Is it just me, or is it weird that not a single person here at the university I work at has expressed any regret over the fact that I'm leaving? My only real complaint about the job here has been that I haven't made the kind of close connections to colleagues that I had a ton of at my previous job. Mostly, I have blamed that on myself, since I came here pregnant and newly married. Starting a family took up all my non-work time, so I haven't had the energy to put out for making work friends. But at a certain point things settled down, and I made concerted efforts to connect with people. I did manage to twist a few people's arms enough that they would go out to coffee with me, but the efforts were never returned. So I guess I shouldn't be surprised that no one here is sad to see me go.
But that doesn't stop me from feeling sorry for myself! I feel like I have a lot to offer my friends. I'm loyal and supportive and enthusiastic. I also feel like I put a huge amount of effort into this job. It sucks that no one here recognizes or values that. Sorry for the pity party, but it really hurts my feelings that I've been doing a job for four years that no one seems to care about. When I brought the whole fellowship thing up to my boss the first time his primary reaction was to be pissed off at the extra work my leaving would cause him.
I don't want to pout, and I don't want to leave in a huff. It would just be so nice if someone here at my job would say "I'm sorry to see you go." Rant over.
On the upside, we finally finished our Twin Peaks marathon. Loved, loved, loved it. I had to reserve Fire Walk With Me at the library just to get the full package. I know it's supposed to be really bad, but I'm just not ready to let go of the series. Oddly, episode 17 from season two is missing on CBS.com. Hmmm. Mysterious. It gets rave reviews online, so I'd really like to see it.
And we got off pretty easy with fixing up the house to sell: under $700 for all electrical and plumbing work. Luckily the buyers had put a clause in the purchase contract that capped what we would have to pay at $1000. I thought I'd have to go over that, but they stuck to it, and didn't want to split costs for more work that they had originally hoped to get done. Yay! Closing this week, if all goes well.
3 comments:
This breaks my heart because I know that we students are devastated to see you go. Yet why is it that people only hear negative feedback? Whenever Holland and I gush about what an incredible teacher/scholar/person you are, you aren't actually there to hear it! I think that part of our reticence has been out of shock - what? Ellen is really leaving? For four years?! - and a desire to be happy for you to have such an opportunity. In fact, finding out that you were leaving helped solidify MY decision to do my Ph.D. elsewhere because I feel like "avdelingen er du" (in the spirit of Louis XIV). I regret that this term is so booked for me because I wish I could be doing more for your classes - but I am thankful for whatever extra Ellen time I can get before you leave. Ingen er så god som du, da, ingen er så god som du...
And I know the Norwegian/Scandinavian studies field in the US will miss you while you're gone!! I'm sure that must've been expressed at this year's Norway seminar??
I have to add my comment on this one, since I know that all the people I talk to that have some sort of connection to the germanic/scandinavian department tell me how sorry they are for losing Ellen! I also know that Ellen, my wife, has to get better at taking to her all the praise she actually gets and not to focus on the one out of hundreds that wasn't so good. If there is one thing that Ellen is not at the UO, that will be uønsket. That some of the bosses you've had haven't reacted as they should is true, but, hey! that's why they're bosses!
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