2:49 am EST

Just finished writing about Pat Buchanan and John Hagelin. Man, I have a problem with deadlines.

There was a big cat fight at work on Friday and I missed it! I was in my office the whole time so I missed the carnage. Apparently, the office manager, the front desk secretary, and another woman (I forget her title) got into a huge spat over who was responsible for doing what at the front desk. We are understaffed and deluged with calls, but the Powers That Be cut the front desk advisor, and even removed the second phone up there. Insane. My job responsibilities don’t involve the front desk at all, but I help out up there whenever I can, and hide in my office when I am feeling cranky and unhelpful.

Most of the morning we spent looking for the laptop we need for the PowerPoint presentation. Apparently, the computer guy has been taking it home with him to work on another project, but didn’t bother telling any of us. Thanks, asshole. So we’re running around looking for the thing all morning until he shows up to work with it finally. And then in the afternoon I come back from lunch to find that the laptop is missing again and everyone expects me to find it! I found it buried in his office, thankfully.

Classes begin in two weeks, and most of them are full. I don’t know what the hell the students coming in now are going to take, and they and their parents are all pissed off because no one told them most of the classes would be full at this late date, but we muddle through the best we can. Marriott put a hold on everyone who didn’t pay for their meal plan, now mandatory for all freshmen living in the residence halls, but didn’t bother telling the students about the deadline! What the fuck are the food people doing putting holds on student registration? They got slapped down hard today by one of the deans, who told them they would be on the hook for a year’s worth of dorm fees for each student who bailed because of their fuck up, but we still had to deal with the problem today. Once again we are left to clean up after everybody’s mess.

Last night I got an invitation to the bachelor party of an old friend. I was stunned because it made me realize how much has changed, and how much hasn’t, in my life since I was last in touch with so many of my friends. I had expected to be living in Canada by now and planned to fly down to his wedding, and now that the day is here and I’m still in Florida, it just reminds me of the road not taken.

And I have exactly one month and two days to find a date to bring to the wedding. Like I said, I am terrible with deadlines…