Yosemite

On Saturday I nearly died...well it felt like it. C and I went hiking at Yosemite with two of my students. We hiked the upper falls trail for a little over 4 1/2 hours. It was beautiful, but my legs still hurt and the huge bruise I have from falling down is rather inconvenient. I don't know who in the park service had the brilliant idea to pour sand over the rocks but they should have realized it would be a slippery safety hazard.

Clone Please!

Why is it that I can never seem to do enough - yet I seem to be busy all the time? Perhaps it is because I spent SO much time organizing and planning things for other people. The resulting haste to organize and manage my own compounded life becomes more complicated as a result.

Right now there just seems to be more going on than I can handle. My request - I would like another me to help get everything done. Oh, to be twice as productive!

Though neither one of us would want to do all the "put off" tasks. And come to think of it with two I would probably try to cram four times as much in.

Plan B - simplify!

Promotion

Almost a year ago the director of our department said, “K, our entire staffing plan is dependent upon you being here for the next year” and she  promised me a promotion. Said promotion has been in-process since. It was finally approved last week. I get a lovely stipend covering 9/1/08-3/31/09 (of an unknown amount) – which will go to my tuition. Then my raise and promotion apparently went into effect on 4/1/09. I have yet to understand why the process took so long; I guess I should consider myself lucky that at a time when the university is making big cuts they can still give me a promotion.

What is interesting is that finally having a codified job description will theoretically mean less work for me. I am not sure how that happens – the responsibility is heaped on and then when you actually get your position description half of the stuff you do is not on it – the mysterious “other duties as assigned”.

Now that I have almost survived my third summer working here and finally gotten my 3rd promotion I have resolved to do my job, not that I wasn’t before, but I am going to do my job and NOT do everyones jobs.

Officially (I think) my job should just be to coordinate the International Commercial Law LL.M. program, basically meaning that I manage an entire graduate program from beginning to end myself, and to work with another co-worker to coordinate another summer program for foreign lawyers no in the LL.M. program. Having just come through the craziest part of the year I must say that I love my responsibilities and the students, there is a LOT I would change outside those two elements. So we will see how long I will continue to make it.

For now I am going to celebrate!

My Branch

I am enjoying my new branch more than I can say. Surprisingly even though it is only a branch it feels bigger than the ward in Davis was. I am still "getting used to it" and have been so busy with the students that I haven't been around much, but I have a feeling it is going to be great.

Here is a small sampling, posing after working on quilts for the humanitarian aid part of the California YSA Conference that was this weekend.



Goldfish racing for FHE



I love having JA in the branch - it is great to have someone I know so well.



Despite a late start my little fish did win this race.



At the State Capitol Building

Still Going Strong

Well the students have now been here for 4 weeks and tomorrow more than half will leave to return to their countries. About 50 will remain, but life will become a little more normal, whatever normal is. I will be glad to have time to do my laundry and sleep, but I have enjoyed spending every day and almost every evening with so many fantastic people.

A's Birthday at Bistro 33 S, me, A, H, F, and E
@ Symposium Pizza w/ S and J
With some of the OAL Students at the Davis Farmers Market