happy halloween!
this confused shirt and halo/horns combo has served me well through the years...


original creation, to replace my not-so-work-appropriate bettie page outfit for the year, circa 2005.


2007 i think? ...


in the hot sun and hot crew in 2009...
current mood: a safe and happy halloween to all!

well, toto, seems we're in kansas
as part of my new duties as project manager of the new website the alumni association is rolling up, i've been sent to overland park, kansas (don't ask me where that is, exactly) for training and data-dumping in order to best prepare. due to the total state of ruin our budget is in, i had to get the best possible airfare for my trip out here, which meant a stopover in denver before hitting kansas city (missouri). after being woken up at 5am with a ridiculous texted question from a colleague, i made my way to the airport to meet up with my fellow travelers and face the midwest.
after discovering that united charges $20 for the FIRST bag you check (!!), i found myself wedged firmly in to a middle seat in the second row of the plane, far away from meg and paula. 10 minutes before landing the short flight, i hear a cough/sneeze sound behind me and think little of it. simultaneously, i see the gentleman to my right reach up to his head and look accusingly at me. the lady behind him started calling the flight attendant, which made me turn around to see her hand clasped over the mouth of the little boy behind me. he "coughed" again, and out spews vomit, cascading over her, me, and my seatmate like an exploding water balloon. thankfully, i was spared the shower, but still got some fall out. i heard the mom mutter "shouldn't have had all that seafood..." ... ... now i think i will hurl.
i got to joking with the guy next to me about it (turns out he thought i had spit on him... who does he normally sit next to?!), and all we could really do was laugh about it so we didn't get mad. as we disembarked from the plane, as fast as humanly possible, i might add, he mentioned that he was an air marshall. cool! i asked him what that meant, and he said that he was there to make sure the plane didn't get hijacked. i asked what happened if it DID get hijacked, and he said he'd shoot someone. too bad he couldn't take care of barfy-head.
the leg from denver to kansas city, i'd like to say was uneventful. mostly, the only difference was now i was second from the back of the plane rather than the front. also wedged in to the middle on a very full flight. and unfortunately the victim of my neighbor's diet coke. to top it off, i managed to spray myself down with foam soap at the airport, and come to think of it, i had a leaky coffee cup before even taking off in the morning. not a good day for keeping clean.
to add insult to injury, meg's alarm didn't go off this morning, which meant that we were awakened by paula's knocking on our door at 7:45am... the exact time we were supposed to board the shuttle for our training session today. in case you were wondering, we were up, dressed, and out the door with breakfast in hand in 8 minutes flat. 2 girls. impressive? yes, though i would have rather had the time to wake up.
tonight proves to be an adventure through thunderstorms. hopefully tomorrow will be a nice reset.
there's no place like home... there's no place like home...
current mood: there's no place like home!

put your mouth where your money is
you guys may be getting tired of this, but, well, i don't care. it's as important to you as it is to me, you just may not realize now how it will effect your future (or is it affect?). 10, 15, 20 years from now, who will be your employees/colleagues? where will your children attend college? how big of a hole will california have put education in?
****
Dear UCSD Guardian Editors,

I want to commend you on the thoughtful summary your editorial board made in regard to the meeting with UC President Yudof and the current economic crisis of the UCs. With the misinformation and political gesturing surrounding the California budget and public universities, it’s important for students to understand the rock-and-a-hard-place spot that we are all facing right now.

UC San Diego is at a crucial tipping point in its history as one of the finest research institutions in the country, and arguably, the world. How do we maintain the highest quality education offered here without the budget to back it? In the past, when money and resources were available, we were able to attract top faculty, staff and administration to the campus. The resulting excellence of information coming from UCSD does more than collect accolades; it actually increases the value of your degree.

Each student who comes to UCSD chooses to come here in order to best set themselves up for their future. They want to graduate with this university’s name on their degree and résumé because they believe the opportunities here will translate to a high paycheck down the road. It’s a simple business return: the greater the reputation of your university, the greater the return you will get on your investment in your education.

For whatever misconceptions are out there about how much money UCs do or don’t have, or how it is or isn’t spent, the reality is this: the amount of money you pay for your education barely dents the amount of what it costs to put you on this campus, in a building, with a desk and a teacher up front. The state of California pitches in some money (but 50% less than it did 20 years ago), and the rest has to come from creative funding. How? The Student Foundation has your answer: Day Tuition Ends will be featured on Library Walk during the Chancellor’s 5K Challenge on October 23rd, and will tell you exactly how far your dollar is stretched in your education. Trust me, it’s not as far as you think.

With the proposed fee increases, you are being asked to invest more in your education than ever before. Maintain the value of your investment by taking the Chancellor’s Challenge and becoming an I-Pledge donor to give directly to student scholarships. Or put your mouth where your money is and let California know exactly how you have been impacted by budget cuts with 3 simple clicks at advocacy.ucsd.edu.

As an alumna and UCSD staff member, I sympathize with students facing financial hardship from the proposed fee increases. Due to budget cuts, I’ve seen top-of-the-field faculty recruitments pulled off the table, my pay decrease by nearly 18%, and colleagues laid off. But I believe access to higher education is the future for a successful California, and I will keep fighting until every student who wants to be here gets resources they need to succeed. Come join the fight.
current mood: frustrated

what the october?
when did our 10th month get here, and where was i? oh, that's right, i was working. the last 2 weeks of september have meant for me a life chaotic for the past few years, chock full of welcoming activities for students across campus. throw in there the madness of homecoming right around the corner of next week, and a lively social schedule (all work and no play makes britto no fun a'tall), and whoops! there goes all my time.
so, hello october. welcome to the year. hope to spend some time with you before being whisked away by november.
current mood: i hear the whoosh of weeks going by