Greetings Citizens. Well, well, well, just when you think all is bad some good comes to light. I decided to go for a nice, long ride today and see if I could sort some things out in my tiny little brain. I didn't get very far... but the ride was nice. When I got home I checked my emails and lo & behold Clackamas has offered me another digital class for next Fall Term. And just when you think things can't get much worse they get a little bit better! I'll miss my kids at PCC just the same... and it's not the same as having a full-time position with benefits and all. But still... it is good news. Who knows, maybe now I'll be able to get a good night's sleep!

Greetings Citizens. I can't sleep at night anymore. All I do is toss & turn trying to figure out what the hell am I going to do with my life. I'm $47K in debt because I knew I was a good teacher and wanted to share what I know about Photography. But that pipe dream has been dashed and I'm left to wonder what am I going to do to pay the bills? I suppose I can sell off my cameras and photo books. That'd give me some money for about three months. Then what? Sell my plasma? Can't do that... forgot. I lived in Denmark and they had Mad Cow. Maybe I could sell my photographs. Yeah right. Maybe I'll luck out and get hit by a truck.

Greetings Citizens. Here's the rundown on things:

Saturday was lots of fun. Me and R went to the ballet after a great meal at Morton's. She drove my 356B to the show and was loving every minute of it. After the ballet we went to visit M at JAX. It was packed and very busy but M found enough time to chat with us for a few minutes. We walked back to the car and we decided we needed a doughnut. So we went to the Krispy Kreme in Beaverton. We shook hands and called it a night.

Sunday, I went shooting with Ji Soo. We went to the mortuary and shot dead people. It was fun. There are eight floors of crypts and urns and all sorts of neat stuff to photograph. I shot a couple of rolls and I think Ji Soo shot a little less. From there I went looking for some anti-graffiti to photograph and found a couple of images to make some zone plate images of.

Yesterday the last of the new recruits toured the facilities. M, a work study student, told me that a couple of people had toured the lab on Saturday. I said, "Let me guess. Women under the age of thirty." She was amazed. "How did you know that?" "Lucky guess," said I. So, on Monday, I saw (Yep! You guessed it!) two more women.... one under the age of thirty, the other was just over. Earlier in the day I had talked the department head (my last rant to him and the last time I would thank him for being understanding to my my demise at PCC). It went well enough. He encouraged me to keep looking for teaching jobs but I'm not so sure. The last time I was at an SPE conference, I saw all sorts of young women talking about their new teaching positions at this or that university. I saw the writing on the wall then and there: Photography is becoming a chick-art and guys aren't being encouraged to participate. In fact, while I was at USU, I saw the mix between boys and girls go from 50/50 to where in the last term I was there only one guy was a photo major. Scary but true. So I think I'm out. I still have a digi-class in the Fall that I will teach for fun and extra money. But the days of teaching Photography to students as a serious pursuit will now be a task left to the girls.

Greetings Citizens. It's odd being a lame duck teacher. I know that all the teaching I'm doing will only make the new hire's job easier. And I'm treated differently too. One woman who's on the committee (I think) could barely say hello to me yesterday morning at the copy machine. We stood next to each other for five minutes in cool silence. Later in the day the dean asked me my schedule. I told him what it was and he said there would be a couple people coming through on Wednesday. He mentioned it might be awkward. Hmmmm, awkward. Makes you wonder who the visitors will be, doesn't it? Anyway, I don't like going upstairs anymore. I'm just spending quality time with my students. I was going to be shitty and not teach them much but I can't do that to them. They don't have anything to do with what is going on. So, I'll continue to teach them to the best of my ability, pack my shit & move on.

Greetings Citizens. Well, I am beginning to work my way through the seven stages of grief over losing my job. I don't plan on it being a pleasant experience. But when I see what other people are doing to survive their lives, I feel pretty lucky, actually. Still, I can't believe I wasn't given a shot. I was talking with the department head yesterday. He told me I was a wonderful teacher, a great photographer and that I received outstanding evaluations. So, why the fuck am I not even considered for an interview?! It's just crazy! And the other adjunct (who has put in eight years) doesn't get a sniff at the job either. Where is loyalty anymore. It's disgusting. The department head mentioned the search was "national.... international". Yeah? Should I have mailed in my job application from Chicago? Hong Fucking-Kong? (Can you tell that I am in the anger stage of grief)? I really don't know what I am going to do! I don't have any skills. (Think: Napoleon Dynamite). I know how to teach. But nobody seems the least bit interested. It's terribly frustrating! Of course the folks are being supportive but it should be me helping them out... not the other way around. I suppose I can get some ridiculous "real job" that I'll hate everyday for the rest of my life. But the thought doesn't appeal to me. I'd rather jump off a bridge.

Saturday, I'm going to dinner and the ballet. I figure I might as well enjoy some culture while I can still afford it.

Greetings Citizens. Today I was making a photo for one of the secretaries in the art department. I was getting ready to leave and the dean asked if he could see me for a moment. He promptly told me I wasn't going to be selected for an interview. He also said the charges leveled against me had nothing to do with the decision. I don't quite believe that but there it is. No full-time teaching job for your humble protagonist. I also found out that the other adjunct wasn't going to get an interview either. That means the college is hiring outside. That means the other adjunct will still keep her two classes. That means I'm out. Completely.

I am pretty much going to hang up my hat and give up on teaching. I know I'm good; my students know I'm good. But administrators think of me as trouble... & maybe I am.

One good thing could come from all of this but I am not at liberty to divulge any information on that topic just yet.

Greetings Citizens. Things here aren't going so well all of a sudden. A series of events have taken place that all but ensure that I will not be the person hired for the full-time position at the school where I am currently working as an adjunct. I won't comment on the matter anymore except to say that some very malicious charges have been brought against me and there is no way for me to defend myself. I can say this: the charges do not come from any of my students who are all a great bunch of kids. When all is said and done with in this matter I fear that my teaching career will be over and done with. Forever. Other than that, it's a nice day.

Greetings Citizens. Today I'm heading north to Seattle. Dick S and myself are going to take in a couple of Mariner games. He plans on doing some looking at stamp stores too. I plan on visiting my Mom & Dad... though Daddy will be working at the stadium.

R was over yesterday to work on some portraits she made. She continues to impress me with her talent. Afterwards R, her daughter and me went to the Lucky Labrador for pizza. It was a very enjoyable evening for me and R. (I think her daughter got a little bored).

Greetings Citizens. Last night I talked Mark N into going down to First Thursday. Watching hipsters in their element is always a fun time. I also saw L walking around with umbrella-boy. He was the ex-boyfriend at her 40th b-day party who kept following her around holding an umbrella over her head making an ass out of himself. But it seems to have gotten her back in her good graces... that and he didn't show her any controversial work involving female anatomy. That would have disgusted her and made her want to take a shower. This I know first-hand.

Anyway Mark and I looked at a few exhibits and grabbed a bite to eat at the Rouge Ales & Public House. They were sold out of root beer so I had to settle for water with lemon.

Today R is coming over to work on some digital images she made of a friend's daughter. I'm going to help her with some color management and editing. Maybe we'll go have lunch.

Right now I need to get ready for a faculty meeting at the school... "adjunct faculty are invited to attend."

Greetings Citizens. So far things are going well at school. I seem to have a good batch of students and I'm particularly happy with my carry-overs from the basic classes. Tomorrow we are making pinhole cameras. Some of the students will get enough done to actually make a negative & positive. The lab will be open for them on Saturday thanks to Gaye, today's birthday girl & secretary extraordinaire.

I went for a ride earlier this afternoon and stopped by Citizen's Photo to pick up some color negatives (including some zone plate work I've been doing). The exposures looked pretty good and I'm looking forward to scanning some of the images. When I got home, Big Mike called and we went for another putt around Lake Oswego. There are some expensive huts in this town! There was one place for sale that was 4200 sq. ft. that was going for a cool $2.5M. Damn!

When I got home I cooked up a steak and had a salad with it. I'm watching the M's game now.

I got a call from R tonight too. She photographed a friend's daughter for her graduation picture. She wants to look at her shots tomorrow on my computer. And being the dedicated teacher that I am, that is exactly what we will do.

Greetings Citizens. Last night me and Mark N went and saw Syriana. Neither one of us could make any sense of it. He was drunk, I didn't have an excuse.

Today I worked on my syllabi for awhile. Then I decided the day was too nice and went for a motorcycle ride. I ended up in Woodburn and made some pics of the metal there. I also cruised through the Mexican section of town... on the other side of the tracks and found some anti-graffiti too.

When i got home i called my Mom to see how she was getting along. She says she still thinks she can hear Dr Wu singing. I guess he's still in the house... all wrapped in aluminum foil in a jar. His glass crypt.

Tomorrow I am going to Costco with Ji Soo to get a 100 pack of coffee filters. Life is good.