life update

Things are getting back to normal after a busy travel season.

WORK
Work is still horrendous (thus why not so many blog updates), but at least I'm not working all weekend, every weekend. Had to work on my furlough day this week (which is technically illegal, but I digress), but I worked at Panera Friday morning so it seemed less painful.

I'm currently writing a job description for a 25% time secretary. Let's hope we can find the moolah and right person for the job. There are lots of grants being offered up for our research team, but not enough hands to even write the proposals. Once we get the money we can hire people, but it's not that straight forward. When you need 10% of a person with these qualifications to do X duties, and 20% of another with different qualifications to do Y duties for each project, it's a mess. And they are all 1-3 year projects, so it's not like you can promise a long term job. Hoping the job market works to our advantage right now.

A crazy coworker has filed a grievance against the School. She is crazy, but has some valid points. She seems to want to chat with me about it. But now my boss is reviewing the grievance as the "internal" reviewer. As Vince Vaughn would say in Old School, "earmuffs!"

HOME
Chris has had a staph infection. I have had a lack of energy, but keep trying to push forward.

We just had our annual NCAA tournament weekend. I missed Thursday night and the daytime on Friday and Saturday. It was an odd year, as my BIL insisted everyone help him process a bazillion pounds of venison, pork and beef (there was elk, too, but it was rotten) for him and his friends/coworkers this weekend. That meant nobody was watching basketball at the same time. It wasn't fun. Not to mention someone had to be up overnight to tend the smoker every three-four hours.

My dad is getting married next year, which is good. He needs to sell the house, which is good, but it's a TON of work. Better now that when he's old and in poor health. I spent Saturday taking a first pass at the closets. Lots of stuff from my teen years. Scanning some things and sending to friends (such as the birthday book my friend made that was New Kids on the Block themed...a narration with magazine photo cut outs of them trying to get to WI for my birthday). I'm not very sentimental, though, so tossed a ton of stuff. Brought home a few things to check on ebay...only a few were worth my time. Tossed the rest (including a Cabbage Patch Kid that was in need of some TLC).

STATE
Our state is in a meltdown, as you may have noticed. The new governor is laying down the smack. I don't have a problem with all of his measures...it's more about his dicator methods and how he's in bed with the wealthy corporations. The university where I work is also looking at spinning off from the UW system with the governor's blessing. That's mostly good, but also causes some concerns.

THE NEXT FEW MONTHS
It's birthday season for my family, so lots to do in the next few weeks socially. Looking forward to yard work. Also, Cannon Running (the state bar road trip we did last year).

How is YOUR spring shaping up?