Pardon?

So I go to pick up Calisto from the vet this morning and return her grumpiness home. We've decided that she has endured enough poking and prodding and she should be able to enjoy her weekend. Monday she will go to our vet. Her blood work shows that she is in poor shape. There is definitely some heart disease. The ER vet suggested that she see a cardiologist. I don't think she understands our relationship with our animals. My 11 yr old cat is not going to a cardiologist. As much as I love my animals, a cardiologist? Really? I am not spending thousands of dollars to give her another couple of years. Apparently this qualifies me for service on the fictitious "death panels." Calisto, much as I love her, is a grumpy old lady cat. Sure she could have a few more years being a grumpy old lady - but why? She's had a fine run. I say, "go out on a high note." No one should want to malinger. When she starts crapping on herself then it is time to be put down. She is a cat.... an old, grumpy cat. While she loves to complain (very vocally) about the injustices being inflicted on her by society - she does not enjoy having something real to complain about. Neither do I. That's not to say that we wouldn't pay for a life saving surgery or for pet therapy - since we've done that many times. It is that we remain cognizant of the ROI. Right now it is just about keeping Calisto comfortable. Our vet is really wonderful and will have a solid prognosis for her quality of life and options. But it will wait till Monday. We have to celebrate a grumpy but lovable old man's 85th birthday this weekend.

Oh, come on!

This is getting ridiculous. Another late night due to a medical emergency. This time its Calisto the cat. She was wobbling and laying in the middle of the floor much like our Popo did before he died of renal failure. So we brought her to the emergency vet clinic. Of course this is a $400 trip at the end of a month when the checking account reads $140. They wanted $1200 to diagnose what is actually wrong with her. Credit cards are about maxed out thanks to the unfettered lifestyle to which we've long been accustomed but never been able to afford. I am trying to stay positive. I have a limping dog that I was going to spend $400 on next month for her vet visit. Looks like she will continue to limp along. And so will we.
In the meantime this week has brought two broken blackjacks, two late nights involving ER visits, one funeral, two sick pets, and I am pretty sure my boobs are now getting smaller. So I bought a lottery ticket and I am going to burn some sage to clear out the bad mojo. On the upside, everything else is going really well.

The rest of the story

Growing up overseas, I listened to a lot of armed forces radio and enjoyed listening to Paul Harvey's "The Rest of the Story." It was always so informative and well-crafted. He died and with him his catch phrase. Although, it does ring through my head from time to time. With all of the retirement drama currently circulating this place, I keep awaiting the conclusion and Harvey's words, "now you know the rest of the story." Having institutional knowledge - an actual oral history of a place - is necessary and fun. Did you know that the position VC for Student Life was actually created as a favor to a friend? That intended favor went horribly wrong and the friend did not get the position. Yet a decade later, the position still exists at the institution in question. Why? No one who knows the story remains in power. Organizations should take the opportunity to re-evaluate its structures, assess the viability of changes, question whether or not an entity is needed, and then act appropriately.

Are they growing?

RR, do not read this. It will scare you. It is about breasts - specifically mine. I have been working out and eating right for a year now. Yes, it has been that long. I am finally seeing some progress. I am able to fit into pants that I hadn't been comfortable in for quite a while. They say that when you work out, your boobs are the first to go. Not mine. In fact, I am starting to suspect that they are growing. Could my ass fat be migrating upwards? Could they just look bigger since the rest of me is getting smaller? How cool is that?! They have always been a good size. Even when I was a size 0, I still had a C cup size though barely. I think it would just be embarrassing for them to get any bigger than they are. They are wonderful, don't get me wrong. I adore them as they are now. I just want to be able to freeze their growth as well as any resulting saggage. There is nothing worse than boobs that hit the knees. Alrighty then. I have made my male readers horribly uncomfortable, and hopefully my friends laugh a bit. Please don't stare at my chest - even though it is hard to miss.

Hubris!

Forgive me while I take a moment to step away from the thrilling writing about nodes and Access Grids in which I am currently immersed for work reasons. I need to rant creatively. Actually, I simply have gossip to share.
You may have read the June 30th blog entitled, "Gasp!" Well, this is the rest of the story - so far. The two individuals at the top of the decision to arrest the retiring administrator are now themselves retiring. The CFO and the guy over Public Safety are being allegedly forced out due to their less than wise decision to make a public spectacle over a private embarrassment. The CFO was thought to be untouchable. Now, thanks to hubris, he is gone. What this means for the reorganization of this fine institution? I can only speculate (probably in a later blog that I will entitle "Musical Chairs"). I do know that someone out there knows exactly how it will play out. He is keeping it mum.

I Could Cry But I Am Too Busy Laughing

I should be working on slides for the upcoming event we have planned here. Instead, I am taking some time to rant about stupid people. ARGH!!!!!!! There. Now I feel better. I think I have to admit to being stupid in that I grossly underestimated the stupidity of others. That is my bad. I never should have confused you by including in a different font the contents of the phishing attempt that was circulating. However, I thought it was clear with the use of bold and dramatic red coloring that this was indeed the fraudulent message that should be looked out for - not responded to. I was wrong. You do not read and comprehend the words.

I have been fortunate to have more than one example of gross stupidity. Friday morning many of my colleagues and I were delighted to read the "retirement" letter from a dumb ass. Now, I am including the letter w/ minor edits to protect the innocent and the delirious. Please DO NOT get confused and think that I wrote this! I am including this separate letter not written by me only for educational purposes. I am not announcing my displeasure or retirement - merely including the letter someone else wrote.

HERE is where the other person's text begins:
______________________________________________________________________________

August 6, 2009

Ladies and germs,

For all intents and purposes, on August 17th 2009 I shall be considered officially “retired” with my 10 years+ of state service. Notice that it is “retired” and not “resigned” as I am not quitting I am leaving for better opportunities as this one has long run out. After starting 10+ years ago (and in reality, 15 years ago) as a temporary student worker it’s been the proverbial ‘long and winding road’ to get to this point but it’s time to do something with my life that rewards my unique skills and efforts a little more than just being "the" lowest paid employee in the NOC after the past 5 years here at XXX specifically. Obviously hard work, assuming (implied) future responsibility and general honesty are not recipes for success here. I want to specifically thank XXXXXX for being a type who doesn’t keep his words and apparently has rampant memory losses when it comes to things he says he’ll do or when I personally get “framed” irrationally for making work related mistakes that upper management themselves created on at least 3 separate occasions he has no “previous instance experience of and/or recollection skills” to apply to repeated situations thereafter. As the end user of that for a good 2-3 years, I can’t tell you how frustrating it was to repeat the same bogus scenario many times over with the same nonproductive outcome. No growth, no common ground, no attempts at making real peace or solving problems. I felt like the adult dealing with toddlers, but having to wear the diaper. Fact is, on all of those 3 specific occasions to railroad me you were WRONG and I was RIGHT again so I guess the truth does sort of lend itself a hand sometimes. Each time and again, just DUMB and DUMBER on your part. Probably a product of an absentee landlord work ethic. The “I have no idea what’s going on cause I’m never here” approach that you always used as your argument trump card is really lame in retrospect. You’re the director, its your JOB TO KNOW. Not a lot of brainstorming needed to figure out what’s really going on there with a 3 person mismanagement crew that can’t get it right the 3rd time either. Just remember that much of what you accomplished and maybe you will have learned something after all. You’ve definitely given me great examples of what not to follow, each of you uniquely, as I would never allow myself as you have to be negligent or abusive in my professional duty in the management of others in which YOU get paid very well to (not) do on the fat taxpayer dime. “We” aren’t getting our money’s worth, obviously. Some of the managers here aren’t even fit to run the local McDonald’s. I know, because I worked at McDonald’s for the first two years of my working life. Overall, better management skills found at a McDonald’s in my opinion. I do know this much, a manager that can’t solve office disputes with 2 other managers around and only one employee (me) to manage using simple communication and follow through should be working the fry machine somewhere. As it sits in that way, we have to hold hope that the people are real hungry for fries. Anyway back to the point at hand, as I don’t want to waste any more time being reasonably nice about it. I am now reenrolled full time at Southeastern and start back on Aug. 20th towards my Psych degree, which is something that I am genuinely interested in and have been for a while now. I am sure I can draw upon my many colorful dealings with corporate mismanagement figures in the future of my field work study somehow. Either way, I’m just excited to finally be moving on and leaving this nonsense behind me where it belongs. *flush* It’s a great feeling that I’ve waited too long to know again. I have many side projects and aspirations that have been on hold for a while now that I will also finally be getting kicked off, just like I said they would over a year ago. As respectable men keep their words true, disrespectable ones do not. (ahem) In closing, there is no doubt that I have nothing but kind thoughts and words for some of you that I'll miss here but for the rest of yas I do bid adieu and bons débarras!

(please excuse my ‘French’)

Dumbass McDumber
IT bottom rung placeholder 3

_______________________________________________________________
HERE is where the letter ends!!!!!


Now I am back writing - me - Sadie. I did not write the letter that is clearly blocked off and in italics. I AM writing this now. I know. It is confusing.

The point of this exercise is to share with you, gentle reader, this tale of stupidity and let you read a poorly written career-stomping letter of resignation. Don't do what Dumbass McDumber did. If you do not like your job, simply go and get a better one. If you feel that you must spill your guts publicly, get someone to proof-read. There is nothing worse than a gut-spilling filled with poor sentence structure and verbs that don't match the nouns.