People who are used to doing the same thing every day have a hard time noticing when something chances. This morning at work, our Internet management system went down. It was having trouble all weekend and it turns out that there's something wrong with the hard drive, so our IT department had to take it away. We find all this out a few minutes before we open, so we have some time to get ready for manual sign up. We print out our sign up sheets and post all our "Please sign up at the desk" and "No printing today" signs.
The first rush of people are easy to catch because they come in sign file, so I just stood by the first Internet computer and took names. After that, things were not so easy.
We are suppose to have 15 minute express Internet computers, but with the name taking, that gets too hard to keep track; so, when the system is down, all computers are equal. Getting people to come and sign up when they're used to just sitting down and taking one is next to impossible, no matter how many signs you have up.
About a half hour after opening, I spot someone on a computer who did not sign up. I take my clip board and pencil and walk over to him to get his name.
Me: Excuse me, can I get your name? Our sign up system is down so we're taking names to keep track of computer time today.
Guy: (checking his gmail) Oh, is that why I didn't have to enter my library card?
Me: Yes.
Guy: You should really put up a sign about that.
Me:(pointing to the two signs on either sign of the monitor) We have. So if I could just get your name so you can continue using the computer.
Guy: (closing his gmail) That's okay. I'm done.
Luckily, this conversation didn't repeat itself often, but I did have to nab people from the express area several times to explain what was happening.
An email went out to all reference staff about the manual sign up. This is standard procedure for computer meltdowns. Of course when my relief comes, she doesn't know anything about it and immediately starts telling some poor visitor about 15 minutes express computers. Which don't exist today. Which she passed on her way to the desk, with all the signs.
18 October 2010
14 October 2010
The good and the bad
Good news and bad news everyone.
The good news is that Mark is no longer working graveyards.
The bad news is that Mark is no longer working.
*sigh*
Earlier this week the company he works for changed his schedule unexpectedly to an earlier time. Of course he didn't find out about this until after he logged on to work his shift and saw that he was supposed to have been teaching several hours earlier. This change was rather last minute and no one attempted to contact him in any way to let him know. So he emailed the scheduler and his HR contact to ask what happened and to apologize for not being on. And because he's up at 3 am and has nothing better to do he blogs about it. He didn't name any names, but apparently the company's CEO found about it somehow and decided Mark was giving him negative PR. He then sent the order down to have him let go.
So we're back to searching for teaching jobs. We've given up on San Antonio and are looking at Idaho, Pennsylvania, and Missouri. If you know of any school districts looking for biology teachers, let us know. 'Cause if we don't find anything by March, we'll be off to Japan, because Japan loves Mark.
The good news is that Mark is no longer working graveyards.
The bad news is that Mark is no longer working.
*sigh*
Earlier this week the company he works for changed his schedule unexpectedly to an earlier time. Of course he didn't find out about this until after he logged on to work his shift and saw that he was supposed to have been teaching several hours earlier. This change was rather last minute and no one attempted to contact him in any way to let him know. So he emailed the scheduler and his HR contact to ask what happened and to apologize for not being on. And because he's up at 3 am and has nothing better to do he blogs about it. He didn't name any names, but apparently the company's CEO found about it somehow and decided Mark was giving him negative PR. He then sent the order down to have him let go.
So we're back to searching for teaching jobs. We've given up on San Antonio and are looking at Idaho, Pennsylvania, and Missouri. If you know of any school districts looking for biology teachers, let us know. 'Cause if we don't find anything by March, we'll be off to Japan, because Japan loves Mark.
09 October 2010
Working
Mark has got a job!
Yeah! *clap hands, jump for joy, do a little happy dance*
He's teaching English online to Korean students. He's teaching high school and elementary school kids. These are like extra credit, after school program, classes, so the classes are smaller. The high school students are one on one and the elementary schools kids are three at a time. And the lessons are short, too, only 15 to 20 minutes a day. He started training Monday morning and taught his first group of students Friday.
The only drawback is that after school hours in Korea is the middle of the night here. So that Monday morning was technically Sunday night. Yep, he's working midnight to 8:00 am. Its very much like when we were dating, with my rushing home to be with him for a few hours before he has to go to work and I go to bed. Only instead of him being in another country, he's in the living room. And I'm learning how to sleep with the lights on.
Yeah! *clap hands, jump for joy, do a little happy dance*
He's teaching English online to Korean students. He's teaching high school and elementary school kids. These are like extra credit, after school program, classes, so the classes are smaller. The high school students are one on one and the elementary schools kids are three at a time. And the lessons are short, too, only 15 to 20 minutes a day. He started training Monday morning and taught his first group of students Friday.
The only drawback is that after school hours in Korea is the middle of the night here. So that Monday morning was technically Sunday night. Yep, he's working midnight to 8:00 am. Its very much like when we were dating, with my rushing home to be with him for a few hours before he has to go to work and I go to bed. Only instead of him being in another country, he's in the living room. And I'm learning how to sleep with the lights on.
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