sad news/good news

The sad news is very sad. My coworker L (previously known as Draaaaama Queen) lost her mother on Monday. She had been improving over the weekend, but then her kidneys shut down. She was only 53. L is actually at work today, I think because she needed to get away from her family. She’s kind of the family rebel. She’s a single mother with a bi-racial child, and this is the south. Her father and her aunt have both pretty much told her not to dress like a hoochymama at her mother’s funeral, in just about those words. I think I’d rather be here too. Meanwhile, she has not been able to get in touch with her brother, who doesn’t know that their mother has died. The brother is in Washington (state) and is completely enstranged from their parents. He does know how sick their mother was, so she’s both furious with him for vanishing and worried about him too. Apparently vanishing is something he does pretty often, and possibly he thinks by not having to hear terrible news that it won’t be true.

Anyhow. Poor L. I feel terrible for her.

The good news is that we’ve already hired someone for our open position here – for my old job, pre-Queendom, and he gives every impression of being perfect. He’s calm, very friendly without being overly so, extremely organized and very attentive to detail. He’s worked at the bookstore for eight years, and although he does not deal with the Computer System From Hell, he actually took some of the classes on his own. Which thoroughly impressed us all. He shows initiative! He’s also the Dean’s assistant’s uncle, although he’s only three years older than she is, and while she of course had to show no favoritism, after we’d picked him she said he’ll be wonderful. Even better, his current boss had nothing but praise for him, glowing praise and sorrow at losing him. They have changed management there, and it’s been horrible, which is why he’s leaving. Not that he said that – he was very professional and diplomatic about his reasons for wanting to leave. The Ass’t Dean knows from her sources what’s going on over there. We interviewed Monday and the dean offered him the job Tuesday morning.

I’m very glad he  was so impressive, because nobody else was. We ended up with three to interview, and the other two weren’t that great. Both were very nice, but neither one would look you in the eye. It was weird. One was very young – just graduated a year ago – and is going to graduate from a Higher Ed master’s program next spring, so no way would she stay in this job. The other was quite a bit older and hadn’t really had any experience that would mesh with this. The stuff she does with Computer System from Hell was just data entry, not research like we do. And although it’s teachable, she didn’t seem too tech-savvy. Not like Mr. Perfect.

And here’s a little interview tip for you kids – when you’re in an interview situation, look people in the eye. Seriously. If you are answering questions, don’t answer the floor. Neither of these two would make eye contact, and it was a big red flag. We all agreed that the first angry student, angry parent, or obnoxious faculty member would eat them alive.

Anyhow. I’m SO pleased. He’s starting two weeks from yesterday, and I’ll FINALLY get to take some days off before the summer is completely gone. I’ve got ten million gazillion vacation days and it’s our slow time of the year, but with L out so much and being short the third person, I’m stuck here. I want to take some long weekends. I want to go to Charleston. I want some vacation!!!!

Oh, possibly the best news about the New Guy – he’s insanely reliable. He has missed one day in eight years. And is ALWAYS on time, if not early. What a contrast to L – who has been really trying, I’ll give her that, and until her mother went back into the hospital she’d been on time herself pretty consistently. But I wonder how long she’ll keep it up. It will be a huge relief to have somebody I can count on.

Well, it’s nearly time for lunch. Speaking of unreliable, Aggravation Receptionist goes to lunch at 1 and I go at 2. Twice this past week, when I was the only person here, she has called at like ten after 2 going, "Oooh, I got delaaaaaaayed, I’ll be there as soon as I can!!!" Which means she gets here at 2:20 or so and I don’t get out the door till 2:25 and it’s like by then it feels kind of pointless to even GO to lunch. I do, of course, but it’s really, well, AGGRAVATING. So lets see if she does that today (L has already gone, so I’m alone again). If she does, I’m telling the Ass’t Dean that she’s done this to me three times in a week and I’m tired of it and it’s very rude and thoughtless. Actually next time she does it I’m telling her that no, I can’t wait till she gets back to go myself, and I’ll have to see if the Ass’t Dean or the dean’s secretary can sit in until she gets back. I guess what I need to do is say WOULD YOU STOP BEING LATE, YOU THOUGHTLESS BITCH??!!!??

 Well, how about some fun swirly light deck pictures from the other night to kill the last couple of minutes here?

It’s GhostWorld!