So Much for that Month
This month has been crazy, for all sorts of reasons.
First, there was the Capitol Riot on January 6th. Trump, still clinging to the belief of a stolen election, whipped his supporters up into a lather, and told them to march down to Congress. And they did. Past police barricades and into the chambers, minutes after Congress fled for their lives.
In the immediate aftermath and even a week or two later, it kinda sorta... didn't seem like a big deal. Five people did die, including a police officer, but it seemingly harkened more to that armed takeover in Oregon five years ago. As the days progressed though, we started to learn other details. A gallows had been constructed. "Just a prop, it wouldn't have actually supported the weight from someone being hanged." Guys in camo and body armor were roaming the House floor with police-grade zip-ties used for handcuffing. "Well..." Republican members of Congress were live-tweeting the location of Nancy Pelosi. "Erm..." While huddling for safety, Republican members still refused to wear masks, leading to at least two more Congressmen getting COVID. Oh, and caches of pipe bombs were hidden around the night before.
In spite of all that happening, hours later Republicans still voted to try to overturn the results of the election. All of the things they claimed Obama would do at the end of his term, are things their own side are trying to do. Total projection.
And all this... for Trump?! That's the guy you're willing to die for? Or have you just waiting this entire time for the first person who comes along and tells you to lick his boot? Anyone would do, huh.
A few weeks later was President Joe Biden's inauguration, which occurred without incident. There were millions of people waiting around the country though, hoping to see a military coup and blood in the streets on Live TV, instead of Trump's awkward speech and him flying back to Florida.
Do you know what I did? I was asking my daycare about their evacuation plans in case of violence. Because there was a nonzero chance that I would have to plow my way downtown and flee with my son, if Republicans started shooting at the National Guard. Should I have just kept him home? Maybe. On the other hand, that's how the terrorists win.
I don't know, maybe I deserve to die for believing in a higher minimum wage and greater access to healthcare. I have family who genuinely feel I will be tortured for eternity because I haven't spoken in tongues. Or haven't done X or have done Y. Fill in the blanks for your own justifiable eternal torture worksheet. What's a little political violence sprinkled on top?
Ugh.
The piss frosting on this shit cake has been the Job. I had three major projects go live all in the same month, pretty much back-to-back. The first week of January I put in 30 hours of overtime, working late Friday and Saturday and Sunday. Only got paid for 10 of those hours, by the way. "You can claim 10 hours OT or flex out 30, but not both." Ah, yes, let me just flex out 3.5 days when I have major projects occurring the week after, and the week after that. I took the OT because I knew they wouldn't leave me alone even if I turned my phone off.
Luckily, I just ended the third project this past week, working until midnight on three consecutive days. It was sloppy, but it's done. And it won't happen again. I warned management the month before, but didn't press the issue as far as I should have. Having experienced it now, the issue will be pressed immediately if they ever try to schedule that again.
So, yeah, I'm glad January is over. Let's see what February's got.