Showing posts with label work. Show all posts
Showing posts with label work. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Technical Difficulties
Epic fail on the tech front today, but only a handful of people showed up to witness it anyway.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Be Careful what you Ask for
The temperature in my office soared to a crazy 80.6 degrees after hovering around 61 degrees for weeks. This, after it was fixed, and fixed a bit too well, if you ask me. Still, I'd rather work in the 80s than the 60s. I couldn't really type with cold hands, but in this heat, I am all limber, but craving a piña colada and wondering where my sandals are.
After leaving my office door open, and permitting some of the heat to flow out, it drops a bit, but it is still a bit too hot. I'd hate to complain, and be thrust back into the ice age.
On the downside, the high temperatures force me to remember to put my lunch in the fridge, something I normally forgot to do, but with such cool temperatures, it mattered not.
Oh, and I think (as I crack a yawn) that the warm temps are causing me to tire more quickly that when it was cold. I need to create space under my desk to sleep, like George Costanza. That would be sweet.
The temperature in my office soared to a crazy 80.6 degrees after hovering around 61 degrees for weeks. This, after it was fixed, and fixed a bit too well, if you ask me. Still, I'd rather work in the 80s than the 60s. I couldn't really type with cold hands, but in this heat, I am all limber, but craving a piña colada and wondering where my sandals are.
After leaving my office door open, and permitting some of the heat to flow out, it drops a bit, but it is still a bit too hot. I'd hate to complain, and be thrust back into the ice age.
On the downside, the high temperatures force me to remember to put my lunch in the fridge, something I normally forgot to do, but with such cool temperatures, it mattered not.
Oh, and I think (as I crack a yawn) that the warm temps are causing me to tire more quickly that when it was cold. I need to create space under my desk to sleep, like George Costanza. That would be sweet.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Heat!
Finally, I have heat! My office has been cold, very cold, as cold as 60 degrees, necessitating the wearing of a fleece. It was so cold, I had difficulty typing. I hated coming back to my office, preferring to stay wherever was warmer, like my bed. But, finally, after some visits from the folks who are supposed to fix things, it is fixed.
The dude climbed into the ceiling and noted that the vent to my office was closed. He opened it and I can actually feel the heat coming in. It is so nice. Of course, if it gets too warm (unlikely in this brutal building), I might need a nap. Wait, I need a nap anyway, owing to the difficulty I had in sleeping last night.
I am generally a good sleeper, taking no longer than a few minutes to fall asleep. But, last night, the hours ticked away and nothing. I hate it when that happens. So, I am yawning. In fact, I am yawning while I type this, but at least I am warmer. No more long underwear in my office!
Finally, I have heat! My office has been cold, very cold, as cold as 60 degrees, necessitating the wearing of a fleece. It was so cold, I had difficulty typing. I hated coming back to my office, preferring to stay wherever was warmer, like my bed. But, finally, after some visits from the folks who are supposed to fix things, it is fixed.
The dude climbed into the ceiling and noted that the vent to my office was closed. He opened it and I can actually feel the heat coming in. It is so nice. Of course, if it gets too warm (unlikely in this brutal building), I might need a nap. Wait, I need a nap anyway, owing to the difficulty I had in sleeping last night.
I am generally a good sleeper, taking no longer than a few minutes to fall asleep. But, last night, the hours ticked away and nothing. I hate it when that happens. So, I am yawning. In fact, I am yawning while I type this, but at least I am warmer. No more long underwear in my office!
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Talk Talk Talk
And there are more!
A librarian I know once said that she became a librarian because she didn't like public speaking or computers. She now realizes how ridiculous this sounds. Most academic librarians spend all day in front of a computer (currently, that's my new iMac) and some of us spend a lot of hours in classes handing out wisdom. Today, I did my annual talk to 150 1st year students in a certain professional department. I think this was my fourth session so far this term. Last week, I spoke to 110 science students. I have more sessions coming up, including a three hour research methods class for some masters students. Who would want to listen to me speak for three hours? I don't even think Barrack Obama could hold their attention for that long.
Well, that's all I have to say about that. I guess I have to get back to work and continue being a bad blogger.
Oh, have you seen those Hitler videos on youtube? The video is taken from a feature film. (The original clip is somewhere on youtube) but people keep adding their own subtitles. Some are hilarious, like:
And there are more!
Monday, August 31, 2009
Back to Work and Getting Re-adjusted
Well, that was a long break from life. I took a lot of time off in August and did lots of stuff, and neglected other things, like a leaking eve on my house. C'est la vie, non? I decided that during my time away that I was not going to come back to my high-paid job. Who needs the aggravation? Who needs the money? The trouble with coming back is all of the crap that piles up. I have lots of it. I will be digging out, going to meetings, teaching some classes. This is why I want to be independently wealthy. Well, that's one of the reasons. I just want to be rich, "%$#&ing fifthly %$#&ing stinking rich." Yeah, that is from a song. I bet you don't know which one.
I read a number of books last month. I may even tell you what they are. I just finished Cormac McCarthy's The Road only to discover that a film version will be released in October. That was good timing. I quite like seeing movies after having just read the book, but I don't generally read books if I have seen the film with a recent notable exception that I will relate tomorrow or later, if I can find the time.
And now, I must do some work...
Monday, July 06, 2009
Moving Offices, again
As I pack up my office for yet another move to a temporary office (my 7th office) and, ultimately to my brand new office (my 8th office), I am left to ponder movies. You have seen the segments where disgraced employees are escorted out of the building. Or, in other cases, people who have quit walk out of the office. Inevitably, they carry one file box with a few items including: a picture frame, a coffee mug, maybe a pennant for their favourite baseball team. That's it. It's always the same. I'd need a small van. Seriously.
In three years, I will again move to a new office. It's a fact, kids.
As I pack up my office for yet another move to a temporary office (my 7th office) and, ultimately to my brand new office (my 8th office), I am left to ponder movies. You have seen the segments where disgraced employees are escorted out of the building. Or, in other cases, people who have quit walk out of the office. Inevitably, they carry one file box with a few items including: a picture frame, a coffee mug, maybe a pennant for their favourite baseball team. That's it. It's always the same. I'd need a small van. Seriously.
In three years, I will again move to a new office. It's a fact, kids.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Temporary Office
It's always a bit weird using someone else's office. You never know what you might find or what you might see. In this temporary office, I have to contend with the pretty pictures on the wall, the odd things tacked to the bulletin board (like one newspaper item on proper business attire), family photos, a series of post-it notes with indecipherable notes, and the general orderliness of the place. I can help but contrast it with mine. My office is in a state of general disorderliness.
But, it's the ergonomics that really gets me. First, the computer monitor is so far forward on the desk, it looks as if it's about to tip over the edge. How could anyone work with their nose pressed against a computer screen? It makes no sense, and I am certain it would have given me a serious headache to use it like that. Of course, I still remember the days when people placed their monitors on top of telephone books, in an effort to make them as high as possible and strain their necks. That made no sense either.
The first thing that I wondered about, however, was how the hell anyone could sit in her chair? It's the same chair as mine, but it has been organized to make it produce only discomfort and pain. (I should point out that there is an even more uncomfortable chair at our reference desk. We have a staff member who transforms this chair into a device of torture every night. Sitting in this chair has given me insights into the practice of medieval torture.
Don't believe me? Imagine sitting in a chair that causes your feet to lift from the ground and your buttocks to feel as though they have been placed into a vice and pulled down towards the floor. It's probably what sitting in a nutcracker would be like. Both chairs suck.
P.S. Just as I was writing this, someone came in to tell me that I can return to my messy office. Hooray! Back to my comfy chair and sane environment. Oh, happy days.
It's always a bit weird using someone else's office. You never know what you might find or what you might see. In this temporary office, I have to contend with the pretty pictures on the wall, the odd things tacked to the bulletin board (like one newspaper item on proper business attire), family photos, a series of post-it notes with indecipherable notes, and the general orderliness of the place. I can help but contrast it with mine. My office is in a state of general disorderliness.
But, it's the ergonomics that really gets me. First, the computer monitor is so far forward on the desk, it looks as if it's about to tip over the edge. How could anyone work with their nose pressed against a computer screen? It makes no sense, and I am certain it would have given me a serious headache to use it like that. Of course, I still remember the days when people placed their monitors on top of telephone books, in an effort to make them as high as possible and strain their necks. That made no sense either.
The first thing that I wondered about, however, was how the hell anyone could sit in her chair? It's the same chair as mine, but it has been organized to make it produce only discomfort and pain. (I should point out that there is an even more uncomfortable chair at our reference desk. We have a staff member who transforms this chair into a device of torture every night. Sitting in this chair has given me insights into the practice of medieval torture.
Don't believe me? Imagine sitting in a chair that causes your feet to lift from the ground and your buttocks to feel as though they have been placed into a vice and pulled down towards the floor. It's probably what sitting in a nutcracker would be like. Both chairs suck.
P.S. Just as I was writing this, someone came in to tell me that I can return to my messy office. Hooray! Back to my comfy chair and sane environment. Oh, happy days.
Monday, June 22, 2009
A Series of Unfortunate Events
Wednesday morning - my modem/router seems to be dead. I unplug it for the day and hope for the best when I get back that evening.
Wednesday evening - my modem/router is dead. I call Sympatico and get put through a series of maneuvers that I already attempted with no luck, but I play along anyway. The verdict: they are sending me a new modem/router. I should expect it to arrive "in a few days."
Thursday morning - No hot water! I go downstairs and note that the basement tenant is doing laundry. Can he have used all of the hot water? It could be so...
later Thursday morning - I accidentally smash a plate on the floor. I get the broom. I cycle to work without a shower.
Thursday evening - Still no hot water. I think I can hear the dryer still running in the basement. I call the tenant but his phone is out of service. I knock on his door and get no answer. I enter, fearing that something must be wrong. The floor is flooded with water, most of it heading towards a floor drain. I switch off the dryer, which clearly has been running all day.
still Thursday evening - I call the gas company and get a four-hour service window for the next day. I shut the water off to prevent any more damage.
Friday morning - I call work to say that I am not coming in because of my plumbing issues and add that I cannot work from home owing to a lack of internet connectivity. I volunteer to take a vacation day, leaving me with only 8 more weeks this year. Somehow, I have amassed a large amount of vacation :-)
Friday noonish - Gas person shows up within the last 20 minutes of his four-hour service window. My heater is dead, something I already knew. A replacement tank will arrive in two hours.
Friday afternoon - Hot water tank shows up 3.5 hours later. It's installed in 45 minutes. I spend precious time cleaning up the mess. While it's being installed, I watch my neighbour back out of his driveway and knock over a tank the repair dudes left sitting by the side of the road. The driver looks around quickly and decides to flee.
Friday afternoon - I illegally connect to a very very slow open internet connection and discover that the power to my office at work has been shut down. What would I have been able to do at work had I been there, I wonder?
Monday morning - I roll into work and have no office, so I make inquiries. No one seems to have considered where I should set up a temporary office. I seek out a student computer lab, where I now sit. I am thinking of grabbing a laptop from our tech guys (once they show up) and heading to a green space outside, since it's about 95 degrees in this building anyway because of some sort of building-wide AC issue.
Maybe I should go home and go back to bed?
Wednesday morning - my modem/router seems to be dead. I unplug it for the day and hope for the best when I get back that evening.
Wednesday evening - my modem/router is dead. I call Sympatico and get put through a series of maneuvers that I already attempted with no luck, but I play along anyway. The verdict: they are sending me a new modem/router. I should expect it to arrive "in a few days."
Thursday morning - No hot water! I go downstairs and note that the basement tenant is doing laundry. Can he have used all of the hot water? It could be so...
later Thursday morning - I accidentally smash a plate on the floor. I get the broom. I cycle to work without a shower.
Thursday evening - Still no hot water. I think I can hear the dryer still running in the basement. I call the tenant but his phone is out of service. I knock on his door and get no answer. I enter, fearing that something must be wrong. The floor is flooded with water, most of it heading towards a floor drain. I switch off the dryer, which clearly has been running all day.
still Thursday evening - I call the gas company and get a four-hour service window for the next day. I shut the water off to prevent any more damage.
Friday morning - I call work to say that I am not coming in because of my plumbing issues and add that I cannot work from home owing to a lack of internet connectivity. I volunteer to take a vacation day, leaving me with only 8 more weeks this year. Somehow, I have amassed a large amount of vacation :-)
Friday noonish - Gas person shows up within the last 20 minutes of his four-hour service window. My heater is dead, something I already knew. A replacement tank will arrive in two hours.
Friday afternoon - Hot water tank shows up 3.5 hours later. It's installed in 45 minutes. I spend precious time cleaning up the mess. While it's being installed, I watch my neighbour back out of his driveway and knock over a tank the repair dudes left sitting by the side of the road. The driver looks around quickly and decides to flee.
Friday afternoon - I illegally connect to a very very slow open internet connection and discover that the power to my office at work has been shut down. What would I have been able to do at work had I been there, I wonder?
Monday morning - I roll into work and have no office, so I make inquiries. No one seems to have considered where I should set up a temporary office. I seek out a student computer lab, where I now sit. I am thinking of grabbing a laptop from our tech guys (once they show up) and heading to a green space outside, since it's about 95 degrees in this building anyway because of some sort of building-wide AC issue.
Maybe I should go home and go back to bed?
Thursday, April 09, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Why?
Does he really think this is going to keep his ass safe? The bigger question might be why the dude decided to leave his artwork behind. Is he that proud of his creation? At least he flushed, unlike the dude who used the adjoining stall. That one was ripe. Sadly, this is the closest john to my office, one that I am forced to share with the unwashed public, and I use that term loosely, as the sinks here double as foot-washing fixtures. (I know, certain cultures place great value on regular foot washing, but it doesn't please me to see a man with one foot in the sink, soon to be followed by the other).
And then there's the spitting. The sinks are often coated in it. No one flushes the urinals and the toilets are often not flushed, so it usually stinks. There is always toilet paper on the floors. Many men seem to prefer peeing in the privacy of a stall, and I have yet to encounter a single man in this bathroom who has the courtesy to lift the seat. As a result, the seats are usually covered in piss.
Naturally, I normally travel to a different floor to use a bathroom. What I really want to do is post a Bathroom Etiquette sign. Even the staff bathroom on a different floor has sign above the urinal asked the men to flush after use. If you have to ask staff to do this, you have a problem. Public washrooms are disgusting, but you didn't need me to tell you that, did you?
Friday, March 06, 2009
A Few Hours in the Life of ZF
6:40 - Woke up, well before I usually do, so that I could get to the passport office by 8:00.
7:00 - Reading email on my laptop during breakfast. Nature's Path has recalled a gluten-free granola-type bar because of salmonella. UPC and expiry dates match. Crap! I have already eaten 5 of the 6 bars :-( Can I sue them?
7:53 - Waited in line at the passport office, with form completed. Stupidly, I let my passport expire, and had to submit a new application. Next time, renewal. I have no confidence in the photo, but it will do for the next 5 years.
8:26 - Back outside, unlocked my bike. Bureaucracy has rarely been so efficient. What a great day: could be 16 degrees later.
9:30 - Checked my mail box to discover two cheques: $130 and $790. I wish they were really for me. Do I look like the Accounts Receivable Department?
9:33 - Checked Twitter. I am Twittering as an experiment. In library-land, Twitter is a big deal, so I decided to see what the fuss is all about. So far, I have mixed feelings. 140 characters might not be enough. Close-talker is now following me :-(
9:35 - Read email. So much garbage, and I don't necessarily mean spam.
9:46 - Remembered to start streaming Radio RFI en français.
9:48 - Absolutely delighted to learn that John Tory has gone down in flames, again. Three strikes and you're out. Stay down, John.
9:49 - Checked Facebook. Cleared my out-of-date status. I am friends with a photographer who lives in Gaza. His photo albums are very disturbing, powerful and profoundly depressing. A few photos depict unspeakable horror: a charred baby with no limbs; people lying in pools of blood. Most of us have never witnessed anything like this in person. How did he avoid getting shot in the process of taking these photos?
9:50 - Ordered a book requested by a faculty member.
10:00 - Updated photoblog and added a photo to Flickr. No death or grievous bodily harm in my photos.
10:15 - Made appointment with my doctor.
10:20 - Opened PowerPoint to revise my part of a joint presentation with a colleague on research methods. We did the first presentation last week. It goes again next week. His part is esoteric, bizarre, a tad self-indulgent. Mine is practical. We seem to be at odds.
10:28 - Feeling hungry already.
6:40 - Woke up, well before I usually do, so that I could get to the passport office by 8:00.
7:00 - Reading email on my laptop during breakfast. Nature's Path has recalled a gluten-free granola-type bar because of salmonella. UPC and expiry dates match. Crap! I have already eaten 5 of the 6 bars :-( Can I sue them?
7:53 - Waited in line at the passport office, with form completed. Stupidly, I let my passport expire, and had to submit a new application. Next time, renewal. I have no confidence in the photo, but it will do for the next 5 years.
8:26 - Back outside, unlocked my bike. Bureaucracy has rarely been so efficient. What a great day: could be 16 degrees later.
9:30 - Checked my mail box to discover two cheques: $130 and $790. I wish they were really for me. Do I look like the Accounts Receivable Department?
9:33 - Checked Twitter. I am Twittering as an experiment. In library-land, Twitter is a big deal, so I decided to see what the fuss is all about. So far, I have mixed feelings. 140 characters might not be enough. Close-talker is now following me :-(
9:35 - Read email. So much garbage, and I don't necessarily mean spam.
9:46 - Remembered to start streaming Radio RFI en français.
9:48 - Absolutely delighted to learn that John Tory has gone down in flames, again. Three strikes and you're out. Stay down, John.
9:49 - Checked Facebook. Cleared my out-of-date status. I am friends with a photographer who lives in Gaza. His photo albums are very disturbing, powerful and profoundly depressing. A few photos depict unspeakable horror: a charred baby with no limbs; people lying in pools of blood. Most of us have never witnessed anything like this in person. How did he avoid getting shot in the process of taking these photos?
9:50 - Ordered a book requested by a faculty member.
10:00 - Updated photoblog and added a photo to Flickr. No death or grievous bodily harm in my photos.
10:15 - Made appointment with my doctor.
10:20 - Opened PowerPoint to revise my part of a joint presentation with a colleague on research methods. We did the first presentation last week. It goes again next week. His part is esoteric, bizarre, a tad self-indulgent. Mine is practical. We seem to be at odds.
10:28 - Feeling hungry already.
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
Busy Busy Busy
Or, at least it feels that way. Maybe I keep forgetting to write stuff here. Today, I had meetings and stuff. Tomorrow, I am being treated to another all-day meeting. I am actually hoping that it is not all day, so I can get some stuff done later. Mostly, I want to go grocery shopping.
Here's a song I like:
Or, at least it feels that way. Maybe I keep forgetting to write stuff here. Today, I had meetings and stuff. Tomorrow, I am being treated to another all-day meeting. I am actually hoping that it is not all day, so I can get some stuff done later. Mostly, I want to go grocery shopping.
Here's a song I like:
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
I Continue to Ignore the Blogospshere (until, maybe, next week)
This has been a crazy month, but part of the blame for that is my poor organizational skills. If only I could properly organize my time, I could accomplish so much more. I could study physics and molecular biochemistry in my spare time. I could read more. It would be awesome, truly awesome.
I am in a job that has essentially no supervision. That is good and bad, and I am always left to wonder what it is that other people are doing in their offices. I have no answers. It's clear with the staff, for they are on display. They have nowhere to hide, no walls, no privacy. We can eat in our offices, if we choose to, and sometimes I do. But staff, well, they have to head to the staff room where it is deathly silent. You can hear a pin drop. You can hear people chew, a sound I just do not like. I rarely have conversations in that room, because everyone will hear what you are saying. So, I try not to make any noises.
But, I observe the patterns. One guy sits in the same chair every day at lunch with his winter coat on, iPod fired up, and a book in his hands. I sense that he is trying to isolate himself by a factor of three. I have never seen him eat anything. One brave person talks to family on her cell phone, but I am sure no one can understand her mother tongue. A colleague complained but I like the sound of human interaction. I like that someone is brave enough to attack the silence.
The most fascinating guy is the one with about 7 children. His faith prevents the use of prophylactics, and so the family continues to grow. He reads his bible during lunch. You can see his lips move as his index finger traces lines of text. He has a special edition bible, bound in leather--or faux-leather--and a zipper. After lunch, he tucks the bookmark in place, zips it up, and places it in his backpack. Somehow, he looks happier, but I am not sure if it is the food or the words or both.
This has been a crazy month, but part of the blame for that is my poor organizational skills. If only I could properly organize my time, I could accomplish so much more. I could study physics and molecular biochemistry in my spare time. I could read more. It would be awesome, truly awesome.
I am in a job that has essentially no supervision. That is good and bad, and I am always left to wonder what it is that other people are doing in their offices. I have no answers. It's clear with the staff, for they are on display. They have nowhere to hide, no walls, no privacy. We can eat in our offices, if we choose to, and sometimes I do. But staff, well, they have to head to the staff room where it is deathly silent. You can hear a pin drop. You can hear people chew, a sound I just do not like. I rarely have conversations in that room, because everyone will hear what you are saying. So, I try not to make any noises.
But, I observe the patterns. One guy sits in the same chair every day at lunch with his winter coat on, iPod fired up, and a book in his hands. I sense that he is trying to isolate himself by a factor of three. I have never seen him eat anything. One brave person talks to family on her cell phone, but I am sure no one can understand her mother tongue. A colleague complained but I like the sound of human interaction. I like that someone is brave enough to attack the silence.
The most fascinating guy is the one with about 7 children. His faith prevents the use of prophylactics, and so the family continues to grow. He reads his bible during lunch. You can see his lips move as his index finger traces lines of text. He has a special edition bible, bound in leather--or faux-leather--and a zipper. After lunch, he tucks the bookmark in place, zips it up, and places it in his backpack. Somehow, he looks happier, but I am not sure if it is the food or the words or both.
Friday, January 09, 2009
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Phew!
There is always a great sense of relief after one presents, which I just did at lunch. Granted, it was to a smallish group (25 or so), but I am glad to have that one over with. I have two more coming up. Now, I can get back to the important things, like reconnecting with my online social networks and procrastinating :-)
There is always a great sense of relief after one presents, which I just did at lunch. Granted, it was to a smallish group (25 or so), but I am glad to have that one over with. I have two more coming up. Now, I can get back to the important things, like reconnecting with my online social networks and procrastinating :-)
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Time Off
Well, I am taking tomorrow and Friday off work. We get a certain number of Professional Development days and I am using two this week. I have to prepare for three upcoming presentations, and I find that I can't really dedicate as much time as I would like here. For some reason, I find that my office is not conducive to work. I know it sounds bizarre, but I have a hard time focusing on things like that here.
And now, I have to do stuff. Thanks for listening.
Well, I am taking tomorrow and Friday off work. We get a certain number of Professional Development days and I am using two this week. I have to prepare for three upcoming presentations, and I find that I can't really dedicate as much time as I would like here. For some reason, I find that my office is not conducive to work. I know it sounds bizarre, but I have a hard time focusing on things like that here.
And now, I have to do stuff. Thanks for listening.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
OCD or Installation?
The other day, I walked into the nearest bathroom to my office, pushed open the stall door (I'll avoid discussing the problems associated with having to do one's business in the workplace) and was confronted by a toilet seat that was wrapped in so much paper, it looked like a Christmas present or possibly a paper throne. I couldn't see any hint of porcelain, no clue that the seat was black. To me, it looked like the most sublime feat of origami in history. Someone had crafted a toilet from toilet paper!
But, no, it seems that someone spent an hour or so making sure all surface areas were covered in toilet paper. What student, I ask you, has the time to devote that much energy to something he will only require for a few moments? Well, unless he had other less obvious plans, that is.
You know, it's impossible to catch an STD - wait, I think we call them STIs now - from a toilet seat. It can't happen, unless there is some sort of new super STI that I don't know about. And, even if you could catch something hideous from a toilet seat, would a few thin strips of toilet paper protect you? I think not.
I honestly believe that it one is that paranoid about catching an infectious disease from a toilet seat, a far better strategy would be to carry around cleaning supplies, like some of those disinfectant wipes. It would be obsessive-compulsive and a little nuts, but creating a paper throne is probably weirder.
Later, I thought that perhaps I had it all wrong. Maybe this was an installation? Now, I regret not photographing it.
The other day, I walked into the nearest bathroom to my office, pushed open the stall door (I'll avoid discussing the problems associated with having to do one's business in the workplace) and was confronted by a toilet seat that was wrapped in so much paper, it looked like a Christmas present or possibly a paper throne. I couldn't see any hint of porcelain, no clue that the seat was black. To me, it looked like the most sublime feat of origami in history. Someone had crafted a toilet from toilet paper!
But, no, it seems that someone spent an hour or so making sure all surface areas were covered in toilet paper. What student, I ask you, has the time to devote that much energy to something he will only require for a few moments? Well, unless he had other less obvious plans, that is.
You know, it's impossible to catch an STD - wait, I think we call them STIs now - from a toilet seat. It can't happen, unless there is some sort of new super STI that I don't know about. And, even if you could catch something hideous from a toilet seat, would a few thin strips of toilet paper protect you? I think not.
I honestly believe that it one is that paranoid about catching an infectious disease from a toilet seat, a far better strategy would be to carry around cleaning supplies, like some of those disinfectant wipes. It would be obsessive-compulsive and a little nuts, but creating a paper throne is probably weirder.
Later, I thought that perhaps I had it all wrong. Maybe this was an installation? Now, I regret not photographing it.
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Monday, September 15, 2008
Piles and Piles of Files
Right now, I am digging through boxes of 'files' and dumping most of it in the garbage and a recycling bin. It makes me wonder what's wrong with people. Why would someone think that I would need printouts of email sent in 1991 relating to my current area of responsibility? It is useless. I took over the subject liaison from another librarian, and she decided that it would be a good idea to unload copious amounts of crap on me rather than dealing with it herself.
I am on box number 3 or 4 and 95% of it is junk. The other 5% I see no use for, but she seems to think we should keep it. In other words, it can stay in my office, where no one will ever look at it. Here's an example of what's in the current box: twenty-one 5¼ inch floppy disks! Jesus!
In the past, I have had the displeasure of moving into an office vacated by a certain person. She left piles of junk behind that I had to dispose of. Talk about a complete disregard for others.
In other news, I bought a new bike helmet on Sunday.
Right now, I am digging through boxes of 'files' and dumping most of it in the garbage and a recycling bin. It makes me wonder what's wrong with people. Why would someone think that I would need printouts of email sent in 1991 relating to my current area of responsibility? It is useless. I took over the subject liaison from another librarian, and she decided that it would be a good idea to unload copious amounts of crap on me rather than dealing with it herself.
I am on box number 3 or 4 and 95% of it is junk. The other 5% I see no use for, but she seems to think we should keep it. In other words, it can stay in my office, where no one will ever look at it. Here's an example of what's in the current box: twenty-one 5¼ inch floppy disks! Jesus!
In the past, I have had the displeasure of moving into an office vacated by a certain person. She left piles of junk behind that I had to dispose of. Talk about a complete disregard for others.
In other news, I bought a new bike helmet on Sunday.
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