Well,
Today was my birthday. All in all an enjoyable day. A half day of contact time at work, and afternoon of easy, if time consuming, paperwork, pizza for dinner, and a bit of web surfing.
I decided that in honour of my B-day and because I worked my backside off yesterday (labour day holiday) on intellectual work I am in the middle of I would have a 'non-academic work' evening. Caught up on some emails, checked all the discussion boards for my studies, and updating my blog.
Waiting on my visa and apartment information for my new job. My current job seems to be 'rushing me out the door' or at least that is how it felt today when I was asked when I would be vacating my apartment. My contract runs to the end of August and I had planned on moving sometime in mid August. Seems my replacement wants to move in mid August and as there needs to be a 'semi professional clean' done between occupants it is looking like there many be a bit of a conflict. I did offer to move to better accommodations for the last few months of my contract - if it would be helpful. My offer was greeted with a blank, empty grin that sort of said " Yay, right, ain't gonna happen."
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Monday, April 16, 2012
Updates
Well,
All my documents are back from the lawyers/governments/embassies, arranging to have them scanned (most are larger than a standard, personal use flatbed scanner).
Was at the vets today with Hooligan -- his liver enzymes are all back within the normal range!! YEAH!!!!! BUT, his bilirubin levels are still four times higher than they should be!?! He had an ultrasound - yeah, lots of fun trying to hold him still while he had his liver/gallbladder region scanned. Good news - the scan did not show any abnormalities (I'll take the vet's word on that as I couldn't make ANYTHING out on the scan). Hooligan is free from visits to the vet to draw blood for 4 more weeks (we had been going every two weeks) but, he is on powdered meds until the next visit.
Koshka will head off to the vet in a week's time to check her kidney functions but, will not have to have a complete blood work up this time as her anemia is under control (her haemoglobin levels were low, so I added B12 to her meds) although, her reticulocytes are still low.
I am trying to enjoy my two week break from teaching...
All my documents are back from the lawyers/governments/embassies, arranging to have them scanned (most are larger than a standard, personal use flatbed scanner).
Was at the vets today with Hooligan -- his liver enzymes are all back within the normal range!! YEAH!!!!! BUT, his bilirubin levels are still four times higher than they should be!?! He had an ultrasound - yeah, lots of fun trying to hold him still while he had his liver/gallbladder region scanned. Good news - the scan did not show any abnormalities (I'll take the vet's word on that as I couldn't make ANYTHING out on the scan). Hooligan is free from visits to the vet to draw blood for 4 more weeks (we had been going every two weeks) but, he is on powdered meds until the next visit.
Koshka will head off to the vet in a week's time to check her kidney functions but, will not have to have a complete blood work up this time as her anemia is under control (her haemoglobin levels were low, so I added B12 to her meds) although, her reticulocytes are still low.
I am trying to enjoy my two week break from teaching...
Monday, March 26, 2012
Changes
Well, life has been a tad busy. Every Monday to the vet with one of the cats for blood tests; sorting documents for Canadian notary, authentication, legalization; sorting documents for Australian notary, apostille, legalization....
Good news is that the Australian documents are in the final stages in Australia.
Koshka's blood tests are showing that the medicine for her CRF is having a positive effect.
Hooligan is not fighting his 'huge, horse sized' caplet to help his liver function.
Both cats are so full of energy that they seem to making up for all the mischief that they didn't get up to before their health issues were diagnosed and treatment was started. :-D
It is test week at work - so, tons of marking to try and stay on top of; feeling ZERO motivation to complete my MEd tasks - the motivation vampires certainly did a good job!
quite looking forward to the Easter break - a necessary battery recharge and butt kicked into high gear to catch up and (possibly) get ahead with my MEd tasks.
Good news is that the Australian documents are in the final stages in Australia.
Koshka's blood tests are showing that the medicine for her CRF is having a positive effect.
Hooligan is not fighting his 'huge, horse sized' caplet to help his liver function.
Both cats are so full of energy that they seem to making up for all the mischief that they didn't get up to before their health issues were diagnosed and treatment was started. :-D
It is test week at work - so, tons of marking to try and stay on top of; feeling ZERO motivation to complete my MEd tasks - the motivation vampires certainly did a good job!
quite looking forward to the Easter break - a necessary battery recharge and butt kicked into high gear to catch up and (possibly) get ahead with my MEd tasks.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Is the cyber world out to drive me insane today??
Trying to organize an email to request that my university transcripts be sent directly to an embassy (visa requirement) from the university. Email request keeps bouncing from the university's address - the BCC to myself works fine!
Time critical on this SO NOW, I am having to courier the request in!!
Then I tried to sign in to another site and the internet kept bouncing me out -- took 25 minutes to actually get in to the site!!!!
ALL this mucking about has taken 2 HOURS!!! all just to 1) download a form 2) fill in the form 3)scan the form 4) attach and email the form!!!!! somehow I thought, albeit foolishly, that this whole process should have taken a maximum of 30 minutes!!
In cyberspace no one can hear you scream!
Time critical on this SO NOW, I am having to courier the request in!!
Then I tried to sign in to another site and the internet kept bouncing me out -- took 25 minutes to actually get in to the site!!!!
ALL this mucking about has taken 2 HOURS!!! all just to 1) download a form 2) fill in the form 3)scan the form 4) attach and email the form!!!!! somehow I thought, albeit foolishly, that this whole process should have taken a maximum of 30 minutes!!
In cyberspace no one can hear you scream!
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Paperwork Dragons redux
SO, I have spent a small fortune but my Australian documents are well and truly in the process of dragon's fire! I hope they will be back to me in a few weeks (the sooner the better) but everything is out of my control so not worth thinking about for at least 2 weeks! ;-)
I am waiting on some documents from Canada - they were sent out through Canadapost International priority mail which meant, according to tracking information, they sat in the drop off post office for 24 hours; then left the country - no further information on the tracking site - BECAUSE they left the country (funny how international mail LEAVES the country). I am hoping that they will arrive in no more than 3 days, then I can verify that they meet all the government requirements and add a few documents I have here to send them all to the lawyer back in Canada! I should get those documents back in a approximately 5 weeks from now.
Nothing is ever easy! :-S
I am waiting on some documents from Canada - they were sent out through Canadapost International priority mail which meant, according to tracking information, they sat in the drop off post office for 24 hours; then left the country - no further information on the tracking site - BECAUSE they left the country (funny how international mail LEAVES the country). I am hoping that they will arrive in no more than 3 days, then I can verify that they meet all the government requirements and add a few documents I have here to send them all to the lawyer back in Canada! I should get those documents back in a approximately 5 weeks from now.
Nothing is ever easy! :-S
Lord Buddha was a wise man
'The evils of the body are murder, theft, and adultery; of the tongue, lying, slander, abuse, and idle talk; of the mind, covetousness, hatred, and error.' Buddha
An apropos quote to start this musing off.
Recently I had overheard a few 'colleagues' speaking less than kindly about me (the ringleader of this group is one who frequently needs my assistance with various things - guess who just shot themselves in the foot.)... the comments I overheard ranged from patent lies 'she spends all day surfing on the internet, even when the students are in the class' to unflattering personal opinions 'last year we had a good teacher in that position, now we have her.' I was even so lucky as to hear that I have said I am a better teacher than the previous one. (NEVER crossed these lips! I did say that based on testing the students are weak in certain areas - but I NEVER attributed to someone else's not teaching them these items.)
Basically, all evils of the tongue were employed in the overheard conversation. Now I understand how evil of the mind and envy could lead some people to commit evils of the tongue as these same evils of the tongue are making me commit an evil of the mind - hatred - and fantasizing about torture and the first evil of the body!
I am angry. I am annoyed.
I mean really these are supposedly colleagues and professionals. FINE, you have an opinion of me. Fine you discuss your opinion with like minded people, BUT I draw the line at outright lying and false statements!
I DO NOT internet while my students are in class. I teach my backside off. I spend my breaks and lunch hours marking and or editing student work. I plan entire terms out BEFORE they start. IF testing shows a deficiency in previous learning or student recall - I REWORK the rest of the term to address this!!
I wonder why people are so small minded and petty. If you have an issue / problem with me wouldn't talking to me about it be the grown up thing to do?
An apropos quote to start this musing off.
Recently I had overheard a few 'colleagues' speaking less than kindly about me (the ringleader of this group is one who frequently needs my assistance with various things - guess who just shot themselves in the foot.)... the comments I overheard ranged from patent lies 'she spends all day surfing on the internet, even when the students are in the class' to unflattering personal opinions 'last year we had a good teacher in that position, now we have her.' I was even so lucky as to hear that I have said I am a better teacher than the previous one. (NEVER crossed these lips! I did say that based on testing the students are weak in certain areas - but I NEVER attributed to someone else's not teaching them these items.)
Basically, all evils of the tongue were employed in the overheard conversation. Now I understand how evil of the mind and envy could lead some people to commit evils of the tongue as these same evils of the tongue are making me commit an evil of the mind - hatred - and fantasizing about torture and the first evil of the body!
I am angry. I am annoyed.
I mean really these are supposedly colleagues and professionals. FINE, you have an opinion of me. Fine you discuss your opinion with like minded people, BUT I draw the line at outright lying and false statements!
I DO NOT internet while my students are in class. I teach my backside off. I spend my breaks and lunch hours marking and or editing student work. I plan entire terms out BEFORE they start. IF testing shows a deficiency in previous learning or student recall - I REWORK the rest of the term to address this!!
I wonder why people are so small minded and petty. If you have an issue / problem with me wouldn't talking to me about it be the grown up thing to do?
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Frustrations
Illness, legal services, visas, university classes..... I feel a bit (ok more than a bit) overwhelmed at the moment. I thought I was dealing with all this... but a COMPLETELY sleepless night has indicated I am not.
I think the biggest stressor is trying to organize notary, apostille/authentication, embassy legalization services on 2 continents while I am on a third. I am waiting on final quotes and payment forms - although one place wants me to set up an escrow account (how do you do that from a different continent??).
Very stressful!
Girl cat has CRF and has to take medicines twice daily - she doesn't like the meds at all BUT I can see improvements in her activity and body conditions. I wonder how much help the meds are relevant to her displeasure and stress at having to take them. Are there alternate methods of delivery, alternative meds, alternative food???
Sometimes I wonder why no mater what destination I choose (literal or metaphorical) the journey - which is out of my control - is so complicated?
I think the biggest stressor is trying to organize notary, apostille/authentication, embassy legalization services on 2 continents while I am on a third. I am waiting on final quotes and payment forms - although one place wants me to set up an escrow account (how do you do that from a different continent??).
Very stressful!
Girl cat has CRF and has to take medicines twice daily - she doesn't like the meds at all BUT I can see improvements in her activity and body conditions. I wonder how much help the meds are relevant to her displeasure and stress at having to take them. Are there alternate methods of delivery, alternative meds, alternative food???
Sometimes I wonder why no mater what destination I choose (literal or metaphorical) the journey - which is out of my control - is so complicated?
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