The latest brainstew

WTF?

melissa_bruninga_matteau — Tue, 22 May 2007 19:37:09 GMT

So, I get a call from a very nice young woman who informs me that someone has filed an insurance claim against me...or more rightly, against my auto insurance policy. Okay, for what? Well, an accident on March 27th this year. Okay...I haven't had an accident since the 1st of January 2005. In a blue Ford Bronco. I don't own one, nor is there one on my policy...I drive a Saturn. In LA, at Slaussen and La Brea. The last time I was in LA was in November, and I was off Laurel Canyon...and I don't even know HOW to get to Slaussen and La Brea (where is that, anyway). Oh, and the guy driving the car was named Issac Smith. Who? Issac Smith. I don't know any Issac Smith. You don't? No. In fact, that last Smith I knew was Tom Smith, and that was 10 years ago. Oh. So now I'm totally confused. Blue bronco? In a place in LA I've never been? By a guy I don't know? Excuse me, but I think perhaps there's a problem here.

The Rock and the Hard Place

melissa_bruninga_matteau — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 03:25:12 GMT

So, I'm debating what I should do about something. Doing the wrong thing means allowing two people, both of whom I care about, to be happy. Doing the right thing means making them unhappy. As it is, I'm acting pissy because I feel they've put me in an awkward position. So, the question of what to do is really making me crazy. They are both lovely people. He is the president of an organization, and she is a vp, like myself. They are now dating, and because they are spending a lot of time together, he is talking to her about things that are, rightly, under my umbrella, as well as rather dropping the ball on informing me of issues that have come up about things I'm supposed to know. For instance, one of the items that I am supposed to oversee is the relationship with various other campus entities, and suddenly, she is taking care of several of "my" meetings. Yes, I see it as poaching on my territory, but really, what bothers me is that I cannot do my job effectively if the president isn't communicating with me. It makes me look bad, but even worse, it makes them look suspicious, and I LIKE both of these people. I care about them. I think they make a lovely couple, I just think they need to not be doing it NOW. There's only 2 months left in office...couldn't they wait?! Oy. So, do I say something to them, or not?

Calling all Cali Student Parent types!

melissa_bruninga_matteau — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 04:10:06 GMT

New Proposed Changes to Title 5, The California Code of Regulations on Subsidized Child Care WILL END SUBSIDIZED CARE FOR STUDENTS AFTER 6 YEARS OR 24 UNITS AFTER THE COMPLETION OF A BA! Write, Fax, Email, Call and Come to Sacramento March 16th! Written comments can be sent to: Debra Strain, Regulations Coordinator Legal Division California Department of Education 1430 N Street, Room 5319 Sacramento, CA 95814 FAX: 916.319.0155 PHONE: Cecelia Fisher-Dahms, Content Consultant, 916.322.4883 EMAIL: regcomments@cde.ca.gov Want to come to the Public Hearing? Email sarahm_a@berkeley.edu for more info

New Ink!

melissa_bruninga_matteau — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 00:27:06 GMT

The endorphin rush on this one is fantastically strong. Rather...who hoo. Tattoos...drugs. Hmm.

Holy Mother of God, I did something!

melissa_bruninga_matteau — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 07:48:21 GMT

Don't know if it was the threat that my rent is increasing next year to over a grand a month, the planets and stars aligning, or what, but today I managed to finally stop reading all the damned articles and books and crap and write, and lo and behold, I managed to get 6.5 pages of my dissertation written. I'm not talking tweaking things, just writing. I've got notes to myself all through it, and it's probably a mess of flow problems, but I DID IT. I got past the "oh my fucking god I'm staring at a blank screen" and just wrote. I even have photographic evidence! I am savoring this moment, because I'm figuring tomorrow is another day, one in which the whole thing may blow up in my face. But for right now, fuck that. I can do this. I can, I will, and by god, it's going to be the best fucking thing ever. Okay, maybe that last bit was...ahem...a bit much.

Toil and Trouble (of course it's a boy)

melissa_bruninga_matteau — Tue, 31 Oct 2006 02:29:24 GMT

So. In love with my best friend. No biggie. Dealing with that. No worries. But then best friend decides to hook up again with psycho ex. Okay, well, his choice. Not so much bummed about what coulda happened between us as friend making bad move. Okay, cool. Decide to stay friends, largely because I actually LIKE him, and he and my kid are buds, as well (and she needs a postive male role model). We're doing well. Friend breaks up with psycho ex. We hang. Nothing happens, but everyone else thinks it's going to. Me, I figure, psychobitch is gone, so I've got time and whatever. I'm still cool. He goes on some dates, tells me how lousy they were. We laugh. Suddenly announces that he called psychobitch, and she's moving here and they're getting married, because she thinks that getting married will make their horrid relationship better. Cue me, friend who says "love ya, support ya, but not a fan." Cool. We agree that he will continue to hang with the kid and I, because hell, we're friends, and we like to hang, but that I don't want to hang with psychobitch, and he's cool with that. She leaves town, we hang, he agrees to watch the kiddo once a week so I can go do my thing. She comes back, no go on hanging with the kiddo, no hanging out with me, barely talks to me. I'm hurt, but not surprised. So why, oh why, does this hurt like this? Why do I say mean things to him? Gods, I'm a git.

G-d Dam%%ed, Self Serving Little Gits

melissa_bruninga_matteau — Thu, 15 Jun 2006 08:04:29 GMT

So. I've got a plagiarism problem... Gal number 1 plagarized a 2 page precis. Gal number 2...get this...bought a paper online and used it as her first draft (of 3). Then, for the second and third drafts, modified it so that it was WORSE so that it passed the turnitin.com test. The first two drafts were peer edited, so I didn't catch it until this morning, while grading the final papers. 2 hours and a lot of headache later, I had my proof and my assurances from the dean. Gal number 3...tonight, I'm grading the last of the papers. One paper has no turnitin.com reciept. Okay, well then. 6 pages of pure dreck (when the assignment was 10-12, natch)...except, of course, for those brilliantly turned gems in the middle of a crap paragraph. So, I google it. And lo and behold, there it is. Fully 1/2 taken from 2 different websites...one of which, mind you, is the one I pointed out to students in class! So, here's my evil, evil decision. In the humanities, any grade above an F is non-repeatable. So, instead of flunking these three girls, I am giving them all D-'s. It kills their GPAs, gives them grad but not requirement credits, and they can't repeat the course for a better grade. What did the principal in "The Breakfast Club" say? Mess with the bull, you get the horns? HA!

Because MC tagged me...

melissa_bruninga_matteau — Sat, 10 Jun 2006 06:51:05 GMT

Eight things about me... 1. I drink way too much diet soda. 2. I really, really detest poor grammar. 3. I don't enjoy live music on CD. If I'm going to hear live music, I'll actually go see the musicians, thanks. 4. I've become accustomed to far too much technology. 5. My daughter's nickname is "the human superball." 6. I'm tempted to call in family favors to get my ex sent to a war zone. 7. I live less than 3 miles from the beach, and have only been there 5 times in 4 years. I don't like sand all that much. 8. I'm in love with my best friend, whom I shall call "oblivious man." I don't know six people! Oh fine... Cricket Annie Dragonfly Frog Garnet (whatever he's calling himself this week) Paddy (cuz she kicks ass)

Happy Dance!

melissa_bruninga_matteau — Sun, 26 Feb 2006 04:44:07 GMT

My daughter gained 2 pounds!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Really, it was so good to hear that news. That means no more drugs and no growth hormone (not that I would have done the latter, no way!). I am sooooo happy!

To remain or not to remain, that is the question

melissa_bruninga_matteau — Fri, 13 Jan 2006 18:18:38 GMT

I've got 36 tribes. Some of them, I'm active in. Hell, some of them, I'm the moderator. But others...well, I could take 'em or leave 'em. Should I stay or should I go? Should I say "so long and thanks for all the fish" or just let them sit there, neglected and collecting dust, so many tchotchies on the shelf? Hmmm. I've discovered lately that I am not good at endings. It took me 6 years to get out of my marriage (it'll get better, right? Just keep telling yourself that) and more than a month to quit my job (and hell, this was a part time retail job). I hold onto things that have no meaning, and miss the things that do. I'm sort of worried about that, honestly.

Quitting the Job

melissa_bruninga_matteau — Thu, 12 Jan 2006 16:08:47 GMT

So my boss is a guy who can't seem to make a decent schedule to save his life. No, really. He can't. And it makes me crazy. So I've decided to quit. Trying to be diplomatic, of course, I told him that others who work there need someone who can be reliable, and right now, that's not me (let's leave off the fact that the reliable part has to do with his inability to schedule me when I can actually be there, but never mind). Thing is, he has me scheduled for this weekend, and its Thursday, and I have to quit TODAY. I hate quitting, because I feel like such...well...a quitter. Problem is, he knows it. Damnit. Ah well. I'll feel better once I give it up. And cancel the cable.

Reading Foucault

melissa_bruninga_matteau — Tue, 09 Aug 2005 02:08:58 GMT

Reading Foucault can be, I suppose, a worthwhile enterprise. I mean, my dissertation uses his work, so reading it is important. Problem is, is deadly dull. Dull, dull, dull. And obtuse. Why use the passe compose when you can use this strange inverted subjunctive form of a common verb? Gods forbid.

The Cake!

melissa_bruninga_matteau — Mon, 04 Jul 2005 00:15:24 GMT

So I made a cake. It was good cake...hell, it was better than good, it was fucking brilliant cake. Unfortunately, now I gotta make cakes for everyone's birthdays. Damn. I need a bigger kitchen.