Small Talk

It rained all of the last two days, snowed a little this morning, and now it's just gorgeous wet and cold. We were just below the real snow level; up higher, like Tahoe, they must have gotten a couple feet or more. In October. Intense.

I sent out an email to my whole department sticking up for myself and my point of view; I felt like the argument was viewed as, 'how can troy keep this killer schedule he has at the expense of others' instead of, 'the only way to treat online comp. classes fairly is to let the full-timers teach them if they want!' Fact is, there are as many challenges as plusses to my killer schedule. Like today, I'm home alone much of the day, working solus.

Remember Jerry McGuire and his manifesto-memo? I feel like that. I'm afraid to look into my email inbox at work. And I realize just how much skill it takes to manage a political issue on a campus. I know others who are much better than I; my greatest attributes are stubborness and tenacity; I have the courage to disagree openly with people, but I don't like it when they're in my department as opposed to some other division on campus. In a few weeks I'll know more. And I am not nearly as distraught, panicked, as I was when this thing began. I have options, including commuting four days a week for a few semesters if worse came to worse. But then, if that happens, I'll probably move campuses. And even if the battle isn't won this semester, it could be re-examined every semester after, or every year. As more of us go online, hopefully the situations will improve, but not necessarily.

Today Mikey finds out if he made the basketball team, or it's first cuts at least. He isn't tall, but he's a good player and played last year. Fingers crossed for the little guy (who is slowly becoming less little). He still has his sweet heart. I'm hoping the pending testosterone flood doesn't change that part of him.

I've been catching up on my online classes all morning. It's cold in the study; time to read maybe. S and I had cheerios with little banana slices for breakfast; it was pretty good.

Be well all.

t



Comments

KMJ said…
Cheerios and banana slices. The ultimate in breakfast comfort food (that is still pretty good for you). Sounds like a decent day...all political things considered. :)
9:23 PM
KMJ said…
Yep. Speaking of breakfast, I brought a yogurt to work yesterday intending to eat it mid-morning. Completely forgot about it until after 5pm. The packaging was warm and very strangely bulging. Yuck! A "bounty of botulism" I presume. So, no yogurt for me. (How's that for silly, small talk!) hehe
5:43 AM
FunKiller said…
Troy, I'm going through some minor political stuff at work myself. The BS of being dept. chair is starting to rear its ugly head. I can appreciate your situation. I will continue to pray for a good outcome for you at work. Keep us posted. Peace.
6:23 AM
Tenax said…
A,K, M,

thanks guys! I appreciate the posts. Amanda, you are absolutely right (you said the best thing you could have said): this issue will get revisited many times (until we win!); and I can play Mr. Highway 50 if I have to for a while. It may have been rash of me to push it in an email vote, but I was so mad! And I felt the situation was more desperate than it is. Truth is, if I win this early in the battle, I'll be shocked. Also, I forgot your father lives in p-ville. I drive through there every day; my church is there, all that. If they ever need anything, let me know.

S is the one that turned me on to cheerios and banana slices.

I can't believe, Mike, you are the chair of history at my alma mater, though I knew it before. One of these days when I'm down I'd like to go back and look at the campus. I haven't been there in almost 20 years (since my brother's graduation.) And I felt, well, like most kids in high school feel. It would be nice to go back as an adult.

Thanks again guys.

t
8:57 AM
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