The Venting Thread

[apl68]

Late last week we finally got an admission from our HVAC service providers that they've messed up bad, and an apology.  And a promise to get the system back up and running early this week.  They did a bypass that kept some level of heat in the building over the weekend, which we certainly needed with the unusually late frosts.  The technicians are here today working on the air handler unit.  The company has even promised to eat part of the costs to help make amends.

[apl68]

The technicians are still working on things today.  Yesterday we had an out-of-town group using a meeting room.  They were impressed by how nice the building looked.  But they complained about the room being cold (the heat was of course out while being worked on), and at one point a bunch of stirred-up dust got blown out onto them through the building's vents.  I learned this morning that they've decided to go elsewhere for their meeting today.  Even while they're actually working on the HVAC system, they're hurting our reputation with patrons.

[sinenomine]

I'm on a search committee for a senior administrative position and we just had a finalist candidate back out, saying he thought the job was remote. The ad very clearly says it's on campus. I guess on the positive side, we weeded out someone who may not pay attention to details.

[lightning]

The technicians are still working on things today.  Yesterday we had an out-of-town group using a meeting room.  They were impressed by how nice the building looked.  But they complained about the room being cold (the heat was of course out while being worked on), and at one point a bunch of stirred-up dust got blown out onto them through the building's vents.  I learned this morning that they've decided to go elsewhere for their meeting today.  Even while they're actually working on the HVAC system, they're hurting our reputation with patrons.

At least where I live, I have found it impossible to find anybody that does competent HVAC work. I keep cycling through different people, and I've never been able to find anybody that I want to hire again. It's as if when all these HVAC systems became computerized, the systems became too complex for anyone to understand and fix. It's enough to make me want to abandon forced air and move into an old house that was built before air conditioning and uses radiated heat. Of course, then I would have to deal with old house plumbing problems and old house electrical problems and old house insulation problems and sinking foundations . . . .

[Langue_doc]

We got an email from one of the participants of the latest bird walk informing us that he had tested positive for Covid and that he had mild symptoms of what he thought was a cold or allergies the day of the walk. All I can say is that I am so relieved that I am still refusing to carpool for these trips and that I didn't make it to the second leg of the walk in another location where we would be sitting together having lunch because I got lost and decided to go home (I did inform the organizer who was willing to guide me to the location).

Covid is still with us. This person has had all five shots.

[sinenomine]

I volunteer as the treasurer for a local non-profit and file their taxes every year. The final step is a quick, online filing of one document with the IRS. It's always been very easy — until this year:

1. I logged in and was prompted to crate a new, dual authentication log in. Did that.

2. I accessed the new, "improved" platform, which booted me out with an error message and provided a phone number to call to report problems. I called it and got a message saying the number was no longer in use.

3. I dug through the IRS site for another phone number. Called that one, went through eight layers of automated menus, got to the one I needed. The automated system told me that service was no longer in use and disconnected the call.

4. I dug around more on the IRS site and found an instruction manual for the new, "improved" platform that had screenshots. They showed that the screen that booted me out had a missing drop-down icon. I clicked where it should have been and the heretofore hidden drop-down appeared, allowing me to file successfully.

Despite not getting my academic work done this morning, I still feel like I accomplished something, having successfully done battle with bureaucracy.

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

Oh, the bullshittery is running hot today! Some of our admins make me want to beat my head against a wall. They say 'A', but then want us to do 'B.' Just be transparent please!!!!!!!!

[Aster]

I'm walking down the hallway today, exchanging trivial pleasantries.

Another tenure track Professor, talking in a whining complainey voice: "Ugh. I have to be here all day on Tuesday."

Me thinking to myself: "WTF are you talking about? Did I just hear you right? We're all supposed to be here on Tuesday. Tuesday is a regular work day. You are a full professor. Are you telling me that you don't normally work full work days?"

Maybe she means more than 8 hours?

[downer]

Why would LMS creators set up email notifications so a student email goes to your email in-box but you can't reply to it, and it tells you to log into the LMS to reply to the student? Did they think "What would be really annoying? Let's do that!"

[marshwiggle]

Why would LMS creators set up email notifications so a student email goes to your email in-box but you can't reply to it, and it tells you to log into the LMS to reply to the student? Did they think "What would be really annoying? Let's do that!"

Exactly! It's not like two-way mail forwarding would be any more technically complex, since the system needs all of the same information for one-way as it would for two-way.

[the_geneticist]

Why would LMS creators set up email notifications so a student email goes to your email in-box but you can't reply to it, and it tells you to log into the LMS to reply to the student? Did they think "What would be really annoying? Let's do that!"

Exactly! It's not like two-way mail forwarding would be any more technically complex, since the system needs all of the same information for one-way as it would for two-way.

Oh!  I know!  Add in a warning message about "External Sender - are you sure you want to reply?" every time a student uses the LMS to email you and it's forwarded to your in-box.

'Cause we have that added feature.

[EdnaMode]

I was called by a helicopter mom who was upset that her wee precious son lost points when he did not attend lab one day and instead chose to attend and take part in a not-university-affiliated basketweaving competition. She informed me that she was on the board for the basketweaving competition (not relevant) and it wasn't fair that her son was not earning credit for the work he missed (don't do the work, don't earn the points). I explained FERPA, she wouldn't listen, demanded a copy of my syllabus, of the institution's attendance policy, said I did not have the right to 'make up rules,' I kept telling her that it was not up for discussion but her son could supply her the info she needed as far as class and institutional policies. She kept raising her voice and then said "I'm going to call your boss!" I said she was welcome to call anyone she wished and hung up the phone. Then I told my dept chair who takes even less sh*t than I do.

[Katrina Gulliver]

I hope your dept chair tells her to step off, EdnaMode.

[EdnaMode]

I hope your dept chair tells her to step off, EdnaMode.

Oh, he will. Wish I could be a fly on the wall. He's retired military and is amazingly good at standing his ground and getting his point across without ever raising his voice. One of my advisees said about him, "He's great with the dad jokes, but also just a little bit terrifying," and that was a pretty apt description.

[AmLitHist]

I stopped and got groceries at WalMart last Thursday after work.  As I walked out, my left foot went "pop."  The same thing happened a couple of years ago at work--a torn plantar fascia and torn tendon, just walking down the hall. I thought, "Oh, surely not again."

ALHS already had an appointment with our podiatrist this morning, so I called, and they said for me to come along.

I was right: NOT a torn PF or tendon again.  This time I broke my fifth metatarsal, clean through, and it's a bit displaced from continuing to walk on it. It won't heal on its own if I bandage or boot it.

So, for the first time in my 62+ years, I'm now in a hard cast, toes to knee, and non-weight bearing for at least 6 weeks, plus who knows how long afterward in a hard tall boot.

Of course, after years of putting off knee replacement surgery (doing the right first, then the left about 10 weeks later), ALHS has done all of his pre-op certifications this week.  I have NO Idea how all this is going to work, if we're both down at the same time, but he's getting those knees done.

It started out to be a s&*% week, and it's just gone steadily downhill. I nearly cried in the doctor's office when he showed me the x-rays. And I think I've made up a few new curse words this morning. I just want to sit by myself and cry. 

I have grading to do, so . . . enough of the pity party.  But. . . damn it all to hell. (It's been a long time since I've had a stretch like this; I'm out of practice.)