ten on tuesday: ten great things that happened this summer

This week the topic for ten on tuesday is "ten great things that happened this summer". Since I worked all summer and used my vacation days to go to school, I thought I would write about ten things that have happened at work since school started.

#1. I am the emergency on-call person. Usually I only receive calls when there is a REAL emergency but occasionally my idea of an emergency is not the same as others. Last night I got a call that there was a lamb on the loose on the farm "in case" I wanted to do anything about it. While the dorms are sometimes a bit of an animal farm, I have nothing to do with the REAL farm and a lamb on the loose is the least of my concerns.


#2. We implemented a new check in procedure that for the most part was extremely successful and saved a WHACK of time for me and my staff.
#3. We implemented a new payment procedure that for the most part was successful and has saved a WHACK of time for me and my staff.
#4. A student was found passed out on the grass outside. The security report (as usual) said absolutely nothing other than "student found outside on the grass passed out". I don't know how much more training I need to do to get security staff to write more information. I can't do much with this lack of information.#5. A student got electrocuted by the outlet in his room. He does not wear a pacemaker so at least it didn't kill him, and we had a good laugh as I was trying to remember the word "pacemaker" and my gesturing made him think I was asking if he had boobs.

#6. A student locked himself out while cooking. He was the only one home. One of the things about loving where I live is that it is NOT close to campus. The whole time I was driving into town to let him in I was thinking of the fire video I just watched where a dorm room is incinerated in literally 7 minutes. I didn't make it to work in 7 minutes but he had broken in by that time, and just forgot to call me to let me know he was in. So do I fine him for locking himself out? Fine him for breaking in? Or just thank my lucky stars that the place didn't burn to the ground?

#7. I had a grand master plan to put mini fridges into every room in the dorms. One of our biggest problems is students arguing over food and stolen food. Putting mini fridges (in my mind) solved this issue, but in our moving efforts we inadvertently took mini fridges from rooms where students were storing personal belongings. When they returned they all thought someone had stolen their fridges. Whoops!
#8. I didn't hire the five extra students I need. I am still trying to find willing bodies.
#9. I heard about parties after the fact (sometimes I DO hear about them before they happen), but I was hopeful (translate: in denial) that the parties wouldn't start happening quite yet. Please don't ask me why i was hoping for this. Students always party most enthusiastically the first and last weeks of school.
#10. I finally ordered "staff parking only" signs and I will put them up. I have prolonged it for many years even though I have wanted them and get tired of walking to the back fourty when I get off work at midnight. I will take bets on how long they will last before facilities comes and takes them away - like they did with my garbage cans. (They took my garbage cans because..... it "promoted" people throwing trash on the ground!)