No, don't turn the furnace off yet.

I need money so I applied for a PT cashier position at Lund's on Ford Parkway; mainly because it's close but also because the discount on groceries that will hopefully be a part of the benefits package will really be handy. It'll be like making even more money since I'll be spending less on food. Since my appetite isn't decreasing, this is the only way to lower expenses.

Lunds/Beyerly's has an online application process which includes a 100-question personality assessment. There were four options to each question: Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree, and Strongly Disagree. I was distressed with the instructions to take it quickly and not stop to think too long about any one question. I tried to follow the instructions but 100 questions is a lot. I started getting irritated after awhile and could be heard to sigh loudly. I can see where some of the questions would apply to the service industry but others, I don't know.
"Do you enjoy listening to other people talk about themselves?"
"Do you have thoughts of killing your mother?"
"Do you criticize someone for making a small mistake?"
"Have you ever wanted to kill your mother?"
"Do you fake being polite?"
"Have you ever planned your mother's death?"
"Are you sure?"
"What if we triple-dog-dared you to kill your mother?"
"Do you find people annoying?"
I just answered Strongly Agree to everything. I should be fine.

The afternoon was occupied with the debate over whether to hold an election for a 12-seat committee which currently has 11 nominees. When it was pointed out that this situation in no way requires an election, the response was "if you don't, people in the college will think that there was backroom maneuvering to get these people on the committee."

If we were handing out blank checks or if you even got paid for being on the committee, I could understand the concern but there is no gain personally, professionally and definitely not financially other than the satisfaction of attempting to be of service to your co-workers.

The committee hasn't actually done anything. There isn't enough left-over motivation or time because there are too many other changes going on that occupy most of out time.
"Everyone for professional development?" Yes.
"Great, can you put something together?" No.
"Could you attend something if someone else put it together?" No.
Okay then. See you at the next meeting.

I wrapped up the workday by attending the awards ceremony held by the Women's Leadership Institute. Given that all of the people standing at the podium have had extensive experience with a podium, I was amused to see that none of the women could put the microphone in the correct place for their height. I tried to think of a joke about the sexual reference associated with the phrase "speak into the mic" but it was brought to a screeching halt when Dr. Stephanie Valberg dedicated her award to her recently deceased daughter.

Although the ceremony was concluded with a quote from Oprah, I'm willing to overlook that because they served good desserts.

Here's a quote from Zora Hurston's "Dust Tracks on a Dirt Road" which I happen to really like:
"People are prone to build a statue of the kind of person that it pleases them to be. And few people want to be forced to ask themselves 'What if there is no me like my statue?' The thing to do is to grab the broom of anger and drive off the beast of fear."