Sorry Folks. Educatingrita was in the trenches fighting the good fight, scaling the walls of justice at both work and Suffolk. Battling the bureaucratic machine takes a lot of you especially when your David approaching Goliath with your measily slinghot. Been spending a lot of free time doing battle with a local promiment university for the much-advertised but apparently seldom put into action "flexible schedule". Still dueling with HR. Taking the skirmish to another level of management. Oh, joy! It's the most wonderful time of the year! ER believes a certain person in HR will not just receive coal but perhaps an entire bargeload from Santa this year for the exemplary display of non-negotiation, unsympathetic and inflexible work environment beliefs.
A much respected professor in the Higher Ed program abruptly resigned during Fall semester. Some students (ER included) began a letter writing campaign in support for said Professor to remain and fired them off to management. The effort received much approval among the cohort but some naysayers popped up -- asking for sleeping dogs to be left alone. However, democracy can be a contact sport -- so when you chose to take a stand or make a point -- be prepared to, ahem, duck a few shoes...Everyone has the right to say their opinion. That's what makes this country great. Which reminds me of a quote by E. Norton - The only way to make sure people you agree with can speak is to support the rights of people you don't agree with.
Also been putting in every available ounce of energy towards maintaining a rocking marriage, raising two adorable twin boys (we're on solid foods people! Never mind the Pollock-like sweet potato splats on my dining room walls -- they're eating real vegetables and lovin' them! OK, green peas...not so much.) Also been pursuing academic greatness. Well...I should say: wracking up yet another incomplete! Rapture! Caught Dad's vicious cold when we went home for Thanksgiving -- thanks Dad! Spent the entire TG break being thankful for NyQuil but, man, did it implode my very tight paper writing schedule. I'm STILL hacking up a lung 2 weeks later. Mostly thankful, the twins didn't get it -- even when I passed it on to my husband. 'Tis the most wonderful time of the year!
ER had the nose to the proverbial grindstone most of November with research papers, power point presentations and group projects on a collision course with Thanksgiving, then sickness and, now, of course, The Most Wonderful Time of the Year festivities. The Graduate Office, sweet kind souls that they are, have been only mildly threatening, begging most politely for me to get out the keyboard out and start pounding something out. And so here we are.
So, look if you find yourself in a pickle at the end of any semester. Don't be afraid to contact the Dean of Student's office. Anne Coyne is awesome. She will walk you through any academic procedure you might need to utilize. Also, if you have more than one Incomplete on your docket, be wary of letters from Financial Aid, as insignifiant academic progress may impede your ability to obtain your student funding for the next semester. ER will be slaving during the break to erase two incompletes by the first week in January. Santa will be bringing a very large bottle of Migraine Excedrin next week. Not looking forward to spending my entire winter break finishing research papers, but what can you do? Take one look at my babies and repeat “so worth it, so worth it all…” Head's up -- incoming Sweet Potatoes!
Since I seem to be on a democratic rampage...how about this little electronic phenomenon -- Christmas gift registries for tots? My 10 month old niece, a 7 year old and 13 year old nephews all composed lists (one of which is 11 pages long...) Is this incredibly tacky or a technological time saver? Being born in the Mesozoic era, makes ER a little on the old-fashioned side. ER feels registries are best left to weddings and baby showers. Whatever happened to the good old Letter to Santa -- (having word magically spread via’s Santa’s parental helpers through the family...) On-line lists just smack of the gimmie-gimmies. Which in ER's mind is not the point of Christmas. Any opinions on this? Should I get with the times or hold onto Christmas beliefs about celebrating just being together with family, sharing a meal, and the giving gifts means something picked out especially for the recipient...not #5 off a list 11 pages long...
Yep, the season is upon me. 'Tis the most wonderful time of the year! Happy holidays to all!!! Best wishes for 2009. See you next year!
Comments