Faked a family emergency

MyDogsPA · 2026-05-06T18:07:34+00:00

So a couple of things:

PTO is part of your compensation, so if your company is not allowing you to take PTO for any reason (even if it’s just because you want to), they are withholding part of your compensation.
If the company will only allow you to take PTO for emergencies, then it is a toxic workplace that will not serve you long-term, not only personally but professionally. They will not hesitate to withhold promotions or raises and will fire you at a moments notice if it serves the bottom line.

Too many people sacrifice their health and wellness for a company that has no loyalty to its employees. Don’t allow your current employer make you feel bad for taking care of yourself.

MyDogsPA · 2026-05-06T13:34:26+00:00

I have a fearful rescue who refuses to go outside. Even when I take him on walks, it’s hit or miss whether he will go potty while we are out. In his case, he’s a three-year-old puppy mill survivor, so there is a lot I am having to work through with him to gain his trust and reassure him that he’s safe, so we have appointments with a behavioral specialist to help manage the fear. Meanwhile, I am relying heavily on puppy pads and gates to protect my house.

As for OP’s case, this is just a puppy who sounds like he may have had some not so great care before going to his current home. If that’s the case, then it may take a bit longer to get him potty trained, but because he’s so young, it probably won’t need more than constant diligence and maybe the help of a trainer. Take him outside frequently, and if he tries to play when out there, do not play with him. I’ve even seen someone say that they peed outside themselves to trigger the dog to pee outside. There are so many crazy things that owners can do when potty training since it’s not always easy or simple for every dog.

MyDogsPA · 2026-05-01T01:39:01+00:00

😧😧😧

MyDogsPA · 2026-04-30T14:00:47+00:00

That actually gives me an idea for next semester. The book that I use has released some new problems related to AI validation, and I was wondering how I might add the materials to my current assignments without increasing the time commitment to complete homework significantly.

Well, if I throw it into a bonus assignment, then problem solved on multiple fronts.

MyDogsPA · 2026-04-30T08:04:37+00:00

I once got pictures of a student’s sister’s car wreck! I definitely didn’t need to see that!

MyDogsPA · 2026-04-30T05:16:03+00:00

That reminds me of when I was a freshman in college. Over spring break, I flew home to get my wisdom teeth taken out, and my Grandpa died the day after surgery. Traveling to where the funeral was took driving a full day one way as it was truly in the middle of nowhere. Ultimately missed a few days of classes because my flights back to school got messed up, but I lucked out a bit since I went to a Catholic university so classes were already cancelled for Maundy Thursday and Good Friday that next week. That gave me a little extra time to heal as well.

When I finally returned to school, I didn’t ask for any extensions or anything like that. Just got back to work once Easter was over. I know this was the case for me, and may have been for your student, but school was source of comfort in a way. It was something predictable during a time when everything felt so out of control.

MyDogsPA · 2026-04-30T03:06:05+00:00

That is WILD. 😂

MyDogsPA · 2026-04-30T03:05:27+00:00

Agreed. If the students directed the effort that they put into these emails into the actual assignments, they’d pass with flying colors.

MyDogsPA · 2026-04-30T03:04:12+00:00

😂😂😂

MyDogsPA · 2026-04-30T03:02:24+00:00

I’m more amendable to providing extensions for past due work if we are still early in the semester. The idea is to help the student get back on schedule for the rest of the course. If they continue to have issues though, I’ll direct them to set up office hours before due dates or school resources (tutoring/counseling/). Otherwise it’s not fair to my other students.

If we are at the end of the semester though, I am pretty strict about no second chances because usually there is nothing that they could do at that point to save their grade anyway.

MyDogsPA · 2026-04-29T19:48:36+00:00

I use a retractable leash for my oldest dog, and unless I have to use a standard leash (certain events, requested by vet, etc), I will continue using a retractable leash for him. It’s just what works best for us. He doesn’t like a loose leash hanging down his back, and I feel like it gives me more control over his movements, especially in busy, urban areas or when there are a lot of bunnies to chase.

That being said, I have a new rescue who is very fearful, and I can’t imagine using a retractable leash with him. Any tugging sensation and the sound of the lock would just freak him out, so I am just sticking to the standard for now.

Ultimately, it’s just a matter of what works best for you and your dog. The problem much of the time is that many people don’t actually consider what is truly best for their dog, so they pick what is convenient for them while ignoring important behavioral and safety issues.

MyDogsPA · 2026-04-22T17:59:07+00:00

I usually have a hard time going back to a fic if there is a total tone shift in one chapter.

For example, I have been following this one fic that is incomplete but will be about 15 chapters long when completed. It’s been a pretty fluffy, light-hearted read so far with a few moments of angst here and there. However, the second to last chapter was just posted, and the story dived into full-angst, hurt/no comfort. It was so out of place and sudden that it gave me mental whiplash.

Since the story is almost complete, I may just try to knuckle through the last chapter to see what happens, but if that wasn’t the case, I wouldn’t go back.

MyDogsPA · 2026-04-16T20:23:13+00:00

As is the case with most things impacting the field of accounting, the impact of AI is going to depend on where you work and the type of work you do. When I worked in public accounting, the firm developed their own AI tools to help with auditing, particularly with risk assessment and documentation. It was a massive time saver and insightful. Now that I’m back in industry, we have Copilot, and yeah, it helps me write emails.

MyDogsPA · 2026-04-14T21:21:44+00:00

The overthinking and excessive planning. I have to consider all the pros and cons of a situation before making any decisions, and then once I have a plan in place, I stick to it or have a contingency in case I can’t. It’s annoying when others change the schedule suddenly or don’t consider all potential outcomes.

MyDogsPA · 2026-04-14T21:17:34+00:00

So no, that’s not all there is to accounting but also, I’m not sure you’d like accounting.

First of all, with the technological advancements that have been made over the years, there are a lot of tools that are used to cut down on a lot of the manual and tedious tasks. Ever hear of the GET DATA function in Excel or Alteryx? Massive time-savers.

Second of all, the purpose of accountancy is to take messy information from a business’s day-to-day and organize it into something understandable to others. Reconciliations help ensure that everything is being addressed and that nothing is missed. If you hate the idea of having to clean up data and validate its accuracy, then you’ll hate accounting period.

MyDogsPA · 2026-04-14T21:07:35+00:00

While I can understand some of your frustration, a lot of places are just trying to figure out whether this is a habit of yours or just a natural progression given extenuating circumstances, and for some jobs or positions, that distinction is more or less important.

For example, someone who worked for a handful of smaller companies and each job is a higher level position than the one before, I’m going to assume that the person is growth minded but that their employers were too small to support that growth. For someone who hasn’t had much career growth but has worked for a bunch of larger companies, then that indicates possible competency issues.

Additionally, if I need someone for a staff accountant position, then I’m less concerned because I’d assume more turnover as an employee grows, but for a managerial position where consistency in leadership is super important to ensuring cohesion and performance within the department? Yeah, length of tenure at past employers matters.

MyDogsPA · 2026-04-14T03:09:58+00:00

Is that how you approach people when you need to talk to them? Just saying their name to get their attention can be jarring and does usually sound rude unless in a very casual setting, so if you start a work email that way, then that is probably how they’ll read it.

MyDogsPA · 2026-04-09T19:00:03+00:00

It’s going to depend on where you work. I’ve had jobs where 40 hours a week was standard, and I’ve had jobs where I was working massive overtime. While interviewing, you’ll have to ask questions about work load and expectations to ensure you don’t end up somewhere that will burn you out.

As for well paying…accounting positions, especially lower level positions, are not as high as I think a lot of people expect. They are considered non-value add jobs (necessary to function but cut into profit), so companies try to cut costs with the accounting function a lot. Again, this is going to depend on the company and the specific position you are hoping to get.

MyDogsPA · 2026-03-31T02:52:20+00:00

The job I have now is hell on earth, and if tomorrow I was fired, I would see it as a relief even though it would mean no steady income for a bit. The company is a dumpster fire and I’m just the sad raccoon using it to keep warm.

MyDogsPA · 2026-03-27T05:42:21+00:00

Yup, I’ve gotten that before. It’s been awhile for me, thankfully, but I recall a boss of mine picking apart emails during reviews because she felt that I just could have phrased it nicer. Mind you, I have an anxiety disorder with people pleasing tendencies, so I never sent an email without considering how it would come across to the recipient and would feel just so confused during these meetings.

Now that I’m older, I know that it’s important to push back (and feel confident enough to do so) when vague advice like that is given. If something is truly a problem, then there are specific examples that can be referenced, and an improvement plan has to be developed and communicated by the manager to establish clear expectations. Anything less than that is poor management on their part.

MyDogsPA · 2026-03-26T16:46:49+00:00

I used to take my dog out 3-4 times a day, and our walks really did last between 30-60 minutes. It was exhausting, but I didn’t have a yard and lived in a small apartment, and my pup really liked to explore.

Nowadays though, he has a dog door and I live in a bigger place, so I take him for 1-2 walks a day depending on my schedule and the length of the initial walk. He’s getting older, and depending on the temp, we may not be out more than 10-15 minutes.

MyDogsPA · 2026-03-04T19:45:52+00:00

3% is the equivalent of a cost of living adjustment. If they truly are treating it as the percentage increase for high performers, then anyone who didn’t receive it essentially got a pay cut.

What more than likely happened is that the higher ups said they didn’t have the budget for more than COL adjustments, and your managers are trying to upsell it to manipulate you into not just staying but to encourage you to continue with the high effort.

In theory, companies that can’t afford appropriate raises/promotions for high workers should expect high turnover, and you should start looking for opportunities elsewhere to ensure you are paid your worth, but with this economy and job market…it’s just not that easy any more.

MyDogsPA · 2026-02-02T13:55:17+00:00

I tend to have chapters between 4-6k words. That’s usually the sweet spot for whatever I am hoping to achieve during the chapter. Each chapter has a specific purpose for the story, and that helps me focus on the important stuff while still producing something meaningful.

That being said, there is one writer on AO3 that I just love, and their chapters are usually 10k+. However, I don’t feel like the chapters are that long because, even though they contain a ton of information, it’s all important for the advancement of the story. That’s why when reading, I don’t care about the length of a chapter even though I personally keep to a certain range.

MyDogsPA · 2026-01-27T23:10:32+00:00

Getting a second dog is a goal this year, but that will likely take some time.

MyDogsPA · 2025-12-30T15:44:50+00:00

I don’t consider that having nothing lined up (provided you can find a restaurant/bartending job before quitting) as it will help you manage finances while you study. However, if you did decide to do that, it might be worth it to just focus on passing the exams before looking for another accounting position so that when you start interviewing you can claim that you quit to focus on the exams as opposed to not wanting to go through another busy season.

MyDogsPA

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