gypsygirl

So far, this summer has been pretty awful. We’ll start with classes.

So, I’m three classes away from graduating, and I was hoping I’d be able to take two classes in the summer (one each session), and just one in the fall, mainly because tuition is cheaper in the summer, so I’d have less tax to pay on it. Well, come registration time, I find that the IS department wasn’t offering any graduate level classes second summer session. Well, fine! So I registered for one class in the summer (one that I wasn’t particularly interested in, but I didn’t have much choice), and two in the fall. A few weeks later, I went in to print out a copy of my schedule, and I noticed that it was only showing one class for the fall. What the heck!? I went looked for the missing class in registration and it was gone! Poof! They’d cancelled it and not even had the decency to send out an email letting people know! So I’m looking around for a class to replace that one and in the meantime I email the professor who was teaching my summer class to see if he’d send me the reading list so I could start trying to get the books. He emails me back and tells me that he doesn’t think the class is going to make, because I’m the only person registered for it. *scream* So I’m down two classes, and it’s looking like I might not graduate in December. Well, I finally decided that I would switch my one remaining fall class to the summer (it was being offered both times) so I’d at least have a summer class and could give myself a bit of time to try to figure out what to do about the two other classes I needed. I finally found another class in the fall that I hadn’t already taken, and then I decided to email the professor of the fall class that got cancelled (happened to be Java), to see if he’d be willing to teach it as an independent study. I still haven’t heard back from the man. So instead, I asked the professor who’s teaching my summer class if he’d be willing to do it, and he agreed, so I’m finally back to my three classes, and I’m actually doing what I’d originally planned; two classes in the summer, and one in the fall! But good grief, the stress involved in getting to that point!

Next stresser? Well, the powers that be at the library decided that it would be a good idea to consolidate the three reference points (and the reference collections) into one central location. Ok, fine, that would probably be a good idea, if we actually had an area in the library big enough to house all three reference collections. But since we don’t, and parts of the reference collections are still going to be scattered around the library, it makes no sense to me. But they didn’t ask my opinion, so I guess it doesn’t count. (Can you tell I’m vaguely annoyed by this whole thing?) Anyway, as soon as I got back from vacation, I was told to pack up all my stuff and bring all the departmental supplies to the supply person downstairs. We then sat in our offices for over a week, waiting for the IT people to get around to moving our computers (why we weren’t allowed to move them ourselves, I’ll never know). The move itself was stressful enough, but having to sit in clutter for a week while we waited to move was worse! So last Friday we finally got to move, and I’ve lost my lovely windows (I had two walls made of windows in my last office) and now I have to share one window with three other people and I’m not even the one closest to it and I’ve no privacy and… well, I keep telling myself I’m graduating in December. I still have no idea what’s going to happen to my student workers. At one point they said they were going to be shifted to the departments that are taking over responsibility for the journals and reference collection that were left upstairs; then on Friday I was told to email them and tell them to check in downstairs from now on. I wish they’d make up their minds so I can tell them something definite. My students who aren’t working this summer know absolutely nothing about what’s going on. Grr! Ok, enough ranting for now.

On a more pleasant note, I’m going to be directing the melodrama (The Drunkard) at the theatre this summer. Auditions are this weekend and the show goes up July 21st - 23rd. It’s my directorial debut, and it should be a fun show. It’s a small cast of only five people, which is generally lots of fun. I’ll keep posting on how it goes!

Well, that’s summer over. Two more classes under my belt, and just six to go before I finish my masters. Yay! If all goes well, I’ll just have to endure one more Texas summer! I really, really want to move somewhere cooler when I finish.

Just got back from vacation. Second day back at work, today. I spent a week in California with my mother. Among other things, we went to the Hollywood Bowl and saw their production of Camelot. I was very pleasantly surprised to find that they had Jeremy Irons in the role of Arthur. Very, very cool. Needless to say, there were a whole lot more people there that day than the time I went to see Regina Carter.

Now I’m just trying to get through Seussical. Hmm… that makes it sound like it’s a complete drag, but it’s not. I’m having a great time, it’s just that it’s very time consuming, and I’m always tired. I guess it doesn’t help that I’m both stage managing and acting in it. Still, just a week and a half more of rehearsals and then we open. Scary thought! Should be a really good show.

I would just like to say, “IT’S FRIDAY! WOOHOO!” Dances around the library like a crazy person. At least there aren’t any patrons in right now.

Just needed to get that out of my system. For some reason, while this week has gone by fairly quickly and it hasn’t been a bad week, each day has seemed to drag on forever and I’m just glad it’s finally over.

Going to a conference tomorrow morning and while I am looking forward to it, and to spending time with the friend I’m going with, there’s just something… unholy? Yeah, that’s a good word for it, unholy about having to set the alarm to get up early on a Saturday.

Random quote of the day:
“When I see a spade I call it a spade.”
“I’m glad to say I have never seen a spade.”
From Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest

So, Spring Break’s over. Well, they call it Spring Break, but not all of us get to take a break. Hmpf! Still, even though I still had to work, at least I was able to go home earlier each afternoon because I didn’t have to make up the hours I was out for my classes. I’m trying to convince myself that this makes it aaaallll better. It hasn’t quite worked yet.

On the plus side, the library does join with the rest of the university in closing down for Easter, so at least I’ll get that long weekend. Yay!

Things are starting to get busier with The Little Prince. Fools runs through this weekend and then we’ll finally have access to the space. Huzzah!

First week of the new semester is now over, and already we have a break, with MLK Jr day coming up on Monday. Not that I’m complaining about having a day off, but it does seem a bit silly to have it so soon after the start of the term. I guess it’s just going to be a silly term as far as breaks go anyway, what with Easter being the weekend after Spring Break.

It’s days like today that I really miss teaching. Not because I don’t like this job, not even because I miss the kids (though I sometimes do), but because teachers are still on break, and I had to come back to work today. *sigh* Not really the best reason to go back into teaching, but on days when I consider it, vacation time is definitely number one on my list of pros.

It’s really quiet here today, as classes don’t begin till next week, and I haven’t any projects left that I can work on at the moment. I’m glad I brought my knitting to work on during my desk time. I’m not sure what else I’ll have to do today, and I hate being bored. At least if I’m sitting at the desk knitting, it looks like I’m being halfway productive, waiting for patrons to come by and ask questions, as opposed to just sitting at my computer playing.

So bored! I’m running out of things to do and a university library during the holidays is just not a really exciting place in and of itself if you don’t have any work to do. I’m vaguely considering heading down to the coffeeshop, just to see if it’s open. Anything to get me moving at least for a short time.

Well, one good thing about it only being the first week of the holidays, is that there are still student workers around, so at least I have someone to chat with today. Next week? No such luck. I don’t know what I’m going to do with myself next week. Well, at least it’ll be a short week. Yay! And my mother will be coming in Wednesday or Thursday evening. Double yay!