Yay Tom!

Tom got an job offer! At the Other University in town. He also had a great interview today (at a different place)

Woot! That is awesome!!!

Sparky, that sounds like torture.

Teppy, I am so sorry. BOO missing endorphins. Though I am very impressed you actually managed to go try to make some. Damn!

I am annoyed that I'm managing to have a very busy-with-work day without managing ot have an actual PRODUCTIVE day. Harumph!

(My university will be closed this year between Dec 20 and Jan 4th - I lurv working for academia.)

My university never does that. There's never anybody here, but they never do it officially. This year, we're getting Dec 26 and January 2 as admin days, which is nice.

It's official here, as part of the energy savings. At my previous university, we were made to take it as vacation time which didn't seem fair since we we being locked out. At my present u., it's just free time off.

Yay Tom!

At my previous university, we were made to take it as vacation time which didn't seem fair since we we being locked out.

yeah, that's some BS. They're lucky that they didn't get sued. I have a lot of use or lose leave, so it's never a big deal for me.

Yay Tom!!!

IOmemeN: Please save me! In class today was the following conversation: (Class is in computer lab where they are supposed to be doing research for term papers. Research and term papers are something they, as JUNIORS!, do not seem to understand.)

Student: Ms G_G, can you help me?

Me: Of course! I live to serve you and enlighten your mind.

Student: Uh, yeah. I'm sure I'd laugh if I understood what you were talking about.

Me: We'll save subtext for another day.

Student: uh huh... [blank expression]

Me: [smiling and wondering why I do this every day] What is your question.

Student: I don't get this word. What's a demographic and why would I find one at a 'Hot Topic'?

Me: ..................... Give me a second and I'll try to help you.

{Dramatic change of lighting and mournful music underscoring}

Dear Universe;

It has been an amusing joke to have me teach English. I'm glad you have had a tremendous laugh at my expense. The fun is over now and I'm ready to go back to just teaching Drama.

K-thx-bye,

What's a demographic and why would I find one at a 'Hot Topic'?

It's a type of belt. They sell lots of belts at Hot Topic.

Hot Topic featured heavily in last night's South Park. I'm still snickering.

YAY for Tom!

Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap.

Nate's best friend, C, who's having some massive adjustment issues to middle school (plus his family's military and has moved around a lot) got suspended today for punching another kid that he claimed was picking on a smaller kid.

The problem now is that he's told his mother that Nate was also involved in the picking on of the smaller kid. Given that a) it sounds COMPLETELY unlike Nate and b) the school has not contacted me in any way about any kind of disciplinary action, I had to wonder. When I asked Nate about his possible involvement, he said that he didn't get into it until AFTER C got involved and that in fact, C also hit him.

Aside from the fact that my instinct is to believe Nate, because, you know, my kid and I know him better than anyone, C has been having the aforementioned adjustment issues and this isn't the first time he's tried in implicate Nate in something, not so much because he's trying to shift blame, but more in the "Well, if Nate's involved, how bad can it be?" vein.

If Nate's involved, I want him to take the consequences, but like I said, nothing from the school and when he answered me, he looked me in the eye. I honestly think he's too scared of what I might do-- all involving his beloved electronic games-- to lie to me. And beyond that, we've tried to impress upon him how important it is to not act out physically, even if he's just roughhousing and playing with friends, because he's a big kid and you just know where the finger would be pointed. Ironically, C has already been reprimanded twice this year for physically lashing out.

And I understand that C's mom, who's also a friend of mine, rightly wants to protect/defend her child, but I'm not needlessly throwing my kid under the bus so she can have reason for her formerly non-troublemaking son to have an excuse for his behavior, but I'm afraid that's what she's looking for. (C's such a classic case, poor noodle-- super bright kid, undersized, total target for bullies, and with a long, long fuse that when he finally hits his limit, completely blows.)