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 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 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.
