>I can’t seem to make up my mind. Was yesterday my worst day at my job ever, or was it my best day?

The spring semester started this week at Asbury. I love the beginning of the semester. After months of no activity on campus, suddenly everything comes alive! People are everywhere, chapel is amazing again and we get a bit of a break at work now that everyone is admitted. Well….maybe…

There are always a few people who wait until the VERY LAST MINUTE to apply. It’s inevitable – I should learn to deal with it. It just infuriates me though! I’m such a planner, so people like this are offensive to my way of life! Okay, so I’m not really that dramatic, but they do make me rush around and bust my hump to get them in. On a financial level, we need all the students we can get, so I really need to do what I can. On a spiritual level, I know that these people are following a call that God has placed on their hearts, so I need to honor that too. It’s just very frustrating…

This semester is no exception, so of course we are all rushing around trying to get a few people in at the last minute. We had admitted a couple people on Thursday who really needed to get registered and in class, but we were running in to a brick wall that is technology. I swear, I felt like I was in an old Abbot and Costello act or something. It went something like this:

Student: I need my login information so I can do my e-mail orientation and get registered for class.
Admissions: The system won’t send you that until Monday, and we can’t force it to go any faster, so let me get you through to Information Commons. They can help you with this.
Student to Info Commons: I need my login information, and I can’t wait until Monday to get it.
Info Commons: We can’t give you that information. You have to wait to get it from the system. (not true)
Student to Admissions: Info Commons won’t help me.
Admissions to God: WHY DID I COME IN TODAY?????

I proceeded to tell my boss about the situation, who then called the Info Commons boss and he worked it all out no problem. Crazy.

On top of all of this, financial aid packets didn’t go out to Fall students until yesterday. The deadline to have all that turned back in is March 1. What?????

At this point I am pissed beyond belief. I have NEVER felt this way at this job – EVER! These type of feelings were an everyday occurrence at Fifth Third, but since I’ve been at Asbury, my work life is amazing until now. I’m seriously starting to cry at my desk because it seems like all the hard work we did to get these students admitted is all for nothing. Financial Aid doesn’t give a rip about getting their packets to them in a timely manner. Info Commons won’t help them out. I’m just a mess.

Then I had to call our counselor in Orlando for something. I’m obviously ina bad mood, and because he’s sensitive to these things, he can tell. We talk business for a minute and then he says something like this: “Katie, I’m going to say something to you, but you’re going to need to swallow it with a big dollop of grace.” I’m immediately worried that he’s going to say something I’m not going to like. Josh isn’t a mean guy at all, but usually when someone says something like that, they’re about to tell you something about yourself that you just don’t want to hear. Not being in the mood for such a self-revealing conversation, the thought crosses my mind that I should just hang up. Then I realize that, um…well, he’d probably just call right back and come on, we work together. I can’t get away from him for long, so I stayed on the line.
“Katie, you are amazing.” What? Did I hear him right? Yep, he said I was amazing (or awesome or wonderful…who cares? They’re all the same word, just spelled differently). Then he proceeds to tell me that he thinks all the divisiveness at Asbury is just stupid. Florida campus vs. Kentucky Campus. This department vs. that department. It’s not what we’re all about. Then he asked me to partner with him in praying for Asbury. Seriously – it was like Shakabuku. You know, it’s a swift, spiritual kick to the head that alters your reality forever. (Grosse Pointe Blank reference – if you haven’t seen it, SHAME ON YOU! Go rent it right now. Well, finish reading, THEN go rent it.) I seriously needed to hear that. He single-handedly helped me turn my day right-side up.

It was a great day after that. We had a finger blaster war at the end of the day at work. Matt and I went with some friends of ours to the best Chinese buffet ever and made ourselves sick on Mongolian Barbecue and crab rangoon. Then we all went bowling at this great place for like 3 hours. I actually didn’t do too badly. My best game last night was 102. I’ve only broken 100 once before in my life! Obviously I suck at bowling, but I had a lot of fun. Then we crashed at home and I actually slept in until 8:00. We woke up to at least 3 inches of snow too, so it’s really pretty around here today. We never get snow, so this is pretty fun. I may go out and build a snowman or something.

You know, looking over this post, I’ve decided that yesterday was a pretty great day. I love my job. My life is pretty awesome too.

Today is my baby brother’s 20th birthday. Okay, so he’s not a baby at all. He’s actually half a foot taller than me, so he’s really not a baby! I remember when Robert was born though. My dad came home from the hospital to dress me for school, and he put me in the more horrendous outfit ever! What did he know? At least I was dressed. I don’t remember all of it, but I do know that I wore a purple plaid pleated skirt with a polka dotted shirt and a sweater vest of some kind. I’m pretty sure none of the colors matched and the patterns certainly didn’t, but I was on top of the world. I had a baby brother! My mom had asked me many times during her pregnancy whether I wanted a brother or a sister. I already had a sister, so I said I wanted a brother. Well, I got what I wanted. My mom reminds me of that any time my brother pisses me off. “You ordered him.” Yes I did. Now he’s a tall, handsome, talented man who is still finding his place in life. (Aren’t we all?) I love you Bob-ert…

Geez…I’m getting all weepy. What’s up with the hormones lately? I’m going to get away from this computer for a while and do something productive. I think if I get the house cleaned, then I’m going to reward myself with a John Cusack film festival. Grosse Pointe Blank, Runaway Jury, America’s Sweethearts, Sixteen Candles…the works! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!!!

P.S. I just realized that I have been spelling bourgeois wrong for my entire life! Not that I use that word much or anything, but as I was reading something earlier, I thought, “That’s not how I’ve been spelling it. I suck!” I did win the science department spelling bee my sophomore year though. I spelled “deoxyribonucleic acid” and stole the show. I was invited to advance to the school wide bee, but realized that I was already a big enough dork. My then boyfriend teased me enough about winning the science one! Oh well…it’s probably his fault I’ve never spelled bourgeois right.