hermits and bathrooms

Well, this week seems to have gone by quickly. A few bullets of reflection:

• I finished a book this week. The Stranger in the Woods is a story of Christopher Knight, a man who parked his car and headed into the woods of Maine and allegedly lived alone for 27 years.
  
  

I found the book highly annoying. The author seemed to try to make Christopher Knight out as some sort of enlightened woodland sage. But the fact is that he lived in his so-called camp on someone else's land, all the while frequently stealing everything he used from surrounding recreational cabins and a nearby camp for the disabled. 

Anything and everything he ever possessed was stolen: food, clothing, booze, propane, camping gear, car batteries, device batteries, tools, books, magazines, TVs, radios, video games, and so on. He buried his discards at his "camp" a.k.a. dump. He drank so much stolen booze, he became an alcoholic. He was not at all self sufficient - a premise I assumed when I first picked up the book. 

Turns out, he just can't stand being around people, but he sure likes helping himself to their stuff. It became a story mainly because he was eventually caught and sent to jail because of his ongoing thefts. 

I'm reading something better for me now, to get that bad taste out.  We've thought about purchasing some land - a few acres for recreation. I would be open to letting certain others use it... just please ask first?

• Yesterday, we gave a fond farewell to our old gas-powered lawnmower at the recycling place. From there, we stopped at Lowes and picked up a new battery-powered mower. We don't have a lot of lawn, and have plans to decrease it even further, but I'm ready for the grass to grow now.

• An email went out at work last week from one of the Deans or VPs, - I forget which with all the restructuring and changing of titles going on - one of the "higher ups", anyway. She was alerting us to some vandalism that's been happening on our campus.

A couple months ago, the student government association stocked the bathrooms on campus with baskets of menstrual supplies.  All of the bathrooms. The building where I work, for instance, has two sets of "men's/ women's" bathrooms and one "all gender" single use bathroom. 

I didn't realize it at the time, but the baskets were put in designated "men's" bathrooms as well. We do have a decent population of transgendered students, so the SGA was being inclusive of that. And I'm not sure about staff population, but from my small sampling, I work with one transgendered fellow tutor as well as a transgendered fellow test proctor. 

Apparently somebody or bodies has been trashing and creating nasty graffiti concerning the baskets - no doubt regarding their inclusion in men's bathrooms. We're to be on the lookout.

• This coming week is the last week of this semester. It's going to be chaotic with finals - both from my test proctoring job and my tutoring job. 

It's a good chaos, though. I think?

nerdz, forgotten and steamed

A couple of weeks ago, temps got to about 80 F. Hot. I stashed most of the winter clothes and brought out the summer collection. 

As expected, that jinxed the whole thing, and this week we got back to 30's and snow. Not bunches of snow, though. Just enough for muddy pawprints throughout the house.  It won't stop the impending heat.

Yesterday, Magnum and I bundled up for an old-folks-go-get-coffee walk. We decided to dust off our geocaching archives, we haven't gone geocaching probably since before covid. 

I was surprisingly able to remember the username and password and learned that we'd logged 97 caches. Three more and we'd hit triple digits. Excitement ensued.

We noticed a couple of caches along the way back home, so set out to find them. In our freshly caffeinated states, we managed to make quick, satisfying work of the little treasures. So here we sit at 99.

Geocache no. 99 for the nerdz

At work, I guess Boss's status has finally been upgraded to reflect his promotion. A new nametag - we refer to it as the "vanity plate" - arrived for him last week.  And now it appears as though there is no one to approve time sheets for us lowly part-timers - a.k.a. all of us except for Assistant Boss. 

There's been no talk about who or what will be in place of Boss's previous position, but I'm at least expecting to get paid next payday per someone's approval?  We have job titles, but maybe we should just start going by "The Forgotten".

The semester is winding down, stress levels are high among the tutees. Although some tutees don't seem as fired up as others, suggesting they're already planning for a do-over next semester. As a student, I don't recall ever considering taking a class more than once, but I see it happen with surprising frequency. 

In other breaking news, I made steamed rice instead of boiling it on the stovetop (no thanks, I don't want a rice cooker)

It came out perfect. Why had I not thought of this sooner?

doing it for the status

The plot thickens.

So the boss thing... Boss got (supposedly) promoted in December. Then the powers that be kept jerking him around on the official start date of his new role. Then he complained about the jerking around. Then he was given a start date - soon? I think?

Meanwhile, we're still doing our thing as the semester winds down. We are paid every two weeks, and we part-timers submit time sheets every two weeks. I submitted mine yesterday and received the cryptic response:

"Approver" being Boss. Uhm... okay?

I have a different "approver" for the math center, and that time sheet went through as per usual showing the ball in tutor boss's court. 

So it seems that the test center is currently bossless. *PFFFFT*, I wish! 

Well, except for the pay thing.

support services

I got to work a couple days ago for my closing shift. Boss sat me down as soon as I arrived.

"Sheesh", I thought, "haven't even changed my shoes and I'm already in for a mundane story?"

But no, it was actually work related. Assistant boss, my closing companion, was out with Strep. Eew. Boss said he himself would stay late, but he had an eye appointment - of which he thankfully held back on the mundane details for once - that he didn't want to reschedule. 

"Party Girl is going to come in until Work Study gets here, then it's just you and Work Study after that".

Okay, that would work. We are required to have at least two people at any given shift. A workstudy student probably counts more like a half a staff (limited access to things), but we wouldn't tell anyone. In short, it was me running the ship with Work Study, my faithful side kick.

I mentioned that Work Study has an emotional support dog? Well, she brought the snarling, vicious cur. 

Just look at this junkyard dog!

He's a mix of 3 little breeds I easily have forgotten, but he's about 15 pounds of pure cute.

I typically prefer larger, more athletic, less yappy pooches, but this ones a keeper. Never a yap to be yapped from his fluffy self.

The afternoon and evening progressed smoothly with the poochkin typically making friends with everyone who came by. 

I'm curious as to how/where Assistant Boss contracted strep. He's single, a somewhat homebody, and a bit of a germaphobe.

We know Chaco is a carrier as he managed to infiltrate nearly his entire daycare with recurring cases of strep back in the day. In later years, he would greatly contribute to a young friend's tonsil removal.

Since Chaco was here recently, I'm wondering if he gave me a case of it, asymptomatic to me. I know it's happened before. Did I infect Assistant Boss?

Test Pooch and I won't say a word. 

reflection

Another week deeper into spring. Sun is shining, birds are chirping, pollen is floating.

I'm looking forward to the end of the semester. I've identified some inefficiencies in my tutoring schedule/ availability, and have made a few adjustments. But the adjustments won't kick in until after the end of this semester, so let's go already. 

Boss is his happy annoying self once again. His whining about being jerked around regarding his promotion has paid off, and he is supposedly given an agreeable start date. So he's back to his mundane running-of-the-mouth, and I find myself rather missing the grumpy moper boss.

From here, I'mma do this reflection prompt I found... somewhere:

Three moments from this week I'd like to remember:

• I got my teeth cleaned this week, and it was the first time I'd seen the hygienist as well as the dental assistant without surgical masks. Masks are no longer required in medical offices, and they happily showed their unfamiliar faces. Hygienist, of course, wore hers while working, but nice to see whole faces during the chatty times.
• While out walking with pooch Penny, I came across what looked like a couple of brothers learning some skateboard tricks. It was just a wholesome scene. Older was probably around 13 years old, younger was about 7 or 8. They looked like they'd just gotten the new skateboards, and the fact that they were both wearing matching new Vans sneakers made it all the more wholesome. 
• We have a workstudy student who works with us in the testing center. She has an "emotional support" dog that boss said she can bring to work. Omigosh, little Gizmo is the cutest thing!

One of the week's triumphs, big or small:

• I've mentioned how I've been dealing with physical stamina issues since having covid, mainly noticeable when running. I've been working on it with more attention over the last few weeks, and have made happy progress.

One of the week's challenges, big or small:

• Those tutor scheduling inefficiencies I mentioned up there. 

One thing I learned from my triumph or challenge:

• I learned that running slower really does help one run faster. 🤔
• I learned not to cater to unreasonable requests on my time.

Two events or news stories out in the world that caught my attention:

• I've been captivated by the story of 21-year-old Jack Teixeira, the national guardsman who leaked top secret documents over a Discord server.  Brought them home? Took photos of them? Supposedly for clout among his online buddies?
  I mean... what the hell??
• Is it the end for Bud Light? 

tan lines and pelicans, nope

Happy Easter, or Ostara for the pagans, or Sunday for all. We are enjoying pleasant springtime weather to coincide with the holiday.

I enjoyed a happy morning run along the creek where I met up with tan lines and pelicans. Two firsts for the year.

The pelicans seem to be happily cohabitating with the ducks and geese of the neighborhood. But they typically don't hang around for very long

It does feel like spring fever is kicking in for many. Tutees are dragging their way, just wanting to make it to the end of the semester. That one student who had covid about a month ago is still dealing with the aftermath - secondary infections - as the semester marches on.

We watched Nope last night. Seen it? Jordan Peele movie about aliens? Or rather, more specifically, Jordan Peele movie about UAPs  or unidentified aerial phenomena. 

I guess UAP has replaced UFO as the term of choice because people connote UFO with big-eyed aliens.

Anyway, I liked the movie well enough. It was entertaining, not mind blowing, but entertaining. Likeable characters except for the... well... y'know.

inertia

I gained a newfound respect for Boss this week.

I may have mentioned here that the college is undergoing an organizational restructuring. I KNOW I've mentioned here that my boss can be annoying at times.

The college is comprised of three separate campuses plus online programs. The re-org has to do with making departments consistent across all campuses. Each campus has a testing center, and Boss was promoted to Director of Testing for all campuses - a new position created as part of of the re-org. He is currently the director of our local campus center, a.k.a. my boss.

As far as I'm concerned, he's the right choice for the position. And, as I've mentioned here already, those of us who work for him have been anxiously awaiting his departure from our workspace. The dude just talks so much about his special interests, and we have no idea the source of his show-and-tell personality. 

It's exhausting.

Bottom line, however, he does know his *stuff* when it comes to efficiently and effectively running a testing center. Our center hums along nicely, the other two... not so much.

So he interviewed for and was awarded the new position back in December. At that time, he was told he'd be in place likely around the beginning of March... then maybe more like mid-May? Or maybe after the start of summer semester??

This week, he reached a breaking point. Leadership - a.k.a "The Council" - is still being non-committal on Boss's official start date, but had the cluelessness to ask that he start on some Director-Of-Testing action items. 

On a side note, whenever I hear our leadership addressed as "The Council", I think of this sculpture of that name I remember from the Rochester, NY airport

Seems similar, different people staring off in different directions, no arms, no work being done...

And with that, Boss had the appropriate response. 

"Those programs are in good shape at the fort collins center. I'm manager of the fort collins center, not responsible for the other centers, so I'm caught up". Then, he left the meeting.

Wednesday, he came into work, went to talk with HR, then left for two "personal days". A little dark cloud hovering just above his head.

We underlings are cheering him on from sidelines. "You tell 'em, Boss!"

And this time, it's not because we're anxious to be rid of him. It's because, doofus that he sometimes can be, he deserves more respect than he's getting.

From my personal point of view, I'm not stressed out about the changes. They mainly effect the levels above me both in testing and in tutoring, but I don't see my day-to-day changing a whole lot. Meanwhile, there is much grumblings from both faculty and non-faculty about The Council.

This is somewhat new to me, not having worked much in public education. In my experience in private industry, someone gets a promotion, the org chart is already in place, and the promotion happens immediately. 

It's the annoyance of not-knowing. 

So I'm looking forward to someday knowing? But I won't hold my breath.

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Linking up this week with Mama Kat for the prompt:

5. Write about something you are looking forward to.

pretty and babies

She and I are the same age. I remember idolizing her when we were teenagers.  I had my subscription to Seventeen magazine, and Brooke Shields was wearing Calvin Klein jeans, so every girl wanted some CK jeans.

She was just too pretty. And I could relate somewhat and aspire because, in addition to being the same age as me, she was brunette, unlike Farrah Fawcett - the iconic blonde babe of that time. 

But I was no fool and knew I didn't hold a candle to Brooke Shields and that she lived in a whole different world from mine.  A world I would NOT trade for! Yeesh.

There's a Brooke Shields documentary streaming on Hulu now. I doubt I will watch it, but have read some of the highlights, that are sadly not surprising. Sexual exploitation starting before she'd even reached puberty.

Speaking of pretty things, we had another spring snowstorm this week, not quite as messy as last week's that had me stranded on a transit bus. I was out walking an errand in it and came upon a couple of geese honey badgers not giving a *hoot*

The two of them hanging out on the side of the path paying no mind to walkers, joggers, bicyclists, plows... "go around, losers".

It occurs to me that it's about that time for the annual goose nesting, when the geese become downright nasty if anyone dares come close to their nesting babies.  I wonder if these two were scoping out a site.

That's my excitement so far this week. That and learning that dry erase markers are the BOMB for erasing "permanent" marker. Just write over the permanent marker with a dry erase, and wipe. 

I'm as old as Brooke Shields and never learned this 'til now?!

behavior

Happy April, we are a fourth of the way into 2023. There are neighbors around the corner from us who still have Christmas lights up that come on each night. I wonder if they're really into Christmas or lights or have them on a forgotten timer?

This week, we had Chaco's pooch, Ella, boarding with us while Chaco travelled for work. She's a fun dog who blends in well with her "cousins", Penny and Merlin. And what's one more dog adding to the extensive pile of pet hair?

So, the dogs enjoy these sleepovers. The cat, Napolion, not so much. He expects to maintain his status as the Alpha pet at all times, but Ella has yet to get the memo. It's a bit of a furry juggling act for us resident humans.

Speaking of animals, we watched Nocturnal Animals, and The Shape of Water in movie news. Both were entertaining - I stayed awake throughout. 

Nocturnal Animals is a revenge story-within-a-story. I'm not a big fan of Jake Gyllenhaal, but he was well cast in this one. Amy Adams and Michael Shannon did well with their roles, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson is an it-don't-matter actor for me... As in, if he's in the movie, none of the other details matter, I'll gladly watch. 

I was aware that The Shape of Water won the Academy Award for Best Picture the year it was nominated, but had never seen it. I liked it well enough, but honestly, it was a bit too whimsical for me. Great plot, too much whimsey, and the soundtrack grated on me for a lot of it. It was like a kids' movie that included sex and violence. And again, the actors were great.

And speaking of violence, a month or so ago, a house not far from us was a total loss in a fire. Once the embers cooled, a deceased woman was found inside, and a man against whom she had a restraining order was located at the scene. 

I often run along the sidewalk that backs up to what is left of the house. The fence is gone, exposing the charred remains.

I don't know of any updates in the investigation, apparently I'm not in a need-to-know position. Sad, though. It's a quiet residential street - bicycles, basketball hoops, walk chalk, etc. And now this.

I will gladly opt for Christmas lights in April.

a star

I typically have a couple of books I'm working through at any given time.  And I'm not one that "must" finish a book if it's just not doing it for me.  It's been a long time since I've read one that's left a lasting impression.

In fact, I had to go to my goodreads shelf to see what I've read recently. Most all have been mediocre at 3 stars out of 5. The most memorable recent read, I didn't even add to my goodreads shelf because it was SO ridiculous. 

The ridiculousness is what made it so memorable. Here are a few tidbits:

• The main character takes a job as a nurse practitioner in a corrections facility and is advised not to give out any personal information to the inmates she treats. She immediately divulges personal sh*t to just about everyone she meets on the first day.
• The main character does all sorts of other stupid/ditzy/weak things, too many to mention. How did she graduate nursing school let alone become a NP?
• A ten-year-old boy gets off the school bus after school, walks to his house. The people inside know he's home when he RINGS THE DOORBELL. To go into his own house. 
• Main character wants to find two people who walked into the forest from a house after a fresh snowfall. But she has no idea which way they went... WALKING AFTER A FRESH SNOWFALL.  Gosh, if only they'd left some sort of clue.
• The 10-year-old boy, who is small for his age, manages to shake a tree hard enough to have big ass icicles fall from the tree. A tree large and sturdy enough to have 3-inch diameter icicles form on it would be very hard to budge. Then the small boy manages to kill a healthy grown man with one of those big icicles. He's apparently a good baseball player.

I mean, c'mon! Is proofreading not a thing?? Editing??

I'll admit that the kid ringing his own doorbell bothered me for longer than it should have. 

I'm not even going to say the name of the book or the author because it was just SO so bad. But I'll include this blurb:

#1 Amazon bestselling author [blankity blank] is a practicing physician specializing in brain injury who has penned multiple Kindle bestselling psychological thrillers and medical humor novels. She lives with her family and black cat in a centuries-old three-story home overlooking the ocean, with staircases that creak and moan with each step, and nobody could hear you if you scream. Unless you scream really loudly, maybe.

She's apparently published 22 books, which is 22 more than I've ever published. This one has an average rating of 4.19 stars. 

Maybe I have a brain injury.

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Linking up with Mama Kat for the prompt

4. Book review!