i am taking this not so interesting class on tuesday nights this semester...the professor doesn't really teach and the teaching is left up to the class...
a few weeks ago, two of my classmates presented on teacher reward systems....they decided to do a jeopardy type game for the class to participate in...it was creative, but i am not sure what i learned....but what was more interesting me to was, a classmate....i shall call him, mr. important...
mr. important walked into class about 15 minutes late....the people leading class for that day directed him which group to join....so, he sat with his group...and the game began...it was set up just like jeopardy and the class seemed to get a little into it....well, about 1/2 way through the first round, mr. important stood up and walked out of the class....just walked right out....
this week, i was the first to arrive to class...then mr. important came in....he sat in a seat behind me....he got up and moved to a seat on the other side of the class room....then he got up and sat in the row next to me....then he got up and moved to another seat behind me....someone else came into to class, so mr. important then walked out of the room....when he came back, he sat in a different seat....but then right before class started he moved one more time....the man changed his seat over and over again....
so, once the presenter was done this week, the professor decided to teach a little....the first thing that came out of the professor's mouth was that the TRIO programs don't exist anymore....i raised my hand and disagreed, but the prof wouldn't hear it....i basically stopped listening to the man, because i realized how profs can just spew crap and students will just take it as fact....the prof went on for about 45 minutes...the whole time mr. important behind me was sighing loudly...rude loudly...i guess he was done listening....
this is how i spend my tuesday nights in albany....with a prof who i don't believe and mr. important.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Friday, March 12, 2010
4am knocks
on friday morning just before 4am, jack started to bark....it was his protect the house bark....now, the tenant's children come over every morning just before 5am, and not knowing at the time the barking started, i assumed it was the children....so, i called jack to come back, but he just kept barking....
then i heard knocking on my door....i couldn't imagine who was knocking on my door, so i got up and asked, "who is it?" it was the tenant's girlfriend....now, she has a little kid voice...it's high pitched and whiny....she proceeds to say to me through the door- "jen, there is a gas leak in our apartment...you have to get out now." it takes me a few seconds to comprehend what she is saying to me and I say, "oh, ok."
i then proceed to get dressed, get the dogs, think about if i should try to get the cats together....i decide that the cats will be okay and the house probably isn't going to explode....i go outside and there are the tenants....they proceed to tell me that they could smell gas in the apartment, so they called 911 and NYSEG....i asked if the heat was on in the apartment, because there had been some furnace issues and i thought maybe the pilot light had gone out again....but the girlfriend told me she shut the heat off, so she didn't know....so, we wait...
within minutes the state police arrive....they ask who made the call, who is the owner, and what the issue was....they then proceeded into the house....they come out a few minutes later and say, "we don't smell anything, but the fire department should be here shortly and they can tell us." then the fire chief arrived, he went inside and came out saying the same thing- didn't smell anything, but the fire truck would have a detector on it, so that should tell them something....
so, now i am standing outside my house, in the chilly weather, and up pulls a fire truck....i haven't seen a fire truck at my residence since i lived on campus....but there it was....a fire truck, the chief's SUV, and the state police....the fire people went into the apartment with a machine that is made to detect gas....after about 5 minutes they came out to say they machine didn't detect anything....great! let's go back to bed...but no, we have to wait for NYSEG to arrive and clear everything...
we wait about 15 minutes for the NYSEG man to arrive...meanwhile, the dogs are getting whiny...the way i assume a child would get whiny about having to stand outside in the cold at 4am....i put them into the car and turn it on- because i have taken the keys in case i have to leave the house....the man finally arrives and enters the house with the chief....when they come back out, the NYSEG man tells me the smell is from the stove and carbon build up....he says he will come back in and show us and turn down the pilot light...
the chief pulls me aside and informs me about a new law about carbon monoxide detectors....i asked how i would know, he said from the radio and tv....i don't really listen to the radio and lately only watch tivo tv....anyway, he also says the smoke detectors have been taken apart and while he understands that it's not me who did it, i am still the landlord...great- he hands me a form that states i am in violation of these two codes....great.
in the house, the NYSEG man turns down the pilot and then informs me, in front of the tenants, that the stove is old and maybe should be replaced....i turn to him, remember at this point it's almost 5am, and say, "are you a stove expert?" shocked the man asked me to repeat myself....i do and when he tells me he is not, i say, "great, because i would assume a stove expert would know best if a stove is not usable anymore." he then explains that his reasoning is that the gas takes approximately 2 seconds to come on with the stove....i just stared at him....in my head all i can think is, "every gas stove i have ever used takes a second or two to start." really, nyseg man, really?!
in the end, there was no gas leak...the pilot light on the stove was too high and causing a carbon build up on the metal of the stove...this was the smell that lead to my 4am wake up call.
then i heard knocking on my door....i couldn't imagine who was knocking on my door, so i got up and asked, "who is it?" it was the tenant's girlfriend....now, she has a little kid voice...it's high pitched and whiny....she proceeds to say to me through the door- "jen, there is a gas leak in our apartment...you have to get out now." it takes me a few seconds to comprehend what she is saying to me and I say, "oh, ok."
i then proceed to get dressed, get the dogs, think about if i should try to get the cats together....i decide that the cats will be okay and the house probably isn't going to explode....i go outside and there are the tenants....they proceed to tell me that they could smell gas in the apartment, so they called 911 and NYSEG....i asked if the heat was on in the apartment, because there had been some furnace issues and i thought maybe the pilot light had gone out again....but the girlfriend told me she shut the heat off, so she didn't know....so, we wait...
within minutes the state police arrive....they ask who made the call, who is the owner, and what the issue was....they then proceeded into the house....they come out a few minutes later and say, "we don't smell anything, but the fire department should be here shortly and they can tell us." then the fire chief arrived, he went inside and came out saying the same thing- didn't smell anything, but the fire truck would have a detector on it, so that should tell them something....
so, now i am standing outside my house, in the chilly weather, and up pulls a fire truck....i haven't seen a fire truck at my residence since i lived on campus....but there it was....a fire truck, the chief's SUV, and the state police....the fire people went into the apartment with a machine that is made to detect gas....after about 5 minutes they came out to say they machine didn't detect anything....great! let's go back to bed...but no, we have to wait for NYSEG to arrive and clear everything...
we wait about 15 minutes for the NYSEG man to arrive...meanwhile, the dogs are getting whiny...the way i assume a child would get whiny about having to stand outside in the cold at 4am....i put them into the car and turn it on- because i have taken the keys in case i have to leave the house....the man finally arrives and enters the house with the chief....when they come back out, the NYSEG man tells me the smell is from the stove and carbon build up....he says he will come back in and show us and turn down the pilot light...
the chief pulls me aside and informs me about a new law about carbon monoxide detectors....i asked how i would know, he said from the radio and tv....i don't really listen to the radio and lately only watch tivo tv....anyway, he also says the smoke detectors have been taken apart and while he understands that it's not me who did it, i am still the landlord...great- he hands me a form that states i am in violation of these two codes....great.
in the house, the NYSEG man turns down the pilot and then informs me, in front of the tenants, that the stove is old and maybe should be replaced....i turn to him, remember at this point it's almost 5am, and say, "are you a stove expert?" shocked the man asked me to repeat myself....i do and when he tells me he is not, i say, "great, because i would assume a stove expert would know best if a stove is not usable anymore." he then explains that his reasoning is that the gas takes approximately 2 seconds to come on with the stove....i just stared at him....in my head all i can think is, "every gas stove i have ever used takes a second or two to start." really, nyseg man, really?!
in the end, there was no gas leak...the pilot light on the stove was too high and causing a carbon build up on the metal of the stove...this was the smell that lead to my 4am wake up call.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
100 days or so....
so, last week i was in boston for a neacuho executive board meeting and one day conference....it's our usual february event...during the welcome at the drive in, it was announced that we were 100 days away from our annual conference....which means that we are 100 days away from my presidency starting....
100 days! i can't believe it....i feel like i was just contemplating running for the position....never mind getting elected and spending the last months in the president elect role....i have to say that i have a great deal of passion and love for neacuho....i care about the organization and what it does and can offer to our profession....so, running for the position, made sense based on that....
since june i have been working on a lot of things...mostly laying the ground work for what will drive my presidency....the work that the president-elect is responsible for is not a lot of fun...or at least in my opinion....i have had to collect bids for the 2011 annual conference...then conduct site visits for those bids....i have been working with some of our committees and task forces to help them accomplish their work, or just showing them general support....
now, with 100 days to go, i am starting our appointed board member process....this is the part where i get to start to put together my board...some of my board will be elected, others i get to pick....i have been putting thought into what i want to accomplish....what i will say in my speech....i have to give a speech....
i can't believe it's 100 days away....during my time in boston, lots of people suddenly wanted to tell me their thoughts about my presidency or neacuho....since returning, more people have wanted my ear....it's funny to me how that happens...how all of a sudden my ear was the ear people wanted....i really prefer to be in the background....
now, i know most of you know that i like to be in charge....and it's true....and being president is an in charge place....but to me there are different types of being in charge...and i am not sure the president is the place for me....i have 100 days to figure that out....i think it is more about all the people who want to tell me how to run things....let me run it my way....
it's important to me that our membership is heard and that we are doing work for them....that is the ear i don't mind lending....so, i will spend the next 100 days, putting everything in place....writing my speech....and hoping that i make it through my 365 day role....
100 days! i can't believe it....i feel like i was just contemplating running for the position....never mind getting elected and spending the last months in the president elect role....i have to say that i have a great deal of passion and love for neacuho....i care about the organization and what it does and can offer to our profession....so, running for the position, made sense based on that....
since june i have been working on a lot of things...mostly laying the ground work for what will drive my presidency....the work that the president-elect is responsible for is not a lot of fun...or at least in my opinion....i have had to collect bids for the 2011 annual conference...then conduct site visits for those bids....i have been working with some of our committees and task forces to help them accomplish their work, or just showing them general support....
now, with 100 days to go, i am starting our appointed board member process....this is the part where i get to start to put together my board...some of my board will be elected, others i get to pick....i have been putting thought into what i want to accomplish....what i will say in my speech....i have to give a speech....
i can't believe it's 100 days away....during my time in boston, lots of people suddenly wanted to tell me their thoughts about my presidency or neacuho....since returning, more people have wanted my ear....it's funny to me how that happens...how all of a sudden my ear was the ear people wanted....i really prefer to be in the background....
now, i know most of you know that i like to be in charge....and it's true....and being president is an in charge place....but to me there are different types of being in charge...and i am not sure the president is the place for me....i have 100 days to figure that out....i think it is more about all the people who want to tell me how to run things....let me run it my way....
it's important to me that our membership is heard and that we are doing work for them....that is the ear i don't mind lending....so, i will spend the next 100 days, putting everything in place....writing my speech....and hoping that i make it through my 365 day role....
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