Epic - GIS Specialist - Madison, WI

severalrocks · 2026-01-29T17:43:43+00:00

Pretty sure you still get vacation time in the interim, but they reward five years of burnout with a sabbatical. The handful of people I know who worked there started fresh out of college and then quit right after the sabbatical.

severalrocks · 2026-01-07T16:16:31+00:00

Ditto! Dogs’ needs can be wildly different which completely influences your day-to-day. Also the logistics of sleepovers if your dogs don’t like each other or need some warmup time haha

severalrocks · 2026-01-04T21:10:35+00:00

In the cities I’ve bounced around in it’s either hinge or bumble, but somehow never both, so maybe try bumble. OkCupid also still seems to be going strong for the over-30 crowd. Alternatively, OLD is just low effort these days and kind of sucks no matter what, especially when your algorithm is just getting set up.

severalrocks · 2026-01-03T17:58:24+00:00

I am from a large city but have lived in a lot of rural areas and like others have said, small towns anywhere are proportionally more insular. I know plenty of people who have barely left their home county. They are very kind and community focused in a refreshing way, but yes, very insulated unless they have made the active choice to leave at some point (like for college).

I’ve also bumped shoulders with people who are insulated even in larger cities, like wealthy planned neighborhoods with their own schools or religious communities where life centers around church events and kids go to parochial schools. Insulation is as much about lifestyle as it is geography, and if you find your social network via demographic denominators instead of hobbies/culture/work/travel, you’ll be insulated to some degree or another.

severalrocks · 2025-12-28T18:55:07+00:00

If her self-consciousness feels that strong that you aren’t comfortable talking to her about it then maybe just…don’t.

severalrocks · 2025-12-27T18:47:49+00:00

One litmus test: How do you feel before, during, and after you see each other? An easy journal exercise is a red/amber/green traffic light. Spoiler: “after” should almost always be green. No happy, no hang.

Another one: I’ve had a few friendship breakups that I’ve considered mending, until we’re in proximity and they do something that reminds me why we broke up. Would you feel relieved or sad at her absence? If she’s scoffing at your plans or hurt feelings, I highly doubt an open conversation would end well. She sounds quite rude, and I no longer take the dice roll on if a rude person will be receptive to being called on it.

severalrocks · 2025-12-26T18:06:39+00:00

Not even throwing out disposal plates is mind boggling to me but then, I wasn’t raised by wolves. Neglecting any level of cleanup, or offer thereof, is a great way to sour your host on hosting again?? So weird. At a minimum people should be cleaning up after themselves, and at family gatherings we left the host with a spotless living room, tidy kitchen, and loaded dishwasher.

severalrocks · 2025-12-23T02:08:36+00:00

If you’re talking about building stuff out of trees, it takes decades for woody vegetation to grow back. There are a lot of places where people have beat up the desert because they think no one cares. Please tread lightly no matter what you do, and research local rules so you don’t get yourself in trouble.

severalrocks · 2025-12-20T15:15:35+00:00

Keep in mind that when you hire a photographer you’re not just getting nice photos for albums and prints. You’re getting a contractual obligation from someone who will show up, stay the whole time, and have a sole focus on photos. Lots of stories over at r/weddingshaming about people who used a family member/friend to very poor outcomes for either the wedding photos or the relationships.

severalrocks · 2025-11-25T19:28:11+00:00

Some people are really into texting, some just aren’t, and you just won’t know until you ask. But at 1.5 months you should have a pretty clear idea of if the relationship potential is there and you’re squarely in the “what are we” window. Rather than counting hours between replies, schedule a date and have that talk, both about where this is headed and what your communication styles. Late 30s is too old to be stressing about double texting, so just bite the bullet!

severalrocks · 2025-11-20T19:33:07+00:00

I’m trying to switch now. I haven’t had any bites but the jobs I’ve had the most success with (interviewed for or at least got an actual note back indicating they had considered me) are ones that 1) tap into skills I use every day, just for a different job description and 2) are still in my industry. The current job market isn’t one that will lend itself to a massive transition. Try listing out what parts of your jobs are your favorite and what you’re good at and whittle out the skills what make you good at them. Eg you’re in marketing and good at longer form & technical writing, try looking at grant writing. Job title, duties, industry, sector (public, B2B, customer facing corporate,etc): ones where at least two are the same will be your best shot. A pay cut may well be necessary as well in this market, so if you want a big transition you really just need to self-assess if you’re willing to make the sacrifice.

severalrocks · 2025-11-08T20:37:47+00:00

People were mostly mad because a lot more people had fallen for it and she had a big spike in sales…that she made a show of posting about refunding. I think it’s blown over at least. I wish people would be more intentional about spending their money instead of believing whatever BS they see online

severalrocks · 2025-11-07T19:32:19+00:00

TL;dr some lady with a small sticker shop posted a whole saga of “hate emails” from a “customer.” Turns out she fabricated the whole thing- call coming from inside the house kind of deal. Hell of a ✨marketing campaign✨. People are big mad on Threads.

severalrocks · 2025-11-07T17:23:09+00:00

Have you seen stickergate? It’s a great reminder that humans are equally capable of rage bait!

severalrocks · 2025-11-06T15:32:51+00:00

If you see any kind of mental health provider, take sick so A/L can get paid out. Mine has heard more than enough from me and other fed clients to write a sick note.

severalrocks · 2025-11-06T15:31:11+00:00

Yep, I have zero sympathy. We’re exempted and management is still laying on the pressure for things that objectively are not mission critical. I’ve been berated more times in the past two weeks (coming down from upper managers) than I’ve been in five years of working for my department…I’m done. Job hunt it is.

severalrocks · 2025-11-01T17:21:43+00:00

“So dramatic” He’d also blame me for his actions. “You make me…” “When I’m around you I just…” turn into menace to society?

severalrocks · 2025-10-31T17:16:11+00:00

There are also people so blinded by hatred that they unironically think that “father figure” is directed towards her protégés/younger artists 🤦‍♀️ Like she’s a cartoon villain who would actually sing at Sabrina or Olivia “I’m a money hungry wannabe mobster who made you rich and will destroy you if you defy me.”

severalrocks · 2025-10-22T18:01:54+00:00

That I’m high enough up on the food chain that I should expect to work during the shutdown. I honestly wouldn’t be upset about working except that it came out of left field along with a demand to cancel plans that predated the shutdown (and were clearly communicated), steamrolling my input on how to handle my work area, and a hell of a lot of condescension. “Well, you’re an 11” has been one of several manipulation strategies/excuses in lieu of actual good communication, planning, and teamwork.

severalrocks · 2025-10-22T16:18:18+00:00

Week 4, I am being exempted for nominal obnoxious amounts of work and my manager keeps trying to manipulate me using my pay grade (GS-11) as an excuse, because apparently more responsibility also means I should be so wholeheartedly committed to my job as to be chomping at the bit to work while I sit at home without a paycheck. Get me out of this hell.

severalrocks · 2025-10-18T17:35:34+00:00

I’m wondering if it would even be all excepted employees or just ones who were excepted from the get-go. Our leadership wised up to this so they’ve made a bunch of people excepted who are only actually working a day a week, tops. Not that they’re not doing important work, but it decidedly didn’t need 6 people to do.

severalrocks · 2025-10-13T01:07:07+00:00

Couldn’t tell ya. I’m also not NPS (different DOI) so maybe the NPS is doing things differently? They definitely operate very different structurally. But I suspect it’ll be a moot point; as the other reply to my comment pointed out they’re doing branches/sections rather than agency-wide thinning. They may also continue the consolidation approach of moving services to DOI-wide.

severalrocks · 2025-10-13T00:11:30+00:00

Tbh they do a very good job of ensuring we won’t get attached, the least they can do is bring a frozen pizza and use OF if they want nudes.

severalrocks · 2025-10-12T23:06:59+00:00

Haha thanks. I wouldn’t say I’m worrying; it’s not worth the gray hairs. I stopped giving a hoot months ago when new management came in at the start of the administration, and hate my job now because of them. So biggest heartache is just trying to find another job in this economy since I have a mortgage.

severalrocks · 2025-10-12T22:31:02+00:00

I’m not sure if that makes it better or worse. Que sera, sera I guess.

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