as doomed as doomed can be

I must say. And I’d quote some more Ed Grimley but my brain has quit working. I’ve got to take a little break here. Otherwise I’m just going to start screaming. We’ve started the placements for fall student teachers, although (A) I don’t know how it’s possibly already time for that and (B) this is supposedly not my job anymore so there shouldn’t be any "we" about it. New Person J IS doing the bulk of the work. While Insane Boss has micromanaged her to the point that she is, seriously, ready to quit. I really don’t know why she hasn’t walked out long ago. In fact, she was late this morning and we were just sure that was it – that she was gone. In reality she had a dentist appointment and had told me but I hadn’t looked at my Daytimer yet. But she is about to lose her mind and doesn’t need this job bad enough to put up with what she is putting up with. I think she’s only stayed this long because she’s so honorable and doesn’t want to just quit on us. On me and K, since we’re the ones that are going to be doomed. As doomed can be. 

Anyhow. So, the students had a big meeting Thursday afternoon. And signed up for interviews after the meeting and on Friday. There has been a steady stream of students in here all day long who don’t know who they signed up with, what time they signed up for, what day they signed up for, or where they’re supposed to go for the interviews. Despite having signs all around the sign-up sheets and signs in their packets reminding them to PLEASE write all this DOWN. And not on your hand and then go wash your hand and wash it off. Which is an excuse I’ve heard more than once. Nobody pays a bit of attention because why write something down when you can just call or come by and ask someone? And make THEM stop what they’re doing for the umpteen zillionth time to look it up for you. Or they didn’t sign up at all, which would make me inclined to say tough luck, have fun at McDonald’s next semester- but no, that would mean we weren’t willing to do everything including breathe for the poor little things!

This does happen every single semester, too. No matter what we do, how many signs we post, or how many times they are reminded in the meeting. So, it’s nothing new. What is new is that Insane Boss is having J call everyone who couldn’t do an interview in the two days provided (in the past we gave them the interviewer’s number to work it out) and she’s having her let them reschedule their interviews NOW if they don’t like what they ended up with or just decided it’s not convenient – both interviewers and students – and she’s having her email everyone with their schedules and New Person J has one foot out the door at this point.

Oh, and the phones. The phones!!! We now have voicemail, which is a fairly new development, believe it or not. We got new phones – cordless ones – and they included a voicemail option. FINALLY. So New Person J has been so overleaded today that she’s just letting her voicemail pick up. Which is fine, and I’d do the same thing if mine was ringing like hers has been. But people keep calling and not leaving a message. And calling right back. And not leaving a message. And calling back AGAIN. And not leaving a message.  I am just assuming it’s the same person but it seems a little coincidental. And Insane Boss’s phone rings over to New Person J, and Insane Boss keeps not answering HER phone, even though she’s sitting right there. So her her phone rings four times and then it flips to J and it rings four more times and J doens’t pick up because she’s trying to do some of this insane amount of work that she has and whoever it is doesn’t leave a message and five seconds later – long enough to hit redial – it ALL STARTS AGAIN!!! Aaaaaaggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhh!!! 

Of course, I could pick up the phones myself, but that’s setting a very bad precedent. I’m not the receptionist and I have MORE than enough work of my own that I’m trying to get done. And not succeeding since there is so much madness around me. I put a message on J’s voicemail the other day noting that if they needed me, I have a new number (she has my old number) so if they are really trying to get me, they can call my new number. J never did set a personal message – nor did K – so it’s just some random robot voice saying "We’re not home!" which isn’t very professional EITHER.

Oh, well. I feel like I am not making a bit of sense. On the happy side, I think my antibiotics are finally kicking in. I still don’t have full breathing capability, but I’m much better. I walked four miles at lunch. Outside!! Also exciting – it was just under 50. Which I usually consider quite chilly, but after all these days when it hasn’t been out of the 20s it felt pretty balmy. Of course, it’s supposed to be icy in the morning and in the 20s for the rest of the week. Where IS global warming?? It can hit us anytime it wants.

Well, for want of anything interesting to say, how about some pictures. From right after Christmas. Since it’s colder now than it was right after Christmas I think Christmasy-winter stuff is still timely:

Awfully happy snowman. Probably because IT’S FREEZING.

Apprehensive Nutcracker in a store window, about to be smacked by the king of something.

Kind of creepy … fairy? Elf?? Who looked like he was beating against the window. Wanting out.

The Oz Shop puts this in their window every year, and I find it kind of… disturbing, somehow. It must be from a book, or perhaps a fairy tale – but what’s this baby doing out driving a sled around by itself in the snow??

A very strange window display. Especially the lower right corner…

It made a kind of fun reflection, though –

As did this one.

Merry Christmas!