surrender dorothy

Since my head is spinning straight off my shoulders right now, I  think it’s time for a break. We’re in the midst of clearing seniors to graduate. This would not actually be a terribly difficult thing, except that our spawn of Satan new computer system is so awkward, user-unfriendly, and full of incorrect information that every student takes hours to clear. HOURS. Involving six different screens which each take about fifteen steps to navigate through to access all the info you need. This is something that we could get off two screens, one click each, on our previous system. Which I hated because I thought it was outdated and user-unfriendly. Silly me! The old system actually is still here, kind of, since the new system is having some issues. Like how different screens don’t speak to one another, so, for example, a student’s GPA can be one thing on one screen and something else entirely on another screen. That’s SO not good. Of course the old system may or may not be updated, so we really can’t count on it being right either. This is causing us even more work, as one of the Registrar’s office people asked us to please please please check all the screens that show GPAs and let them know if they don’t agree. So they can fix it. Can’t they run a report of some sort and find the ones that don’t agree?? Well, you’d think they could, but I guess it’s easier to have us do it. This is one of the people we actually like over there so D agreed to do it, although I think she’s kind of regretting it now.

At least these problems and annoyances are stemming from idiots who implemented a new system without proper planning system issues and not the job itself. At least I’m not in the College of Ed!!!!! And we are actually all shutting our doors so that we can work in peace and quiet, uninterrupted. Imagine that! That’s kind of funny, really, since it’s very quiet here anyway. We don’t truly NEED to shut our doors, but I’m fine with my doors shut.

Still, it’s time for a break. After too many of these in a row, I start getting cranky and annoyed when I run across students who think they are graduating in December yet haven’t had, oh, FIFTEEN HOURS OF THEIR MAJOR. Like one I just did, who had already applied once to graduate in August but was lacking an 8 hour internship and six hours of classes for her minor and had two incompletes still for spring classes. So, duh, of course she didn’t graduate.  Well, she’s applied again to graduate, is still lacking the internship, is still lacking six hours of coursework for her minor, and still has one incomplete. The other incomplete has turned into an F. She didn’t take any classes this summer; she isn’t enrolled in any classes this semester. I want to ask her just exactly how in the HELL she thinks she’s graduating when she still has exactly the same problems that kept her from graduating LAST time she applied to graduate???? Well, with the added problem of having an incomplete turn into an F. It’s not like she doesn’t know – part of this whole process involves sending them letters now telling them what, if anything they are missing, and then sending them another letter after this semester if they didn’t clear up their shortages.

Maybe she just enjoys filling out the application and paying that $15 fee every semester.

How about some pictures from the Land of Oz? Which was lots of fun, as usual, although every year the crowds get worse. And the ticket prices go up. This year it was FIFTEEN DOLLARS to get in. The first time they opened the park, in 1995, it was $5. Last year it was $12. Kim and two of her friends met us up there, and they had to wait to get a parking place – the lot was full when they got there. The lot is a huge field. We wanted to go both days, but sure didn’t want to pay $60 to walk around an abandoned theme park. It’s not like there’s anything to do but walk through it – they supposedly put this money into improvements but that seems to mostly be for costumes and paint. Next year I think we’re going to volunteer to help before they open, which would get us in free at least one day.

It was gorgeous weather – in the 70s and sunny. Well, at least until Kim and her friends arrived. One isn’t the slightest bit interested in Oz but has come up two years now because the other one loves it. Last year it was freezing and drizzling rain – this year there wasn’t a cloud in the sky until they got there, whereupon it began to sprinkle. But never did rain much and it was so warm a lot of people were in shorts.

Baker B and I arrived pretty early, so it wasn’t crowded yet – although I’m not sure how I got a picture with NOBODY on the Yellow Brick Road –

Dorothy and Glenda – a popular pair. They were everywhere!

The Tin Man. Not having the disturbing costume issues he had last year. When we were very glad he was wearing real underwear.

View from the Lookout –

Inside the museum – Wall O’ Books. I read all the Baum ones about fifty times each, too, so I LOVE this.

Baker B and Friends:

A Talking Tree. There are more every year, so I guess that’s one thing they’re spending all that money on.

I actually let Baker B take my picture. A rare event!

Okay, the rest will have to wait for later, as my time is up. If I can figure out how, I’m even going to post a video I took with my camera going through the cellar in the tornado – that turned out much better than I’d expected it to –