Monday, August 21, 2006

Pictures! (as promised)

Today's interview was a very brief affair. I didn't get any real feedback about what they thought. There were four people there, including my future boss (should I get selected).

They didn't ask as many questions as I thought they would. One of them asked about my math skills, and I told him that I got straight Bs in calculus. That seemed to shut down any further questioning along that line. They wanted to know about my proficiency with the Microsoft Office suite, but they seemed to be satisfied before I went through each application. I think that the real litmus test question was how I would react if an angry and agitated student came to me and was upset about an assignment that a professor had given to him. That's one of those out-of-the-blue things that will catch you off guard. They need a technically proficient person for the job, but this person also has to be able to work with the students.

It actually is an interesting question. What do you do when you're in a position of... not authority, exactly, but one of respect? You're there to help the students, so you can't just tell him to shut up and suck it down.

The thing to do, of course, it to remain calm. Ask him about the assignment and find out what is bugging him (or her). Don't tell him that he's being a wimp, that he shouldn't be upset, that he's full of beans, or whatever. On the other hand, don't buy into the issue. Don't agree that the professor is out of line. Of course, I would also have to discuss it briefly with my boss, and maybe the professor. Actually fixing the problem may or may not be possible, but we can always try.

But today's blog entry isn't about my interview. I'll let you all know when I find out more. Meanwhile, I have a few pictures to post. Nothing like eating bandwidth!

It's hard to get decent shots of the chicks because they like to run away or hide behind their mothers. At least now they're stuck in the cage because they're too big to get out through the holes.



So here they are. They're definitely getting bigger. One of them looks like he is the son of one of the banties.



Mary tells me that Sarah is pregnant. Does this look like a pregnant horse to you? Haflingers are supposed to be barrel-shaped.



And here's our remaining dog. I think he's too ugly to die. He wants love, though. Can't you just see him there begging for love? Ugly dogs nee love, too!



Paul and Gabe are lounging at our home sweet home. Note the excellent ventilation.



The roof needs fixin', though. One of them kids climbed on it.

Actually, what you see there is a hastily-erected shed that keeps the lawn tractor, snow blower, and a bunch of garden tools and lawn toys out of the weather. It'll be repaired and packed tight before winter. Hopefully, I can build a hay barn and a pole barn some time next year. Then, I can get the hay bales and a bunch of other stuff out of our garage.

When we first moved in, we left the mercury light off at night. We still like it better that way, but we need to leave it on to discourage the coyotes.

When I put that first batch of chickens in a brooder in the barn, i was disappointed to learn that the light was connected straight to the same breaker that controls the outlets in the barn. If I wanted the light to be off, I had to also turn off the outlets. I couldn't do that without freezing our poor little peeps.

So, I bought a weather-proof electrical box, and an outlet and switch that are weather-proof. Now, we switch the light on and off at the pole, and also have a supply of power right there. It's very handy to start the snow blower right where it's parked. (Not that I want to even think about snow yet.)



This is my hunny out surveying her domain. And if you don't like it, well...



Mary go git yer gun!

Hey, I always wanted a bride that can ride and shoot. We just have to get the riding part down.



Of course, Paul likes to ride and shoot, too. But before he can shoot, he has to pump.



Bang! (OK, so it's more like a pop.)

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