I'm IN

I'm IN - into the Masters program, more significantly, into the SYSTEM. Thanks to the kind perseverance of the departmental office manager, I gained access yesterday to Blackboard.

Blackboard is a university's system of communication with its students. This guarded domain is only for the initiated and holds the keys to success. All the assignments are on Blackboard; all the changes in assignments are on Blackboard; all the explanations of how to fulfill each assignment are on Blackboard.

FINALLY I could enter this holy of holies...

...which resulted in shock at how far behind I was! (Is there some spirtual symblism here??)

I need to find someone in Chicago working in social justice for an interview. Would be great if I could do that this afternoon before class at 4. Gulp.

I have class tonight; for the next two weeks I am speaking in California; two days after returning, my mid-term paper is due - which is based on class lectures. Gulp. I'll attend two of them via Skype. Here's hoping there's grace if I can't get the paper done on time!

Feel like a just drank four cans of Red Bull! Engines are revved!! Yikes!

Has It Come Yet?

That was my daily question at the office as I waited for my book order to arrive. It still had not by Wednesday when I was driving from a retreat in southern Wisconsin to downtown Chicago for my second class. No book. How could I read two chapters before class??

First stop: Student Services. Me: "Can you tell me where the library is?" Don't laugh - Loyola's "campus" is amongst several high rises right downtown. Them: "Are you a student here?" Me: "Uh, sort of." Them: "Hmm, you're not in the system." Me: "Can you tell me how I can get a book before tonight's class?" Them: "You are a student?!" Me: "Yes." Them: "Well, THEN you can have an ID card!"

So they sent me to another office where I sat down, had my mug shot taken and walked out with an ID card -- without being officially registered as a student.

The library was in the same building on the 6th floor. The ID card is needed to get through the security turn styles. Which would not open with my card. There are only so many ways to position the card!! A beautiful young woman even tried. Her solution: yell across to the people behind the counter...

...who let me in and said it would take 24 hours to activate the card.

But no book.

Back downstairs to get directions to their bookstore. Found the store, found the basement room stuffed with textbooks. Me: (saga of book not arriving, blah, blah, blah) "Could I purchase one and return it when my order comes?" Them: "That ended last Friday, so sorry." Me: "Can I sit somewhere and v-e-r-y carefully read the first chapters of this one?" Them: "Sure! Just find a pile of books to sit on and make yourself comfortable!"

Whew! So I went to the back corner, sat down on a 3' pile of books at the end of a rack and dug in.

New employee: "Uh, can I help you???" I told him the saga - and then, "Think I'll tell my bloggers this saga. Could you take my picture?" But I was unsuccessful in posting it. :(

Finished the required reading at 4:05 and got to my 4:15 class in another high rise right on time.

Got back to my car at 7:15 PM. But because I entered BEFORE 3 PM, I got zinged for the full amount - not the validated amount of $6, but $27. This textbook is getting really expensive.

Give up and just buy one?? End up with two?? Sit on the same pile of books next week - after 3 PM??