August 25
From my brain
Contents |
2010
Me 22:12, 25 August 2010 (EDT)
Well, that's the end of it...kind of.
So, following the letter I wrote to the admins at school (and the rewrite below), I finally had the meeting today with Mr. B and Chef M. The first thing Mr. B says is that the letter "made him think". Part of me wanted to say, "Ah, so you weren't thinking before?" But I bit that back. Still he said, that there's just absolutely no way he can do it. Now the truth comes out: it's purely and totally the liability thing. Won't budge on it a bit.
I brought up (again) the idea of a liability waver, and he said prior to the last meeting the school's lawyers said that flat out liability wavers aren't worth the paper they're written on. Should I massage the feet of some mafia boss's daughter and "disappear", even if both I and Wifey signed away any liability of the school, if Wifey so chose to sue, most courts would just go *pwang* $5 million in pain in suffering to the wife (not a bad deal for Wifey if ya ask me).
So, at that point, realizing it was a lost cause to have the externship *count*, I told them, "OK, what about the option to 'take a break' and just go." They tried talking me down from it, but I wasn't about to budge. I want to do this now not later. Once in a lifetime means just that.
The end result is that I won't be doing the "four week sprint" with my classmates. I'll go to Italy on my own time, returning in time for classes on Monday, 2/28/2011. Do the four week sprint with them, and then do a local externship. I would then graduate (technically) in June.
Oh, and that "technically" bit? The bright shiny apple that was offered to me was that -- should I want to do so -- I could still walk at graduation with "my class". It's a formality of a ceremony anyway, not physical graduation, and it's there if I want it.
It sucks. It's not what I wanted...but I'm still going to Italy. Now, on to the logistics of it with all this in mind...
Oh, and as for the rewrite, that I have to thank Mr. P for. Mr P is my ethics teacher. This hands down was the first and thus far ONLY class that's actually made me think. In kitchen we just are expected to do. In the academic classes we're just expected to learn. This class was there purely to teach critical thought, and in the end, help us to work out our own ethical dilemmas.
So, I went to Mr. P with my dilemma because I wanted to make sure I had the logic straight. The ethics class was a good deal about creating logical arguments, so I thought he'd be the one to go to. He worked out all this stuff with me, and it was much of the same stuff I'd already come up with. I showed him the letter I'd wrote, and during his own lunch break on his own free time, rewrote the letter. I edited the language a bit from his initial wording, but here is the essence of the letter I gave to Chef M and Mr. B on Monday this week. This is what "made them think":
- RE: My Externship
- There is no question that the externship at the Hassler Hotel in Rome fulfills the spirit and letter of the requirements for an externship. None of you have indicated otherwise. We all know that it would be a rewarding and enriching experience which is exactly the kind of experience CCI students are encouraged to seek for their externship.
- After thinking about this over the weekend, it seems that the only barriers to using the Hassler as my externship are administrative and / or logistic uncertainties. Is it fair to assume that if we could overcome these difficulties, there would be no cause for me from using this option as any other student would use their externship?
- I respectfully request that you provide me with a simple list of all of the complications you foresee so that I can work out a solution to each. I am confident that I can then do this if I am given the chance. I just need to know – specifically – which issues to address. For example, just saying, “communication issues” is far too vague, but “We’d be unable to speak to your direct supervisor in a common language” is something that can be addressed directly (and potentially quite easily in that case).
- I’m very much looking forward to the time I will be spending in Italy, so I hope that you haven’t completely dismissed this as a possibility for my externship. If you have dismissed it to that extant, please let me know immediately so that I may begin to make the appropriate arrangements.
- Thank you for your time and I very much appreciate your careful consideration.
- Sincerely,
- Me
Alas, it didn't work, but hell, I made an administrative type "think". That's gotta be worth something.
2007
Me 17:34, 25 August 2007 (EDT)
My mom took TheBoy and I to see Walking with Dinosaurs today. Was a fantastic show. Bumped into a guy from ThePit before the show, but it was during the intermission that I had a much cooler random encounter. Here is the email I just sent him as a result of it (on his request):
- Nando: After we left the show, we went out for Chinese. The subject line above was in my fortune cookie, so I took it as a sign to email you before I forgot. I sent this to both a JPMorganChase as well as just a JPMorgan account because I couldn't remember which was correct. One would get through I suppose.
- As I said, I'm still working with mostly the same skill set you knew I had years ago (not by choice of course), so you know what I'm capable of already. Since you last worked with us, my main thrust has been more toward working on rapid application development tools using that same dinosaur I was using when you left. I can work miracles with it, but that old saying of "when all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail" is getting very tiresome.
- If you could nose around and find out what qualities they're looking for I'd appreciate it. I'd like to write the resume up as targeted to the needs of the positions as possible. Any leg up I could get would be great.
- It was good bumping into you at such a chance encounter. I guess we'll see how things work out. Either way, thanks for your help in advance.
- Sincerely,
- Me.
People: Cross any appendages ya got...
2005
Me 01:21, 25, August 2005 (EDT)
Well, Mom is out of surgery...
So, I'm posting this a day and half late, but my mind has been TOTALLY frelled as of late.
Lets see:
Monday, 8/15: Husband & wife have discussion in car (rumored to be having "issues"). Something turns sour in discussion, and husband pulls out a gun, and shoots himself in the head. In our company parking lot.
Wednesday 8/17: A friend of Wifey's has a little boy who's only a couple weeks older than Princess. The little guy has had all kinds of problems (since before birth) and has always had a week heart. He's been in the hospital for a couple weeks battling some crazy virus that his body just has no strength to fight. On Wed night, we get the word that they pulled the plug and let the little guy go. Wifey (to say the least) has been a basket case every since.
Tuesday, 8/23: My Mom has her hysterectomy because she developed uteran cancer. She's recovering now. I'm still in a tailspin both from having only four hours sleep that night, and 12 hours last night, but mostly from having to spend 12 hours NON STOP sitting in OSU's "atrium" (with no friggin TV) with my stepfather who didn't even bring a book! (My appologies to my English teachers for that run-on sentance.)
Now that I've put the budget for the house togther for the household in September, I'm going to go home and sleep. Again.
2004
Me 01:39, 25, August 2004 (EDT)
Coming soon to a browser near you....
2003
Me 15:56, 25, August 2003 (EDT)
Word of the Week: Attrition
Considering the current cold war between myself and management (therefore, usage 2), this had to be this week's word.
- NOUN: 1. A rubbing away or wearing down by friction. 2. A gradual diminution in number or strength because of constant stress. 3. A gradual, natural reduction in membership or personnel, as through retirement, resignation, or death. 4. Repentance for sin motivated by fear of punishment rather than by love of God.
- ETYMOLOGY: Middle English attricioun, regret, breaking, from Old French attrition, abrasion, from Late Latin attrti, attrtin-, act of rubbing against, from Latin attrtus, past participle of atterere, to rub against : ad-, against; see ad– + terere, to rub; see ter-1 in Appendix I.
- OTHER FORMS: at·trition·al —ADJECTIVE
