Top Ten Things Not to Do When Your Boss is Traveling or on Vacation

December 1, 2025November 30, 2025 ~ John W. Howell ~ 65 Comments

Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay

This list was first published in November 2014. Since bosses still travel and go on vacation, it may come in handy.

Top Ten Things Not to Do When Your Boss Is Traveling or on Vacation

10 If the boss is out of the office, do not think your workload has been reduced for the length of time the boss is gone. If you do, at best, you will get away with the slowdown. At worst, you will be asked by the boss for the status of your projects first thing in the morning of the boss’s return.

9 If the boss is out of the office, do not think you will make brownie points with your boss’s boss. If you do, at best, your boss’s boss will assume you are an opportunist. At worst, the boss’s boss just might give you a ton of extra projects to complete before your boss gets back.

8 If the boss is out of the office, do not think it is your job to be the new boss. If you do, at best, your co-workers will ignore you. At worst, your co-workers will actually come to you for decisions on projects that the boss has refused to consider. Your reward will be fully realized when the boss gets back.

7 If the boss is out of the office, do not think the dress code is suspended. If you do, at best, you’ll be ratted out to the boss by the weenie in the cube next to you. At worst, the boss will come back early and call you into a meeting with the big boss, Lederhosen and all.

6 If the boss is out of the office, do not think you are due for three-hour lunches. If you do, at best, you will upset your co-workers. At worst, your boss asked HR to keep an eye on the department and note the hours of all, and you have several hours to make up.

5 If your boss is out of the office, do not think you can organize an in-office football game with the boss’s office on one end and the VP’s office on the other as the goal posts. If you do, at best, the team that loses will rat you out to the boss. At worst, although it was supposed to be two-handed touch, Bruno from sales decided to repeat his performance as an All-American tackle. As a result of the hospitalizations, HR and security have been looking for you for days.

4 If your boss is out of the office, do not think you can requisition all the supplies your boss has denied. If you do, at best, the supplies will be delivered to your boss’s office for dispersion. At worst, your boss will return to find the budget for supplies has been severely compromised and, instead of asking what happened, will contact the internal department of investigation to request a fraud investigation.

3 If your boss is out of the office, do not think you have carte blanche on business entertainment. If you do, at best, you will be asked to reimburse the company for unauthorized expenses. At worst, your co-workers all join you for the meal and think you can submit it as a team expense, only to find out you will still need to reimburse the company for an unauthorized expense. You also find that none of your co-workers know who you are or remember any meal.

2 If your boss is out of the office, do not think of bending the alcohol rules for the monthly birthday celebration. If you do, at best, the same weenie will rat you out to the boss. At worst, you will have sponsored the best birthday party the team has ever experienced. Still, unfortunately, the party was finally broken up by a city SWAT team after HR and security gave up trying to restore order. Subsequently, every attendee claimed to have been drugged without their knowledge, and your fingerprints are all over the punch bowl.

1 If your boss is out of the office, do not think you can take all the days off. If you do, at best, you will not be discovered missing until someone needs a stapler, which you have the only one in the office. At worst, you will not be missed until your boss returns early to address a problem with one of your accounts, because the client called the president of the company because they could not reach you. Good luck in the new job hunt.

Views of the Neighborhood – Potpourri II

November 30, 2025November 29, 2025 ~ John W. Howell ~ 69 Comments

Yes, another miscellaneous view of the neighborhood. Today, we are going to see which holiday decorations are going up after Thanksgiving. They are still few and far between, but there are some. We are catered by the Launderette of Austin. Our Entertainment is Katrina and the Waves.

CAPPELLETTI – ricotta, taggiasche olive, anchovy, oven-dried tomato, guindilla pepper, basil

TEXAS REDFISH – Old Bay beurre blanc, broccolini, trout roe, crispy garlic

PLANCHA BURGER – American cheese, special sauce, pickles, challah

BRICK CHICKEN – aligot, braised greens

FLAT IRON STEAK – Texas wagyu, eggplant raita, tarka oil, kachumber salad

STICKY PORK RIBS – hoisin glaze, gochugaru, kimchi jeow som, scallion

WHOLE BRANZINO – sliced almond, preserved lemon, herbs

The bus is ready.

Tempeste and The Producer came across these vine snapdragons while walking in the park.

The Axis deer makes an appearance. It is rumored that he is an escapee from a big game farm.

It seems the doe is taken with the Axis deer, but her boyfriend is not so enamored.

A potpourri post is not complete without some trash. Looks like the chase lounge has had it.

Here is a happy holiday pair.

The spirit of the season.

Of course, the Halloween house is making a transition.

These hologram-looking decorations are always interesting to see.

Since these guys went up after Halloween, I don’t think this is a transition.

This mailbox topper is in direct line with a rotating decoration closer to the house. Had to include it.

This doe seems to be asking, “Who the heck are those guys?” Or maybe trying to warn of an apocalyptic deer invasion

The Producer’s begonia.

The Producer’s Bougainvillea and herbs.

Time now for good food and music. I hope you have a wonderful week.

Friday JohnKu -AKA – TGIF – Fri-Yay/Good News

November 28, 2025November 27, 2025 ~ John W. Howell ~ 58 Comments

This week’s good news story is from Upworthy magazine. I ran a story about French Beavers on October 17th, 2025. Here is the link to that story if you missed it. This post is an update on what’s going on in America. Thanks to Noelle Granger for sending me this article.

Beavers were brought to the desert to save a dying river. Six years later, here are the results.

Their engineering feats are pretty dam incredible.

beavers, beaver dam, animals, wildlife, ecosystem, nature, earth, sustainability, deserts, waterways, rivers, pollution, climate change

Canva Photos

Can outsider beavers save this dried-up river?

It’s not easy being a river in the desert under the best of circumstances. The ecosystem exists in a very delicate balance, allowing water sources to thrive in the harsh conditions. These water sources in otherwise extremely dry areas are vital to the survival of unique wildlife, agriculture, and even tourism, as they provide fresh drinking water for nearby residents.

But man-made problems like climate change, overfarming, and pollution have made the job even tougher in some areas. Rivers in Utah and Colorado, part of the Colorado River Basin, have been barely surviving the extremely harsh drought season. When riverbeds get too dry, fish and other aquatic creatures die off, and wildfire risk increases dramatically.

About six years ago, one team of researchers had a fascinating idea to restore the health of some of Utah’s most vulnerable rivers: Bring in the beavers.

Beaver on riverbank. Canva Photos

In 2019, master’s student Emma Doden and a team of researchers from Utah State University began a “translocation” project to bring displaced beavers to areas like Utah’s Price River, in hopes of reviving the river.

Why beavers? Well, it just makes dam sense! (Sorry.)

In all seriousness, beaver dams restrict the flow of water in some areas of a river, creating ponds and wetlands. In drought-stricken areas, fish and other wildlife can take refuge in the ponds while the rest of the river runs dry, thus riding out the danger until it rains again.

When beavers are present in a watershed, the benefits are unbelievable: Better water quality, healthier fish populations, better nutrient availability, and fewer or less severe wildfires.

It’s why beavers have earned the title of “keystone species,” or any animal that has a disproportionate impact on the ecosystem around them.

Pbs Nature Swimming GIF by Nature on PBS Giphy

Doden and her team took beavers who were captured or removed from their original homes due to being a “nuisance,” interfering with infrastructure, or being endangered, and—after a short period of quarantine—brought them to the Price River.

Despite the research team’s best efforts, not all the translocated beavers have survived or stayed put over the years. Some have trouble adapting to their new home and die off or are killed by predators, while others leave of their own accord.

But since 2019, enough have stayed and built dams that the team is starting to see the results of the effort. In fact, beaver projects just like this one have been going on all over the state in recent years.

The water levels in the river are now the healthiest they’ve been in years. The fish are thriving, and Utah residents are overjoyed with the experiment’s results.

According to an early 2025 column in The Salt Lake Tribune (i.e. six years after the beaver translocation began) the revitalization of the Price River has “helped save [our] Utah town.”

“A tributary of the Colorado River, the Price River runs through downtown Helper,” wrote column authors Lenise Peterman and Jordan Nielson. “On a warm day, you’re likely to find the river filled with tourists and locals kayaking, tubing, and fishing along its shore. A decade ago, it was hard to imagine this scene—and the thriving recreation economy that comes with it—was possible.”

Of course, it wasn’t JUST the beavers. Other federal water cleanup investments helped remove debris, break down old and malfunctioning dams, and place tighter regulations on agricultural grazing in the area, which depleted vital plant life.

But the experts know that the beavers, and their incredible engineering work, are the real MVPs.

An actual beaver dam on the now-thriving Price RiverPublic Domain

In other drying, struggling rivers in the area, researchers are bringing in beavers and even creating manmade beaver dams. They’re hoping that the critters will take over the job as the rivers get healthier.

Utah’s San Rafael River, which is in bleak condition, is a prime candidate. In one area of the river, a natural flood inspired a host of beavers to return to the area, and “riparian habitat along that stretch had increased by 230%, and it had the most diverse flow patterns of anywhere on the river,” according to KUER.

It’s hard to believe that beavers nearly went extinct during the heyday of the fur-trapping industry and continued to struggle as they were considered nuisances and pests. Now, they’re getting the respect they deserve as engineering marvels, and their populations have rebounded due to better PR and conservation programs.

It’s about dam time!

The good news in this story is that humans are finally letting nature work her miracles. Today’s JohnKu talks about nature. I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

If we would just look,

At the wonders of Nature . . .

We would be stewards.

Thursday a Little Personal – Twiggy and Tempeste wish you a Happy Thanksgiving.

November 27, 2025November 26, 2025 ~ John W. Howell ~ 1 Comment

“So this is Thanksgiving.”

“Yes, Tempeste. A time to give thanks for all our blessings.”

“Look. Dad has turned off comments.”

“He wants our readers to not have to take time away to comment.”

“So we should wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.”

“Yes. Wait for it.”

“Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving from our house to yours.”

“And if you know the ASPCA emergency number, ask them to help us.”

Costumes courtesy of ChatGPT.

Tuesday – Anything Possible – Finger Point Prompt – Jaw

November 25, 2025November 24, 2025 ~ John W. Howell ~ 48 Comments

Today I randomly opened Detour on the Eternal Road to page 167. With eyes closed, I pointed to the page. The word closest to my finger is “jaw.” That will be the prompt today.

“What did you say?”

“You deserve a punch on the jaw is what I said.”

“Why’s that?”

“You are so rude that you need a lesson.”

“What did I do to you?”

“It’s not what you did to me. It’s what you took from me.”

“Now I’m really confused. What could I have taken from you?”

“My pride.”

“Huh?”

“Yeah. Everyone is looking at us, and if I don’t do something, I will lose face.”

“I’m so in the dark. What the heck are you talking about?”

“My egg. You’re sitting on my egg.”

“Whattt? This is my egg.”

“Your egg is over there. Your stupid mate moved it.”

“Oh, my goodness. Now that I have looked, you are right.”

“So get off.”

“Why don’t you just sit on my egg?”

“Penguins don’t do that. Last chance before I head butt you.”

“Okay, okay. Don’t get your feathers in a knot, I’m going.”

“You might want to clue in your idiot.”

“You can say stuff about me all you want, but keep my idiot out of this.”

“Yeah, he’s your burden. Thanks for keeping my egg warm.”

“No problem. Where is that idiot anyway?”

“Not my turn to watch him.”

“Very funny.”

Top Ten Things Not to Do When Buying Gifts for Others

November 24, 2025November 24, 2025 ~ John W. Howell ~ 51 Comments

This post was published on December 6th, 2013, by Marie Ann Bailey and me. Since it is close to Black Friday, I figure it might come in handy.

Top Ten Things Not to Do When Buying Gifts for Others

10. If you are buying a gift for a girlfriend, do not plan to give clothes unless you are double-dog sure of the sizes. If you’re lucky, you buy something too small and she feels bad (yet happy) because you think she’s smaller than she really is. If you’re unlucky, you buy something too big and she makes you feel bad for thinking that she’s bigger than she really is.

9. If you are buying a gift for a boyfriend, do not plan to give him one of those latest mechanical gifts from an online gadget store. Best case: he won’t be able to figure out what it is for and will feel stupid. Worst case: he will know what it is for since he already has one.

8. If you are getting a gift for a mother-in-law, do not plan to re-gift something you received from a family member or even a complete stranger. In the best case, you’ll have left the gift receipt in the box with last year’s date. In the worst case, it will be the very gift your mother-in-law gave you two years ago. To make it even more embarrassing, you raved about how perfect the gift was when you got it.

7. If you are buying a gift for a father-in-law, do not plan to give any kind of hat. The best case is that your mother-in-law will tell him he looks ridiculous in it. The worst case is that he will actually like it and wear it just to spite the mother-in-law, and then you will be on the hook for the resulting friction.

6. If you are buying a gift for a spouse, do not plan to give them anything they asked for when you asked what they wanted for Christmas. At best, your spouse will consider the gift as a no-brainer on your part and wonder why you didn’t get something else. At worst, your spouse will have changed their mind, and you now have a new doorstop.

5. If you want to give a gift to a teenager, do not buy anything. Simply provide them with the money you would have spent. If you do buy an unwanted gift, the best you can hope for is an eye roll, followed by the teenager getting a cash refund for it. At the worst, you’ll soon find the gift, with the gift sticker still affixed, at your local thrift store.

4. If you are buying a gift for a co-worker, do not buy any intimate apparel or anything that could be considered personal. In the best case, you will be thought of as “kind of creepy.” In the worst case, you will be explaining to Human Resources what you had intended by the gift.

3. If you are buying a gift for the postal person, do not give anything you have baked. The postal employee is fully capable of putting together their own cookie. At best, you will see your baked goods handed off to the following mailbox on your street. At worst, you will wonder why your mail stopped after the holidays.

2. If you are buying a gift for a white elephant gift exchange, do not buy anything you might not want to take home. The best case is that you manage to avoid being stuck with what you brought. The worst case is that you will be the proud owner of the gift you brought, which you will then have to store away until next year or give to your mother-in-law.

1. If you are buying a gift for your boss, do not try to keep up with his tastes. Simply get a gift card from Amazon and let him pick up a book. The best case is that whatever you give other than the gift card will never cost enough. The worst case is that you might actually spend enough to find out your boss has one of the things you bought. Unless it is a new Ferrari, you will never recover.

Views of the Neighborhood – Potpourri

November 23, 2025November 22, 2025 ~ John W. Howell ~ 75 Comments

Today we have nothing specific to look at so we will cruise the neighborhood to see what is going on. Hopefully we can catch sight of Thanksgiving decorations. We are catered by Joe’s Bakery of Austin. Our entertainment is Keith Urban

JOEY ROCHA PLATE – Two eggs any style with side of pork carne guisada, potatoes, beans, sausage or bacon, & two tortiilas
BARBACOA PLATE – Two eggs any style with side of barbacoa, beans, potatoes, & two tortillas
15.25
PORK CHOP PLATE – Two eggs* any style with 4 oz. breaded pork chop, side of beans, potatoes, & two tortillas
MIGA CON TODO PLATE – Two scrambled eggs with corn chips, onions, tomatoes, & jalapenos topped
with cheese, side of beans, & two tortillas
MIGA PLATE – Two scrambled eggs with corn chips & topped with cheese, side of beans, & two tortillas
CHICHARRONE PLATE – Two eggs any style with side of fried pork skins cooked in salsa, side of beans, potatoes, & two tortillas
HUEVOS RANCHEROS PLATe – Two eggs any style with ranchero sauce, side of beans, potatoes, bacon or sausage, & two tortillas
HUEVOS A LA MEXICANA – PLATE – Two scrambled eggs mixed with tomato, onions, & jalapenos, side of beans, bacon, &
two tortillas

Picture of an old time school bus

The bus is ready

There is a cute mailbox topper. Margaritaville truck.

How about a flying pig that is tied down. (go figure)

Aw Mom and fawn ready for the holidays.

There it is. A Thanksgiving decoration.

Santa, Mickey, and Snoopy after the office party.

A herd of Raideer outside the Activity Center.

Preparations underway for the walk of lights in December.

A buck wondering about the idiot with a camera.

The Producer’s Hibiscus.

Hard to explain. Looks like a post apocalyptic fraternity party.

Let’s finish with a Turkey blow-up.

Time now for music and food. I hope you have a lovely week.

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt – Full/Empty

November 22, 2025November 21, 2025 ~ John W. Howell ~ 60 Comments

Here is the philosophical question on one’s outlook on life. “Do you see a glass as half full or half empty?” Right now the cup is entirely empty and a push of the two coffee button should remedy that unfortunate situation. The first sip is a reminder to take a trip with the clock. It is set for November 21, 1925. The location is New York City, and the duration is an hour. The plunger is pulled, and we find ourselves in the lower level of Grand Central Station to witness the inaugural trip of the Orange Blossom Special.

Postcard depiction of the train circa 1939 – Wikipedia

The Orange Blossom Special, a luxury train operated by the Seaboard Air Line Railroad(SAL) to transport winter-weary travelers from New York City to Miami in Florida, began operations. The first Orange Blossom route used tracks from the Pennsylvania Railroad (from New York to Washington, D.C., the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad from Washington to Richmond, Virginia, and the SAL route from Richmond through Seaboard Air Line Railroad from Richmond via Raleigh, North Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, and Savannah, Georgia to West Palm Beach. (Miami service began in 1927). The trip covered 1,388.7 miles ( 2,234.9 km) and took 35 hours. The service would continue until 1953. Music is playing, and speeches are given. As the conductor calls “All aboard,” our alarm goes off, and we find ourselves on the couch back home.

A text comes in from Linda Hill. It reads.

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “full/empty.” Use one, use ’em both, use ’em any way you’d like. Bonus points for getting them both into your post. Have fun!

To see what others have done with the prompt, visit Linda’s post. Here is the link. https://lindaghill.com/2025/11/21/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-nov-22-2025/

Was the music The Orange Blossom Special?”

“No, according to Wikipedia, it was written during the maiden run of the new streamlined train. At the Jacksonville Seaboard Railroad Station, Ervin T. Rouse and Robert Russell “Chubby” Wise saw this train. Rouse and Wise wrote the Orange Blossom Special song as a fiddle tune. The tune was first recorded by Ervin and his brother Gordon one year later in New York.”

“Well, it was a good trip back.”

“I think a break was needed.”

“I agree. There is only so much a coffee machine and security shutdown can do.”

“I’ll reserve comment.”

“How about a Voo Doo Ranger?”

“Talk about a potential overdone subject.”

“No way. Uber’s right over there.”

“What’s that?”

“A streetcar. What does it look like?”

“How are we supposed to get up there?”

“That building on the right has an elevator. We punch the button for the station, and it takes us there.”

“Seems easy.”

“One thing, though.”

“Not surprised. What is it?”

“There are a few stops between here and the pub.”

“A few?”

“Well, maybe more than a few.”

“How many more?”

“Thirty stops.”

“That’s going to take hours.”

“Naw. They go quick.”

“We’ve been here five minutes and that thing hasn’t moved.”

“They are waiting for us.”

“I hope there aren’t others that they wait for.”

“Only one group that I know of.”

“Okay. Here it comes. What’s the one?”

“The high school marching band.”

“I give up.”

* * *

When I was in College 62 years ago, an event took place on November 22, 1963. I am referring to the assassination of John F. Kennedy in Dallas Texas. Today is the anniversary of that tragic day and it still lives in my memory. Those of us who were a witness to the day will not forget. It is hoped that those who were not will still feel the injustice of such an act.

Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF – Fri-Yay/Good News

November 21, 2025November 20, 2025 ~ John W. Howell ~ 81 Comments

Seal in Florida – Credit: Robert Woeger via Unsplash

Today’s story comes from the Good News Network

Seal Flops onto Photographer’s Boat to Escape Hunting Orca Pod–She Captured it All on Camera

By Andy Corbley –Nov 20, 2025

An experienced wildlife photographer with a penchant for marine mammals, such as whales, recently witnessed a lone seal miraculously survive a hunt by 8 killer whales.

Far more than just bearing witness, it was more or less the photographer’s presence that allowed it to happen, as the seal escaped the jaws of the hunters by clambering up onto the boat.

Shared with AP, Charvet Drucker told her story of the encounter that began last week on a whale-watching boat. About 40 miles northwest of Seattle, in the Salish Sea, she spotted a pod of orcas, also called killer whales, and observed behavior suggesting they were hunting.

Quickly attaching her telescopic lens, the orcas splashed into action, attempting to secure a meal out of an adult seal that was thrown into the air among the scrum of black and white bodies. Her shutter rang out in her ears as Drucker observed what she thought were the seal’s last moments of life.

Suddenly, the pod altered its course and headed straight for the boat, and she realized they were still hunting the seal. Following marine life regulations, the skipper killed the engines as the pod approached to avoid harming them.

That’s when the seal flopped out of the water and onto the flat panel at the back of the boat like it would a piece of ice in the sea.

“You poor thing,” Drucker can be heard saying, as the seal looks up at her. “You’re good, just stay, buddy.”

In the wild, orcas have ways of dislodging seals from tiny icebergs, and they went straight into their playbook, even though the safe haven was a boat, not an iceberg. They began to move toward the boat and execute a series of staggered dives that create subsurface waves that can rock a seal off its perch.

First documented in 1980, the orca’s strategy worked, but none among them were fast enough to catch the seal during the brief moments that it fell back into the water. After about 15 minutes, the orcas left.

It’s not the first time Drucker has witnessed this behavior, and she usually accepts the natural order of prey-predator interactions and is happy when the orcas get to eat.

“I’m definitely Team Orca, all day, every day. But once that seal was on the boat, I kind of turned (into) Team Seal,” she said in an interview with AP last Thursday.

Apparently, orcas near Washington that feed on seals are migratory, or “transient” orcas, and tend to be better fed than “resident” orcas that seem to specialize in eating salmon.

Watch the video

The good news in this story is the seal lived to see another day. Also, one missed seal is not a big deal for the orcas. They will find more. Today’s JohnKu talks about the natural way of things. I hope you have a super weekend.

Prey and predictor,

Are nature’s natural way. . .

Respect the process.