her. I got fully vaccinated against COVID in March and got a booster late in December, all Pfizer.
Neither I nor my mom have had COVID in any of its variations so far despite being around it a lot. Delta wreaked havoc around me earlier in 2021. My entire family (besides my mom and I) got it, two members of my extended family died form COVID and one more will likely die soon from post-delta heart complications.
My workplace changed a lot because of COVID: In June management insisted on having an in person meeting with the IT department. Because of that Delta tore through my workplace, the manager of the IT department died and many others were infected in one of the earliest Delta outbreaks. Four of my coworkers died and two others were debilitated to the point that they couldn't work. So guess who got a "you have the most experience and by the way half your department is dead fix this now plz" promotion? Whee. Except undead HR HATES that I got it, because I don't have the magical piece of paper called a bachelors degree. But HR can't find anyone to fill the slot (or any of the other positions, for that matter) because deadly pandemics make people not want to work. Imagine that. And with the qualifications they are asking for at the salary they are asking for there's been no takers, so I have stayed in the position by default. HR has been trying to make it hard and now I am having to play the Boxhecking Bureaucratic Bullshit game and get another degree (or two) to keep the position. HR would apparently rather have the position be unfilled than have someone with less than a bachelor's degree running the IT department.
Which means that I started college, again. HR says I have to have a minimum of an "IT specific degree", but left out the level of degree I need to have (despite strongly implying that it should be a bachelor's). So for now I am pursuing an associates degree in cybersecurity since, having an associates degree (General Studies), a networking certificate, a programming certificate, and several industry certs I only have to take 6 classes, two of which I have already done this last semester. I should be done with this degree by the end of 2022. After that I will likely be doing a bachelor's either by Fall of 2022 or in 2023 since that's what I am being pushed toward. We will see though.
So basically im in a "done with it all" mood at the moment. The last two years felt like an unending marathon of death and stupidity. I am hopeful 2022 won't keep it going but I also live in reality so I know better. Still Ii am hopeful 2022 will see less of it.
Sorry I haven't uploaded any art here, yes I am still getting furry art, I just have been lax about uploading it. I may eventually make a telegram channel for it as well as putting stuff up here. So I guess that is something to look forward to in 2022.
I am honestly hoping that the next year is a good one for everyone.
Yeah, 2021 sucked MORE than 2020 as far as I'm concerned.
I'm here hoping you get much better pay when it's all over or even make good use of that degree. And here's hoping 2022 at least alleviates some of the pressure this time around instead of adding more.
HR is there to protect the company from lawsuits from the employees, not to protect the employees, that's business 101. I am not as naive about the business world as I was in the past, its just annoying having to do this now. Still, at least I'm not gonna be out in debt or anything.
My pay already went up when I got the new position. They anted to lower it but the company president blocked that. So now they are trying to find other ways to needle me. The Cyber Security Associates Degree I can get in a short period of time without disrupting work, and shows good faith toward meeting the requirement they gave me (it is an IT specific degree after all, a requirement which didn't exist for the job until 2019 and which the previous manager didn't have), the bachelors would be more time consuming and draining especially while working so I don't want to pursue it right away. if I can get HR off my back because 'well I technically have an IT specific degree" then I will absolutely do it, then get a bachelor's later.
And no, they have not replaced most of the people that have died or quit. With most of the positions they are waiting for a perfect candidate instead of hiring someone and training them to do it. Employers keep ignoring that this isn't 2010 and there aren't a glut of eager recent college grads willing to do multiple unpaid internships for experience and then work for $12 an hour with a bachelors degree. The labor market has changed and employers are just being stubborn and entitled at this point.
I will go for the "IT-specific degree" since it doesn't take much time or effort to get it anyway. The bachelor's would be draining on several levels but I am still up for it if I have to do it. If I do get the bachelor's that would be the best time to make a movie I was going to move away from this place. One thing I have right now is flexibility, which I might not have much of if I changed jobs. Still its definitely something that's on my mind.
Stil wishing you all the very very best for 2022 and that it will be a better one for you and your loved ones.