It's entirely unlikely. It's entirely likely that they like you, and they want to keep you, and they have the budget, so they want to pay you. When they get more work to do, they will give it to you. Unfortunately, while you were out, someone else did it, so it's not sitting there waiting for you, but there will be more when there is more.

also, pre holiday, that will make work stuff more irregular.

I think that's unlikely -- is your office fully manned? No one on vacation?

I cannot begin to tell you how slow it is in my office right now -- but I work at a university and classes are not in session.

I'm terrified that this is because I've been out so much...that they feel like they can't rely on me to get things done.

I suspect it's more the former than the latter. I don't think at all that they think you can't/won't get things done, but it wouldn't suprise me if they haven't been setting things aside for you, you know. At soon as it registers that you're back in action, I think you should find more stuff coming your way.

That all makes sense. Thanks, guys.

As a point of comparison, vw, work here is utterly shooting-rubber-bands-and-paper-clips dead simply because so many things have wound down for the holidays (and as a result I don't actually have any equally bored people to shoot rubber bands at. Why won't the universe give me a break when I'm feeling twitchy and bored and hyperactive?)

It's entirely unlikely. It's entirely likely that they like you, and they want to keep you, and they have the budget, so they want to pay you. When they get more work to do, they will give it to you. Unfortunately, while you were out, someone else did it, so it's not sitting there waiting for you, but there will be more when there is more.

also, pre holiday, that will make work stuff more irregular.

What they said. It's amazingly slow here, too.

Since I'm bored, I'm playing with my Bio grade. I can't decide if this is fun or depressing.

ETA: I *think* (if I'm figuring this correctly), I can get a 75 on the Final and still get a B in the class. That would be amazing.

radical acceptance is where I am trying to go with a lot of things - I just didin't know the name. the money one is of course the big one where I am really bad at the whole Idea. But i have come to the conclusion that worrying does nothing but cause me to stand still. By accepting that this is a hard problem, and not going to be easy - I just sort of pat my self on th eback and remind my self of the palns to move forward , even if I can do it now. Of course, the first two weeks of January will be harder....

whoo-hoo! I was able to look up my grade for my class online, and I got an A! Yay, an A!

GO NORA! That's wonderful! WooHoo is right!