Learning something new every day is fun!

A few minutes ago I was talking to my boss around the coffee pot/water cooler and he asked how my classes are going. I said, "So far so good."

The biggest problem is that I'm taking two literature classes and its kind of hard to keep the two readings separate. The other day I had to write a compare and contrast summary of the two stories I read (Epic of Gilgamesh vs. the story of Joseph from the Hebrew bible) for my World Literature class and I kept thinking of examples from a story I read (Beowulf) for my British Literature class. I think I've got the hang of it now though, and if I don't, at least the next couple of reading assignments are a little more diverse. :) Yep, it's going to be another fun reading-filled weekend!

My boss then asked me why I'm taking these particular classes. I told him that they are lower division requirements for my 'intended' major at UC Riverside, which I've applied to and hope to attend during the winter quarter. I told him that I plan to major in creative writing and do you know what he said to me?

"That was my major!"

Sweeeeeeet! A comrade in arms! Of a sort. Because now he'll understand why I have to have a funky work schedule to work around my school schedule. Not that he hasn't already been understanding, because he has. I sort of hit him with the 'can I change my schedule around starting next Monday' question on Thursday. Since it was to take classes, he and everyone else here have been very accommodating. As sucky as this place can be sometimes they know how to make up for it.

Well, to truly make up for it they'd pay me what I'm worth, or at least what this position should pay, but letting me have flexible hours in order to go back to school in order to get a degree in order to finally leave this place and move on to bigger and better things is certainly a nice start. :)

So anyways, my boss said that he took a few CW classes at UCR, and sent a few manuscripts out into the publishing ether, and its only now that I realize that I should have asked if anything came of it. But I guess if it had, he would have mentioned it. Besides, we got so busy talking shop that I didn't even have time to ask; I was too busy asking other questions. We talked about being creative and artsy and stuff, and he made some reference to how limiting my job is in that field, and I gave him a 'boy don't I know it' sigh, but I said I try and stretch my artistic muscle when I'm making SOP's, and taking screen shots for 'what to do when you see this error message' help guides, and I make the fonts really pretty in my reports, and I play around with the colors of the bar graphs so they are aesthetically pleasing and... yeah, the job certainly has its artistic limits, but I'm making a new cubicle wall slogan with my Newest Favorite Work Saying, so I'll just have to get my daily creative fix that way.

Newest Favorite Work Saying: How may I solve your problem?

I don't know why, but it just gives me warm fuzzies to say this to my fellow coworkers. And of course, its said with the brightest smile managable! All I have to do is find some spiffy graphics to add to the new office slogan and my latest piece of cubicle art will be complete.

So its been a pretty fun morning so far. Let's hope the rest of the day follows suit. (Preferably with some more rolling blackouts that last more than a half hour, that cause the whole plant to shut down, and that leave the Powers That Be no choice but to send everyone home for the day. And if it happens, I hope it happens right now, so I get paid for four hours of work for only being here for two.) :)