Tales o' Terror (D)

Gainesville

Dear Bloggie

Today I got up and did my work... well, not eactly. I went to work, but did not get much chance to do what they pay me to do. It was meetings all the way down. Even lunch turned into a meeting, as there was much to discuss at our lunch with Barbara.

The other shoe-- no, make that a jackboot-- dropped today campus-wide. A long rumored "sweep" of info tech positions was announced. Everyone on techie-type lines will be consolidated into a centralized IT operation. Since the idea is cost savings, it will eventually mean layoffs. It doesn't affect me, since I'm on a faculty line, and in any case will be gone by the time it gets rolling, but Bill very definitely IS affected. His position as director is still interim, so they never bothered to give him a different title: he is still listed as a "Coordinator of Computer Operations" or some such. This is going to mean mighty upheavals and disorientation all over the place as it is forced through channels. It will not be pretty.

At least all this distracts me from the steaming pile of dreck that is my presentation at this point. There is a terrible disconnect between what I said I'd do in the proposal and what I've ended up finding interesting. I'm going crazy trying to turn the mess into something coherent. It's, "Here's a bunch of boring stuff about metadata" followed by, "Now look at this neat stuff I found when looking through old newspaper comics!"

I was moaning about this to Bill tonight. He can't understand why if I hate this process so much (giving papers), I keep doing it. Good question! The best I can come up with it that I love the comics, I love the research part of it, but without the focus of a paper, I can't stick with it.

Okay, 'nuffa that.

Looking forward to the visit! But I have to tell you, Bill and I drove up SW 2nd Avenue from Main Street this morning, and there was no sign of any lodging place at all there, let alone a Hilton Homewood thing. I don't know how you made your reservations, but you should call them and ask for an address. I strongly suspect you're really going to be at the Archer Road exit of I-75.

Happy Birthday, Charlie. You are the latest victim of my birthday card meltdown this year. Others include Ben, Chris, Thea and Bill. So you are in good company!

Ah yes, chicken slaughter. It's probably good that we all at one time or another have to go through this graphic demo of what it really means to be a carnivore. I have my own tale of the Great FBR Chicken Massacree, but I have a feeling it has been told somewhere in these posts already. God, I hope so, as I would just as soon not relive it. Dear chickens! And I always think about ones like Leroy, who had more personality than do many of my coworkers.

Since we had a big lunch at Sonny's Real Pit BBQ, I didn't cook tonight, and since last night we ate out, I have no tales of terror from the kitchen. Maybe tomorrow.

[nothing for September 8-9]

[Vacation symbol in upper left corner marked but not blackened-- shining with sun rays. Curly-headed stick figure with glasses on right marked "teacher" with the "c" backwards]

Wednesday, September 10, 1952
254th Day--112 Days to Follow

Dear Diary
This morning we got up early & wore our quilted skirts. Patricia picked us up at 8:30. Bren is still sick. We stopped for Joyce & rode on to school. I'm in Mr. Kallenbach different from Pat. We have PE. seventh period in the lockers. Their real neat. We have Mrs. Matheisen for Math. What luck. I like her.
Suzy

[Nothing September 11-12]

Saturday, September 13, 1952
257th Day--109 Days to Follow

Dear Diary
This morning I got up and did the kitchen while San did the front room. Then Brenda came down we went up to her place. We got in an argument (san & I) and I came home. Later We took our lunch down there and ate it. Later mom called and we had to go home. We watched T.V. Then we went to see "Affair in Trinidad" with Glen Ford & Rita Hayworth Wow!! & "Love is better than ever" Liz Taylor. Suzy
[up right hand edge:] Good Show!