You could market that superpower, Sue. Though, Hytner sounds like a talented and skillful leader. You could focus just on asshats.

We are looking at 89 degrees today, and there was a message this morning that there won't be any air conditioning until the end of April.

I am a delicate flower! I will be a puddle of goo!

Job ~ma for all.

For the hivemind, see if you can think of something we have not: My Big Boss is retiring in June after 30+ years here. He is one of 6 faculty members who are retiring, and there will be a dinner to honor them later this year, so the school will not contribute any $$ to a party beyond that. However, much of the staff in the library will not feel very comfortable going to that dinner with the faculty (and they may ask people to pay for the privilege) so we will definitely have a staff party for him in June. He is much beloved on the faculty, and a few faculty members have approached us to say that they would like to be invited to our more intimate gathering. These professors are great supporters of the library's mission.

However, my hackles are up because I can't see asking members of the staff here, who make considerably less money than faculty members, hosting them at a party.

If we only invite certain faculty members, that's sure to insult (unless we can follow the preschool rule of invite everyone, or demonstrably less than half).

If my household had two paychecks, I'd just pay for a significant amount of catering myself, but DH's contract is over.

I see only two real options: Tell the faculty to put up ($$) or shut up.

If everyone else who's invited to the party is paying for the party, definitely ask the faculty members to contribute.

I will get the word out to respond to any faculty requests for a party/dinner with the information that there is no budget for any such event.

If it is politically feasible to do so, I would find out if people will be expected to pay for the school sponsored dinner. If not, the staff should really just attend that.

If a party in June is going to happen regardless, I would keep it small and informal. If there is no budget for it, I would NOT pay for anything as staff and would absolutely let the faculty members know that funds will be needed.

stupid politics.

I know more than one retiring univ. staff who paid for their own party in order to have what they wanted.

There's a lot at play here - Big Boss stood up and fought for our jobs so the staff really would like to have our party. At the same time, he's leaving, and we can't afford to offend the people who might speak up in the future.

Bah. The person who will plan the school sponsored dinner will not start that process for a while, and since we don't know how many students will matriculate, we won't have a good handle on these budget extras for a number of months.

That is just bananas. If things are that tight and unknown, there should be a dessert and coffee thank you reception where people can say their thanks.

msbelle, stop that. You're kicking the foundations of the ivory tower.

Seriously, there are some really good people here, and all law schools are facing changes, and all law schools are really bad at change.

Fish Head Pie

Fish heads, fish heads, roly-poly fish heads....

Stargazey pie sounds rather quaint, but this Cornish dish of pilchards baked under a pastry crust won't appeal to everyone - it traditionally has fish heads poking through the crust, so they appear to be gazing up at the sky. Legend has it that the dish originates from the village of Mousehole, where a plucky fisherman called Tom Bawcock once saved his fellow villagers from starvation by braving the stormy seas to catch a record haul. The fish were baked poking out of the pies, to prove to everyone that there was fish inside.

Oh, yeah, stargazey. One of my friends at Faire made a freshwater eel version a few years ago. It is even more disturbing and distressing in person, especially on a picnic table surrounded by bowls of food that are recognizably food and not the stuff of nightmares.

yeah, I've worked in an Ivory Tower. Our little department was in the middle of several different political shenanigans and we had no authority to make people work with us, or any budget to do the things we were charged with. That was the job that had me so directionless, I live-streamed Big Brother Season 2 - 8 hours a day in the background of my work computer. Good Times. or not.

I know I am being premature about my interview tomorrow for an internal job, but I think it is my job to lose. I am way ahead of the horse on this, but I am already starting to miss my few good friends I have made at work here.