oh yes, dorm life

Haven't quite figured out how to edit posts, which is why no titles in previous have italics, but wanted to share some of the pleasures of dorms... Thursday we came back to no water from 9pm to 4 am - found out when I attempted to flush ... enough said (maybe too much). That night also air conditioning was minimal to none. Yesterday no hot water - took a much needed tepid shower. Not loving it.

American University does not make much of any attempt to warn us of changes. Moving cars for Obama's visit was told us via a piece of paper stuck with masking tape over a sign in the entry way. Water turn off was same, though the sign said Anderson was affected not Centennial where we dwell. So we found out by usage (or lack of it) only. I'm assuming AU likes making money from renting dorms to outside groups, but they are not making much of an impression on me. I'm also guessing options in DC are limited. Apparently TSI used Georgetown U in the past but the reports were the dorms were dreadful. The room is fine, but it's getting messy and I have no way to clean it - no vacuums at all. When I asked if there was one I could borrow for 10 minutes, I was told I could ask the cleaning staff to come in and vacuum, but I am not here when they are. I share a bathroom with one person and we are both pretty fastidious, but guess what? Neither of us brought any equipment for cleaning bathrooms! It's getting a bit well-used, but there is nothing I can do about that either. And most of the campus is shut down for the summer, so there are very few options for eating. Library closed much of the time. Not easy to find info on hours either. I learned last night there is a computer center below us, in our dorm, with printers and other equipment - this I learned from another TSI er, who found it by accident. No one at AU thought to tell us what services are available. And their own bookstore is never open when we are here! We would all spend lots of money there! This place is a little nuts.

However there are very sweet undergrads working the desk. It's their bosses I would like to have a few words with.

Now, time to get to work (or get more coffee). It is Sunday.