Tina B's Barrel 'o Blogs

1989

The short version:
So, I didn't answer any emails last night, because I got home very late from school.


The long version:
So...

I'm in a class on counseling. For this class we have to counsel each other using techniques we learn about in class. To be sure we are doing this correctly, the teacher has us submit a recording of these "sessions."

OK, so far so good.

Sadly, she got up one day in 1989 after FINALLY learning how to operate her VCR and said "that's it. I will never bow to the lure of technology again!"

Side note: We actually had to fill out NOTE CARDS last night in class with our names and phone numbers. This information is available to her on her student roster!!!!

But I digress. As I said, we have to record ourselves. No problem. I have "Voice Memo's" on my iPhone. Simple. Record. Download. Email. Done.

You can see where this is going, right?

She wants us to use a tape recorder. Huh?

Well I refused to buy one, but I did not want to jeopardize my grade, so I did not fight too much. I'm in a group of three, and one of us, lets call her Q, had a tape recorder that she said we could use. I paid three bucks for a pack of 4 tapes that I finally found after visiting three stores. I also splurged on some batteries, the good kind, for Q since she did pay for the recorder, and I was going to use it

Side Note: Q said she had to special order it from Best Buys because THEY DON'T CARRY IT STORES.

Sigh, "the best laid plans of mice and men"

So me and Bill (the third member) showed up to class, but no Q. I text her while we were doing our lecture part, and she replies one hour AFTER the class started that she was dropping. She knew last week that we were going to use her recorder.

We also got a new student who took Q’s, place. Q will henceforth be known as Quitter. Apparently, the new girl, Lily, doesn't carry a tape recorder on her, so here we are the three of us with four blank tapes.

The teacher DID have one we could borrow, but she was trying to get some copies made, or something, so 20 minutes, we are finally in business.

You should have seen us. It was like a scientist discovering a new reptile. We were staring at the little black box, poking it with a stick, asking each other "what do you think it is?" "Is it dangerous?" "Careful! It might bite!" "What do you think it eats?"

So after another 10 minutes, we get the tape loaded and did a test record to check for function. By this time, all the other pairs have switched to the second person, since we have to record thirty minute sessions.

Now we have to pause again to explain to Lily how the sessions are supposed to work, the techniques to use, etc, because she was not in fucking class last week.

Finally, we are all settled, so on with the recorder and here we go. I also had to record with my iPhone, since I have no way to play the tape at home, and we actually have to submit a verbatim transcript (that's another rant. Do you have any fucking idea how long it's going to take to transcribe these sessions?).

But after my opening bit, the recorder stops! So we rewind, do another test, no problem, here we go again.

Second try, and again it stops. There are now way too many four letter words to type out here.

Thankfully, I have those batteries I bought for Quitter, so we change them and set up for go number three.

And yet again, IT FUCKING STOPS!

We start at the beast for a minute, and I finally vocalized the four letter words that were dying to come out. I am a sailor after all.

As I am bitching and moaning, the recorder starts again. Oh my God, she gave us a possessed recorder!!

Bill said that probably wasn’t it though. So as were are looking closer to figure out the right spot to scratch the damn monster so it would purr, we saw the tiny words, and I mean smaller than 8pt font, "voice activated." By now about 45 minutes have gone by.

The teacher has allotted enough time for the class to complete their sessions. What she didn't consider is that the group of three people at thirty minutes a piece is going to take fucking longer. In the middle of our second session, she starts poking her head in the door wanting to know what the hold up is. Everyone else is done, right? So we should be done too!!!!

Sigh.

Finally, an hour and a half after everyone else was done, we finished up.

So, I didn't answer any emails last night, because I got home very late from school.