The Lake Is Our Backyard!
Category: everyday life
One More Crayziness
A couple of weeks ago, my mom told me that her Russian phone was sending her messages that there were not enough funds on the card which was used for phone payments. It was indeed not enough because five years ago, I added her Visa, which was issued by a Russian bank but was in US dollars. She used this card to pay for all he necessities, and I periodically transferred her pension to this Debit Visa, converting from rubles to dollars. After the war began and my mom couldn’t use this card anymore, it sort of became useless, but I forgot to switch her phone payment method to her ruble card.
Now, these dollars were finally gone. I tried to login to her phone account page multiple times, but the page was hanging and never came back. Then, as much as I hated it, I tried to login to her bank and transfer some money to this visa. Although I’ve done it many times before, this time transaction was declined, and the automated message said that somebody would call her (mom) from the bank within the next hour or so. Good luck with that.
When I tied to login a day later, the bank page said that her online account it locked, and in order to unlock it, she needed either to come in person or call the number listed (in Moscow). I knew that she had to call from her cell phone; otherwise, they won’t believe that she was she. But her phone… you got the picture.
Boris told me that he would try to transfer money from his Russian bank to my mom’s phone, and then we will figure out what to do next. I still thought there is no emergency because all her payments for her Russian apartment were scheduled as auto-pays. However, today they sent her a message that her automated payments are stopped because her card is blocked! So now it’s not just her online access but everything. What she still has to pay are the property taxes and utility fees (so that the heating and electricity won’t be shut down completely). So now that’s one more thing I need to resolve.
Fort Sheridan Forest Preserved
After I blogged about the Lion’s Den and mentioned that there is nothing like that in Illinois, my friend promptly replied that in fact, there is something like that, namely, the forest preserve with the lake!
When I looked at the map, I realized that it is perfectly reachable by public transportation, namely by Metra UP-North. The next thing I realized – the only option to go there before the end of September was the upcoming Sunday (July 16). I promptly made up a plan and executed 🙂
I have just one word to say – a paradise!
Monarchs In The City
Corporate Apparel
I forgot that I had a lot of points to order some corporate-branded merchandise, and when I received a reminder about the points, it took me by surprise. I ordered several items for different weather, and I was pleasantly shocked when I received the items – I never had corporate apparel with such a perfect fit (I probably do not show well in the picture, but trust me!) Even a hoody fits like a designer jacket!
Waste Reduction
This was a small thing, but I am very proud of it.
Sometimes, things break, or you lose a part, and then it appears to be very difficult to find this one small part that you need to replace, and it is very tempting to replace the whole thing.
Recently, I accidentally threw a percolator tube into the garbage. And I didn’t realize I did it until it was too late, and the garbage was already in the dumpster. I started to look for a part on Amazon, and I couldn’t find it. A couple of years ago, I had to buy a new percolator for Milwaukee when the lid of the coffee basket went missing, and I could not find a replacement for such a simple thing and ended up ordering a new percolator.
This time, I was almost ready to do the same, but when I checked the percolator’s price on Amazon, I saw that it had gone up almost twice since I purchased it last time. Most likely, that won’t stop me because I wanted the problem to be solved ASAP, but then I thought about the conservation efforts and what a waste it would be to throw away the whole percolator with only this tube missing!
I made an effort :). I found the company website and ordered the replacement perk tubes. Two of them :). Because it’s not the last time I need one. And it was not as fast as Amazon delivery. And two tubes plus shipping cost only a little bit less than a new percolator. But I was so happy I did the right thing 🙂
Reflecting on my Professional Career.
Today, I joined a group of DRW volunteers to participate in the Lunch and Learn event for theGreenwood ProjectThat was an incredible experience! I can’t remember the last time I talked to such an intelligent and motivated group of young people with clear professional goals and the thrust for knowledge. Also, I can hardly remember any other event, including big professional conferences, that would result in that many LinkedIn connection requests. Good job, Scholars!
I was really impressed with the students’ questions! Even after the event, I kept thinking about some of them. One student asked me what helped me to keep moving up in my professional career. I replied, as I usually do, that my biggest motivation was that I loved what I was doing.
Several months ago, I wrotean essay about itin my personal blog. Today, after I answered this question, I wondered whether…
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Mom Took The Citizenship Oath
It’s all done. This huge weight is off my shoulders. Now I am going to take a deep breath and dive into the next round of bureaucracy: Medicare, SS benefits, passport, and whatever else. But at least we are done with that one!
A Perfect Summer Bouquet
And not just the bouquet – it’s just that summer finally reached this stage of perfection, when the water in the Lake is warm, and the air is velvet, and the flowers smell, and everybody have the lights on their balconies, and you enjoy every second of your existence 😀
Why I Don’t Like Remote Work
I like flexibility; I always liked the option of being able to work remotely, but not the idea of working remotely full-time. This WBEZ podcast mentions some of the issues which are important to me regarding working from home. If I would be honest with myself, I have to admit that the most important factor for me is a relatively small and seemingly unimportant thing – the lack of physical movement when you work from home.
A funny story is that twenty years ago, it was just the opposite: when I worked from home, I had the option of going biking during the lunch break, and I didn’t have to time my morning workout to make sure I was not late for the train. Back then, working from home meant more physical activity, and now it’s the opposite.
When it comes strictly to work, I know that 1) you can be very efficient while being remote;2) I had exceptionally successful emote projects; 3) you can have social interactions working remotely. But you can’t seamlessly incorporate move moving into your everyday life.
… and yes, there is nothing better than whiteboarding!
Hettie's Reflections 