fox: my left eye.  "ceci n'est pas une fox." (Default)
fox ([personal profile] fox) wrote2007-09-07 12:29 pm
Entry tags:

knuckleball in the dirt

My team:
1. Supervisory boss-type person A, who doesn't actually do research work on the project
2. Supervisory boss-type person B, who also doesn't actually do research work on the project
3. Project Manager, who keeps us focused on deadlines and whatnot
4. Primary Investigator
5. Researcher 1
6. Researcher 2
7. senior research-type person we'll call Researcher 3
8. self
9. whatever minions I can rake up from time to time when we can afford to pay them
#1 and #2 do not, as you see, do research work on the project. Neither does #3. #4 has a four-month-old baby at home and may not yet be back to 100% employment after family leave. #6 is on vacation and will follow this with a year-long "leave of absence" for a visiting-professor gig somewhere else (scare quotes because nobody thinks she'll actually come back from this). #7 is divided among several projects, as is almost everybody here.

#5 just announced that he's taken a job in the private sector and will be leaving October 12.

We see that this leaves ... well, me. And the occasional minions, who can be helpful but who sometimes need enough training in whatever they're helping me do that it would frankly be faster to do it myself. (This is not the case at the moment.) I am assured that everyone all the way up to the tip-top knows that this project needs to be completely re-staffed. I am not, however, reassured. In fact I'd like to go somewhere and hit my head against something hard for a few minutes and then cry.

Fortunately, I have recognized that this reaction is at least 50% due to the fact that it is lunch time. The transcription I am working on is slightly more than half done, which is good, because it's a bear. I will now make a sandwich and drink some soda and read Carolyn Hax's chat. Thank god.

[identity profile] jfargo.livejournal.com 2007-09-07 04:47 pm (UTC)(link)
Do you ever contract out the transcription stuff? I might know a highly-qualified professional in that realm looking to make some extra money, and hey, if you don't have to do it then you get more time for other stuff, like research!

[identity profile] darthfox.livejournal.com 2007-09-07 04:55 pm (UTC)(link)
Nope. It's (part of) what they hired me for. But thanks. :-}