Hot at work
03.29.09 (6:53 pm) [edit]
It's so hot, I've been wandering around the house in shorts and a tank top. March and April are the worst months in Thailand - hot, dry, and just plain uncomfortable. On the one hand, it used to mean time off for Songkran, the Thai new year, but once you've moved to the other side of the desk, it just means summer classes. Same amount of prep, but half the grading. Course, that doesn't take into account my international courses, which run on the American system, and are thus counter to the Thai vacation times. When I was a student, that meant I didn't have to fight five hundred Thai kids for stuff, but now it just means I have to work when others get to play. Sigh. There's always something, isn't there?
Final thought: April is the cruelest month? Well, not that bad.
Final thought: April is the cruelest month? Well, not that bad.
Ergonomics, again
03.26.09 (3:42 am) [edit]
It's kind of a cool coincidence, but just last week, they had an ergonomics expert come in and talk to us about keeping ourselves safe. Turns out almost everyone I know has problems with their shoulders and necks - I seem to be the only one with a wrist problem. Wonder if it could the amount of games I play? Anyhow, I've been trying to implement some of the tips she gave us - stopping every hour or so to stretch, turning down the brightness of the computer screen, sitting up straight. That last one takes a real conscious effort; I'm a bit of a sloucher. She also said most physical problems stem from stress, so I really need to simmer down. It doesn't get any easier, but I'm trying, trying, trying. I've such a short fuse for such a long time, though, it's really, really hard. Sometimes I just feel like smacking the stupid out of people.
Final thought: Of course, a lot of stress comes from others, and once you get rid of the really big troublemakers, it should be easier. Right?
Final thought: Of course, a lot of stress comes from others, and once you get rid of the really big troublemakers, it should be easier. Right?
Don't make me retake Ergonomics!
03.05.09 (12:43 am) [edit]
Isn't it ironic that I got an A in Ergonomics back in college but I might actually be coming down with a mild case of carpal tunnel syndrome? This is because I practice horrid mouse-skills and pretty much just overwork my hand. My wrist throbbed for three days - and right when I had fifty exams to grade. Thank God it was all numbers, which I could use my left hand to kind of fake along. It's awful because I'm not even vaguely ambidextrous. I totally wish I were sometimes.
Final thought: Gotta rest my wrist!
Final thought: Gotta rest my wrist!