Life in Lochlanland

Sorry... no trip down memory lane today

I had good intentions!!

I dropped Lochlan off at daycare at 8:30 and headed out to the University.  I got about half way there when I remembered I didn't have my checkbook and the University doesn't take credit cards anymore.  (Stupid policy... but whatever.) So I went home, got the checkbook and headed out.  I got there when the registration office opened so now wandering around for me and I spent two hours waiting so I could spend 5 minutes getting registered and changing my name.  After that I was hungry and tired and just wanted to come home, so I didn't cruise around.

Since I'm planning on taking a course in the fall - I'll have to do my memory trip then.

But all was not lost... While the area may have undergone some changes, the waiting time to get someone to help you hasn't changed a bit!!  (Although they are much friendlier now than they were back then... I guess all the cranky people who used to run the registrar's office have retired?)

So now I just need to figure out what course I need to register for and then spend an afternoon next week running around getting signatures so I can audit the thing.  It'll work out... as long as I don't think too much about what's coming this fall, that is!!

Zoo!!

Yeah - we went to the zoo again...  here are the pictures: More Zoo Pics!

We've been enjoying our staycation!  Last week Lochlan and I went to the splash park, the park, a movie and the science centre.  It was loads of fun!!  Oh - science centre pics are here: Science Centre Pics!

This week Lochlan has been back at daycare and Darren and I have been trying to get a few things done around the house.  Well, I've done a bit of shopping - and found great new bedding for us and I bought all new kitchen utensils because we've still been using the stuff we bought when we moved into our condo in 1998 and had no money.  I got new sheets for Lochlan since I realized that none of his sheets actually fit his bed - he has a pillow top and I've been using sheets that I got from my mom when I left home.  Yeah... the newest set my mom bought for me when we re-did my room when I was 14-15.  Yeah... definitely time for new sheets!!

And we bought a new bed!  We'd been talking about how ours used to be much higher and how it wasn't quite as comfy as it used to be, then Darren points out that the bed is about 10 years old... so time for a new bed! So we did that too, and got a floor model for 50% off.  So we got a FABULOUS bed, for a wicked price.  We're pretty happy.

Tomorrow I get to spend the morning at the University getting my open studies application in so I can audit a grad course this fall.  I hope the schedule works out - my boss would really like me to take the class, *I* would really like to take the course, but if the schedule doesn't work there may not be much I can do about it.  So I'll spend the morning at the University anyway and see what I can get accomplished.

I also think I'll bring my camera - and hit all the old spots where I had classes and take a trip down memory lane.  I had a lot of fun in University, it was a lot of work, but I have a lot of good memories about that place and where we all used to hang out.

I'll write about that trip down memory lane tomorrow :)

Telemarketing Justice

I hate telemarketers, I'm sure that the people who do telemarketing are lovely people, but they have a crappy job.  Let's phone people and bother and harass them to see if they'll buy our stuff.  I've always found them annoying, but more recently I've noticed that they've been more aggressive and a polite "I'm not interested, thank you" results in a variety of responses from "But, maaaaa'aaaaaaam" to "How can you be not interested in saving money" And the personal questions... I had some company phone to ask me about my mortgage.  Uh, yeah - not giving out that information, thanks! 

Anyway, so the other day I got a call from our local phone company - the conversation went like this:

TM: "Good morning, Mrs Hill, I'm calling from LocalPhoneCompany and as you are a valued client we have some promotions that may save you money on your mobility needs"

Me: "Oh?"  (I'm thinking "mobility"... oh this should be good...)

TM: "Does anyone in your family own a cell phone?"

Me: "No."  (This is going to be good)

TM: silence.

TM: "You don't own a cell phone?"

Me: "Nope!"

TM: "Does ANYONE in your household have a cell phone?"

Me: "Nope!"

TM: "Can I ask why?"

Me: "I'm either at home, where I'm being bothered on the phone, at work where I can be bothered on the phone or out some place where I don't want to be bothered!"

TM: "Oh, thank you for your time"  Click.

Then I just about fell over laughing - he sounded so completely stunned that there could be anyone who didn't have a cell phone!! 

Although for the record... I do have a cell phone.  But it's usually turned off, or the batteries are dead or I leave it at home... so for all practical purposes, I don't have one.  Like I told the guy on the phone... I'm either at work or at home or some place where I don't want to be bothered.  I hate that we've become this society where we expect to be able to get ahold of someone 24/7. But that's a rant for another day.

Have a great weekend!

Higher Learning

I love the University, really I do.

So I want to register for a grad course this fall. Well, it's been strongly suggested that I *should* take a grad course this fall. Being the dutiful employee I am, and always willing to learn something new, I went to our local University's website and attempted to register.

Well, I wasn't enrolled in a program so even though I'm an alumni, I couldn't do anything. So, that was fine, I found the form, tried to fill it out and realized they wanted transcripts. So I try to use the handy-dandy online transcript ordering thing, only to find out that I can't because there is a hold on my transcripts. The reason? "See Comments" Er?

So I clicked the details button, and found out that I was blocked from adding courses and my transcripts were on hold, which is okay, except they still don't know why. So I phoned the Registrar's Office (man, does THAT ever bring back memories.) and despite calling at 9:40am when the office hours were clearly stated as 9:30am, I got the message "Thank you for calling Enrollment Services, our offices are closed." Sigh. So I went for coffee and tried again later. Then I waited on hold for 15 minutes before I got the shock of my life.

A registrar agent who was actually HELPFUL.

I was astounded, I seem to remember that it was the registrar's job to mess everything up to the point where you wanted to walk out the door in Engineering A Block that exited the building. From the 2nd floor. With no stairs. (Technically it was locked all the time, so you couldn't actually go out of it, but it really was a door in the stairwell on the second floor that went nowhere. I think that something was supposed to happen with it and it got cancelled for some reason. Probably money. Anyway.) So usually the registrar would mess everything up, then you'd hike back to Engineering where the darling Nancy (the secretary who knew all things about Engineering.) would make everything right.

Did I tell you about how I was required to withdraw and when I applied to get back in, Engineering accepted me, but the Registrar enter "REFUSED" before getting anything from Engineering? THAT was not a fun weekend. But I digress.

So this lovely lady was soooo helpful. First of all I asked what I needed to do to take the course. Fill out the Open Studies application - awesome! Then I asked about my transcripts. turns out that I forgot to (or didn't feel like) returning my convocation robes from 2000 when I graduated. Bad Kristina!! Anyway I had totally forgotten about that, but this lovely lady phoned the convocation office and convinced them to waive the hold without requiring any payment from me. How awesome is THAT!!

First I got the hold taken care of - FOR FREE!!! And I didn't have to jump through flaming hoops over a pool full of hungry alligators to make it happen. How's THAT for amazing!!

So now I just have to head down there, wait for 4 hours to submit my application. Then I have to convince Engineering to let me take the course. And get waivers signed. Oh, lordy this is going to be fun!!

(Now I remember why it was that I didn't want to go back to school.)

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