Happy Friday one and all!

You may have noticed that our dear friend Orin has been absent over the last couple of weeks. We received a quick email from him letting us know that he is, indeed still truckin’ along down at BPU. I think he has finally felt the full force of what it means to be a member of the office of research administration staff! Hopefully we will hear from Orin again soon, but until then, let’s look back at some of our “most frequently viewed” Fun-Day Friday posts.

Coming in as #1 with a whopping 95 views, Cat Frenzy anyone? It seems as though our viewers are as cat crazy as the pet lovers in Colorado Springs. Beware, most of you may be well on your way to ordering one of these.

Falling short by just 4 views is another animal loving post. It seems as though everyone loves a cute animal pick-me-up at the end of the work-filled weeks. It is proven that pets relieve stress, and honestly there are just so darn cute- most of the time.

………if your eyes are still burning from that last picture, here is a cure-all.

At #3, you all have seemed to stray from the pet friendly Fun-day Friday posts and indulged in a little Sheldon rant. Maybe you agreed with the curiosity surrounding the fame of one little girl, or you just agree that Tuesdays are nothing to sing about, either way I’m sure Sheldon appreciates the attention.

Lastly, in the spirit of Fun-day Friday, we have also recently received some photos of our long-lost Sheldon. Supposedly he has taken up habitants in a small town in the Czech Republic playing “pet” for a while. He seems to be enjoying himself, as he has grown quite a bit since we last saw him!

From: Atkinson, Orin
Sent: Friday, March 15, 2013 3:28 PM
To: ora@jhsph.edu
Subject: Fun-day Friday

Good Afternoon fellow ORA’ers!

I apologize for my scarcity these past couple of weeks. I have been consumed by trainings, meetings, and phone calls, and I just couldn’t get away. The sheer volume of awards and what it takes to complete them is absolutely engulfing. I never thought that I could work for 8 hours straight, and still look back at my day and think “wow, I didn’t get anything I wanted to, done.” Just 5 weeks into my internship and I think I am already starting to develop what I’ve heard is called the Research Admin. eye twitch! Luckily for me, I prefer the busy lifestyle. I’ve been able to learn a lot of new things.

Lately I’ve been able to delve into the Coeus system. I’ve taken a training course, watched a couple webinars, and shadowed some coworkers while they used it. However, whenever I try to accomplish something on my own using the program, I am embarrassingly defeated. I honestly think the whole program tries to trick you! Based on its blocky grey buttons, you would think the program was created by this thing and that it would be easy to use. Not the case. Not only is the grey and blocky-ness of the program misleading, but so are the buttons. When I see an unidentified picture of a flag I think….”finished!” not “workflow”. I do not get it. Needless to say, if Coeus and I were in a Facebook relationship, it’d “be complicated.”

Anywho, I better get back to work, the filing won’t do itself! Until next time folks!!

Orin Atkinson

P.S.- Spending any holiday in the office rocks. My coworkers find any kind of excuse to bring in food, and I don’t hate it! Birthdays, check! Someone coming back from a trip, check! St. Patty’s day, check! I’ll be eating cupcakes and dip for the next week. This job rocks.

St. Patty’s Day Chicken! Yummo!

From: Atkinson, Orin
Sent: Friday, February 22, 2013 3:28 PM
To: ora@jhsph.edu
Subject: Fun-day Friday

Happy Friday fellow ORA’ers!

I settled into my second week here in ORA and the volume of contracts, grants and subs have been overwhelming. Although I’m not here to write or negotiate agreements, this past week I’ve been able to see the different steps that go into turning a proposal file into a fully executed agreement.

I did not realize how long and intensive this process was. As an outsider it seems that you would put in a proposal that explained your idea, ask for money, and then VIOLA! You’re funded. I couldn’t have been more wrong! I attempted to draw a table of the process, but my timeline always ended up something like this…

I finally gave up on the chart drawing since they didn’t seem to be quite accurate, is that a bird?! Who knows. There are so many pieces to the process and with every one step, you have to talk to 3 or 4 different people. Talk about the tangled web we weave.

Lesson learned this week: every person seems to be an integral part of the process, props to you all!

Until next week Friends!

Orin R. Atkinson

From: Atkinson, Orin
Sent: Friday, February 15, 2013 2:33 PM
To: admin@bloggingora.com
Subject: Blog Post- week one in ORA!

Good Afternoon Research Admin enthusiasts, and happy Friday!

I just finished my first week here at BPU, and let me tell you- it’s been a doozy! Starting at any new establishment can be an intimidating  yet exciting process and my first week has been all that and a bag of cheese doodles. I’ve mostly realized 3 things this week…

1)      Access is key

Most of you are probably thinking “access to…..what exactly?” and all I can say is EVERYTHING! Although I did have some previous knowledge of Research Administration, all of my reading did not prepare me for the amount of systems needed in order to get the job done! I mean- HOLY COW! So not only did I learn about all of the programs needed, but I had to put in request after request to a guy in my own dept. to get permission, then a woman in the actual dept. that handles such things to get access to all of them. Every time I was asked to attempt a task, I found out that I didn’t have access to the necessary system. EXHAUSTING, but after two days and several emails, I am finally set up- for now that is.

2)      IDK my BFF Rose?

Did you understand what that ^ meant? Then you’re a lot better at acronyms than I am! I didn’t realize that I was getting a job in a 12 year old girls gchat conversation, except instead of “omg’s” and “lol’s” I’m hearing NOA, NCE, SAP, FCOI, MTA, and so on. I started a list of all of the acronyms that I’ve been hearing and have been slowly putting two and two together as to what they actually mean. I’ve already had so many “ah-hah!” moments and it’s only week one!

3)      Classes didn’t stop in college

This week I have taken more online classes than my university provided! I was prepared to take the general online welcome “class,” where they provide an information overload about your new place of employment, but I was not quite ready to sit for 8 hours watching videos and taking quizzes. I’ll admit, the information will definitely be handy, but I’m so overly ready to jump into the action!

Overall, I think week one was a success. I’m all classed, acronym’d, and emailed out, so the weekend will be a great time to rejuvenate. Until next week pals!

Orin R. Atkinson 

In memory of our adventurous tortoise friend, Sheldon, Happy Friday All!

I apologize for the absence of our Friday posts but honestly folks, writing a blog today just doesn’t feel right. Throughout the week, my colleagues and I have been wracking our brains to try and find a topic, theme, etc, to fill the void, where Sheldon’s every thought and feeling use to be expressed. However, nothing we could come up with could measure up to Sheldon’s witty writings. Luckily, the day (literally- Sheldon’s fun-day Fridays) have been saved and we can keep our day jobs! On Tuesday we received the following email from a young fellow, in response to our Social Media Monday post last monday.

——To Whom it May Concern at the JHSPH, Office of Research Administration,

 My name is Orin Randall Atkinson and I am a recent graduate of Fair Ridge University. I have been following your blog for the past year and was sad to hear that Sheldon would no longer be writing the Sheldon Fun-day Friday blogs. I have always been interested in Research Administration, which is what initially led me to your blog. However, I have also really enjoyed ending my week laughing about the comical posts by Sheldon.

I am emailing you today in response to your “Calling all Bloggers” social media post. Although I am not wholly experienced in Research Administration I believe that I can offer a new outlook into what Research Administration is and it’s workings. Since my graduation in the Spring, I have been applying for internships, and have recently been offered a fantastic opportunity at the Research Administration office at Bisset P. University. I understand that you are seeking one-time posts, but, if you’re willing, I think this could be a great alternative to the weekly Sheldon posts. My suggestion is this…

I will account my experiences as I learn, live, and thrive (hopefully), in the research administration business! Every week I can send you an email detailing what I learned and experience the week before. I find myself to be an interesting fellow, and believe that I could entertain while also keeping relevant to Research Administration.

 I start my internship February 11 ^th, so please let me know if you are interested! Thank you for your time and consideration!

 Orin Atkinson

 P.S.- congrats on the Super Bowl Win!! I decided to sport my purple and black all last week in celebration!!

————-

Needless to say, we are definitely taking him up on his offer! Look out for Orin’s first post next week!!

Greetings, readers.

Many of you noticed that the stylings of our friendly neighborhood turtle were absent last week.  Over our holiday break, Sheldon was rushed to the hospital to be treated for a serious abdominal condition, and was left for overnight observation.  The next morning, Sheldon was nowhere to be found.  A massive search was undertaken with no stone left unturned but, alas, there was no trace of Sheldon.

In the subsequent days, details emerged as to Sheldon’s life and identity that were previously unknown.  Sheldon was not a run-of-the-mill turtle, but an adolescent African hingeback tortoise.  He was not a true vegetarian, but actually subsisted on crickets and worms.  And, perhaps most shocking of all, Sheldon was a SHE!

Naturally, we were stunned.  Why had Sheldon (or Shelly, or whatever our friend’s real name was) kept these details private, even concealing her true gender?  Confusion reigned in the ORA, and production was severely compromised.

Just when we thought that we had seen and heard the last from our friend, on Wednesday we received the following message on a postcard postmarked from Fort Hancock, Texas:

“Dear minions,

I am sorry for having to leave so suddenly.  However, by bringing me to the doctor, you exposed my existence in the Witness Protection Program, which compromised not only my safety and well-being but yours as well.  As a result, I made the difficult decision to run and start a new life somewhere else where I can blend in.  I promise to keep in touch whenever possible, but always remember that your King is out there demanding the very best from each and every one of you.

Best, ‘Sheldon’  “

Though we remain in shock that ‘Sheldon’ had to depart so abruptly, we are comforted that she is out there and, we hope, protected by the WPP (though is it really effective?).  We also look forward to hearing from Sheldon, but acknowledge the likelihood is probably low.  Regardless, we will miss our dear friend, and wish her well.

Happy Friday, and even Happier New Year to all friends and followers of Sheldon!

Unfortunately, the Holiday festivities have left our little Tortoise friend feeling under the weather, so he has taken refuge at Resort de’ Brodlie to recuperate. In the spirit of Sheldon and the New Year, today we’d like to reflect on the celebration of New Years Eve 2012 across the world.

We hope everyone had a wonderful Holiday and we wish everyone well in the New Year!

Happy Friday Minions and even Happier Holidays! I’ll be out vacationing over the next week so I thought I would leave you with one very special message.

Santa Clause is REAL!!!! For all of your doubters out there, I have proof! Just click the link below and be amazed, I know I was!

http://www.portablenorthpole.com/watch/mA26CvymZqz6o0xhu41QHVw

Happy Holidays from me, your Turtle Tyrant King, and from everyone here at JHSPH ORA!