No problem, work tells me, just put the time into the system. Hurry, they tell me (even though it's weeks away), hurry, hurry, hurry! They even promise the job to a particular substitute.
"The system" is automated, and my boss assures me that I can't screw it up. Hahahaha, oh, she of so much faith. I put the dates in with notes for the administration and all, and I hit "submit." All set, right?
Wrong.
I stew about this for a few minutes then email administration about it. Oh, they can fix it on Monday, I hope. A little while later, my email pings again. Someone else completely random and also unknown to me has scooped up the other date that the first woman apparently did not want.
Good god, how could I have screwed this up? It's a damn automated system!
I stew about this, too, for a couple of hours. If I delete the request, will I be in trouble? Will I screw up my chance of having it approved at all? Meanwhile, the surgeon still has not sent me the required and promised paperwork, even though she claims she did. Same thing with the prescription I need -- claims that was faxed and it never was.
So, I go back into the automated system and hit DELETE for the entire request. Now, when people see my name come up for subbing, they're going to think I'm a total asshole for putting in the request then rescinding it.
Why is this process so hard? I thought the hardest part of all of this would be the surgery. Right now, the surgery seems like the only easy part.
All I ask is that my students are still alive and intact when I return. The rest of it? Not my problem. Maybe we should go back to the old days of just calling in sick. Sure would make life easier.
