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It's been a while since I posted. It's not because there hasn't been any problems, but because I haven't had time to write them all out.

Let's start with the "benefits". One of our AAUP benefits is supposed to be to allow us to take 9 hours undergraduate, 6 hours graduate "without charge". When I registered for this computer imaging class, the University sent me a bill for $199 in fees. It seems that the other 2 unions have "tuition free" in their CBA. I sent an email to one of the union people which started the ball rolling... as a result, according to the wording in our contract "without charge" the Union filed a grievance, which went to level 2 before the University gave in. The person I talked to told me that the way it was presented to the University, that even if the University won, my fees would be covered because of the timing.

The class - the class is going well. Except that I didn't realize that there would be a paper and a painting done. I don't recall seeing that in the syllabus. I'll have to check. However, the painting is going ok. She knows that I don't know how to paint and that I've only done 2 acrylic paintings in my life. She also knows that the only other thing like this I've done is to watercolor and/or chalk inside embossed rubber stamped images. Almost everything I've done is on PSP or Photoshop.

As far as work goes - I've had to take at least 5 sick days since Oct 1 for my teeth. The first time was when I got 2 out on Oct 3 - I took 2 and called out for a 3rd. Then on Nov 12, I took 2. On top of that, I've had to take off one day for stomach problems and I'm miserable right now with a cold or allergies.

SH has been leaving me notes again. I really wish she couldn't go thru my stuff. I leave it a certain way, and when I come in, it takes me longer to get started if I have to go through everything. Just this week, I've had to do one job twice because the papers I left here were gone. Two people just cannot work at one table like this - and SW gets the rest of the office. How fair is that? It's getting to the point that I'm going to either have to have a talk I don't want to have, or just say the heck with it. RS, my tuesday nite student worker, suggested that I put it all somewhere else. I think that's what I'm going to do. Put all the stuff I'm working on on a cart and put it in 218. She can still get in there, but at least if she does I know she went looking for something. I also don't like the notes she leaves like - "update Summary of holdings and shelve" on a microfilm, and then she tells me yesterday "if there isn't a student worker in by 9, shelve these" indicating the journals. The last time I shelved them at night, the student worker walked thru the door when I was finishing. I don't know how many times she's sat there playing around and then walked out without doing them. Also, I put one journal on the shelf in here and was walking to the cart to take the others out to the shelves, and she says... "I'm working on collection development. I'll be a half hour or so more, go shelve these." well duh. Where do you think I'm going to take them? Sheesh. What bugs me most is that this was supposed to be MY computer, and she has one in her office. Why wasn't she doing this down there if it's THAT important?

Oh well. Such is life. I have a student worker in here right now working on processing journals - right in front of the telephone. S just called, and the girl let the phone ring. Of course this is the same one who doesn't do anything after 4 when the other person in here who supervises her leaves. The girl doesn't do anything that I ask her to do - she ignores me like I'm not even here.