For privacy laws, I'm going to be as vague as possible, but we have a student worker who is not from this country. She's a wonderful young person, and scored very high on the graded points on her scholarship application, and was thus offered a couple of scholarships.

I am the scholarship chair, and it's hard to put into words the amount of work it is. But this young lady just came bouncing into my office and hugged me and thanked me. I told her the truth: I didn't do it, the committee was very impressed with her presentation in her application. It is she who deserved the awards she was offered.

But it felt good. It almost negates the 10 or so students who have already found a bitching point on this fine Monday.

These are the things which make my job wonderful! :)

Good for her. And don't underestimate how much you deserved it. I know from previous posts that you go out of your way to thank people and put in a good word when you've received good service.

Glad to hear it comes back sometimes.

Thanks SG. You're very kind! :)

I am typing this post on my BRAND SPANKING NEW laptop.

Paid for by my boss, oh yeah!

I just came back from a long lunch, which included champagne. burp.

LR -- that's amazing. Your post is so bright and the font is sharp and clear.

And somehow, it also looks so...FREE.

Oddly enough understanding Big V and vice versa. Sometimes you just want someone to get it.

that may explain the institution of marriage.

then again, maybe not.

LR -- does your work monitor your internet usage? (Mine says that they do, but they haven't complained yet.)

Our new refrigerator was just delivered. It meets my criteria - low energy use; it meets my wife's criteria - stainless steel front, bottom freezer, french doors; and it fit into the space where the old one was (even though it's two inches wider).

But it won't be cold for a few hours, so I'm trying to eat all of the perishable frozen items. I just finished the ice cream and am going back for steak-ums. After that it's either frozen pizza or that huge hunk of buffalo that's been in the freezer for the last seven years.

What brand of fridge, HLJ? And if you don't mind, give us the price range--I'm lookin' around.

I'm not in love with the bottom freezer configuration on fridges nowadays, but if you think it works well, I might reconsider...

bluecuracao - it's a Kenmore Elite. We got it at Sears. We also looked at Home Depot and Best Buy. I think it was around $2500 - about 3 times what I wanted to spend. We bought it under time pressure because the store was closing and our old machine didn't seem like it was going to last another week. (The old one actually started acting better the last week, so we didn't really have to rush, after all that.)

I'll have to live with it for a while before I know if I like the bottom freezer. The nice thing is that it puts the refrigerator at the top, so I won't be spending as much time on my knees looking for the FOD under the cheese drawer.

You're eating all the perisables?

* passes you the peptmo-bismuth*

If you eat the ice cream first it forms a protective coating on your stomach and you can then eat anything. But thanks for the PB.

Yes, yes, the Breyer's cloak of invincibility. I know it well.

I did not one lick of actual productive work, and will get paid for 8.25 hours of sitting around, reading The Cellar, and being in gabblychat.

wolf -- Shouldn't that be in the "Secrets" thread?

It's precisely, precisely 1AM; I'm going to watch a movie now.

Stress test showed no lasting heart damage from the stroke.
Does not explain the wonky EKGs, but I'll take it. First good news I've had after walking into a hospital in a very long time.

Congrats rkz. I"m really happy for you mate. :)

I know I'm going to be struck dead for saying this, but...one good stroke does not usually do it for me, man. I usually need at least two before I get off.

Great news, mate. Hang tough.

What's making me happy tonight/today? We interacted at a party tonight with the couple cited in my post about last Saturday night, and not only was it not hideous, it was actually encouraging. No sex took place, but there was some hand holding and sincere conversation. As a side note, I also fortified some future prospects, as did Selene. Furthermore, I cleared the air of a couple of past unpleasant issues with people (not related to sex or anything, but actually based in organizational politics due to our involvement in the Pagan Festival thing), got many positive strokes from confidantes about my essential lack of general suckiness, and just sort of had a great time.

I'm glad for you Elspode!

Bought a new skirt and top today. There's nothing like having a new outfit to wear to work on Monday to help reduce Mondayitis.

Me too Els. From various of your posts here recently it seems that things are going (more or less) OK for you, and I'm really pleased for you.

"More or less okay" is actually a very good summation, limey. It is about equal parts thorns and roses on an average day, and that equals balance, as far as I understand life. It could certainly be worse.

The guy I'm really into (but haven't told 'cause he's a mate of several years... I may have mentioned this before) phoned me last night about an hour after I'd come home from drinking in the pub with him and a couple of other comrades, and his reason for phoning seemed pretty lame.....so maybe he's thinking of reasons to call....

Tragically that was enough to put me on a high for most of today:P

It was fathers day on the UK today and I got some nice cards and presents from my two daughters

I got to have alcohol tonight (in the form of a glass of wine) for the first time in about 3 years. Woo!!

I am reading The Cellar at work on my brand-spankin' new laptop and I can even print things across the wireless network the way you're supposed to be able to.

But I seriously need to get used to the laptop keyboard.

In the last week I've been asked to write three things for the shop I work in. It counts as happiness today, because I told someone else and it clarified the happiness for me.

Okay, they were business-type writing, and yes I have less than two weeks left to work here now, but I'm pleased they recognised I could be an asset to them in this way.

WTG SG!

I made over my average take on Mondays...it's about the small victories. :)

Minifob weaned, huh? :lol:

Get him drunk, throw him onto the floor, and have your way with him. If it turns out to be awkward, tell him the booze reacted with your meds badly. If it turns out to be great, do it again the next day.

Mmmmmm Choccie Mudcake :D

I think I've just taken the first step towards starting to get over Caro.

...The only problem is, she says that when I come home for a few days this summer, she'll probably take me back.

Am I better off with her or without her...?

I CC'd my boss into an email that I was sending to a group of sub contractors on our payroll and he complimented me on my style of writing and said he envied my ability to be stern with people and still have them smiling by the time they finish reading what I've written.

You probably already know the answer to that one Ib.

Yeah, but I don't wanna know the answer.

Ibby - did I miss a very important post of yours recently??????

No way no how, Ibram. There can be no "probably" in relationships, that's nothing but a power game.

Working on a nice gift from the Orient, probably.

Ah shit Ibby, sorry hun, I missed that totally.

Anyways, I'd say better off without her, you are better than *part-time*..but the heart doesnt always follow logic.

see N00B thread

I have an interview for a job I am not qualified for.

but mostly. I asked for and recieved a paid vacation week of the 4th. We are going to go have fun someplace.
( since Griff won't let me come stay with the baby goat)

My oldest granddaughter is TEN YEARS OLD today! Woo!

talk about feeling old! :)

I'm going shopping with two of the hottest girls in the grade tomorrow.

I'm actually getting out of the house, with someone, to do something, pre-planned, for the first time in... in forever, since i moved here, I think. I have like, no life here in Taipei but I'm evidently working on that.

Oh, and I just got two pairs of really nice pants from Hot Topic online. Super low rise, very tight, boot-cut, really hawt jeans. They make my ass look really nice, if I do say so myself. And make me look pretty gay, as an added plus.

nothing wrong with that ;)

I didn't kill anyone or even raise an eyebrow when we were told that administrators are only getting a 1% raise this year, and we better like it. Fair enough. My choice to stay or go. I was actually glad they were still going to give classified staff the normal 3%, because they are grossly underpaid, too. That valium is doing wonders (kid-dun)

So, I avoided prison. Again. ;)

my youngest son (16) got a job! - he applied sat night - called mon afternoon - went tues for an interview. it's at a grocery store - no biggie - besides it works well with his football workouts 6:45 am - 10:00 am

You're intelligent enough to know that it's effectively a pay cut. I don't know what the rate of inflation is in the US but I doubt it's below 1%.

Babba?
MOVE!

But hey, kudos on your attitude.

I know. The 3% we usually get rarely covers the insurance rate increase.

It's just those few perks (sp?) that keep me here. Like 6+ weeks paid time off and a very free schedule. But, I rarely get the time off because there is too much to do. Yeah, they're butt-fuckin' me in da mouth, but I was proud that I reacted so well. Especially with a couple issues from Monday. Anyhoo.

Grumble. :mad: :rolleyes:

what's making me happy today.......hmmm

well, my wife used three pregnancy tests yesterday morning and got a faint blue line every time. And tried again today and got a darker blue line.

Insert very excited ramblings here ______________ :celebrat:

wow! that IS exciting!

Lucky you silkster! I guess we'll be hearing the pitter patter of little silkies soon. ;)

indeed. My plans for pale gingers to take over the world is coming to fruition.....MOO HOO HAR HAR!!!!

Just curious, but how much did they raise tuition for next year? Was it more than 1%?

This is where it gets interesting. The state is STILL negotiating. First they said no school could raise tuition. Then they said schools could raise tuition 3% to compensate for less state funding. As our budgets were under consideration, we had to cut here, cut there. Now the state is saying they might change it to we can't raise tuition for this year (creating a nightmare for the bursar's office, as we already raised it, as did many other schools) and we can raise next year. Cluster f*** comes to mind.

So, the lack of raises (which have never been based on merit, obviously) is in response to trying to balance our budget. Our rich board members sit in their ivory tower and decide what we can do without. Cost of living raises was one of those things we can do without.

But we better like it.

I wonder what the faculty union thinks about their 2% increase.

Yep, Ohio. We're all about education. :headshake