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Is it uncouth to begin a blog post by saying, "Holy shit, I go on the road in less than a week!"? Because that's basically all that's been running through my head for the past two days. I've been busier than usual trying to get in touch with counselors, organizing my schedule, and trying not to focus on the panic of not knowing what to say during these school visits. (Apparently you're supposed to expand on, "Our school is really awesome!") I am enjoying this glimpse into high schools, though, considering I haven't visited one in several years. I like to think that I'm becoming something of an expert on the high school website/phone menu methods of communication. If I may, I would like to offer up a few suggestions:

1. If I am on your website, I should not have to click on anything to find your phone number or address.
   
2. When your phone menu lists "crisis intervention" before "guidance office," you're sending up red flags
   
3. It's great to list the names of everyone in the guidance office, but I have no idea who I'm supposed to be talking to, and it sucks when you force me to select an option rather than just directing me automatically to a fabulous receptionist who knows what she's doing
4. Seriously, your website should tell me who I'm supposed to be talking to. Why doesn't it?
5. When you make me email you a copy of the letter I sent (two months ago) so you can "have something in front of [you]," I am making a mental note that you are high-maintenance and I am resisting the urge to tell you to tape the damn paper to the computer if you want it on there (I realize that isn't website or phone menu related, but hopefully it will be helpful)
6. When you finally respond to my seventh voicemail by telling me you only do lunch visits, I want to scream
7. When you only do lunch visits that take up half of my day, I feel guilty telling you no, but I am also shocked you manage to get anyone to visit because they are so pointless
8. When you finally respond to my seventh voicemail by telling me you put me in the schedule a long time ago, I want to go to your office, find the form I mailed you in July, check the box saying "The requested time for your visit is confirmed," and shove it in the BRE we mailed it with just to show you how easy it really it is

So there you are. Welcome to my desk job. The rest of the day I spend jotting down blog ideas and talking to one of my coworkers about Harry Potter.

Tomorrow will be a fun road trip day; I'm going with previously-mentioned favorite counselor (not that I have favorites) to do four high school visits so I will actually know what to say. And the best part is, I don't have to be ready to go until... wait for it... 5:15 a.m.! Woo! *cough* Um, yeah. It will be a rough day. In fact, I should probably be getting ready for bed... it's almost 7.