I promise at some point I will be able to let my feelings for my advisor go or accept them enough to stop posting about her, but yesterday she ruined my day. I actually almost had the second anxiety attack of my life as I walked to campus and started getting worked up about everything bad thing I could remember from the past four years. This is an excerpt of what got me going.
Luckily, I happen to be around this weekend. However, I need to point out that since the animal room is your lab job - in the future - during times when there are animal room issues - like during a scheduled power-outage - you need to prearrange with me (or someone trained on how to deal with that room) if you are not able to check on the animals for a period of time to make sure the room duties are covered. Please don't misunderstand.... You do a wonderful job with that room and I DO appreciate your efforts. I am also not saying that you are "tied" to that room and can never go away. If the room is becoming a problem for you, perhaps it might make sense that all of the grad students get fully trained on the room/equipment - and instead of you doing the room all the time, you three take turns being in charge of the room - maybe on a monthly basis? I will leave it up to you three to sort out. Let me know what you decide. I am sure you understand that it is very important for everyone's research that the animals are kept healthy. I will track down the folks at facilities today when I am on campus to find out the status of the room's water system.My favorite lines are "If the room is becoming a problem for you..." and "Please don't misunderstand." I am beginning to think that this room should not be a grad student's lab job period. Isn't that what the university animal facilities are for? If something actually goes wrong with the room, I am not trained to fix those things, so it does no good to make me responsible for fixing them. There are just a lot of "buts" in the undertone of the email and passive aggressive accusations about me not being responsible. Being irresponsible would have been not bringing the issues to her attention and losing the animals. Being responsible for her would be giving me the information necessary to take care of this, like, oh, the field technician's names or the credit card number or cc'ing me on emails to the head of facilities.
Anyhoo. Now I am away. She can deal with any potential issues for the weekend and I can have fun with my friends...and figure out what to do for Memorial Day Weekend when the heinous...my advisor will apparently be out of town again and it is MY responsibility to ensure the room is okay after a scheduled power shut down. Shouldn't that be the University's job? I wonder if SHE realizes that it is important to everyone's research that the animals are healthy?
K. I'm done. I swear. Time to hang a pot rack. Molly just found a stud.
5 comments:
Gee, that "advisor" is a real peach. I can't believe she's qualified to advise anyone. I think she could use some advice. Like take a long walk off a short pier. Or talk to the hand.
P.S. please post pictures of the stud. ;-)
Does the stud have a British accent?!
Say, didn't that pot rack need hanging on new year's eve? ;)
Just hang in there for another year or so - after that you'll be freeeeeeeeeee!
I have visions of this big hunky guy helping you hang the pot rack....
;-)
I can't decide what to think of your advisor on this one. I like that she is acknowledging that it is a big job and should probably be shared by more than one person. However, it really does sound like it is more than you can do and should be something for facilities. So, there isn't an animal facility? or do they just not cover xenopus? All in all, it sounds good that you got a break.
I hate it when people a) don't appreciate competence and b) try to blame others for stuff that is *their* fault. Okay, so you have a job, but you don't get paid enough to worry about power outtages and administration.
Spark, who needs a pier when you can just walk right in from the beach?
Carolyn, I wish it had a British accent! It just beeped a lot. The pot rack is hung now.
Danielle, I also wish it was a big hunky guy (no offense Molly). I try not to think that my advisor's acknowledgments are not backhanded, but I just can't help it.
Aurora, I think she knows I can do it though. That's the problem...if only I were incompetent!
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