Hey, You Never Know

1. Morning
Supposed to meet teacher for an independent study today for the first time. We've been exchanging emails, so there has been regular contact. We agreed last week to meet "in the library" at 10:30 this morning. I emailed her the night before to a)confirm and b)ask for a specific meeting location. The teacher emails back confirming that we're meeting... and that's it. Okay, thanks teach. Real helpful. So I email again, quote, "It's a big building. Where, specifically would you like to meet? I don't even know what you look like!" No response (it was getting kind of late). So I get to my university library at 10:15 like a responsible student and plant myself in front of the door, prepared to interrogate anyone who looked old enough to be a professor. "Are you..." "Excuse me, would you happen to be..." and so forth. No dice. Fortunately I knew someone at the front desk, so I asked her to keep an eye out for me while I ran upstairs and checked with the offices. (I'm a library school student, the library school offices and some classrooms are on another floor of the library, maybe the teacher was just thinking of the library school, as opposed to the building proper.) No teacher. Finally, half an hour after I'm supposed to meet the teacher, the teacher emails me (I had been regularly checking for one as I have no other means of contact). She wanted to meet me at her library. Her public library. Now, if I weren't one of those insane students who doesn't google their teachers before class starts to dig up any dirt, I would never have known that this woman was the director of Public Library X. Fortunately, she accepted blame for poor communication skills and I ran over to her library which fortunately was only 15 minutes away. Of course, my class was then shortened from 1/1.5 hours to 20 minutes. Oops. Then I had to rush to work. Oh boy.


2. Work
Okay, I'm going to relay this in the order I heard about it.

• Co-Worker 1: Is going to be out for 1-3 weeks because she just had her knee operated on (maybe replaced?). This wouldn't be news, except I was out for a week taking intensive classes.



• Co-Worker 2: Has breast cancer. Will be out for the foreseeable future.



• Co-Worker 3: Her grandson, aged 17 or 18, has a brain tumor. Passed out while seeing Harry Potter over the weekend and stuck in the hospital. Outlook unknown.



• Co-Worker 4: Is missing. Missing, missing. His wife called in and said he's been missing for over 24 hours, police report filed, please please please any information.... His car was found in a strange place, no sign of person. Oh shit. This was one of those eye opening times where I really got a new look at my co-workers. Everyone was gossiping, this is what we do... we work in a library, knowing information is what we do. It's a compulsion and it's understood. But as part of that standing, there is a silent line between gossip and shut the f*** up. There was a big re-hire about 2.5 years ago and there was a huge turnover in staffing. I've been around for 7 years. Missing Guy has worked at the library for ~20 years! Once upon a time he worked full time at the library, though this was probably 10 years ago. Then he dropped down to part time. Since the rehire, he's been a sub, working about 10 hours a month. The people hired since the big rehire were just gossiping for juice. Those of us from before were beyond gossip and moved on to concern. I actually spoke harshly to a co-worker I normally like a lot because of the gossip levels, and was supported by another old timer who I normally don't see eye-to-eye with. I'm a mouse at work; I don't say boo to anyone. I *really* hope he is okay.

On a good note, the night did end with a patron coming in and being unusually, retardedly polite. She asked me for information, not expecting results since it was a pretty academic question and we're a public library, but happy with whatever I could give her. I'm feeling pretty sick from all the bad news all day, and I just want the day to be over, forget about doing a complicated search. Fortunately, the co-worker I snarled at for gossiping (we're friends, I swear) talked the patron up while I was researching so I didn't have to worry about talking and working at the same time (talking really isn't my thing). After many stumbles, I found a search term that worked and I got the patron her info. The patron then thanked me by name. Very strange. I guard my name like nobody's business. You know the medieval myth about names holding power? Well, you give a patron your name, they have the power to call and complain about you. And that is all they'll ever use it for. Sure, call me cynical - I say experienced. But this patron was the exception - so uber polite. Cool.


After Work
Went out and celebrated a friend's birthday. He really liked his presents. Good time.


Get Home
I pull up to the driveway and see my dad's car is missing. I know he had a 4:00 meeting. Not good. My dad collapses at 10:00 sharp since his heart attack five years ago and it's about 11:00 now. Sometimes he has to stay at the office very late and can't drive himself home, so I or my mother have to pick him up. I call my mom before I even get out of the car and ask where he is. He just ran out to get some milk would be a really nice answer, but not likely. Fears confirmed, he has yet to come home from the meeting. So I go inside and mom texts dad for a sit rep. He doesn't answer. Five/Ten minutes later she just calls him. He's still in the meeting, no idea when it will let out. Forgive me, but after today, I'm feeling a little on edge and I want him home.


EDIT: 1 AM, and he's home. Jeez.

At a computer expo (COMDEX), Bill Gates reportedly compared the computer industry with the auto industry and stated (among a number of other things):

"If GM had kept us with technology like the computer industry has, we would all be driving $25 cars that got $1,000 miles to the gallon."

In response to Bill's comments, General Motors issued a press release stating:

1. For no reason whatsoever, your car would crash... twice a day.
2. Every time they repainted the lines in the road, you would have to buy a new car.
3. Occasionally your car would die on the freeway for no reason. You would have to pull to the side of the road, close all of the windows, shut off the car, restart it, and reopen the windows before you could continue. For some reason, you would simply accept this.
4. Occasionally, executing a maneuver such as a left turn would cause your car to shut down and refuse to restart, in which case you would have to reinstall the engine.
5. Macintosh would make a car that was powered by the sun, was reliable, five times as fast and twice as easy to drive - but would run only on 5% of the roads.
6. The oil, water temperature, and alternator warning lights would all be replaced by a single "This Car Has Performed An Illegal Operation" warning light.
7. The airbag system would ask, "Are you sure?" before deploying.
8. Occasionally, for no reason whatsoever, your car would lock you out and refuse to let you in until you simultaneously lifted the door handle, turned the key and grabbed hold of the radio antenna.
9. Every time a new car was introduced car buyers would have to learn how to drive all over again because none of the controls would operate in the same manner as the old car.
10. You'd have to press the "Start" button to turn the engine off.

Found by kc_anathema

Your result for Which fantasy writer are you?...

Michael Moorcock (b. 1939)

5 High-Brow, 15 Violent, -13 Experimental and 31 Cynical!

( The long explanation )

I've actually never heard of him, although Elric does sound familiar. Must research....

I'm going on my first business trip tomorrow morning! I can't believe someone is actually paying me to travel. So cool! (I sound so green right now, but whatever, this is awesome!) I'm going to California (Anaheim mostly) for a four day conference + 3 days of vacation (not including travel days!).

Squeeeee!

I'll even get to go to Disneyland for my birthday. Even better, they let you in for free on your bday. Can you say, "perfect?" Life is good.

Why am I so nervous?

Yay me! I didn't watch the game - although, through no means other than sheer dumb luck, I did see the 100 yard touchdown (wow, even I admit that's cool!) - I don't know the final score, I don't know/care who won, but I do know I'm a little richer. Yay!

Visiting my brother in Virginia. I don't get to see him often, so it's nice... in theory. We're still trying to figure out how to relate to each other in a peaceful manner (20+ years later). We usually look at each other blankly - what is this alien species we have here? (Or just make rude comments and walk away.) He gets points for finally making an effort though (sadly it's always been a one-sided attempt at a relationship).

I've spent the night sitting on his (very comfy) couch watching SG-1 on his (very big) tv. He's off doing... something. I'm pretty sure he's still in the apartment, I think. We have the best communication skills, don't we?

But we did get dinner (twice) - which I paid for (both times). And we did run around town like idiots trying to get groceries at 1am; as you can imagine, it was not a successful venture on New Years Day (but it's like, tomorrow already!). We'll just have to sleep through breakfast.

Btw, Subaru Impreza... not a good car for long distance travel when you are the passenger. Fun to drive, sure, but to sit in for 7-8 hours at a time, nuh-uh. My entire lower abdomen feels like it's been beaten to a pulp. The peppy ol' car's got quite a kick, and may be a fun racing car, but omg do I feel sick/abused (and I am *not* prone to motion sickness).

Yeah, dkaine is absolutely awesome.

Title: Tight Spaces
Author: splitbeak
Rating: G
Disclaimer: Stargate Atlantis is mine. All mine. Oh, wait, what universe is this again? Nevermind. Not mine. Not even a little bit.
Spoilers: None
Summary: Rodney struggles to remain calm while buried alive.
Notes: This was written for the Last Fic Writer Standing Challenge #1 at sgahcchallenges. Prompt: 300-500 words, all dialogue.

( Tight Spaces )