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I just noticed the General Chit Chat, part 2 is getting pretty long, close to 3,000 comments. I'm creating a fresh thread so that Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ doesn't have trouble.

How is everyone doing in the new year? I feel like the last one went by very fast!

My new year's resolution is to have a little more balance in my life and not let work overtake everything. Hopefully I can manage it! And a second resolution is that I need to start taking the time to exercise again and lose some of the weight put on by extra treats during the holidays. 😀

Great resolutions, Greg! Best of luck on those. Your balance goal is similar to one of mine: to carve out some time for myself (which mostly means reading.) I've figured out how to create a workout time by getting up early in the morning, which I've been doing for some time now. You got this!

Ronnie wrote: "Great resolutions, Greg! Best of luck on those. Your balance goal is similar to one of mine: to carve out some time for myself (which mostly means reading.) I've figured out how to create a workout..."

Thanks so much Ronnie! And yes, it is so important to carve out time for ourselves because life is short!

Happy New Year Greg! I agree with you on the work resolution, it's also something I will be taking on. I have accepted a promotion in another department at work and I hope by doing that, I can go in fresh with the intention to learn to have a better work life balance. As I am currently in a smaller department it became so easy to let work take over as there was so much to do and not enough people there to do it.

Alannah wrote: "Happy New Year Greg! I agree with you on the work resolution, it's also something I will be taking on. I have accepted a promotion in another department at work and I hope by doing that, I can go i..."

Congratulations on your promotion Alannah, and I have my fingers crossed for you. Hope we both manage to do it this year! 😃

Thank you Greg :)

Good luck to both of you, Greg and Alannah. 2024 was a very busy and somewhat discouraging year at work for me. There have been big changes at work in my department, and I finally made good on my declarations of retirement. So, 12/31/2024 was my last day at work! I’ve been to the gym a couple of times, played with grandchildren on Friday, and got a haircut not on the weekend in the first time I can remember. Of course, I hope to do a lot more reading this year! I’m going to have to adjust- there’s a part of me that will definitely miss it, but I’m really excited about the opportunities, especially family time. It’s a little belated, but Happy New Year everyone!🎉

Steve wrote: "Good luck to both of you, Greg and Alannah. 2024 was a very busy and somewhat discouraging year at work for me. There have been big changes at work in my department, and I finally made goo

Steve, so glad you have time to take care of yourself now and to spend more time with your grandchildren, even though it's a big adjustment. I hope you have a wonderful retirement!

Thank you Greg!

Happy New Year everyone! I am going to resolve to do more reading and less doom scrolling. I plan on fully retiring at the end of June or at the very latest the end of the year. That could change if bird flu becomes transmittable from person to person. I still have PTSD from dealing with COVID at work and will not go through that again. I am down to only working one day a week. I just turned 69 and I’m getting tired. lol

Good luck to you Ruth!

Ruth wrote: "Happy New Year everyone! I am going to resolve to do more reading and less doom scrolling. I plan on fully retiring at the end of June or at the very latest the end of the year. That could change i..."

Ruth, I fully support you in your move away from doom scrolling!

I know many people can handle it, but I had to come to terms with the fact that I am not able to handle the news in such times because I get too worked up. There is no chance that my voting attitudes will change in the current environment; so I don't really need the news to do my civic duty. And it is just too spiritually and emotionally harmful to me to consume it so I have completely let it go for now. I have never felt so good since I stopped consuming it. I am less stressed, more hopeful, and have regained my natural disposotion of believing that people are basically good. People are generally kind to each other. Yes, there are some really bad or cruel people in the world, but if I can't do anything about it, I don't want to know what they are doing. They'll do what they're going to do. I'll keep paying attention to things I can control; the rest I will only pay attention as much as I need to in order to do my duty.

Congratulations on your nearing retirment, and I hope you have a wonderful one!! The job you've been doing is so important, and it can do so much good for people who need that attention and kindness so badly! But it's exhausting for sure and takes a lot out of you, and I'm so glad you're getting your well deserved break. Wishing you many peaceful reading years to come!

Thanks Greg. I have not really watched the news since the election and now I am mostly going to give up social media. The past week or so I have been having nightmares about the fears that I have over what is to come. I’m just going to hope that we get through the next 4 yrs with our democracy still intact.

I feel the same Ruth! I know exactly what you mean.

Back at work; as I've probably already written before, the situation is not nice here any longer. It used to be a great place. a lot of things to do and see. Not any longer. The new Mayor is these days visiting at our office, and she's asked to speak with every one of us. I'll talk to her tomorrow; let's see if she'll manage to do something about it!