Camera Lucida

I had a series of snapping points today on campus.
1. the class I was offered for Spring (the one class, contingent on enrollment, of course) is in some jeopardy, but it is not of my making. One of the tenured folks who was planning to retire has changed her mind, so the classes that were hers that were released to us peons have now been reclaimed. I should know more after Thanksgiving, but it is emblematic of what I am sick of: the lack of security. I am contracted every 3 months, and at the end of that 3 months, there are no guarantees. It sucks. Sucks.

2. I kicked a student out of class because he was texting, yet again, during class. I have warned him many times before. I'd had it. Buh-bye.

This is not what I signed up for....

3. I also found out today that the full-time position opening at NSCC has been changed from Lit/Comp/Integrated Studies to Comp/Integrated Studies/Developmental.

Again, this is not what I signed up for....


I get grumpy about work, and I get grumpy every time I see some bitch in a Beemer pull over and, like a vulture, look at some house for sale that is clearly in foreclosure. It is the epitome of conspicuous consumerism to roll around in a designer SUV and pluck off houses in this economy. Of course, not everyone who is buying a house is a vulture! No, no. But the bitches in Beemers, who clearly can afford the house they probably already live in and are probably looking at these foreclosed homes as investments, really disgust me. I'm sure I am developing narratives in my head and over-generalizing. Oh well. Get over it. K calls me a class warrior, and I say: sure, why wouldn't I be? Such bravado is bullshit.

I'm feeling pretty angry, pretty disgusted.

Change has to come....

On a good note, Shin Yu and I are going to see Annie Leibovitz speak tomorrow night at Benaroya Hall. First, Shin Yu is doing a reading in my class at Cornish, which should be fabulous, and then we are off!

Other good news: as I consider the ways in which I have settled on my work life, this ends up only highlighting how much I am NOT settling in other parts of my life and how much those parts of my life are flourishing. The contrast makes work's failures glow much brighter. If the rest of my life wasn't so solid, perhaps I wouldn't notice how much I want out of this line of work???

I love where I live.
I love this city.
I love K.
I love writing for PPWW.

I'm just grumpy....