by Tracey L Besemer | May 13, 2020 | Coronavirus, COVID19, General |
Hey there BMB’ers – Happy Half Friday
I don’t know about you, but my home bartending skills have improved greatly with the pandemic. Since I can’t enjoy my favorite tipple out, I’ve been enjoying it in. And I’ve come to realize that James Bond doesn’t know anything about martinis. Don’t listen to the man in the fancy suit.
A good martini is stirred, never shaken. I’m beginning to think he wasn’t a very good spy either.
And speaking of gin, as the weather finally starts to warm, I’m looking forward to relaxing on the balcony with a good ol’ gin and tonic.
And speaking of tonic, what is it about tonic water? You can never just open a bottle of tonic water. Even if it’s been sitting in your pantry for weeks. Go ahead, just crank that cap and open it up. See what happens. A quinine flavored shower, that’s what happens.
No, making the perfect gin and tonic takes patience. You have to open that bottle slowly. Go easy.
Unscrew the cap a tiny bit, wait. Unscrew the cap a tiny bit more, screw the cap back down tight again. Unscrew the cap just a little bit. Let it sit. Check on it. Let it sit some more. Unscrew the cap a little bit.
You get the idea.
Eventually, you get that cap off, and there it is – half of a great cocktail happily bubbling away on your counter.
This process reminds me of something. What does it remind me of?
Oh, yes!
Resuming research.
(Some of my best metaphors come to me after-hours.)
As news begins to trickle down and we prepare to get back to work, keep in mind that we can’t just unscrew the cap, or we’re going to end up with a big mess.
We need to be patient, smart, and careful, now more than ever.
I know. I’m going a touch crazy too. But hang in there. Don’t get lax, stay the course. It’s more important than ever that we remain vigilant.
Look, I want a gin and tonic just as much as you do, but we need to open the bottle slowly. Cheers, my friends.
by Tracey L Besemer | Apr 17, 2020 | Uncategorized |
Greetings from the land of all-day sweatpants and eating four lunches!
Yeah, I think that’s going to be the toughest part about getting back in the office – no more extra lunch. That and fitting into normal clothes. Heh.
Dave Blehi is leading an awesome social media campaign that’s boosting the spirits of the BMB community. He needs your help! Dave is looking for some more great photos of everyone working from home. If you want to be a part of his campaign and help out, send a photo of yourself working from home to dmb385@psu.edu.
We could all use a little cheering up these days and it’s always awesome to see a familiar face. Send Dave your best #WFH photo!
by Tracey L Besemer | Apr 3, 2020 | Business, Coronavirus, COVID19, Finance, Purchasing |
Hey, all you cool cats and kittens,
I’ve been watching Tiger King on Netflix (along with everyone else), and I have to say I’ve found it incredibly therapeutic. I feel a whole lot better about my life choices overall. I think the main lesson we can all take away from this show is this – never get a tattoo of your boyfriend’s name. It never ends well.
And now that I’ve parsed out that sage wisdom, it’s time to talk shop.
How many of you have used the super-convenient Pcard Submission Portal yet? It’s certainly making my life easier these days. Let’s take a moment to thank Kim G. and Dave B. for hustling to get this up and running so quickly. (Have I mentioned recently how amazing this department is?)
If you haven’t used it yet, please do! It’s helping us keep things running smoothly from home. Simply upload the completed pcard form and the relevant receipt or invoice. If it’s a FedEx purchase, don’t forget the Mail Tracking Form and if it’s something involving a group meal (do you remember when we used to eat together in groups??? Insanity!) make sure you’ve got that group meal form as well.
Two things to keep in mind:
- Please make sure you are sending invoices, not quotes.
- If you are unable to sign the forms, you MUST send an accompanying email to both Kim (kag22@psu.edu) and Lori (lfb5141@psu.edu) with the following information:
- the vendor
- the amount of the charge
- the budget/fund to be charged
- a statement saying you authorize payment.
Remember, we are here to help each other out. If you need help, reach out and ask. We are in this together, and we’re going to make it through together.
by Tracey L Besemer | Mar 30, 2020 | Uncategorized |
Hey there BMB gang,
Today I wanted to take a moment to pause for a moment of silence as we remember life pre-pandemic.
…
I watched several movies this weekend, and every scene that showed a crowd made me physically cringe. It’s odd how quickly what was once normal, feels alien and strange.
It’s weird, right? We are a whole two or three weeks into this thing and we feel like we should be coping better. And yet I keep hearing from fellow colleagues about how distracted they are, or how exhausting everything feels.
And you know what? That’s okay.
None of us know how to deal with this. We are sailing in uncharted territory. Be kind and patient to each other, and more importantly be kind and patient to yourselves.
I will leave you with two articles that crossed my path this weekend, both of which I hope will leave you feeling a little less critical of how we are all handling this.
First from Rolling Stone, why we all feel so tired – “The Reason You’re Exhausted Is ‘Moral Fatigue'”
And then some solid advice in The Chronicle of Higher Education – “Why You Should Leave All That Coronavirus-Inspired Productivity Pressure”
We’ll figure this out together. I’m sure of it.
by Tracey L Besemer | Mar 27, 2020 | Coronavirus, COVID19, Just for Fun, Work From Home |
Hey, hey BMB’ers,
How is everyone settling into the new normal? Did you wash your hands before you opened this post? Are you reading this from six feet away?
Okay, good.
Many of us found ourselves working from home quite suddenly last week. It’s been interesting, to say the least. But I’ve been amazed at how capable, adaptable, and willing to go the extra mile this department is. Kim and Dave implemented a brand new system to help reconcile pcards without paper during this time. Labs worked quickly to move their communications online and to make arrangements to limit or stop research. Faculty began teaching online. The staff collaborated with the faculty, the finance office, and other departments to keep us running smoothly.
I mean, I’m just gonna come right out and say it – The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology doesn’t mess around!
Now that we’ve started to get into a routine, we wanted to share some pics of everyone working hard – at home!
We’ll kick things off with James Howell showing us how this whole online teaching thing is done! 
James, you look so serious. Also, your pupper seems to be judging you. “Are you sure you’re doing this right?”
Next up we have Jennifer Keefer checking in with her furry coworker, Tucson. I don’t know if I would be able to get much done with that face staring at me. Why yes, I will pet you for an hour!
Hey look, it’s our fearless leader, Wendy Hanna-Rose. Looking at this picture, it seems she’s got her hands full, and not just with us.
One of our newest faculty members, Denise Okafor, and her lovely assistant are working hard together to get the job done. (Oh man, I want to do worksheets too! They are way more fun than what I’m working on.)
To quote Joanne Power “If everyone’s pic isn’t them wrapped in blankets, eating Ben and Jerry’s, then they’re lying! :)” I mean, I’m not going to argue with that statement.
Dave Blehi is busy boosting morale and keeping us all connected via the BMB social media outlets. Keep the good news coming, Dave!
Kim Gummo and her sweet Bella have got things under control in the remote business office. Kim, deer, do you ever get the feeling you’re being watched?
And last but not least, your humble (really, Trace?) blogger and administrative assistant, me, Tracey Besemer. (Um, no, I didn’t put lipstick on immediately before taking this picture, why?)
Keep those pictures coming! Be well, and be safe.
by Tracey L Besemer | Mar 25, 2020 | Coronavirus, COVID19, Human Resources |
Let me paint a sad picture for you.
You open a new pack of Oreos. You begin mindlessly crunching away on them. Fifteen minutes later (although you swear it’s been an hour) you reach into that row and find it empty. The only thing sadder than an empty row of Oreos is when you go to take another sip of your morning coffee because you forgot you already finished it three minutes earlier.
Usually, finishing off the coffee comes with less guilt.
Now more than ever I’m relying on the power of the almighty Oreo to get me through. And coffee. I’m also relying on my online counselor at BetterHelp.com. I made a much healthier choice than Oreos a couple of weeks ago when I decided to hit up our EAP to help me through this COVID19 insanity.
Did you know that Penn State’s Employee Assistance Program allows you and your immediate family free short-term counseling? And hoo boy, I can’t think of a better time to take advantage of it than during a literal pandemic.
Penn State contracts with a third party company, Health Advocate, to provide the services that make up our employee assistance program. And we have a very good EAP. Normally, you can get up to 5 in-person visits (per issue) with a counselor. But since we’re all practicing excellent social distancing right now I suggest you go straight for the online option, which is through BetterHelp.com. Don’t go directly to the site, you’ll need to call our EAP number first and they will send you a link so you aren’t charged.
You can reach our EAP by calling 866-799-2728.
Calling and setting up your online counseling is easier than demolishing a sleeve of Oreos. The initial call is private, quick, friendly, and non-patronizing. The person you speak to will send a link to your email to get your account set up. (You don’t have to use your PSU email account.) From there you take a quick and detailed quiz to help match you up with a good counselor.
Once you are matched up with someone you can email them, instant message, or have a phone or video session. It’s really quite easy and convenient.
Taking care of your mental health is always important, but in these highly stressful and uncertain times, it’s more important than ever.
Even if you’re not a therapy person, sometimes it’s just nice to have an outlet to vent to (“Seriously people!?! Why toilet paper? It’s a coronavirus, not norovirus?!?!) or someone to help you manage your stress (“Day 7 with the kids home: Charlie ate 6 crayons out of an 8 crayon box and Lulu won’t stop singing ‘Baby Shark’, I’m holed up in the pantry, please send help!) or if you’ve had one of those days where the only thing that will fix it is a good cry and a bottle glass of wine (Why are all the Oreos gone?)
If you’re not eating a double stuff Oreo, are you even eating an Oreo?
If you find yourself struggling through these crazy, unprecedented days, please consider taking advantage of this incredible benefit.
Penn State Employee Assistance Work/Life program – 866-799-2728.
by Tracey L Besemer | Mar 19, 2020 | Uncategorized |
Hello BMBers!
Well.
That escalated quickly.
I know you were probably looking forward to a post today about pcards or paperwork. However, in these bizarre and unusual times, I thought it might be more appropriate to talk about telecommuting. Many of us are new to this whole ‘working from home’ thing. And it can be a bit challenging to get acclimated.
There are a lot of great things about telecommuting though. I know everyone always goes for the obvious – working in your pajamas, but there are so many other great things about working out of your home office.
I’ve compiled a list because who doesn’t love a good list.
- You don’t have to worry about anyone stealing your lunch from the communal refrigerator. Yup, you can rest assured that when 12:00 p.m. rolls around your leftover chicken curry will still be waiting for you. Unless you have kids, then all bets are off. My advice to you is to cover everything in broccoli as a deterrent.
- Everyone gets a free, standing desk when you work from home. Yeeeah, it’s your kitchen counter. Be sure to clean off the hot fudge dribbles from last night’s sundae before setting down your laptop.
- Bad breath? Who cares! You don’t have any coworkers to impress, eat what you want. Excuse me while I go fix myself a liverwurst and onion sandwich.
- If you don’t want to help your partner with the chores you can claim you are working late. “Oh, the laundry? Yeah, sorry honey, I’ve got to finish this email to my supervisor. Really important, can’t put it off…”
- Every day is bring your pet to work day. Seriously, this might be my favorite part of online meetings these days.
- You get to choose the music, and play it as loud as you like – Swedish Viking Death Metal fan? Turn it up to 11!
- There are no awkward bathroom conversations – Do you still talk once the stall door is closed? Do you say hi if you recognize the shoes under the stall? Is it okay to break the silence when you’re both washing your hands?
- The commute is pretty sweet. I mean, it’s like, a whole 20 steps from my bedroom to my office.
- Your relationship with Alexa will deepen. Me: “Alexa, you’re my best friend.” Alexa: “Thanks, I’m feeling the love.”
In all seriousness, transitioning from office life to telecommuting can leave a lot of folks stressed to the max. Here are some tips to help make this change a little less stressful.
- Set up a designated office area in your home. Whether it’s a card table or an area on the kitchen counter, make that your workspace. And leave work there. I know it’s tempting to take your laptop and sit on the couch, but it’s important to separate work and home life – especially if we are all practicing social distancing and staying home.
- Get ready for work in the morning. Please, please, please don’t work in your pajamas. Your brain is a creature of habit, and working in your pajamas tells your brain that you are lounging, not working. Get dressed, heck, put on shoes if it helps. Complete your normal getting ready for work grooming. This tells your brain that you are going to work.
- When you take your lunch, close your laptop, and turn off your cell phone notifications. Give yourself time to decompress and enjoy your meal.
- Use video chats as often as you can. Look, you might not be having the best hair day (unless you are Traci Shimmel, she was totally rocking a great hair day yesterday!) but it’s okay, we need that face-to-face contact right now. It’s easy to feel isolated without even realizing it.
- Go outside. I’m going to say this again. Go outside. Whether you take a walk on your lunch break or get out after work, it’s important to leave the house! Seriously, go outside. Do a lap or two around your house, your block, up the road, whatever, just get outside! I went for a walk yesterday and I was amazed at how many other people I saw out walking. Go outside. Do it.
- Don’t let work bleed into your home life. Set timers and alarms. You may be surprised to find out that it’s much easier to work longer at home. Since your office is literally down the hall it’s easy to do ‘just one more thing.” Set an alarm to remind you to take a lunch and set another to remind you to stop for the day.
- Stretch! Seriously, get up and stretch at least once an hour. Do a lap to the living room and back, get a glass of water. Get up and move throughout the day. You should be doing this one anyway, but it’s especially important when you’re stressed.
- Keep the lines of communication open – during business hours. Effective communication is incredibly important right now. Check in often, see how your coworkers are holding up. But close it all down in the evenings so you can ‘go home.’
These are some weird and frightening times we are living in, but we will get through this together. Wash your hands, practice good social distancing, and do at least one thing per day that makes you laugh.
Speaking of…
In an effort to maintain my sanity I am setting up ‘lunch dates’. Do you want to have lunch together sometime? Hit me up in the comments or via email and we can pick a day, time, and chat platform. I’ll help you with that laughing once a day thing.
Please, please, please share this post with anyone who needs a smile!
by Tracey L Besemer | Feb 12, 2020 | Finance, Purchasing |
What, whaaaat? Is it truly Wednesday already? Yes, yes it is.
Happy Half-Friday BMB’ers!
After our last post about using eBuy to make purchases from the stockroom, a reader suggested a post detailing how to acces the VWR Stockroom Catalog on eBuy. You know, so you can actually use eBuy and not your pcard as mentioned in the previous post.
Let’s look at how that magical transaction takes place.
After logging in and getting that super exciting invitation to, “Go shopping!”, you will end up on the homepage. (It always takes me a moment to remember it’s only for things like pipette tips and printer paper. Dang.)
From there click the VWR button.
This beautiful button right here.
Clicking the button will take you to the page below. To place an order for items you wish to pick up at the stockroom, click on Custom Catalogs.
Which brings you to this page.
From here you can click that lovely green PSU/VWR Stockroom text and it will take you to the full catalog OR if you already know the catalog number you can search for it in the VWR Catalog# box.
To search for a specific item within the VWR Stockroom listing do a CTRL + F to search by word on the page.
Add items to your cart and check out as you normally would. Then print out your order and take it with you when you go to see Rob and Tom.
Easy, and no pcard paperwork.
by Tracey L Besemer | Jan 8, 2020 | Finance, Purchasing |
Imagine a world without pcard paperwork. Just picture it for a moment.
It’s beautiful, yeah, I know, I need a tissue as well. *sniff*
While that day isn’t here yet, we can cut down on pcard paperwork when it comes to VWR orders.
Imagine if you could log into eBuy, order everything you need from VWR. And then print out your order, walk over to the VWR Stockroom and pick up everything you just ordered.
No pcards, no paperwork.
Just lab supplies, beautiful, beautiful lab supplies.
Guess what my friend, that day is here.
If you’re going to walk over and get something at the VWR stockroom, order it from eBuy first. Then print out your order, and go pick it up. Doing it this way means you have no paperwork to fill out. None. Zilch, zero, nada.
And no paperwork makes everyone happier.
Give it a try and let us know what you think!
by Tracey L Besemer | Dec 11, 2019 | Just for Fun |
I don’t know about you folks, but in my neck of the woods, it always feels like the space between Thanksgiving break and Winter break is super stressful.
Everyone is getting sick. Tempers are short. Deadlines are looming.
It’s like being in a pressure cooker!
GET ALL THE THINGS DONE!
To keep yourself healthy and stress-free over the next few weeks I’ve put together a list of ways to beat the holiday stress. Feel free to put these into practice here and at home.
10 Practical Ways to Beat the Pre-Winter Break Stress
- Release several goats in your office/building. Go make yourself a cup of coffee and wait for the screams to start. Sit back and enjoy the pandemonium.
- Make snowflakes out of Kimwipes and hang them in the lab. Extra stress-relieving if you sprinkle them on lab-mates’ heads and gleefully shout, “It’s snowing!”
- The next phone call you receive answer it by saying, “Congratulations! You’re our 7th caller, you’ve won tickets to see Game of Thrones on Ice!” Then hang up.
- Send an email to Lorraine and tell her you would like to interview a candidate for a position in your lab. Tell her the candidate needs travel arrangements from the North Pole. Ask about lodging for 8 pet reindeer. Anytime after Dec. 26th will work.
- Wear your pajamas to work, extra stress-relieving if you wear bunny slippers. (Make sure they’re close-toed slippers, can’t forget lab safety!)
- Eat an entire box of Trader Joes Peppermint Joe-Joes by yourself. I can tell you from personal experience this is super helpful!
- Sign up for a ‘Make Your Own Turducken’ cooking class.
- Bring a sled to work. Sit on it in the hallway and rock from side to side while making whooshing noises. When people walk by tell them you are practicing for your Amateur Sledding League. Extra stress-relieving if you wear ski goggles.
- Toast marshmallows using the space heater you brought in because your office is always cold. Extra stress-relieving if you make s’mores with peppermint bark. Extra, extra stress-relieving if you bring me one.
- Take a vacation at your desk. Put a tropical screensaver on your computer, wear your sunglasses, cover your entire desk in sand. Extra stress-relieving if you and a coworker build a sandcastle.
I hope my ‘helpful’ list put a smile on your face and brought a little stress-relief to your day. Take good care of yourselves over the next few weeks. Hang in there, the winter break is almost here!
P.S. Lorraine, the job candidate has a dietary restriction, he only eats milk and cookies.
P.P.S. I’m serious about that peppermint bark s’more. You can find me in W102 MSC.
