Arch
Married to Night Train
- Location
- Salford, UK
Many of you will know, this happens everyso often. Yet again, the lady in the attic (who happens to be American, but that's not relevant really) has caused me a rise in blood pressure, and if I don't rant here among friends, some innocent person is going to get their head bitten off...
Story so far:
Due to inspection by a fire officer, and the need to rearrange some reference material, the attic room I used to inhabit has been undergoing some moving about of stuff - something I got paid to help arrange. I haven't been up there for a while, but I heard that this lady - let's call her Rose, it's her name - had brought in a microwave. There's always been a kettle up there anyway.
However, the microwave is banned. Apart from the University's general dislike of electrical equipment that hasn't been tested, we here at King's Manor have the added frisson of a timber framed grade 1 listed building to take account of. The kettle is alright, because it has auto cut off, and kettle fires are virtually unheard of, but microwaves in any old room are not allowed, which I think is sensible. On being told this, in an update email to all who work in the room, sent by my boss, Rose has responded:
"Is it then possible to have a microwave put into the Common room? Re-warmed beverages and actual hot food are SO much more digestable--and affordable to those of us spending L20,000 a year with no hope of funding or other income. Not to mention convenient for those who dislike walking any great distance."
So, once again, the lady with property in the States, who made the choice to come here, who withheld her fees for one year because she got a bee in her bonnet about her supervisor not doing all her work for her, and whose creepy husband apparently seems unemployable even by B and Q on pensioner's day, is playing the money card. Funny, how I managed to live very well on my £13,000 grant, even saved a couple of grand over 3 years, and now plan to live adequately on around £10,000 p/a, without whining about needing a microwave on my desk. Everything is money to her - a book is never just "a book", it's a "$50 book", the cost of everything is mentioned and moaned about. And then there's the disability card - yes, she needs a stick to walk, and I'm sorry for that, but she makes more fuss about it than people I've known who are much worse off, and much more cheerful.
I sent off a 'reply to all' email reminding her that there is indeed a microwave in the postgrad workroom - which isn't quite the common room she's thinking of, but is about 20 yards further away across the next courtyard. I restrained myself from adding a recipe for cous cous, which requires only a kettle to cook. I think she's allergic to wheat anyway.
<and breathe>
Sorry. I just had to rant to someone and you are all such good listeners. On the plus side, I just had an emminently digestible prawn cocktail roll for lunch, having found a pot of it reduced to 50p to clear in Sainsburys yesterday - an unaccustomed luxury
Story so far:
Due to inspection by a fire officer, and the need to rearrange some reference material, the attic room I used to inhabit has been undergoing some moving about of stuff - something I got paid to help arrange. I haven't been up there for a while, but I heard that this lady - let's call her Rose, it's her name - had brought in a microwave. There's always been a kettle up there anyway.
However, the microwave is banned. Apart from the University's general dislike of electrical equipment that hasn't been tested, we here at King's Manor have the added frisson of a timber framed grade 1 listed building to take account of. The kettle is alright, because it has auto cut off, and kettle fires are virtually unheard of, but microwaves in any old room are not allowed, which I think is sensible. On being told this, in an update email to all who work in the room, sent by my boss, Rose has responded:
"Is it then possible to have a microwave put into the Common room? Re-warmed beverages and actual hot food are SO much more digestable--and affordable to those of us spending L20,000 a year with no hope of funding or other income. Not to mention convenient for those who dislike walking any great distance."
So, once again, the lady with property in the States, who made the choice to come here, who withheld her fees for one year because she got a bee in her bonnet about her supervisor not doing all her work for her, and whose creepy husband apparently seems unemployable even by B and Q on pensioner's day, is playing the money card. Funny, how I managed to live very well on my £13,000 grant, even saved a couple of grand over 3 years, and now plan to live adequately on around £10,000 p/a, without whining about needing a microwave on my desk. Everything is money to her - a book is never just "a book", it's a "$50 book", the cost of everything is mentioned and moaned about. And then there's the disability card - yes, she needs a stick to walk, and I'm sorry for that, but she makes more fuss about it than people I've known who are much worse off, and much more cheerful.
I sent off a 'reply to all' email reminding her that there is indeed a microwave in the postgrad workroom - which isn't quite the common room she's thinking of, but is about 20 yards further away across the next courtyard. I restrained myself from adding a recipe for cous cous, which requires only a kettle to cook. I think she's allergic to wheat anyway.
<and breathe>
Sorry. I just had to rant to someone and you are all such good listeners. On the plus side, I just had an emminently digestible prawn cocktail roll for lunch, having found a pot of it reduced to 50p to clear in Sainsburys yesterday - an unaccustomed luxury
)
).
