What's up, Pix?

I told the school months ago that I couldn't go on the upcoming Mon-Fri 9th grade camping trip (the one I've gone on the past few years) because ND would be out of town and I didn't have the money to pay for a housesitter. Keep in mind that this has always been a voluntary thing--it's not in our contract. At the time they said it was fine. This weekend I got another email saying they really needed me, even though it was last minute. I wrote back again to explain that I couldn't go for financial reasons with ND out of town, not just because of the house but also because I need to take care of his business and we were under other major financial constraints (which we are, involving the IRS, though neither ND and I particularly want to talk about it more than that). I got a very rude, short response from the Head saying essentially, "This is very disappointing. Next year this will be a contractual obligation." I ended up in tears in the upper school director's office, explaining that I am not a bad person and have always done what I can for the school but that I truly can't do it and she basically (obliquely) said that she got it and was sorry and I should just lie low and avoid the Head because she is unreasonable and has a bad temper.

So yeah. Please send your strongest ~ma towards my potential new job, because I need to get the fuck out of here.

Yay Max!

I haven't lived in Nashville for seventeen years, Kate, and it's making me choke up, seeing and reading the stories of what's going on.

Same here. 16 years.

Getting-the-hell-out ~ma, Pix. That's ridiculous.

I've only been to Nashville once at we stayed at the Gaylord Opryland. It was so beautiful and it makes me so sad to see it under water. We only stayed a few days. I can't imagine how I would feel if I had lived there.

Lots of ~ma, Kristin.

I just had my phone interview for the job that's my top choice of the ones that have been interviewing me in this round. It went pretty well, I think. The timing isn't going to work out great, between when the school in Georgia wants an answer and when this one will let me know, but I think I can get it to work out.

Oh, Fred, that's so great to hear! Yay good Buffista pets news!

Edit: and also hell lots of ~mas towards Pix. And to Nashville, as well.

And Now.

Through papers untold and idiots unnumbered, I have fought my way here to the bed beyond the public transportation system and redundant stuff as dinner to take back the sleep that you have stolen, for my delirium is as strong as yours, and my need is as great. Internet and homework, you, literally, have no power over me, for I got none of it left.

Oh, look, there's a comfy bed right here. I think I should get to know it better. Night!

Oh, damn, Pix, that sucks. And it's terrible how much power unreasonable assholes at work can have to tie you in knots. I'm vibing lots of better-job~ma your way.

Grr, Kristin. I hope you get the new job. Meanwhile, I will work on my face-punching skills.

Meanwhile, I will work on my face-punching skills.

Do you have your Spectral Bovine superhero costume finished yet?

(No capes!)

I keep obsessively looking at the Nashville pics too. My mother's family has been there since my great grandfather was foreman of the yards at Union Station. We visited relatives every year when I was growing up; I went to school there; my first newspaper job was there; and I'm there at least four times a year to see my family. (Someday, Kate, I'm going to be headed there without every moment being committed.)

The Cumberland is at its highest since the 1975 flood, which I covered as a reporter, working 180 hours over two weeks. (I remember because of my largely futile efforts to claim at least some of that comp time.) I kept driving through water I shouldn't have been driving through. My car would stall out and I'd stand in the rain drying the distributor cap, then start the car and go on. I discovered that ballpoints won't write on sodden reporter's notebooks, but pencils will. That was very different flood, though, because it was the result of a number of days of rain, so people had a fair amount of warning to evacuate.

Fie on all the bad news!

Much ~ma to Kristin, Kate and others in distress.

Congrats on a little more weight MaxCat. Good ON ya.

So, the event I've been working on for three months? Canceled three days out. Why? Because the president of the org, who said over and over again how they were handling the marketing aspect of getting people in the seats didn't bother to send out an announcement to membership until today. Plus? The announcement had NONE of the details I gave her. I wouldn't sign up for an event if all I got was a list of doctor's names either.

The second in command called me to apologize and suggest that the president was 'falling on her sword' for dropping the ball, but maybe *I* wanted to be the one to call the speakers I had worked so hard to recruit and manage.

Um. No. YOU call them and I'll follow up with them when I'm not likely to leak the bitterness I feel right now.

If, at any point, someone had said that they WEREN'T going to do the marketing, things would have gone very differently. Much as I said I did not want to do it, I might have picked up the ball. But, despite what I'm sure were good intentions, NO ONE just fessed up...not in 3 months. Ergh.

I feel like a schmoe for getting involved at all. Ah well. It's almost over.