it’s actually slow and boring today

This is kind of weird. We’re all running out of stuff to do. New Guy and Drama Queen are archiving old files. Drama Queen is also working on putting together a manual for all the advisors who have no clue about what’s required of their advisees. Like the person from the Art department who has been here forever yet had no idea that transfer students have to complete 60 hours at a four-year institution. So one of her advisees thinks she’s graduating in the fall but will be short something like ten hours because she transferred in so much work from a community college. And the other Art advisor who has also been here forever and has been the chair of the department in the past, yet is always calling asking us to explain the requirements that are on their checksheets. The checksheets from the Art department. The checksheets that the Art department came up with themselves, so you’d think if anyone understood them, it would be the Art department. Since they came up with the checksheets. Obviously the Art department is the one most in need of a manual and an advising review.

The manual was Drama Queen’s idea, too – she wants to have informational meetings and force all the advisors to come. I fear they can’t be forced, but it IS a very good idea and I’m impressed at her initiative. Lately she’s been low on draaaaaama and has missed very little work. For her.

This won’t last and we’ll be swamped again soon, but it’s very nice for now.

There was lots of worry and frantic emails and phone calls between my SIL and me last week and early this week, full of distress about my non-eating mother and my tired father. SIL took Mama to the doctor on Tuesday, and she’s got a urinary tract infection and some sinus issues. Then they went out for lunch and she ate pancakes. She’s not dehydrated, and hasn’t lost any more weight. Daddy says he’s feeling a little less tired every day, so maybe the iron is helping finally. I know worrying about Mama is making him feel worse.

I’m planning to go visit on Saturday, although I’m just going for the day and not spending the night. I of course feel guilty about this, because I’m taking off Monday and Tuesday. I could go spend several nights. But I’m just getting over the last few weeks and all the time I spent down there. And when Daddy has the colon surgery, there is NO telling how much time I’ll have to spend down there again (I do realize I’m saying "down there" as if it’s hell itself). But I feel like I’m being very selfish. But I feel like I’ll lose my mind if I spend another night there anytime soon. Daddy’s appointment to set up surgery is August something – late August – and I’ll stay at least one night then. I think by then I’ll be fully recovered and won’t mind at all. But I feel like I’m being very selfish. But I’ll lose my mind if I spend the night there this weekend!!!!

AAAGGGHHHHH. It would be different if they really needed me there. They don’t. My brother, SIL, and three grown kids all live right beside them. Beside and around them. They’ll need me later. They don’t need me now. WHY DO I STILL FEEL GUILTY???

Well, guilty or not, I’m going for the day Saturday and I’m doing something fun on my days off.

Okay, if all I’m going to do is whine, I’ll post some pictures and get back to digging in old notebooks. We’ve got notebooks going back to the 70s, and I’m trying to make some sense out of them. It’s also kind of fun, historically speaking.

Our weather guy is having a contest for the calendar he puts out every year, so I’m trying to come up with photos to submit. This is the first time I’ve been able to do it – the little Powershot’s pictures aren’t quite large enough, even at the original size. I’ve got plenty of spring pictures and several okay winter ones (you can submit three for each season) but bizarrely nothing for summer. I just realized this yesterday – I assumed I’d have tons of good summer pictures. I have tons of spring, but nothing for summer. So yesterday after work I went driving, looking for old rundown summery barns with summery weeds and flowers. I had very little luck. I’m going today too – the deadline is tomorrow, so of course Procrastination Woman is just now getting her act together. You’d think there would be TONS of stuff around here, and there is, but it’s very hot and very hazy and the light is awful so nothing is coming out the way it needs to for a calendar. And of course my taste runs to the odd and unusual – not so much the pretty calendar stuff. Oh, well, it’s been fun hunting pictures. And I’ll be more prepared next year.

This is a really pretty spot, but everything’s kind of brown from lack of rain and it’s hazy from heat. The light’s not bad, but it’s not calendar colors.

This was really neat, but it was getting too dark and I don’t have the skills yet to get the exposure right. If it’s even possible that late.

I may send this one – I took it several days  ago, not even thinking about the contest. I like the light.

From last week. Too dark, but a nice spot.

Same spot. I do like this one but am not sure it’s calendar material.

I made a friend!

He kept following me around. Awwwww!