So much for the planned five-day no-purchase binge that was supposed to rescue my bleeding budget, or at least keep the hemorrhaging under control.
I forgot that we have to take an exiting colleague to lunch at an EXPENSIVE restaurant today. And guess who gets to pick up the tab? Shee-ut.
My research assistants are just going to have to pay for their own lunches. I’ll cover my colleague’s (since I have to), but I can’t buy lunch for myself or for anyone else. And there’s absolutely no way to weasel out of this gracefully.
So…we’ll be covering the red ink with savings.
Wouldn’t it be nice if GDU would pay a living wage? If GDU could manage something like pay equity, maybe? This guy, who’s quitting to escape academia, earns 90 grand on a nine-month contract. He teaches two-and-two, all graduate courses, and the class sizes are minuscule. When I guest-lectured in one of his courses, the full complement of FOUR STUDENTS showed up. (As you’ll recall, I spent the spring semester teaching 80 undergraduate students—the equivalent of four sections!—in a drech service writing course that every single classmate justifiably resented being made to take.) I earn two-thirds his salary, for a twelve-month 40-hour-a-week job.
What a place!
The little dog has, as expected, started to show signs of kennel cough. Fortunately, the Humane Society has a deal with a chain of veterinarians whereby they’ll treat kennel cough and ear infections (she appears to have one of those, too) for free for two weeks. So, somehow I’ve got to arrange a trip to an unknown vet around today’s shindig. This does not promise to be an easy week.