Archive for February, 2003

Ok…I could have written about being a bit sad today. Yesterday’s events only got worse. Thanks to those of you who responded. I am keeping a journal of events and trying to take care of myself. One issue is that all salaried employees are on year-to-year contracts and mine is up June 30 so they can, in effect, do whatever they want after that. We’ll see by April when the new contracts come out.

Ok…Ents (I have A Guide to Middle Earth calendar on my desk). I’m a geek girl. I’ve read the Tolkein books (yes, even Silmarillion) several times throughout my life and I have to say that my favorite characters have always been the Ents.

I love plants with a passion (as I’ve stated in previous blogs). There is something about a tree-herder that looks like a tree and has a “tree language.” I’m fascinated by that. I mean, really, I talk to my plants and, in their own way, they talk back (they stay alive…heh!).

My calendar says “Ents were tree-herders, perhaps the oldest speaking race in Middle-earth. Created sometime early in the morning of the world, the nature of the Ents was closely connected with that of the trees they protected and guarded.” How cool is that? What kind of a mind would come up with an early environmental protector and guardian of trees?

I think that Jackson did a phenomenal job of portraying them in The Two Towers. I was moved by the power of the Ents. I loved how there was a willow and an oak and so many other representatives of our flora brethren.

Yep…I’m completely geeky. I’m getting it now. But I’m also making myself laugh…which is desperately needed.

What I wouldn’t give to go live among the Ents right now.

I have to admit that the places I’m finding these “found” words is pretty interesting. Sometimes it will pop up at me from an e-mail, sometimes it is on tv (like the news or something). Today’s word came from a song that was on the radio a few minutes ago but it’s so appropriate for me today.

I think it’s interesting to note that when people do not do their job, they tend to try to find someone else to blame for it right away.

I get to work at least an hour before some of our staff and two hours before the majority of our staff. I’m be-bopping along, working on things, trying to get things done before my office is bombarded with issues. At 7 a.m., one of my co-workers comes in and tells me of the issues that arose on Friday (I work 4 10s so I can have Fridays off). I’m told that an entire campus says that they did not get their spring contracts. This person knows that I send out all of the campuses contracts on the same day and since she received hers, this other campus should have received theirs. In fact, I’ve spoken with at least one member of this other campus and KNOW, without a doubt, that they received their contracts. However, because another person from this remote campus didn’t do her job, 4 department heads think that I didn’t do my job. She called 4 people to tell them that they weren’t received.

Ok…this is all convoluted, I know. It’s because there are a million things goin on in my head right now and I’m getting them out by writing this.

I’m aggravated. My job is in question with budget cuts as it is. I don’t need someone calling people and telling them that I’m not doing my job, too. That doesn’t help my cause.

Oh…and now…people are mad because I have Fridays off. All of a sudden I have to work Fridays. This after having a flexible schedule since I came here. Now all of a sudden I don’t.

I feel like screaming and crying all at once.