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tcpipThe last four workdays I've been on annual leave, mainly because I've accumulated too many holidays and that makes the bureaucrats feel nervous. Most of the time I have spent at home, albeit with a couple of exceptional social outings, one of which I joked with the participants that I was "on a hot date with three girls" (they were all older women well into retirement age and beyond from the local Unitarian church; they thought the idea was quite amusing). Much of the time whilst on leave I've engaged in the exciting activity of cleaning out clothing items that had been in storage for over ten years (mostly not mine, I hasten to add), and putting various books, etc up for sale, including an enormous pile for the cyberpunk convention on December 27.
Which of course is how I have been spending another significant chunk of my free time. The convention is powering along quite well and there was a surprising flurry of registrations on Thursday, now pushing the 70 mark. There will be, of course, a big push in the final week (there always is for such things). I've contacted the panelists with some presentation prompts for their contributions and the GMs on running their sessions. The convention will also produce content for a double-issue of RPG Review, for both the proceedings and the RPG scenarios that are being run in the evening. Also, I am more than half way through the "Papers & Paychecks" cyberpunk supplement, "Emails & Direct Deposits", which I hope to be able to launch on the day of the convention.
I completely neglected in previous journal entries to mention that my application at the University of Auckland to do a Graduate Diploma in Applied Psychology has been accepted, which I will commence next year. If the timing is right that will make it degree number eight. Best still, I have a co-pilot in the subject, albeit with a different focus. Whilst I am concentrating in aggregates and organisational psychology (because I'm a sociology and institutions nerd), they're focussing more on clinical and positive approaches. These are obviously complementary rather than competing approaches as the overall interest in human behaviour and the mind remains common. It is really the sort of motivating and intellectual partnership that I thoroughly enjoy. It is interesting how intellectual enthusiasm inspires those who also have the same enthusiasm. I guess that's why philosophers end up forming so many clubs and associations.
Which of course is how I have been spending another significant chunk of my free time. The convention is powering along quite well and there was a surprising flurry of registrations on Thursday, now pushing the 70 mark. There will be, of course, a big push in the final week (there always is for such things). I've contacted the panelists with some presentation prompts for their contributions and the GMs on running their sessions. The convention will also produce content for a double-issue of RPG Review, for both the proceedings and the RPG scenarios that are being run in the evening. Also, I am more than half way through the "Papers & Paychecks" cyberpunk supplement, "Emails & Direct Deposits", which I hope to be able to launch on the day of the convention.
I completely neglected in previous journal entries to mention that my application at the University of Auckland to do a Graduate Diploma in Applied Psychology has been accepted, which I will commence next year. If the timing is right that will make it degree number eight. Best still, I have a co-pilot in the subject, albeit with a different focus. Whilst I am concentrating in aggregates and organisational psychology (because I'm a sociology and institutions nerd), they're focussing more on clinical and positive approaches. These are obviously complementary rather than competing approaches as the overall interest in human behaviour and the mind remains common. It is really the sort of motivating and intellectual partnership that I thoroughly enjoy. It is interesting how intellectual enthusiasm inspires those who also have the same enthusiasm. I guess that's why philosophers end up forming so many clubs and associations.
no subject
Date: 2020-12-19 09:42 pm (UTC)1) OHS standards dictate that you have so much time off in a given time period, and if you're not taking it, you're on the process towards burnout, which means more paperwork, and (possibly more importantly)
2) your leave entitlements are covered by your department. When your pay is calculated (from your department's budget), your leave entitlement pay goes into a different account and is counted as a debt to the department. They hate holding debts. So they make you take the annual leave to keep the debt amount down.
Long Service Leave entitlement pay is kept in a different bucket by the Chancellory for the whole university, and is accounted for differently, so they don't care if you take it or not.
no subject
Date: 2020-12-19 11:10 pm (UTC)Re 2) Yes, it does count as a debt. A former employer required staff to take leave at one point because if we continued as we were we'd be trading whilst insolvent, which is a definite naughty.
Overall, I am actually enjoying a few days off. I have been fortunate enough in life to end up in a beautiful place and I have taken the time to absorb those surrounds.
As for LSL, I'm really looking forward to that. I'd accumulated it at my last employer, but was unable to actually take it (fine, I used the money to pay off the house). But this time, for sure!
no subject
Date: 2020-12-20 07:59 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-12-20 09:19 pm (UTC)My plan is to get 10.
no subject
Date: 2020-12-20 10:22 pm (UTC)