re: silk purses and sows ears and stuff

My boss has actually made a job offer to one of the applicants who they interviewed, oh, WEEKS ago. While I was in Charleston, so I didn’t get to be in on the interviews, thus have no idea of who I’m about to have to share my tiny space with. If she takes the job. And that’s a big if. Apparently even though she was two grades lower than I am in her last campus job, she was making WAY more money than she’ll be making at this one. How does that work, you may ask? Well, that’s an excellent question, and K and I really can’t figure that one out! Other than it certainly does speak volumes – libraries – about how ridiculously low our own pay is. If someone who was two grades lower than us was making so much more money that she’ll be taking a big pay cut, something’s quite screwed up somewhere. She also worked for Duke before she was at her two-grades-lower job here, but that shouldn’t have anything to do with her pay here since Duke isn’t a state university. So the pay grades shouldn’t apply.  

Well, whatEVER. The Mystery Woman is coming in to meet me tomorrow before she decides. When New Boss told me this yesterday afternoon, she said, "YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE SHE TAKES THE JOB!!!!" In fact, she told me that twice. I have to make sure she takes the job!!!! Even if it means wrestling her to the ground and bending her arm behind her back until she relents!! Because she has another offer on campus and although that one is a two-grades-lower job like the one she left, it would be even less money than our two-grade-higer-but-way-less-money one. But New Boss thinks she would have her own office there. So quality of life might trump more money, which is still way less money than she was making before. At her lower grade job which is lower than this one but the same as the other offer but was paying her way more than either of these. Confused yet? Me too!

So in an effort to impress this person, we’ve spent today packing up all the crap that’s all over my office, all the forms and boxes and undergraduate catalogs and graduate catalogues from the last 40 years and files and stuff that’s everywhere since we have no storage space at all. And we’ve stuck it all in the closet. Because we have to make sure she takes the job and if this office looks like the total dump that it is, she may take the other job where she has her own office instead! And I don’t know what department the other job is in, but it’s a very safe bet that the offices are new and pleasant and nice. Because we’re pretty much the only department on campus now that’s in an ugly outdated building. With insane-asylum white walls and ceiling tiles that are coming down and mold on the vents. And 40-year-old florescent lights that are burned out. We do have kind of newish carpet, at least. I suppose that’s something.

It’s a little annoying, since this ugly cramped office has been good enough for me all these years, but now a prima dona is arriving, we’ve got to try slinging pearls around the pig’s neck and slathering its snout with lipstick. Because she has to take this job!!!! Jeeze. Of course, I know we need to put on a happy face, and act like this is somewhere you’d actually want to work. I can’t say, "Well, the work load is tremendous, the morale is rock-bottom, and you’ll never get a raise if you stay here a hundred years!" So of course I’ll put on a cheery front. If I like her. She was K’s 4th choice out of 5 applicants.  

In other news, I spent my lunch today at Tech Support, having my laptop un-screwed. Last night I went up to the campus library for a little internet time, and decided I should get set up as an approved campus user so I’d not have to keep logging on as a guest. Which they discourage for people who aren’t guests, since it’s the lowest security possible. I went to the tech support page that tells you how to get all set up as a campus user, and it said I needed to download a program for that – a True Mobil Installer. There was a page of illustrated instructions so it didn’t look difficult, and an Installation Wizard was involved. So I figured, surely it’s no big deal – surely if they expect everyone to do this, it’s easy and painless!

Boy was I wrong. And part of the problem was that once I’d installed it, I had to reboot – and then it wouldn’t let me on line. Couldn’t find the wireless connection! Even the guest one. I was totally locked out. So I couldn’t even figure out if there was more I needed to do in order to get the wireless back up. Because I couldn’t get online. Because my wireless connection wouldn’t work. (Note that I was actually IN a library, surrounded by computers. And that it never crossed my mind to get on one of THOSE computers to see if there was something more I should have done. But whatever!) I tried uninstalling the installer thing, and that didn’ t help either. Still no connection. So I finally give up and go home.  This morning I tried it again in my office, hoping it had magically fixed itself – nothing.    

So off to Tech Support we went, and this girl who looked like she was about 10 years old fixed it for me. Although it took her 40 minutes and at one point she said, "What did you DO to this??" Which is never what you want to hear Tech Support saying to you. Apparently I needed to uninstall something instead of installing something. But it’s okay now. And it’s really good to know that Tech Support will actually fix things for you like that. Even my own personal computer – I told her right off that it isn’t my work computer, and it didn’t matter. A perk!! Of course, I did it trying to do something I was supposed to do as a campus person.

And when I went back later today to try and see what I DID do, the first page I find with wireless instructions says, at the very top,  "Please note: these instructions are intended for the technically savvy. If you are not somewhat technical, you may want to get help from the Technical Support Group!" Oh, great, thanks for telling me that NOW!!! I’m kind of moderately savvy, but I’d never have even tried it had I read THAT first. I don’t know if I’d just found a different page or what yesterday, but that wasn’t on the one I was using. Maybe they added that addendum today after having to fix my fiasco.

Well, how about some more Charleston pictures?            

The lovely Rainbow Row.

Interesting buildings on King Street.

Another interesting King Street building. This one was empty and run down until quite recently. Now it’s an Urban Outfitters. King Street is very long, and the north end has always been kind of run down and a little scary, while the south end is allrevitalized and trendy. Now the trendy is moving north. Which in a way is good, but then it’s also driving out the neat little older not-trendy shops that have been there for ages.

The Custom House at night. I know I’ve walked by this building ten thousand times, and I’ve NEVER GONE IN. Well, I’ve never gone up the steps – I don’t even know that it’s public, but you’d think I’d at least go up the steps and look at the view. It’s right on Bay Street by the market, not back off in some weird obscure spot.

Swirly bridge lights. I love swirly lights.

Beer and coffee – doesn’t get any better than that!

And finally the adorable Stella, lying on top of her cat carrier. I’m sure it was some sort of a statement.