Well, a bit of catch up is due, it seems.
Shelf reorganisation at school B: I have finished re-shelving the picture books and chapter books. Have also weeded. My discard count is ~2600. And I haven't finished discarded all the weeds yet--all the chap books are done, but about 1/2 or a 1/3 of the picture books.
But seeing as I am in the midst of Book Fair Ponn Farr, it'll have to wait. It IS nice to stare at the shelves across from me and see just picture books neatly on the shelves...then look to the chapter books; but then I shudder when I look at the non fic that still needs to be done. *sigh* I've put posters up in some of the bays over the empty shelves--that's gotten me raves from just about everyone that's set foot in the library. I figured I may as well use it....
Book Fairs--am holding book fairs at both schools in the same bloody week; evening parent events are the same night as well. I'm doing the one at School B as it's my new to me school. PD and one of the EA's at school A are doing the evening event for me. (PD also has BF at her school B--their evening event is Wed, so I will be going up to help her.) Managed to get enough volunteers to cover most slots. I have to be at School B at the end of day both Tues and Wed, and will be by myself there Thurs p.m. (Luckily, school A isn't doing P/T interviews Thurs afernoon.) I'll be working Fri afternoon at school A by myself, too. I'm not sure which is worse, two the same week or doing them one per week, one after the other. I'll know that after February. I DO have interac at School A for the first time. (School B is so small they'd never get interac.)
Almost had a disaster of immense proportions. Not sure if I mentioned it, but School A has a small 14 computer lab in a long narrow room off the library (I think it _might've_ been a library classroom at one point--it has chalkboards. *shrug*). Anyhow, the teachers' have been jonesing for a full classroom sized lab, especially now that they can't do doubles with me.
So PHP II was talking to the head of Info instruction for the board (and the comp tech for School A, SR); the head said that the board wouldn't pay for the full room lab, etc. The genius fucking solution they came up with? 5 computers on either side of the door to the lab--on the LIBRARY side. Where I have the beginning of my non fic and reference. When discussing this with the PHP, I was against it and when I asked where we'd put the books. She waved at the other side of the library, "Oh, over there." fuuuuccckkkk. I was worried about pissing her off, as PD said that's when she tends to get tetchy with folks. So, she left, I went in the back room for a cry and some self pity. Still felt like a slap in the face after all I've done to clean up / open up that library. Once I finished there, I went out and plotted out how I'd have to change the way the library is set up; otherwise I'd be staring at one of the new banks of comps. Anyhow, some teachers were for this idea (bastards) and some weren't.
About a week ago, PHP II tells me (I didn't mention she broached the above with me by asking if I'd heard any rumours about the library. *rolls eyes* What, are we in HS here?) that after talking with the head of Info Tech (not the same dude as above), who's the dude in charge of the tech guys, that he'd said NO to putting the comps in the split situation; 10 in the library 14 in the current lab. I have never wanted to hug a man who is pretty close to a complete stranger to me as I did this man. Tl; dr: both he and the head of property services signed off on us getting the classroom lab (upstairs)--I'll give the PHP II credit--once she learned we'd been thisclose to a lab about 4 years ago (before big budget cuts)--to the point of work orders--she pursued it hardcore. Anyhow, talking to DT at school b today and he said we ARE getting our lab--PHP II didn't make that clear at the last staff meeting.
AND when one of the teachers asked what would happen to the lab once the comps were moved, she answered that "slashgirl has plans for it". I said that I would be making it into a workroom as I have no space to work that isn't in the main library (my backroom is storage and staff books/resources). I also said that it could be used a small meeting room or if teachers wanted to do student testing while in for library, that was cool too. *whispers* I might have an office again, soon.*
Honestly, I love comps and tech, but I hate having the lab near the library cus guess who is always responsible for shit? Yeah. I don't mind on one hand, but on the other? It'll be nice that it's upstairs, far away from me. :D
And I'm pleased the PHP II seems to be willing to give me what I want...and if I get this, I'll try not to ask for anything major for a year or two. LOL
I've actually gotten a bit of cataloguing done--and processing for the hackmatack books. Sent the records to PD and she sent me the french ones (school B gets the french; who do I need to call to cancel those for next year?). If I had my druthers, I'd be a full time cataloguer...and that's all I'd be responsible for. *sigh*
Ah, well. If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.
Showing posts with label dtp. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dtp. Show all posts
24 November 2012
04 October 2012
see chameleon lying there in the sun
Yesterday was school A again. One of the teachers, the power cord on her laptop was making a beeping noise. So, I emailed DT (tech guy from school B) about it, figuring I'd get an answer faster than if I emailed SR... I emailed with 'power cord beeping' as the subline...and asked if that meant imminent death or some other issue. Before he could reply, the teacher comes and tells me it's died and asks if I have another one. I didn't think I did, but when I went to take my lunch time insulin injection, I realised that the last time I borrowed a school laptop that when SR took ti back, he didn't take the cord. So I had one and it was the right one.
Thus, I emailed DT again, with the sub line 'nevermind' and the text that the power pack had answered its own question and died.
I stayed after school to laminate some bookmarks (with barcodes) for the kids in the primary class... I printed to the photocopier and when I came through the office, there was DT leaning against the front counter. I asked if he was lost, he said that he was and hadn't been found. He then said if I was going to send such amusing emails, I could continue to send them. I just looked at him; he said he'd laughed when he'd rec'd my first email, showing it to his co-hort and laughing cus "Power cords can't beep, it's an adapter". Cue me rolling my eyes and only not telling him to bite me cus we were in the main office. Then he said they LOVED the second email with "nevermind, it's died". Good to know I'm useful, even if it is just as comic relief.
Anyhow, DT and co-hort were at our school to install the security camera.... A little while later I was in my library taking all the laminate that hadn't fused on my bookmarks (which was all of it), when DT comes in, and he sounded like he was asking if I had ocmps with CD player issues. But no, he wanted a comp that had a working cd player as the one on his "craptop" wasn't working. He provided me with about 20 mins of amusement as he tried to get the camera stuff set up and working.
I told him that while he was there, could he install win7 for me--the cd was right there. He laughed. I said it was supposed to have been installed over the summer. DT: "How's that working for you?" Me: "You know who my tech is...." He didn't install it for me, the bugger.
Upgraded Alex as a new version was out--and before I installed it, the sounds wouldn't change for me, and even after the update, the sound alerts wouldn't change--so I submitted a request via their website. I didn't get the email til I got home, telling me to rebuild the db. Which it had done after the install--so I didn't think it would work. I tried it on my way in this morning (I have to go by school A's street to get to school B)--and it still didn't work. Emailed them once I was at school B to tell them.
So, I do the Alex update at school B (where the sounds were okay). Then realised it had deleted all my books listed as discarded (or at least it was showing 0 discarded books, when I had ~200 last week). Called them and the guy starts telling me to restore from the archived copy--and I say that will erase all my transactions from today, won't it? "Oh, you've done sign out". Yes, my darling, you're in Utah or Colorado--it's past 10 out here and only 7 am. for you. Then I ask if I can temp install Alex on another comp to at least get my list of discarded books. He says yes, if I shut the other one down. I laughed mentally.
I hike back to the library, d/l the installation file for the previous version of Alex, go to install it and! I need at least 10.5...the emac only has 10.4.whateever. So I tried vers 5.9, sometimes the new files work in the older version. Not this one.
I'm going to try it at home on my win machine (yes, I know, but I never use it at work/home the same time). Hopefully the archive will work regardless of mac/win. *sigh*
At least tomorrow is Friday.
Thus, I emailed DT again, with the sub line 'nevermind' and the text that the power pack had answered its own question and died.
I stayed after school to laminate some bookmarks (with barcodes) for the kids in the primary class... I printed to the photocopier and when I came through the office, there was DT leaning against the front counter. I asked if he was lost, he said that he was and hadn't been found. He then said if I was going to send such amusing emails, I could continue to send them. I just looked at him; he said he'd laughed when he'd rec'd my first email, showing it to his co-hort and laughing cus "Power cords can't beep, it's an adapter". Cue me rolling my eyes and only not telling him to bite me cus we were in the main office. Then he said they LOVED the second email with "nevermind, it's died". Good to know I'm useful, even if it is just as comic relief.
Anyhow, DT and co-hort were at our school to install the security camera.... A little while later I was in my library taking all the laminate that hadn't fused on my bookmarks (which was all of it), when DT comes in, and he sounded like he was asking if I had ocmps with CD player issues. But no, he wanted a comp that had a working cd player as the one on his "craptop" wasn't working. He provided me with about 20 mins of amusement as he tried to get the camera stuff set up and working.
I told him that while he was there, could he install win7 for me--the cd was right there. He laughed. I said it was supposed to have been installed over the summer. DT: "How's that working for you?" Me: "You know who my tech is...." He didn't install it for me, the bugger.
Upgraded Alex as a new version was out--and before I installed it, the sounds wouldn't change for me, and even after the update, the sound alerts wouldn't change--so I submitted a request via their website. I didn't get the email til I got home, telling me to rebuild the db. Which it had done after the install--so I didn't think it would work. I tried it on my way in this morning (I have to go by school A's street to get to school B)--and it still didn't work. Emailed them once I was at school B to tell them.
So, I do the Alex update at school B (where the sounds were okay). Then realised it had deleted all my books listed as discarded (or at least it was showing 0 discarded books, when I had ~200 last week). Called them and the guy starts telling me to restore from the archived copy--and I say that will erase all my transactions from today, won't it? "Oh, you've done sign out". Yes, my darling, you're in Utah or Colorado--it's past 10 out here and only 7 am. for you. Then I ask if I can temp install Alex on another comp to at least get my list of discarded books. He says yes, if I shut the other one down. I laughed mentally.
I hike back to the library, d/l the installation file for the previous version of Alex, go to install it and! I need at least 10.5...the emac only has 10.4.whateever. So I tried vers 5.9, sometimes the new files work in the older version. Not this one.
I'm going to try it at home on my win machine (yes, I know, but I never use it at work/home the same time). Hopefully the archive will work regardless of mac/win. *sigh*
At least tomorrow is Friday.
29 September 2012
sweet dreams of you, things I know can't come true
Missed a few days...most of the week was pretty typical; back to back classes at School A...and having one teacher ask if I had any free periods...hahaha. Only on Fridays, my dear. Bring your class down when they're scheduled.
On Thurs at School B the french consultant showed up--and, as usual, I was the last to know. Even though she was going to be taking stuff from the staff collection--we have the last dregs of early immersion--it's a 4/5 class with NINE students (and a teacher that's getting $75000/year for that--that'd pay for 2.5 Library techs)--and after this year, the three grade 4 students will either have to stream english or go to the other elementary that has immersion (only 5-7 mins away). So the books that the current class/teacher don't need are going to be given out to other schools. It wasn't a big hassle, though I did have to discard anything with a barcode--which took away from time I could have been doing shelving/moving books. *shrug* At the end of the school year, the rest of the immersion stuff will be sent away too--frees up some shelves for teacher resources, at least.
Thursday after school I stayed and shelved most of the picture books and chapter books, but I didn't make it all the way through them. It is very discouraging shelving them together. And the nonfic section is so crowded as to be unappealing to shelve in, and I didn't have as many of those, so I'll do it later.
I lucked out for Friday--it was a county based inservice for School B--but not for School A which is the next county west (our board consists of three counties--amalgamated ~15 years ago from three seperate county boards). However... School A was having an early dismissal with teacher training for the latest aspect of the automated reports system. I asked PHP II and she said I could be at School B.
Since PD's schools are in the same county as my School B, I asked my principal there if I could spend part of the day with her. PD switched her morning time to the middle school cus they wanted her there for inservicing, and the rest of the day at the elementary. She figured she'd get over to the Elem about 10:30. So, I worked at my school til then--I've started splitting up the chapter/picture books...I'm working backwards--shelving the end of the alpha bet chapter books first and weeding as I'm going. It means, atm, that I'll have to keep moving the picture books, but I don't have anywhere to store them. Must have discarded close to 100 book.
My fave finds so far: a road atlas of Europe...©1971. I'm sure no roads have been added or changed since then. Another good one was the property stamp in a copy of an abridged Moby Dick--"School B, RCAF Station *name of base*". It was changed to CFB in 1968. Yeaahhhh.... Was talking to DT before he headed out on the road and he said I should keep them in the history section. I told him I was a library, not an archieve and if he wanted them, he could have them. He declined. (I don't think i mentioned it, but school B used to be the junior high for kids whose families lived in PMQs for the base; I grew up in the same town but couldn't go to the school, since Dad was retired from the Forces. Now it belongs to the school board and, is, obvs, an elementary.)
Got to PD's school about 10:40 just after she'd got there. We talked about her ref section (not much to it, even less now that the old crap's been weeded). This school is where I went for elementary--at that time it was primary to grade 7, now it's P-5 cus of the middle school PD works at. Anyhow, the year I started primary is also the year this school opened. I'm 41...so ~35 years old school. God, I'm old.
Then we looked at moving her circ desk and the 5 comps--2 emacs, which are her opacs (her comp is also an emac, she's trying for an imac) and 3 pcs. Anyhow we got her desk and the emacs moved and tidily tucked away...then she wondered if we could take the pcs right out of the library; they don't get used at all by the kids. So, she flagged down her principal, B, (we'd been hoping for him at my School A)--and asked to see him when he had a chance. We moved other things around--even with it not totally finished it still looked much more open. (Probably cus the comps were on huge, 4ft sq tables--and we'd moved the opacs off that to a longer/narrower table.) Anyhow B came down and his first comment was on how open and nice it looked. He agred to let the comps be used elsewhere; we moved them to the math room later.
We finished moving things around and it looks SO much better. We've also discussed getting all her books onto the new shelving. There are two sets of wooden shelves ~9ft long, double sided--they were originally on the floor but were, at some point, put on metal braces with wheels. She wants to move them til the weeding is done, but we coudln't get them moved. Once every section is weeded (we did a bit on Fri; there were books I'm pretty sure were there when I was there--I probably signed at least one of them, on astrology, out), she wants it all on the new shelves...get rid of that wooden shelving (it's original to the school--I remember it)...and that will open up an actual proper seating area in the library. I'm pretty sure B will agree to it.
PD told me that B had commented to her that he really liked what I've done with the library at School A (he was VP there 7 or 8 years ago and has been in since for inservices). I've had a few of the regular substitutes comment on how much nicer the library looks now. I opened it right up, got all the book shelves/mag racks out of the middle of the floor. I really wish we'd gotten B as our principal there--he seems like a really sweet guy--as PD says a "teddy bear". He's an effective admin without being a total dickhead. Which is always a bonus. PD was worried about how some of the teachers might take her changes; I told her not to let it bother her. It's her library now (and unlike our union, I don't believe the fairy tale that these changes are just for this year) and even if we did go back to one LT per school and the other one came back, well... It's PD's library right now. And the changes she wants to make are only going to improve the library.
At lunch I took PD to School B to show her what I'd inherited and then to School A as she hadn't seen it since I'd made the last of the major changes... she avoided being seen by PHP II who is her former VP. I went to PD's for supper and we hung out for the evening, dicussing library things. LOL Alll in all a good day.
On Thurs at School B the french consultant showed up--and, as usual, I was the last to know. Even though she was going to be taking stuff from the staff collection--we have the last dregs of early immersion--it's a 4/5 class with NINE students (and a teacher that's getting $75000/year for that--that'd pay for 2.5 Library techs)--and after this year, the three grade 4 students will either have to stream english or go to the other elementary that has immersion (only 5-7 mins away). So the books that the current class/teacher don't need are going to be given out to other schools. It wasn't a big hassle, though I did have to discard anything with a barcode--which took away from time I could have been doing shelving/moving books. *shrug* At the end of the school year, the rest of the immersion stuff will be sent away too--frees up some shelves for teacher resources, at least.
Thursday after school I stayed and shelved most of the picture books and chapter books, but I didn't make it all the way through them. It is very discouraging shelving them together. And the nonfic section is so crowded as to be unappealing to shelve in, and I didn't have as many of those, so I'll do it later.
I lucked out for Friday--it was a county based inservice for School B--but not for School A which is the next county west (our board consists of three counties--amalgamated ~15 years ago from three seperate county boards). However... School A was having an early dismissal with teacher training for the latest aspect of the automated reports system. I asked PHP II and she said I could be at School B.
Since PD's schools are in the same county as my School B, I asked my principal there if I could spend part of the day with her. PD switched her morning time to the middle school cus they wanted her there for inservicing, and the rest of the day at the elementary. She figured she'd get over to the Elem about 10:30. So, I worked at my school til then--I've started splitting up the chapter/picture books...I'm working backwards--shelving the end of the alpha bet chapter books first and weeding as I'm going. It means, atm, that I'll have to keep moving the picture books, but I don't have anywhere to store them. Must have discarded close to 100 book.
My fave finds so far: a road atlas of Europe...©1971. I'm sure no roads have been added or changed since then. Another good one was the property stamp in a copy of an abridged Moby Dick--"School B, RCAF Station *name of base*". It was changed to CFB in 1968. Yeaahhhh.... Was talking to DT before he headed out on the road and he said I should keep them in the history section. I told him I was a library, not an archieve and if he wanted them, he could have them. He declined. (I don't think i mentioned it, but school B used to be the junior high for kids whose families lived in PMQs for the base; I grew up in the same town but couldn't go to the school, since Dad was retired from the Forces. Now it belongs to the school board and, is, obvs, an elementary.)
Got to PD's school about 10:40 just after she'd got there. We talked about her ref section (not much to it, even less now that the old crap's been weeded). This school is where I went for elementary--at that time it was primary to grade 7, now it's P-5 cus of the middle school PD works at. Anyhow, the year I started primary is also the year this school opened. I'm 41...so ~35 years old school. God, I'm old.
Then we looked at moving her circ desk and the 5 comps--2 emacs, which are her opacs (her comp is also an emac, she's trying for an imac) and 3 pcs. Anyhow we got her desk and the emacs moved and tidily tucked away...then she wondered if we could take the pcs right out of the library; they don't get used at all by the kids. So, she flagged down her principal, B, (we'd been hoping for him at my School A)--and asked to see him when he had a chance. We moved other things around--even with it not totally finished it still looked much more open. (Probably cus the comps were on huge, 4ft sq tables--and we'd moved the opacs off that to a longer/narrower table.) Anyhow B came down and his first comment was on how open and nice it looked. He agred to let the comps be used elsewhere; we moved them to the math room later.
We finished moving things around and it looks SO much better. We've also discussed getting all her books onto the new shelving. There are two sets of wooden shelves ~9ft long, double sided--they were originally on the floor but were, at some point, put on metal braces with wheels. She wants to move them til the weeding is done, but we coudln't get them moved. Once every section is weeded (we did a bit on Fri; there were books I'm pretty sure were there when I was there--I probably signed at least one of them, on astrology, out), she wants it all on the new shelves...get rid of that wooden shelving (it's original to the school--I remember it)...and that will open up an actual proper seating area in the library. I'm pretty sure B will agree to it.
PD told me that B had commented to her that he really liked what I've done with the library at School A (he was VP there 7 or 8 years ago and has been in since for inservices). I've had a few of the regular substitutes comment on how much nicer the library looks now. I opened it right up, got all the book shelves/mag racks out of the middle of the floor. I really wish we'd gotten B as our principal there--he seems like a really sweet guy--as PD says a "teddy bear". He's an effective admin without being a total dickhead. Which is always a bonus. PD was worried about how some of the teachers might take her changes; I told her not to let it bother her. It's her library now (and unlike our union, I don't believe the fairy tale that these changes are just for this year) and even if we did go back to one LT per school and the other one came back, well... It's PD's library right now. And the changes she wants to make are only going to improve the library.
At lunch I took PD to School B to show her what I'd inherited and then to School A as she hadn't seen it since I'd made the last of the major changes... she avoided being seen by PHP II who is her former VP. I went to PD's for supper and we hung out for the evening, dicussing library things. LOL Alll in all a good day.
21 September 2012
I'm telling you she knows where it's at
Well, I can finally has music on my iMac. When DT stopped in this a.m. (mostly to add ram to ye old emac so it'd run a newer word version slightly better) he basically told me iTunes was a lost cause. I wasn't heart broken or anything; yeah, I like iTunes, in fact it's my player of choice on ALL MY WINDOWS BASED PCs. Yet, amusingly enough, I CAN'T USE IT ON AN iMAC. *cue laughter*
I'm using VLC player--it plays using a playlist and will play vids as well. First version I tried was too new, so I found an older version and that worked. Ah, sweet music. Fucking finally.
Told DT I thought the way programs are installed was stupid. He defended it. I realised later that I don't find the process intuitive as I do with WIN (prolly cus I've used them more, but still). There's nothing in the disk utility window that TELLS you to double click on what you want to "mount" on the HD. I just see buttons and descriptions about fixing your HD or erasing shit. (Seriously, mounting software...hardware that word makes sense, not for software. but macs, what can you do.)
Had to laugh, DT said that he gets pissy with anyone who asks about burning software for the mac. He tells them to just put the damned disk in. Sooooo.... guess what I'm a gonna ask him next time I see him. He makes it too easy sometimes.
Also discovered that until you delete something from the trash, the memory isn't freed up. Even on a fucking flash drive. Now THAT is really stupid. With WIN, it goes tot he trash, you can use the memory....*argh* I'm lucky I've got DT as my tech....for more than one reason.
Saw SR at School A this afternoon, finally coming in to fucking fix things--he was getting the lab comps and printer finished up when I left. I got after him for not doing stuff for PD--he feigned innocence. And his youngest boy is in grade 6 now! I remember when he was in primary (heck I remember when SR's oldest boy was in primary). All three of his boys went to Sham, so I was their LT up until four years ago, when I left for School A.
Tis late, I should go check tumblr and perhaps head to bed; I'm tired.
I'm using VLC player--it plays using a playlist and will play vids as well. First version I tried was too new, so I found an older version and that worked. Ah, sweet music. Fucking finally.
Told DT I thought the way programs are installed was stupid. He defended it. I realised later that I don't find the process intuitive as I do with WIN (prolly cus I've used them more, but still). There's nothing in the disk utility window that TELLS you to double click on what you want to "mount" on the HD. I just see buttons and descriptions about fixing your HD or erasing shit. (Seriously, mounting software...hardware that word makes sense, not for software. but macs, what can you do.)
Had to laugh, DT said that he gets pissy with anyone who asks about burning software for the mac. He tells them to just put the damned disk in. Sooooo.... guess what I'm a gonna ask him next time I see him. He makes it too easy sometimes.
Also discovered that until you delete something from the trash, the memory isn't freed up. Even on a fucking flash drive. Now THAT is really stupid. With WIN, it goes tot he trash, you can use the memory....*argh* I'm lucky I've got DT as my tech....for more than one reason.
Saw SR at School A this afternoon, finally coming in to fucking fix things--he was getting the lab comps and printer finished up when I left. I got after him for not doing stuff for PD--he feigned innocence. And his youngest boy is in grade 6 now! I remember when he was in primary (heck I remember when SR's oldest boy was in primary). All three of his boys went to Sham, so I was their LT up until four years ago, when I left for School A.
Tis late, I should go check tumblr and perhaps head to bed; I'm tired.
19 September 2012
everybody was in it, for miles around
Haven't had much time to look at the book fair thing... tomorrow, I'm at school b and have a bit more time. DT got one thing fixed for me and I'm pretty sure he got the second done after I got him the password. He's so much more efficient than SR. (In fact, we've got over 20 items in our online help desk for SR to get to at school A; I finally complained to the PHPII today--we're down to 12 comps in the lab). If he's still out sick they need to send someone over, if he's not, he needs to get here to get things done. *grrr* Told PD today that I was gonna bug DT and say since he went over and helped at PD's elem school, he needs to come over to school A...while I'm there on Fri or Tues/Wed. LOL. I can imagine the response I'll get to THAT!
Got through OH&S meeting today--I'm the secretary AND the co-chair as no one else would do co-chair (I've done secretary almost every year/ohs team I've been on). *sigh* and the PHPII wants mouch more formal minutes than we're used to--more so than what I had at Sham. Oh, well, I'm modifying the template she sent me for the minutes, the format is horrendous. Stuff bolded and underlined. I'm surprised it wasn't italicised as well. *bah* Oh, well, I'll live.
The PHPII has said that on half days/inservice days, if I need to, I can go to school b. I'm sure there'll be some that I'll have to be at school A, which is fine. I'm getting a full day on the 28th (it's a full day in school b's county and half day at school A--yes, different counties, same board, different days off...there're only two of this affected by that)--which I'll spend part of at school B but I'm going to talk to L (principal there) and see if I can maybe spend half the day helping PD at Kton her elementary. She'll spend half her day helping me at school b. We're planning something similar for the prof dev day in Oct.
My volunteer C was in yesterday and today so all my shelving is done. I've barely had to do any shelving the last two years--she does it and ENJOYS it. I think that's weird since shelving is my least fave thing to do, but different strokes as they say.
Got through OH&S meeting today--I'm the secretary AND the co-chair as no one else would do co-chair (I've done secretary almost every year/ohs team I've been on). *sigh* and the PHPII wants mouch more formal minutes than we're used to--more so than what I had at Sham. Oh, well, I'm modifying the template she sent me for the minutes, the format is horrendous. Stuff bolded and underlined. I'm surprised it wasn't italicised as well. *bah* Oh, well, I'll live.
The PHPII has said that on half days/inservice days, if I need to, I can go to school b. I'm sure there'll be some that I'll have to be at school A, which is fine. I'm getting a full day on the 28th (it's a full day in school b's county and half day at school A--yes, different counties, same board, different days off...there're only two of this affected by that)--which I'll spend part of at school B but I'm going to talk to L (principal there) and see if I can maybe spend half the day helping PD at Kton her elementary. She'll spend half her day helping me at school b. We're planning something similar for the prof dev day in Oct.
My volunteer C was in yesterday and today so all my shelving is done. I've barely had to do any shelving the last two years--she does it and ENJOYS it. I think that's weird since shelving is my least fave thing to do, but different strokes as they say.
15 September 2012
This is quality
I say you can tell what a person is like from how they act, more so than what they say.
DT, my tech at School B proved that on Friday. I was talking to PD and she said DT was her tech on Friday at her second school--which is normally covered by MY other (and long time) tech SR. SR's been out sick all week and he'd left a lot of shit undone at that school; apparently DT himself complained about it. So, they told him to go and do it (now, yes, DT's wife is a secretary at that school, but she didn't need anything done!) and he did. By complaining, he'd made more work for himself, but he looked at all the work orders outstanding at the school and I'm sure it pissed him off.
As I said to PD today; I love SR dearly but the man is slower than frozen molasses going uphill in February. And he doesn't care about his job in the same way DT does... I think I'm correct in making DT my fave tech. As she said, I don't know how he keeps his job. Prolly cus he can justify why everything takes so long. That's why, when the lab comps at School A weren't hooked up, I had the principal put the tech request through; I KNOW he won't ignore her. Or he's less likely too. Plus, he doesn't like macs, so doing stuff at PD's library means touching macs.
I'm so very tempted to tell him I want an iMac at School A now. Oh, god, I wonder if DT would let me borrow my iMac from School B when I leave on Friday and take it to School A--and I'd put a work order in to get SR over to see me right away....and have the mac set up....ahahahaha. Tell him I can't connect to the server now and need to so I can back up. I'd have to make sure it was a week he wasn't sick. Oh, I wonder if DT would let me do that? I am so fucking evil.... Oh, god, even worse, show up with my old EMAC. I am so very devious. Oh, email him and tell him I'm having problems--everything on my screen looks different...heehee. He would fucking kill me but it would be worth it.....
I really should become an evil genius and take over the world....
DT, my tech at School B proved that on Friday. I was talking to PD and she said DT was her tech on Friday at her second school--which is normally covered by MY other (and long time) tech SR. SR's been out sick all week and he'd left a lot of shit undone at that school; apparently DT himself complained about it. So, they told him to go and do it (now, yes, DT's wife is a secretary at that school, but she didn't need anything done!) and he did. By complaining, he'd made more work for himself, but he looked at all the work orders outstanding at the school and I'm sure it pissed him off.
As I said to PD today; I love SR dearly but the man is slower than frozen molasses going uphill in February. And he doesn't care about his job in the same way DT does... I think I'm correct in making DT my fave tech. As she said, I don't know how he keeps his job. Prolly cus he can justify why everything takes so long. That's why, when the lab comps at School A weren't hooked up, I had the principal put the tech request through; I KNOW he won't ignore her. Or he's less likely too. Plus, he doesn't like macs, so doing stuff at PD's library means touching macs.
I'm so very tempted to tell him I want an iMac at School A now. Oh, god, I wonder if DT would let me borrow my iMac from School B when I leave on Friday and take it to School A--and I'd put a work order in to get SR over to see me right away....and have the mac set up....ahahahaha. Tell him I can't connect to the server now and need to so I can back up. I'd have to make sure it was a week he wasn't sick. Oh, I wonder if DT would let me do that? I am so fucking evil.... Oh, god, even worse, show up with my old EMAC. I am so very devious. Oh, email him and tell him I'm having problems--everything on my screen looks different...heehee. He would fucking kill me but it would be worth it.....
I really should become an evil genius and take over the world....
13 September 2012
your head feels twice the size
Getting so behind on this already!
My current sched has me at school A all day Tues and Wed and then Friday from 11:30 til 2:30 ish, including my lunch time. I'm at school B all day Thurs and Fri. morning.
I'd ask K when he was doing schedules last year, if he'd schedule the actual library times--he had the master sched and it was easier for him to do it as he could rearrange other things as need be--since it was a matter of scheduling 16 classes over two days (leaving me Fri afternoons to do library work). He'd asked me how I'd wanted my time structured--it's easier doing full days and given it's a 15 min drive between my two schools, cheaper. Anyhow, he set it up for me, and said, when it was done "There, I've done it for you, you big baby!" (Teasing me--in prior years I'd let the teachers pick their times and done up the sched).
I did my sched at School B with the teachers coming to see me--there's only 8 home rooms; half what I have at school a. Anyhow a bit more unscheduled time there, which I'm gonna need.
I didn't have classes the first week of school at either site. Which was good cus last Thursday, DT (my tech at school B) got me an imac--he asked when I wanted it. I said now? He said: Done. Then went upstairs and got it. We got Alex and other things I needed set up. Bless him--he's so much faster at stuff than SR. I still <3 SR, but he was supposed to upgrade my pc at school A to win7 over the summer. Never happened. Not shocked, I've worked with him for 12 or so years now and same as always. *sigh* He's a good tech just fucking slow. As I told PD--DT is my favourite tech now...not that I've broken the news to SR. *heh*
Anyhow, had a good chat with DT Thursday--him ranting about how things are done with/via the techs for the board and what he'd do differently if he was in charge. He's so funny--one of THE most laid back guys I've ever met (even more than SR) yet he gets so worked up over shit he cares about. I had a couple simple questions for him today--so I went upstairs to the Tech Cave (my name for it) and asked, but it would've been as easy to email. I asked him if he minded if I did email him--he said he doesn't care, go ahead. (I only ask cus not all techs like folks emailing them about stuff--we have an online help desk to submit things--but if it's a question, email's easier; SR lets me email him as well).
So, Thurs, at School B, I called Comp Corp who own Alexandria to get my codes for v.6 (licence/reg codes change with the update)...the rep said it wouldn't propogate on their servers for about 3 hours; told her this was fine as I wasn't going to update til the next day. Friday morning and I had my updated codes and d/l the installation file for Alex--but there was a line of instruction that I didn't quite get, so I was going to call their tech support, but got no answer (3 hr time diff, it was 7 for me, 4 a.m. for them tho it's 24 hour support). Anyhow DT showed up and he had no idea what they really meant (probably don't overwrite the previous install--it's a bloody mac). He was looking for Alex and saw that I'd dropped the program from the app window onto the desktop. Hee. DT was all "Why did you do that, you don't move programs like that on Windows, etc, etc"; I'm pissing myself laughing at this point--managed to sputter out "but I don't use macs" and "It still worked". hahaha. Yeah, still getting used to the dock thing.
So, we get Alex installed and she doesn't want to let me log in. I'd logged into V5 before I upgraded... DT can't figure out what's wrong, we try again, still didn't work; DT went back to the Tech Cave...I ended up calling Alex tech support--turns out that sometimes the login info doesn't transfer, so he gave me a backdoor pword (yanno what? DID NOT have this problem with Windows...). It worked and I was able to set up users again. Yay. Went upstairs to find DT to let him know it worked.
Then I discovered there was no iTunes. On an iMac. o.^ Couldn't d/l it either (DT doesn't believe me that it's because https sites are blocked, except for whitelisted sites--one of which he showed me that worked. I smirked rather muchly when he couldn't access the d/l even when he used Safari.) I told him, when I'd gone up to ask about it, that I was whiney and needy. He replied, "Only til you get what you need." I forgot to ask about the iTunes today til after he'd gone...so I emailed him tonight.
He really is one of the good guys (married, natch)--today on one of his many forays to and fro from his vehicle to upstairs, he poked his head in and asked if everything was okay. I said it was except I wanted a PC. He responded with sign language...I'm sure you can guess which one. Another reason to like him! LOL
Okay, this is getting long....there's a surprise. I'll talk about first days more in my next post.
My current sched has me at school A all day Tues and Wed and then Friday from 11:30 til 2:30 ish, including my lunch time. I'm at school B all day Thurs and Fri. morning.
I'd ask K when he was doing schedules last year, if he'd schedule the actual library times--he had the master sched and it was easier for him to do it as he could rearrange other things as need be--since it was a matter of scheduling 16 classes over two days (leaving me Fri afternoons to do library work). He'd asked me how I'd wanted my time structured--it's easier doing full days and given it's a 15 min drive between my two schools, cheaper. Anyhow, he set it up for me, and said, when it was done "There, I've done it for you, you big baby!" (Teasing me--in prior years I'd let the teachers pick their times and done up the sched).
I did my sched at School B with the teachers coming to see me--there's only 8 home rooms; half what I have at school a. Anyhow a bit more unscheduled time there, which I'm gonna need.
I didn't have classes the first week of school at either site. Which was good cus last Thursday, DT (my tech at school B) got me an imac--he asked when I wanted it. I said now? He said: Done. Then went upstairs and got it. We got Alex and other things I needed set up. Bless him--he's so much faster at stuff than SR. I still <3 SR, but he was supposed to upgrade my pc at school A to win7 over the summer. Never happened. Not shocked, I've worked with him for 12 or so years now and same as always. *sigh* He's a good tech just fucking slow. As I told PD--DT is my favourite tech now...not that I've broken the news to SR. *heh*
Anyhow, had a good chat with DT Thursday--him ranting about how things are done with/via the techs for the board and what he'd do differently if he was in charge. He's so funny--one of THE most laid back guys I've ever met (even more than SR) yet he gets so worked up over shit he cares about. I had a couple simple questions for him today--so I went upstairs to the Tech Cave (my name for it) and asked, but it would've been as easy to email. I asked him if he minded if I did email him--he said he doesn't care, go ahead. (I only ask cus not all techs like folks emailing them about stuff--we have an online help desk to submit things--but if it's a question, email's easier; SR lets me email him as well).
So, Thurs, at School B, I called Comp Corp who own Alexandria to get my codes for v.6 (licence/reg codes change with the update)...the rep said it wouldn't propogate on their servers for about 3 hours; told her this was fine as I wasn't going to update til the next day. Friday morning and I had my updated codes and d/l the installation file for Alex--but there was a line of instruction that I didn't quite get, so I was going to call their tech support, but got no answer (3 hr time diff, it was 7 for me, 4 a.m. for them tho it's 24 hour support). Anyhow DT showed up and he had no idea what they really meant (probably don't overwrite the previous install--it's a bloody mac). He was looking for Alex and saw that I'd dropped the program from the app window onto the desktop. Hee. DT was all "Why did you do that, you don't move programs like that on Windows, etc, etc"; I'm pissing myself laughing at this point--managed to sputter out "but I don't use macs" and "It still worked". hahaha. Yeah, still getting used to the dock thing.
So, we get Alex installed and she doesn't want to let me log in. I'd logged into V5 before I upgraded... DT can't figure out what's wrong, we try again, still didn't work; DT went back to the Tech Cave...I ended up calling Alex tech support--turns out that sometimes the login info doesn't transfer, so he gave me a backdoor pword (yanno what? DID NOT have this problem with Windows...). It worked and I was able to set up users again. Yay. Went upstairs to find DT to let him know it worked.
Then I discovered there was no iTunes. On an iMac. o.^ Couldn't d/l it either (DT doesn't believe me that it's because https sites are blocked, except for whitelisted sites--one of which he showed me that worked. I smirked rather muchly when he couldn't access the d/l even when he used Safari.) I told him, when I'd gone up to ask about it, that I was whiney and needy. He replied, "Only til you get what you need." I forgot to ask about the iTunes today til after he'd gone...so I emailed him tonight.
He really is one of the good guys (married, natch)--today on one of his many forays to and fro from his vehicle to upstairs, he poked his head in and asked if everything was okay. I said it was except I wanted a PC. He responded with sign language...I'm sure you can guess which one. Another reason to like him! LOL
Okay, this is getting long....there's a surprise. I'll talk about first days more in my next post.
10 September 2012
Catching up
I don't get paid until the first day of school but am usually in to work the week before to get ready--student recs exported by the secretary and imported by me into my library program (which is Alexandria, Alex for short). Library decorating done, any schedule changes done and finalised. This year I also wanted to go to School B--I'd known I'd be there since May, however the then principal (currently on a year's deferred leave) didn't contact me to come visit and because I'd been warned by my best friend (PD, also an LT in the same board--though she used to be just at a MS, she's now got an elementary added) and now former Principal, K, at School A, that the Library clerk at School B was very angry and bitter about things, I didn't bother trying to go visit before August.
Went over and met the new to me and new to the school principal L and the secretary, B, both of whom seem very nice. Then I walked down the loooonnnnggg hallway to the library (there are no classrooms nearby--two former classrooms are now storage for the school board and there's the day care and janitor's office; I feel rather isolated....). When I walked in, I almost cried because there, sitting on the desk was not one, but two bloody eMacs. I am totally a PC person. The library clerk left little to nothing for me about her library--not even a subfile saying how she'd done library classes. Didn't know the passwords for the computer, but luckily the janitor did--and then I realised the pword was taped to the monitors--well the computers since they're one piece.
Anyhow, the one emac was running OSX, while the other one, which had Alex on it was on 9.2. *twitch* I emailed my tech, SR, from School A as he was supposed to be my tech at School B as well--asking him where the PC he'd told me would be here was and that I my sanity wouldn't last til xmas if I had to use emacs. (I've used macs briefly over the years--I hate the one button mice--I keep trying to right click. *headdesk*) I found out a bit later that SR was not the tech at School B anymore. Having had to work with a couple of real dicks for techs, I hesitantly asked the teacher who our new tech was. She said it was DT, whom I've known for years and really like. He'd been PD's tech at her MS for several eyars and that's how I'd met him. He's a mac tech (unlike many of the techs who act like they'll catch on fire if they have to use/fix a mac--SR is included in that list) and knows PCs as well. Our school is his only school--otherwise he and another tech are specialists for sound systems, PA systems, video systems, etc. They're based out of School B--so DT isour tech, then he and his coworker head out to do whatever they're needed for that day.
Anyhow, looked around the library--she'd intershelved all the picture books with the fiction, the spine labels are handwritten! (with TWO printers in the library) and the barcodes are on the front of the book--but not in the same spot--they can be anywhere on the bottom half of the front cover. *sigh* And then I looked at Alex--her cataloguing is atrocious and doesn't follow the rules, but I guess when someone's not actually trained, you get what you pay for. Granted, it pales in comparison to what I faced, junk wise at School A when I started there four years ago, but still. *sigh*
Next to nothing for display materials, again a library without an office (might've had one but it's now the math manipulatives/lamenting room)...no phone, again. If I need something have to use the PA system. If I need to make a call, the janitor has said I can use the one in her office, elsewise it's a long walk to the "fishbowl"--so called because the wall to the hall is basically all windows. No idea what purpose it originally served (School B was built in 1962). Also discovered the gymnasium is named for a young man who was a year or so ahead of me at HS and who was killed after a freak hockey accident. He fell into the boards (pretty sure he wasn't checked, though I could be wrong) and the way he hit, it broke his neck; he lingered for a bit, but there was no hope for him. He wasn't a close friend of mine--I more knew of him than anything. Still kinda freaky seeing the gym named for him.
So, that was School B. More about that and School A in another post.
Went over and met the new to me and new to the school principal L and the secretary, B, both of whom seem very nice. Then I walked down the loooonnnnggg hallway to the library (there are no classrooms nearby--two former classrooms are now storage for the school board and there's the day care and janitor's office; I feel rather isolated....). When I walked in, I almost cried because there, sitting on the desk was not one, but two bloody eMacs. I am totally a PC person. The library clerk left little to nothing for me about her library--not even a subfile saying how she'd done library classes. Didn't know the passwords for the computer, but luckily the janitor did--and then I realised the pword was taped to the monitors--well the computers since they're one piece.
Anyhow, the one emac was running OSX, while the other one, which had Alex on it was on 9.2. *twitch* I emailed my tech, SR, from School A as he was supposed to be my tech at School B as well--asking him where the PC he'd told me would be here was and that I my sanity wouldn't last til xmas if I had to use emacs. (I've used macs briefly over the years--I hate the one button mice--I keep trying to right click. *headdesk*) I found out a bit later that SR was not the tech at School B anymore. Having had to work with a couple of real dicks for techs, I hesitantly asked the teacher who our new tech was. She said it was DT, whom I've known for years and really like. He'd been PD's tech at her MS for several eyars and that's how I'd met him. He's a mac tech (unlike many of the techs who act like they'll catch on fire if they have to use/fix a mac--SR is included in that list) and knows PCs as well. Our school is his only school--otherwise he and another tech are specialists for sound systems, PA systems, video systems, etc. They're based out of School B--so DT isour tech, then he and his coworker head out to do whatever they're needed for that day.
Anyhow, looked around the library--she'd intershelved all the picture books with the fiction, the spine labels are handwritten! (with TWO printers in the library) and the barcodes are on the front of the book--but not in the same spot--they can be anywhere on the bottom half of the front cover. *sigh* And then I looked at Alex--her cataloguing is atrocious and doesn't follow the rules, but I guess when someone's not actually trained, you get what you pay for. Granted, it pales in comparison to what I faced, junk wise at School A when I started there four years ago, but still. *sigh*
Next to nothing for display materials, again a library without an office (might've had one but it's now the math manipulatives/lamenting room)...no phone, again. If I need something have to use the PA system. If I need to make a call, the janitor has said I can use the one in her office, elsewise it's a long walk to the "fishbowl"--so called because the wall to the hall is basically all windows. No idea what purpose it originally served (School B was built in 1962). Also discovered the gymnasium is named for a young man who was a year or so ahead of me at HS and who was killed after a freak hockey accident. He fell into the boards (pretty sure he wasn't checked, though I could be wrong) and the way he hit, it broke his neck; he lingered for a bit, but there was no hope for him. He wasn't a close friend of mine--I more knew of him than anything. Still kinda freaky seeing the gym named for him.
So, that was School B. More about that and School A in another post.
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