Spent 300 bucks today on van stuff. Got it back after that exhaust system update (which was free) but I paid them to do another oil change as I couldn’t find the exact recommended oil anywhere. Picked up a few liters from the dealership, and I’ll order the next batch from somewhere. Also got some of their special oil filters, so I can compare them to the one I got from Napa. They gave me a whole list of stuff they think it’ll need soon, including new tires. That’s gonna run me a g, with the fancy ones I want. Might pick up some spare wheels too, so I can put the snow tires on myself.
They mentioned something about the suspension, which I’m not pleased to hear. I want to put in some triple leaf springs, as these Sprinters aren’t built for constant loads, and only have a single leaf underneath from the factory. Maybe doing that work myself would address some of their concerns with the suspension. I’ll have to have a detailed look at their write-up tomorrow.
Now that I’ve had that work done, I can submit proof and hopefully win some money from that class-action suit. I’d rather the emissions systems had always worked like it was supposed to, but I could use the money.
I also learned that I’ll be getting a small bonus from the school. I should be able to have 7k set back by the time this contract is up. I’ll need to spend some to finish up the van build, and the rest will pay down the debt on the van itself. But only once a contract is signed for next year. Hanging onto cash until then.
I had a student copy and paste a definition from a website onto one of my exams. I caught it, gave him a zero, and made a report to the honor board. He appealed, there was a hearing, and they ruled in his favor. He’s admitted to using that source, and his response was identical to what was written there, save for a single word being changed. I couldn’t believe it. The ruling is final, but I’m going to request clarification. I want them to explain to me how this wasn’t plagiarism. It definitely makes me not want to work for this college anymore. I had trouble focusing on my own work after reading that email. Stuff like this, that I perceive as unjust, hits me pretty hard. I still expect the world to be fair, on some level.
Tomorrow will be the last day of the term for me, I think. Finish up the grading and handle a few assorted sundries. Good riddance.
I’m still going back and forth on whether I should get an apartment for next year or not. Live in the van and save like 12k, but there’s a lot of uncertainty with that path. Much of it is mundane shit, like having an address to give to HR and the DMV and such. To have an apartment for one more year would be the conservative route. But expensive. It was always meant to be a vehicle I’d move onto a raw(ish) piece of land in. Things are less certain without the land. I’ve been homeless before, and it’s a lot of work. I don’t want to add a bunch of difficulty to my life by needing to find a place to sleep each night and dealing with cops and so forth. If I can pay to park it at a trailer park or some such, that could be cheaper than an apartment. I want a fixed, known place to go after work. It’s about time to give that some serious thought, and make a decision. But not tonight.