Epic fail June 13, 2008 ~ 9:10 am
Posted by Julie in : Academic Office Monkey , comments closedYesterday, we couldn’t log on to email at work. A bit of a problem, since we receive requests from students and faculty via email all day. Someone called over to ITS and we found out that the room that houses the servers had lost its air conditioning. Apparently, this is a problem. Apparently, when servers don’t have things to cool them down? They get angry and lose data and shit. (Hey, anyone who emailed me at work yesterday-you know who you are-sorry. I wasn’t ignoring you. The server was just having a hot flash and being moody.) And sometimes in addition to losing email, you also lose your access to documents saved on a shared network drive.
Good thing I had lots of paperwork to do yesterday, because otherwise it would have been a dead loss.
Worst. Commute. Ever. February 22, 2008 ~ 12:28 pm
Posted by Julie in : Academic Office Monkey, In Da Hood , comments closedThis morning when I woke up, Brooklyn was blanketed with snow. I had been hitting snooze for at least a half hour, as per my usual, but when I actually opened my eyes and saw the fluffy whiteness? I jumped out of bed like I used to when I was in grade school. Unfortunately, much like my grade school never had a snow day unless there was a foot of snow (The superintendent was a dick. I still dislike Dr. Ross.), Some College was still open for business. Fuck.
I dressed for my battle with the elements. Merrells, which are waterproof and insulated. Lands End parka with hood. Handknit hat. Cashmere scarf my brother got me last Christmas. Furry gloves that I got at a flea market last fall which are as warm as can be. I was ready. The train came quickly, after only a few minutes of waiting. (My train, it is tricksy. Because it goes above ground two stops after my house, you can never be sure if it’s running or not.) I got off the train at the stop where I transfer to the bus that takes me to Some College, turned on my iPod to listen to the latest Knitters Uncensored podcast, and waited.
At first, it was fun. My gear was keeping me warm and dry, and it was funny that the snow was piling up on me and my backpack, covering my Captain Jack Sparrow and Obama ‘08 buttons. After a while, though, I was starting to get a little cold. I suppose I could have walked, but the thought of trudging miles through unshoveled sidewalks with four inches of snow on them? Not appealing. So I waited, squinting through the snow shower down the street in hopes of catching sight of the bus. Nothing. My toes in their insulated boots were starting to go numb, turning into little ice cubes that were hard to walk on. I am from Pennsylvania, people. I went to college where Lake Effect snow was just an accepted fact for seven months of the year. I am not a wus, but my feet were really freaking cold. Still no bus. I looked at my iPod and realized that I had been waiting at the bus stop for a solid hour and nothing was coming. I did what anyone would do. I called work.
I asked my boss how many people had showed up. Three, out of fifteen of us. The only people who had managed to make it to work either lived nearby or could take a train for the entire trip. I explained how I had been waiting for the bus for an hour, and how at this point walking wasn’t really an option because my feet were frozen. She told me to get back on the train and go home, and check my email because a professor was upset over something. I was okay with this decision, and after looking down the street for a couple more minutes, I got back on the train. And came home. And put my dripping parka and gloves on the radiator to dry.
I have to go back out in three hours for a meeting in Manhattan, but since that trip will not involve any busses, I think I’m fine. And afterwards, I’m getting a beer with Lori. Because if ever there was an earned Miller Time, it’s today.
Office Monkey Daycare February 7, 2008 ~ 4:24 pm
Posted by Julie in : Academic Office Monkey , comments closedMy boss is sitting at the desk across from me, proofing the transcripts of students who have just graduated to make sure that there is no reason they shouldn’t have graduated. She has a tendency to break out into song for no reason, and has done this several times while she’s been working. When she burst out into “If I Were King of the Forest” from The Wizard of Oz, I threw a balled up piece of paper at her head. She came over and pinched me. She went back to her desk and asked what I was typing so fast said it annoyed her that I type so fast. I said I would type on her head. She threw the paper ball back at my face.
If this isn’t an ideal working relationship, I’m not sure what is.
Vacay! January 14, 2008 ~ 12:54 pm
Posted by Julie in : Academic Office Monkey, Craftiness Is Next To Godliness , comments closedI spent the weekend knitting. And knitting, and knitting, and knitting. My sister-in-law’s birthday is today, and I wanted to give her a nice lace shawlette to wrap around her shoulders. It’s still nice, I just fucked up part of the pattern and knit it backwards. If I had the time to rip half the bloody thing out and re-knit it, I would. But alas, I’m going to Florida on Wednesday and I want to get this thing in the mail tomorrow, and um…only Allah is perfect. *sigh* Rick said something that he meant to be sweet this morning when I told him: “Well, that’s how you can tell it’s homemade.” And I, who can be utterly psychotic about my knitting when I want to be (I know, it’s hard to believe) said “But I don’t WANT it to look homemade.” And then he got really quiet and changed the subject.
And so tonight I will go home, weave in ends, wash it (it bled red all over my hands while I was knitting it, not a good sign), and block it. And tomorrow send it and the necklace I made for her. And then…then? I will only have to finish the socks I started for Lori for Christmas and I can knit for me. True vacation!
(While I was typing this, I realized that vacation is good for another reason. If I weren’t getting away? Someone in my office might die. I am that fed up with them. Happy vacation to ME!)
Ouch January 10, 2008 ~ 10:19 am
Posted by Julie in : Academic Office Monkey, Assorted Ailments , comments closedAll the stress at work is starting to wear on my physically. I typically carry my stress in my neck and shoulders, and we’ve gotten to epic proportions right now - I can barely turn my head to see over my shoulder on either side. According to Skippy, I’m also grinding my teeth so the TMJ is acting up. The teeth grinding is funny if you think about it: the job that makes me grind my teeth and damage them is the same job that gives me shit dental insurance so that if I do damage them, I have to pay for it out of pocket. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.
I’ve scheduled at appointment with a massage therapist for after work tomorrow night in the hopes that they can work some of this out. The trip to Florida next week should also help. Because if I’m not allowed to kill some of the people I work with (and I’m pretty sure that’s in the campus handbook, the no killing co-workers rule), then at least I can escape them for a week. And it will be good. Until I have to come back.
Up to my ass in alligators January 3, 2008 ~ 4:44 pm
Posted by Julie in : Academic Office Monkey , comments closedThe headache that is the new method of answering phone calls at Some College continues. I spend much of the day wishing I were home knitting or playing Wii, but instead I have to tell the computer when I am getting up to move away from my desk, whether it’s to do research or pee. And when I’m not informing Big Brother of my movements, I’m helping my staff to tell Big Brother of their movements. Good times.
Tonight will be all about Wii (the Tiger Woods game I bought for Rick yesterday seems compelled to taunt me when I suck at golf, and that makes me want to prove it wrong), knitting, and movie watching. I’ve got Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner (that would be the original Sidney Poitier version, not that lame ass ghetto version from a couple of years ago) on TiVo, and I feel the need to work on my sister-in-law’s birthday shawlette while watching it. When work turns all 1984 on you, you take your solace and relaxation where you can find it.
Hey, anyone who has a Wii - if you can tell me how the stupid Mii parade feature works? That would be great. No Miis ever parade through my Wii, and that makes me feel sad and unloved. I am so into the tech I might as well be a Borg, you know.
TGIF. I mean, REALLY TGIF. October 12, 2007 ~ 10:44 am
Posted by Julie in : About a Julz, Academic Office Monkey , comments closedSome days, I wonder where my brain is. This morning, I woke up, watched the Weather Channel, and tried to decide if I was going to ride my bike or walk through the park to work. The Weather Channel said we would have rain until about noon, but sometimes the Weather Channel lies. A look out the window showed the sun starting to break through the clouds, so I decided to chance it.
Now, the merits of walking through the park would have been that I could probably get some excellent shots with the new camera. It’s fall, and the light when I head home is spectacular. I thought “Hmm, I can drop the bike off at the repair shop to get a tune up on the way home, and still have a nice walk through the park.” I packed my camera. I put my helmet and iPod on. I left the house.
Halfway to work I realized I had not packed any work clothes, since I was so freakin’ fixated on the camera. I ride to work in whatever pants I’m going to wear for the day, which is fine, but I always wear a sports bra and a ratty shirt to absorb whatever sweat I build up. Which meant that I would be wearing said sports bra and ratty shirt (today’s was long sleeved, two sizes two big - from my fat days, and advertised my undergrad’s chapter of Amnesty International) at work all day. It may be casual Friday, and I may champion casual apparel at work, but not this casual. Fuck. And it was too late to turn around, or I would be massively late for work. I rode on.
When I got here, I realized that although I had brought something that had to be mailed today, I had forgotten my checkbook (our mailroom will not accept cash, only checks. I have no idea why). Fuckity fuck. It has to go out today, and my post office at home blows, so that’s not an option. I was starting to wonder why I even woke up today.
I went down to our bookstore and bought a t-shirt with the college name on it. It fits, and apparel with the college name on it is okay for casual Friday. I guess because we’re advertising. I came back to my office and asked my supervisor if she had her checkbook with her, so maybe she could write the check and I could pay her back. She didn’t, because NO ONE CARRIES A CHECKBOOK ANYMORE, MAILROOM, but reminded me that there is a post office in walking distance from here. That’s where I’ll be spending my lunch hour.
So the day isn’t a complete wash, but still. It’s a damn good thing it’s Friday - I couldn’t take another workday after this one.
But hey, look, the camera takes pretty pictures, not just pictures of cats being tortured:
Cranky September 26, 2007 ~ 2:16 pm
Posted by Julie in : About a Julz, Academic Office Monkey , comments closedMy boss asked me today why I was so grouchy this week. I told her that I was PMS’ing and four days away from my thirtieth birthday, and did she have any other questions? (Also, last week she was the grouchy one, so hello, pot.)
And then I thought about it. If I wasn’t at work? And forced to deal with difficult students and colleagues on days when my hormones are basically on the spin dry setting? I probably wouldn’t have PMS. Interesting.
First week of classes drain August 30, 2007 ~ 9:30 am
Posted by Julie in : Academic Office Monkey, Daily Grind , comments closedWe are on day four of the first week of classes, and I am looking like a zombie. I have not left work once this week without a headache because the phones have been non-stop, there is always a line of students at our door, and Supreme Overlord has chosen this week, this first week of classes when oh, by the way, I also prepared six lists of candidates for graduation to be approved on top of everything else, to make policy changes. Which include more work for me. Woohoo! On top of everything else, this is my first five day week since May, since I took long weekends all summer instead of a regular vacation. I remember now: I hate five day work weeks. I am much more productive on the shorter weeks because my ass is just dragging by the end of the five days.
But last night with the help of a little makeup, I looked young, summery, and very good for dinner and the show with Rick’s Ex. Her boyfriend was not there and it was actually a pretty good, if weird, evening. How civilized and urbane we all are.
Evil plan #1,672,358 June 7, 2007 ~ 9:57 am
Posted by Julie in : Academic Office Monkey , comments closedWe’re having SomeCollege Day here today, which means I will spend the afternoon over on the athletic field eating hot dogs and hamburgers and listening to a DJ and participating in a raffle, among other things. It’s like a company picnic for the college, and the college president has decreed that all offices can be closed from 12-3. Suits me fine, because hey! I’ve got tomorrow and Monday off! And the Friday and Monday after that! And the Friday after that! And then Fridays off the rest of the summer! Life is good!
I don’t know if I told you guys about my evil plan for this summer. The college where I work goes to four-day work weeks during the summer (a lot of New York City businesses do this, I’m not sure why, but I enjoy the hell out of it). I generally take a week’s vacation in early June, before the four-day work week kicks in (the week of June 29th this year). But I always come back disgruntled - I don’t want to be back in the office after a week off. I want to stay home. And when I see the pile of crap that inevitably awaits my return…well, that doesn’t improve my mood either.
So this year, I decided “Hmmm. Five days off would be my normal week off. But what if, instead of taking a week, I took three long weekends before the four day work week starts? Then I could have long weekends all summer!” Genius. So that’s what I’m doing. This weekend I’m going to Woodstock with Rick and the girls, next weekend I don’t know what I’m doing, and the weekend after that I’m flying home for my mom’s birthday and to see my uncle. This is going to be awesome.
Now I just need to do some work before long weekend number one starts.
