w00t!

Instant Messages as Business Records? DONE. Don't ask me if it's any good - by yesterday I was so over the whole thing I barely proofed it. So, I'm guessing it's terrible.

My low enrollment summer class wasn't cancelled, so I don't have to go scrounging for something else to take. Maybe I should heed the low number of students?

Nah. What the hell...it can't be any worse than Records Management. And it's only 10 weeks.

Besides - I'm taking it with a Second Life class. The first one in the US to be offered in a MLS program. Yeah, we're down with Web 2.0.

Now I just need to make it through the next five hours so I can drink.

Work Work Work.

I've spent all morning working on one thing or another. And wasting a half hour in a staff meeting - yeah, we have four employees. Including the owner. I don't care what anyone else is doing, really. I know what's going on already and I have no need to be aware that the chart of accounts that was supposed to be in place a year ago isn't done yet. I felt more like punching someone in the mouth because I was in the middle of formatting my f'ing records management paper and no amount of coffee was helping my mood or the fact I've been up since 4am composing discussion threads in my head.

And thinking about applying for a library job in Las Vegas. I don't know what to do about that, and it's sitting heavily. Really, it's a moot point because I'm sure plenty of local candidates are available and they would be hired long before me.

But still. A full-time decent paying library job where you don't need a Masters.

Sigh.

What Keeps Me Up At Night.

The Texas blind salamander.

*Shiver*

Are You Listening to Him Yet?

I love me some Andrew Bird...especially the nonsensical lyrics.

Longest. Week. Ever.

I'd like to see how many times I've used that as a title.

Anyway, it's halfway through Wednesday, so I guess I'm on the downward side of the week. That's something, I suppose. Also something? Nine crappy pages of paper written...but considering I got an A on my site visit paper that I whipped off in about two hours I'm not too worried about this one.

Except for the formatting part. APA is the bane of my existence. I have no idea why a library school uses that instead of MLA, but who am I to question. Even some of the instructors think it's nuts.

At least I can look forward to Palm Springs at the end of the week. If I make it.

I'd Also Like to Mention...

that I dislike Records Management so much I missed the fact that we had a discussion post due yesterday.

Whoops.

Better late than never, eh?

*Sigh* - only five weeks left.

I just need a C.

Just a Tip.

If you're ever in Morocco and feel the urge to call and tell me all about it?

Don't.

Because I'll just send hate lines through the phone while you tell me about how amazing everything is because I'm probably making macaroni and cheese in my kitchen while you're eating shark carpaccio and drinking Moroccan syrah.

At least it was macaroni and cheese from scratch, I guess.

Also: the bar in Marrakech was playing the Best of Bob Seger CD all the way through.

Slow and Steady...

...makes me crazy. I'm writing what could possibly be the most boring paper ever. And it has to be at least 10 pages. Today I have three single-spaced pages, give or take a few extra spaces. My problem lies in the lack of interest in the subject matter - records management is not the most exciting of topics, and trying to come up with 10 pages of content about instant messaging records is proving a real challenge.

I'm boring myself writing about it right now.

It's Friday and I've come to the end of my motivation to work. I'm walking out of this office early today, because really? There will be nothing to do after 2:00 since our colleagues in the Middle East will be asleep and then on the way to Morocco.

(Insert hate lines from my head here)

I don't think I ever had an interest in Morocco until I started working here. All those architecture books, however, had an impact and now I want to go in the worst way. But hey! Hello grad school! Thanks for crapping up all of my plans to do anything until next year.

Not that I even have enough motivation to get my passport.

Time.

I've spent a fair amount of my week trying to remember what time zone people are in when they're travelling. In the past week I've had to remember what time zone Houston is in (CT, if you're curious), and now I spend every morning at WorldTimeServer to figure out what time it is in any one of three Middle Eastern countries. So, in case you ever need to know? The United Arab Emirates is 11 hours ahead of Pacific Daylight Time, while Saudi Arabia and Bahrain are 10 hours ahead.

All this means is that we're conducting business exactly opposite of each other, so I get a phone call about this time every day just before everyone goes to bed. And then I might get a call in the evening when they're getting ready for their workday. It's a very disconnected way to do business, really. I can't imagine what it was like before email and cell phones.

I've also learned that you can't find a good martini in Dubai. I'm waiting to see if one can be found in Bahrain, since Saudi Arabia is dry. But if you're ever in Beirut or Amman I can recommend a good bar if a martini is your thing.

I don't drink them, personally.

Medicine Head

I've avoided medicine all weekend, thinking hey! Let's see if I can kick this using my ability to lie down on the couch. A lot. Except I didn't lie down that much and when I did I couldn't sleep.

Obviously, I went nowhere for Easter. By 9:00 Friday night I was a weeping heap on the couch and my loving husband said 'you are not going anywhere'.

Then my family disowned me and now I'm an orphan.

Not really - actually, everyone was very understanding and I've promised to make an attempt to get back to NY next month. I'm overdue for my annual visit anyway, and maybe the snow will be gone by then. Of course, that means I may have to go the Hamptons as well, which is the LAST PLACE IN AMERICA I care about going. There and Albuquerque. I am not Hamptons material. At all.

Oh yeah - medicine! So I took some this morning and now I'm all goofy and I need to lie down again. Except this time I probably could go to sleep and I'm stuck here in the office. And this office is too big when no one is here. I feel like I'm operating a front for some illegal scheme...an illegal DESIGN SCHEME!

Wait...what?

Also: the jackhammer outside doesn't help.

Unwell.

For the second time in a week, I have a cold. The duct that I live under at work blows cold air down the back of my neck all afternoon. Yep. We've figured out how to shut it off now, but there's still a draft in my spot.

And I'm tired of being sick. So tired. I hate it when I can't talk and my chest hurts and I sneeze and cough and my eyes hurt and I just want to die.

And I'm supposed to be on a plane for Northern California at 7am tomorrow. If I had to decide right now I wouldn't go.

From the Ether

So I don't know where those last commenters came from, but for the record, I'm not looking for a sugar daddy or another husband, thanks anyway.

It's another week of uniform titles and records management technology. To say I'm not thrilled about it is an understatement. But I also have no energy to complain either. I just plow through it and remember that in about eight weeks it'll all be over and I'll be closer to being finished once and for all.

In other news, the race to get Saudi visas is on! And with no word from the expeditor, I'm hoping that everyone is sailing through the consulate. Just a note - don't go to Saudi Arabia. It's as bad as getting into Russia. So don't go there either.

Also: I'm spending the weekend in northern California. With my dad. If I had a therapist we might discuss that. Instead? I'll just come home and drink on Sunday night.

Booze is the best therapy.