Survival

The snow was still spottily falling to earth this morning. The accumulation of last night was unpleasant to shift but shift it I did. I had hoped that the snow would mean another light day of limited attendance but that didn't work out. People had too much to do before next week to spend another day teleconferencing in. It also meant that no one wanted to stay too long in the meeting. However it did not mean that they didn't want to talk.

I ran through the numbers for everyone with the assistance of some colorful slides. The number of calls we'd received was close to average for the first four days back from a break, project or not. For being after a break where a project had been accomplished, the number of calls was somewhat below average, not much, and I offered up yesterday's 'snow' day as the reason before anyone else could do so for me, trying to make me look like a cheat. People like to say that numbers don't lie but they can certainly be encouraged to fib a bunch. I've busted people before for 'changing the parameters' of a test in order to achieve their goal and was aware of how I could have been 'caught'.

'Oofy' grumbled and introduced himself, again not recognizing me, before telling the assembled about how his group had been so inconvenienced by the upgrade and the multiple issues surrounding it. As expected, there was no mention of my offer to provide detailed updates that he had not taken me up on. Before I could say anything to open up the conversation or rebut his comments, Professor Dell coughed, sputtered, and started droning.

Professor Dell is a nice enough man. He is painfully calm and collected, his voice rarely wavering or changing in pitch. He taught at one point but has moved onto a supervisory role in the Science department now. I took his class when I was in school. It was some of the most restful sleep I ever got while in school.

"Problems are what we saw as well, looking around the department, were the problems to see. Computers that didn't turn on, people unable to log in, printers that didn't print, the problems were easy to see, you see." Now, looking back, it amuses me that he kept saying that he 'saw' these problems, only because I don't believe his vision is very good. He looks over his glasses more than he looks through them and he does need them to see. At the time, he just gave me a headache. Politely I reminded him that the power was off on his end of the floor on Monday. "Ah!" he said gently. "That was still part of the project, was it not?"

It really wasn't. Facilities had done some work in the labs over break and a circuit breaker had accidentally been switched off at the end of it. No big deal apart from the fact that it took them an hour to figure it out. It had nothing to do with my project but, from the Professor's point of view, all projects done in his area were related, no matter who accomplished what. I tried to stop arguing but Professor Dell continued to politely insist. Dean Cuthbold eventually broke it up and we were able to move on.

Thankfully by then no one really wanted to be in the room anymore. We zipped through some closing Q&A and I successfully scampered back to my office to hide for awhile.

I brought the leftover donuts with me from the meeting. Don't worry; I shared with the interns. I really don't need THAT much sugar.