Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe, part 2: or, I'm Glad there were Other People Around

My advisor called again today; I still didn't answer. Later I received an email today saying there would be cake and drinks in the office as a goodbye gesture for Dr. Romero (which is strange because I dreamed last night that there was a group of us saying goodbye to him...I guess I'm gifted). I decided to go get some free cake, but worried that my advisor might also be there. I figured I would try to avoid him if possible. I walked into the office and spoke with a couple other people for a moment and thought I heard my advisor's voice in the room with the cake. After a couple of minutes I didn't see him or hear his voice and figured I might as well go get some cake regardless.

I walked in and there he was. Well, I'm there for cake, not for him. So I start to get some cake and he says, "Jonathan Stanley." Without looking at him I said, "That would be me." Then he mentions something about my still only being a Master's student and the application form for the GK12 fellowship seems to only apply to Ph.D students. Still without looking at him I told him it didn't matter. He said he needed to know the title of my thesis. I said, "You're my advisor; you should know it." He said, "Well, send it to me so I can put it on the application." I got my plate and walked out back to where there were a couple other grad students.

I was speaking with Dave (who already knew about the situation) when Trauth comes out to where we are and says, "My prediction: that Dirty Jobs will show us setting traps out." I can feel my blood pressure rising since he doesn't even acknowledge that he left early without attempting to introduce me to Mike. I couldn't let it just slide. I tensely said, "Yeah, well thanks for leaving at 8:50 instead of 9:00." He said, "Well, it turns out it wouldn't have worked anyway." I said, "You could have introduced me to him." Then he started talking about when there was a press conference and Tanja didn't even get to be there for that. I said, "I'm not talking about that. You told me to be at the farm at 9:00 and I pulled in at 8:50 to find you leaving early." He said, "What? Did you see me?" I said, "Yes, I saw you pulling out right as I was pulling in." He said, "You're sure you saw me?" I said, "Yes, I saw you." He said there wouldn't be room in the boats anyway. I said, "I knew I couldn't go since there were already three people in each boat, but I could have gotten to shake his hand and maybe get a picture with him." At this point I'm glad there are several people around because neither of us were willing to make a scene in public. Otherwise it may have descended into one of those Trauth/Ben screaming matches. He looks at Dave and says, "He's bitter! He gets to be on TV and he's still bitter!" Dave laughed and said grad students are always bitter. That may be true...at least at ASU. I wonder why that is? (sarcasm intended) I said, "I probably won't even make it on TV and if I do it will be from behind. You won't even be able to see me." I came really close to mentioning how Josh didn't get to meet Attenborough, but I didn't bring it up. Trauth says we need to go fill out the application for me. I guess that was his way of ending it.

So as we head to his office he's talking about things being crazy and mentions the biodiversity building may get built. It's a 50/50 chance. Guess which side my money is on. Well, we get to his office and as soon as we walk in there is a laminated picture of him with Mike holding an AST. He picks it up and shows it to me. I'm thinking it's yet another slap in the face. He said it was for his barber who he had an appointment with this afternoon before things got hectic. He looked at me and said, "I could probably get you a signed copy..." I glared at him. "...but you probably don't want that." I said, "Was that the biggest AST you got?" He said, "No. we got four or five 40 pounders. We got so tired after the first six traps that we had to take a break. We really set those nets well. We probably had 10 or 12 turtles." We go to fill out the application (which I have to help him with...go figure) and then he prints it off and says I need to answer the open ended questions on the application so that he will know how to answer them. Unbelievable.

Then he shows me pictures of the "Mountain Home Bombers"...cause that's what I really care about (more sarcasm). Then he shows me the Dirty Jobs pictures. He just loves slapping me in the face. He gets to the one picture with me and says, "Hey, who's that guy?!" I didn't say anything, though I had a few choice words in mind. He shows the other pictures with Mike, and a picture of the crew with one of the cameramen filming him as he was taking the picture, and of course the picture with Trauth, Ryan, and Mike and talks about how nice Mike was to take a picture with them. Just keep twisting the knife, Dr. Trauth. He finishes showing the pictures and says, "Now, does that make you feel better? Ostracized?..." I glare at him. "No, he's still p***ed." He mentions that I at least got a care package. I said, "I got the leftovers!" He says they are still eating them at his house. So? I start to head toward the door. He says for me to get the answers to those questions to him by the morning and he'll write the letter of support tomorrow. I walk out without saying a word.