My cat is having fun playing with an unused tampon on the kitchen floor. I hope she didn't have that out when they were changing my alarms! My alarms are all changed. I still need a lightbulb in my stairways. I was hoping they would do that, because I can't really reach. I can have Aidan do that Sunday, though.

I also found out I can donate the canned goods I can't eat anymore, like beans and tomatoes, to a drive at work, so it won't be hard to get them somewhere. Tonight I am working on the kitchen cupboards.

I haven't had a chance to come by here and express how proud and inspired I am by all you have accomplished these past couple of weeks, Sophia. I'm in awe, and also so glad that the Buffistas have been a source of support for you.

I said on FB, but I'm so sad about Connie. Sad that it took us all so long to realize it happened. Sad and angry that it took so long for her to get an appointment with a pulmonologist.

msbelle, I'd totally be up for a group project thing, but probably not much else.

Right now (and maybe this belongs in a more detailed Delurking post, or a Goodbye Good Riddance post at this point) I'm dealing with trying to pass two kidney stones, having a final paper due in each of my two grad school classes, things being bananas at work, traveling to Florida and New York—all in the next three weeks. And maybe a kidney stone extraction procedure after that if I can't pass them naturally. Plus, my regular doctor is suddenly all concerned that my abdominal CT scan showed enlarged lymph nodes in my abdomen and wants to test me for a bunch of other viruses and diseases. Which...fine, but I'm maxed out, and would like to deal with one health problem at a time, please.

But I'm enjoying grad school! And I really did have a lot of good things to say about this past year. I'll get around to that soon, hopefully.

"one in, one out" attitude towards stuff

Does a Sandman come by if you violate this rule?

I am glad you are enjoying grad school! I may be joining the grad school train, because, as you can tell from the above post, I have hit my ceiling at work, and have been promoted far beyond "minute taker". I think one of the things that really cracked me in the end was also finding out I would totally be considered to replace my old boss as program director or be her assistant director, but they have a firm policy that no assistant director have less than a master's, preferably a doctorate. It would have been, frankly, the job I was doing the whole time— because the reason she is near breaking is that they wouldn't acknowledge that I was basically doing the work of an assistant director, so my replacement, a secretary, would not really cut it unless they were really good. But I was good because I had experience, and also a good mentor who trusted my decisions in her stead.

The Assistant Dean literally had to say to me that she had no question that I could do the job, but her hands were tied. She also can never be Dean of the School, which is her natural progression, because she has a DNP (Doctor of Nursing Practice) and an EdD, and not a PhD. Our current Dean has an EdD, and she found it too hard to have any power or say over the PhD or Research areas because they didn't take her doctorate seriously.

I am, seriously, one of the only people of my rank without a master's, but there are three of us hold outs, each about 20 years apart in age, but I actually have little interest in school focused as narrowly as grad school. We are also all weirdos! Like we all have specific outfits- The older guys ALWAYS wears a red shirt, black pants, and a black hat. I ALWAYS wear a dress, a scarf and tights. The young guy always wears a suit and a bow tie. The older guy started his masters and thought it was for the bird (they wanted him to get an MBA, and he is a computer programmer). He is closer to retirement than I am though.

My new boss basically is like "get this super easy online master's my wife got online and just do it- you will find some value in it and it is from University of Michigan"

Sophia, have you considered looking for a job somewhere else?

What you just described is a huge part of what drives me nuts in academia. I have a terminal degree in my field. Also, that degree is an MFA, not a PhD, which locks me out of all the upper rungs of the pay ladders at University jobs. My MFA gets classed the same as an MA, no matter that it is close to three times the level of coursework, and my 20+ years of professional experience counts for exactly nothing.

I have looked at other universities and health care system in the area, but there is really nothing comparable salary wise without the masters or so many years of management experience when all anyone is allowed to confirm is that I work here and my Job title, administrative assistant. That job title here t other places pays about 26,000 less than I make now

I could transfer departments, but frankly this I actually the most healthy one I know and we are the regions biggest employer!

Sophia, everybod in Grad school is a weirdo, I promise.

about the gift exchange... I WANT to want to participate, but I have had a really hard time doing it the last couple of years. I can't seem to find anything in town that excites me. I really hate Cedar Rapids. all the good shopping is 35 miles of cornfields away and my car is 20 years old this year.

I do miss when we were a tighter community and had the same things to come together over. Not that I don't love everyone and cheer your victories and empathize with your sadnesses. But, we don't all seem to be on any common track anymore. That's what made the gift exchange so much fun for me. Cyber stalking through the threads to catch the details of who was into what.

and Facebook is exhausting, but that's where my family is, and the friends who aren't Buffistas. I still love our refuge here and would live near any of you or stand at the ramparts to the end with anyone for any reason!

But, I think a group donation or 2 or 3 choices for donation would be a great idea!

Man, having a keyboard to type on is really a game changer!

Yeah, ND. It sucks for the associate Dean because she has a terminal degree, too. I do not and I do sort of get it, but my area is continuing education, which is basically training. I've been doing it for 20 years, but my title has been secretary or administrative assistant. I have also been teaching costumes for 20 years.

My best case scenario is either continuing with this job or a plan to perhaps get an associate director of enrollment for enrollment management for continuing education, which is more administrative and possibly could use my years of experience with the population instead of a Masters. But I would have to swipe a timeclock.

Is it potentially worth it to get the masters just as a credential?