They're riding hard to catch that herd, but they ain't caught 'em yet

[rolanni]

Well! What an exciting day, to be sure.

It was 89F/31C -- far too hot to even think about eating lunch -- in the Secretarial Garret by the time I threw in the towel for the day. I'm not sure how hot it actually got outside, but I suspect we hit 90F/32C. Yes, we here in the Great Northeast are Hot Weather Wimps.

My missions for the day involved requisitioning new telephone numbers, transferring old numbers, office relocations, furniture allocations, making work orders, and timelines for moving this one who can't move until this other one has been shifted who isn't going anywhere until the end of July -- and all the maddening minutiae attending moving faculty in, out and around campus. I have seven heads to juggle this year, and I am ashamed to admit that I broke down and made a spreadsheet, so no one would fall through the cracks. I should probably make a flowchart, too.

In-between Perfesser Jugglin', I defrosted the communal refrigerator, a task that isn't specifically mine, but doesn't appear to be anyone else's. Since I don't want to deal with the fallout from the fridge experiencing Catastrophic Ice Buildup and burning up its poor little motor, I suppose that means I blinked first. I will say that the glacier melted right fast in today's conditions. The job was done and the fridge turned back on before I left for the day.

On the way home, I stopped at the bank and asked the nice customer service lady to please turn on Bill Pay for me, which she did. I can't access it until sometime after 8 p.m. tomorrow, but when I can, we'll have us some fun. Apparently, I have the option of scheduling automatic or manual payments, so this may work! Thanks to dancinghorse and everyone else who spoke of the Wonder that is Bill Pay.

The Expanding Universe Contest continues to draw eager participants. Have you put your name in the hat yet?

Here at home, the cats are melted, while I'm enjoying the cooler climate, and a glass of ice tea.

Now, it's time to open the file and get with Ghost Ship.

Comments

[reedrover]

I got our summer intern to put in her name for the Expanding Universe contest. Wheee!

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

The more the merrier!

Hot weather wimps in NE

[(Anonymous)]

Well, expect there is more to your temps than just what the thermometer says. Don't you have that little monster called humidity to deal with? Not us here in dry as a bone CO. Plus we are 9600 ft above sea level. Air is too thin to hold much of anything including temps. However, relief is on its way to you. It poured most of the day and the storm is supposed to be on its way tomorrow. Jenny from CO

[birdhousefrog.livejournal.com]

You never knew about BillPay? Best thing invented. And it should be FREE. You can touch a bill once. Set it up for payment on the due date. Awesome. And things like mortgage payments can be monthly auto-pay.

Oz

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

No, I knew about Bill Pay, but only in its automatic-or-nothing iteration. Since I have a Freelancer's Checkbook, even though I have a day-job, I cannot possibly support a system that is completely automatic, because sometimes the due date arrives before the money, or, better, but still not ideal, simultaneously. If I can release some things occasionally at the bitter end and still have the payment arrive on time, that would be a huge assist to Household Tranquility, right there.

[dancinghorse.livejournal.com]

Oh Yeah. The trick is to figure out which ones go through the following day, and which take longer. The latter are the ones to pay with what pennies are left in the account, then the former get paid after the refill.

The one thing that can catch you is, no service on weekends (or holidays). If you have a Sunday due date, you better make sure the BP goes through by the Friday before. And if you forget on Friday that there's a Monday bill, and by the time you remember it's past the cutoff for the day, a run to the PO is indicated.

Even with that, it's a godsend. Easy, fast, shows you exactly how much money you have to work with, and backs you up if the recipient claims you were "late" when the money left your account on the due date.

[laurahcory1.livejournal.com]

Have posted about the Expanding Universe contest to the local sf club's listserv and also to my personal LJ, in addition to linking on the Baen FB page. :)

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[(Anonymous)]

The spreadsheet is a powerful ritual and the flowchart a time-honored incantation. Even Project Managers use them, though they call them by different names. :)

I passed the word on your contest to a couple of blogger/reviewers I know. I'm pretty sure they haven't read you yet.

Lauretta@ConstellationBooks

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

I passed the word on your contest to a couple of blogger/reviewers I know. I'm pretty sure they haven't read you yet.

Thank you!

[amm-me.livejournal.com]

Happy to see a mention of Ghost Ship - first in a long time. I s'pose it got kinda derailed by your summer dissipations and exertions of riding on trains all over everywhere, signing umpty-million Saltations, etc.

Professor-juggling ;-) -- I wish somebody who is more of an artist than I would illustrate that for us ...

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

Happy to see a mention of Ghost Ship - first in a long time. I s'pose it got kinda derailed by your summer dissipations and exertions of riding on trains all over everywhere, signing umpty-million Saltations, etc.

No, it's just being a very shy and somewhat difficult book, which isn't at all sure that it likes being talked about in front of strangers. Some books are like that.

Strangers

[doccolt.livejournal.com]

Strangers? Surely Not, I thought we were all family here. Some perhaps more distant than others of course:)

[readinggeek451]

My copy of Saltation arrived this morning. Thank you!

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

Eggselent! Thank you for letting me know.

[filkferengi]

Mine arrived Friday. Thank you for the expeditious service!

Be sure to drink enough & take your vitamins in the heat. We'll miss you at Nasfic!