All the News that's fit to print and some that isn't

1) Had the big faculty meeting yesterday. I won't say more than that or I'd have to lock this in order to avoid getting fired. However, was I was going into the faculty meeting (having gotten there insanely early) I was stopped by a woman who asks 'Are you Dana E?' I look at her, trying to place her but can't. "Yes I am."
She asks 'Are you a writer?' Okay I figure she must have looked at my faculty web site and had a helluva memory for faces. "yes I do." "I think you know my husband indirectly." At my puzzled look (half thinking, what does she think I'm doing with her husband) she adds her name. I can not believe it. Her husband and I had been in same writer's group by mail for nearly a decade (she really MUST have a memory for faces). I can't believe we're working at the same place (I never got along with him btw)

2) I get home and talk to the one student loan I know just came out of default. They will NOT budge off the payments (which is half my salary), graduated payments won't work and she's surprised to find out that me being partially disabled doesn't count. I ask about the loan forgiveness for teachers and she actually knew who to contact and suggests trying for deferment again if I can. I talk to them about the loan forgiveness but it only applies to loans AFTER 1998. WTF federal government? Sigh. At least they weren't rude and were helpful.

3) signed up to write more smut. Didn't I just post I didn't want to write more smut? Muse WTF?

4) mom called this morning to tell me my brother bought a house. Fearing it was the ugly way over priced one he had shown me at home, I asked and no, it's a completely new place he hadn't even been looking at. It's far more reasonable (if you can call 165K reasonable but in our area yeah, you can). Well it's not his yet but he put down a few thousand to hold it. His Mother in law is a realtor so I'm sure the inspectors and what not will get there a.s.a.p. So wish my brother luck on this. He's been living in a little apartment on his in-law's property for half of his marriage at this point.

5) Mom also told me that my 'aunts' (her best friends, not my relations) cousin (known druggie and wife beater) was involved in a fatal shooting last night (which in this rural area is something to behold. It's probably the first in twenty years) Oddly enough it appears that he himself wasn't the shooter. it happened during a card game, one dead, one in the hospital. the cousin escaped harm and the shooter is on the loose (figures), half wondering if the cousin's kid won't finally get taken away once the police start investigating.