A quiet night, a stack of books, a tuna melt on rye

So I was ever so slightly late to work this morning (no really, I pulled in the parking lot at 7:02 for 7:00) for quite possibly the stupidest reason ever. I walked out of my apartment building this morning and couldn't see my car in any of its usual locations. After a moment or two of panic (I mean really, I'm preparing to throw my car a 21st birthday party in 2014, who would steal it), I realized that I had driven it to a coffee shop last night and then forgot that I drove, since I rarely do to this particular coffee shop, and walked home. My co-workers all laughed at me.

After three days of endless driving (or six hours) back and forth to Baton Rough, and two weeks without a computer, I am once again in the possession of a computer. 

The ordeal started Thursday.  I had an appointment to see a mac genius at the apple store in Baton Rouge at 10:00 am, right when the store opened.  By 10:30 it was clear that fixing the computer was somewhere on the scale of unwise to unlikely and I had purchased a new model.  The sales associate explained to me that with a new computer purchase, they will transfer all of your old files to the new computer.  I of course, took them up on the offer.  My mistake.  The manager told me to call back at noon for a better idea when the computer would be ready.  So, I tooled around the Mall of Louisiana until noon and called.  The computer would not be ready until the next day, but I could pick it up then. 

Friday.  I arrive at 1:30.  My file transfer is not only incomplete it is not yet begun.  They promise me they will start immediately and say the transfer should take approximately an hour.  Six hours later, they admit defeat for the day, but plan to give the transfer one last go over night.  Also, this time they say they will call me when the computer is ready. 

I get the call at 9:15 Saturday morning.  My computer is ready to be picked up, but they were unable to transfer most of my files.  They did get some PDF's but little else.  So, I drive back once again and bring my new baby home. 

As these things go, the files that they managed to save are the most easily replaced.  I know, I know, I should have been backing things up.  I always said that there was noting on my computer that was irreplaceable.  The replacement is just a nuisance.  Like, all of my CDs are still in Pennsylvania, so I have to go back there before I can reload the music.  (Yes I tried to get it off the Ipod.  I followed the directions on line - made the music folder visible and transferred the files to the iTunes library, but iTunes will only play the first second of each song before skilling to the next one.  I can get the whole song to play if I pause it and then move the time past the first second, but that is way to much work for general music listening.)  Also, I have to slowly go through and re-bookmark many of my fanfiction favorites.  At least this teaches me to use del.ic.ios more vigilantly. 

So, needless to say, my four-day was less then rest full (so why does the spellchecker say that restfully is a word but restfull is not?) and then it was back to Mississippi for another 10-day of survey. 

    Well it would appear that votes are overwhelmingly in favor of taking a camera, so it is now safely in my field pack.  I will also be on the lookout for some sort of waterproof container to keep it in - just in case. 

    Now: a total topic change.  In high school, I had a history teacher would had this theory that the world of the school went temporarily crazy during the month of February.  He maintained that all the craziest things he had seen happened in February: best friends suddenly having knock-down, drag-out fights in the cafeteria over milk; normally quiet, respectful students cursing out teachers; and other such incidents.  I think my archaeology world is having a similar fit of the crazies during the month of April. 
    Of course, we haven't had any all out (or even any minor) fights, but I'm finding things that normally don't phase me are suddenly causing major annoyance.  I'm talking about things like someone off-setting their hole 5m back so that they can dig on the two-track instead of walking into the woods, which makes me have to walk 55m to my next hole.  Which is not really that big a deal.  Or, the people shouting out that there is a PI instead of telling me what meterage it is at, and what the baring changes to.  Then there is the slightly more justified reason of people with their own personal cars taking the company vehicles out all the time (and for fairly large distances) so that those of us without our own cars can't go anywhere.  I think the problem is just that we've all now spent almost 2 months in the same four-person groups, spending almost every waking moment together.  Usually, the crews would be mixed up more often.  Also, we're working longer days, and it is getting hotter.  We're probably all just tired. 

   

The Scene:  1:30 am.  I'm asleep in bed.  The phone rings.  The number is from the Shreveport area code, definitely someone I don't know.  I ignore it.

The phone rings again.  Same number.  I answer in order to inform the caller that they have the wrong number. 

The Conversation:

Me: <groggy> Hello?
Irate woman on the phone: Where's Chris?
Me: You have the wrong number.
IWOTP: When did Chris change his number.
Me: I've had this number for six months.
IWOTP: No! I just called Chris on this number three days ago.
Me: No you didn't.
IWOTP: If this is Chris' sister, there's gonna be trouble.
Me: Okay! <hang up>

Thankfully, IWOTP did not call back.  But, of course, I couldn't get back to sleep. 

I'm annoyed that changing my default icon changes all the old default icons.  Grr.  It's not like I took the old one off the computer.  Just changed my mood. 

A Question:
You're floating down a river in an inner-tube.  The sky turns a much darker blue.  Thunder rumbles.  Suddenly there are flashes of lightening.  What do you do?  What is the safer option? 
    A) Stay in the water and try to make it to the docking area somewhere down stream, but probably close
or
    B) Head to the nearest place on land and sit there until the lightening stops. 

My immediate reaction was B, apparently everyone else in creation (or at least in the Bogue Chitia river today)  likes option A.  I was informed that you are actually safer in the water because the electricity from the lightening will be dispersed over a greater area, which I really think is a load of crap.  Of course, my gut reaction is mostly coming from the fact that they always cancel swim team meets at the first sign of an electrical storm.  What to you all think?

Also I lost the right member of my favorite pair of flip-flops to the leaves of submerged tree.  ick.  Last time I go tubing! I knew there was a reason I disliked outdoor activities. 

Today our rental vehicle broke down, and I was still on the crew with the better day!

Last ten-day we had two crews and thus two crew chiefs.  One from my office and one from another office.  Apparently, the one from the other office, who I was under, in some way made a bad impression on the person in charge of her and was removed.  Now both of us, along with other people, are working under the second crew chief.  Now, CC #1 was reasonably upset and has made various comments to that fact.  None of them out of line under the circumstance, at least not that I have heard.  CC #2 in got wind of some comments I had not heard and called me over to her hole.

CC#2:  Shovel Bum #1 (for the purposes of this story) said that CC#1 is talking trash about me.  Has she said anything over on your transect. 
Me: Nothing more that the general complaining we always due about the shitty undergrowth. 
CC#2: Well, I need you to tell me if she does. CC#1 is upset about what happened and CC#3 (who is actually above CC#1&#2) might have to do something about it. 
Me: <silence>
CC#2: I don't want to put you in the position of tattle tale.
Me: <silence>

So with out my knowing it, political lines were cast along the office lines, and I got put in a craptastic position.  I, not being stupid, will do my best not to get sucked in.  I will not be tattling on anyone, unless there is a boundary crossing, which I'm pretty sure there won't be.  All in all, I don't think I'll be doing a whole lot of talking in the next week. 

it's poisonous.  Our safety topic today  was supposed to be on poisonous (or more accurately venomous) snakes.  But somehow we all signed the sheet of paper saying we were there and never actually had the meeting.  Grr! This was a topic I was actually interested in, what with my no dieing policy. 

On our way to the site, the person driving the vehicle I was in got a speeding ticket.  We were following the other truck and got behind, so she sped up to catch them.  Unfortunately she did so right in front of a cop in a school zone.  The cop does the point maneuver which says "you - over" and she keeps going. 
   
    Me: You have to stop.
    Her: I wasn't speeding,
    Me: It doesn't matter.  When a cop says to stop, you stop. 

At this point, the cop has gotten in his car, turned the lights on, and is coming into our lane.  A fact which I point out to her.  Finally she stopped.  She had also forgotten to bring her license with her and therefore couldn't give it to him when he asked.  Luckily, she is from Louisiana and he was able to look up the fact that she does, in fact, have a license.  During all this, I'm on the phone with the Crew Chief in the other car explaining what was going on. 

Now there are two best parts:

1. The driver was surprised that the cop didn't let her off with a warning.
   
2. Somewhere during all this, the water jug tipped over, so I had no water to drink. 
   

Overall, not a good start to the day!

Hotels suck when the power goes out.  Particularly when you haven't cooked your dinner yet.  Grr.