Here's how it went down this morning. If you don't want to listen to me bitch, especially given the mostly favorable end result, then skip this entry. But I know some of you will enjoy this.

Last night, I made the mistake of double-checking my enrollment status to make sure I wouldn't get screwed over this morning, like I thought I had last week. This was a mistake because, of course, I found out that I was screwed, and I couldn't do anything about it.

So after the second sleepless Sunday night in as many weeks, I dragged myself out of bed at 6 AM, just in case everything had fixed itself overnight.

It hadn't. The system still thought I was a "5th-year senior" this fall, despite the fact that it also thought I was a Masters' student this summer. I guess it thought I was going to do so poorly this summer that they were going to take my Bachelors' degree back. What this meant was that I couldn't register for classes until 4 PM, by which time I was sure that everything I needed would be taken.

I had, of course, foreseen this problem last week, and I had contacted my department, and they had fixed it. I checked it last Wednesday, and it was fixed. It re-broke.

There was, however, an e-mail from the registration help desk, whom I had desperately e-mailed last night. "If your information is incorrect, you need to contact your department and tell them to fix it."

I did. They fixed it. You fucknuts broke it again.

I got mad. So mad that I started playing NeoPets, because I knew I wasn't going back to sleep, and even if I could, it wouldn't be for long enough to make a difference.

At 8:30 AM I called Enrollment Services, because that's when they open. God forbid they should open earlier during registration week.

I spoke to Chris. Chris was very friendly and very helpful. Chris made it apparent right away that he was on my side. Which makes me wonder how he got a job at Enrollment Services.

Chris said that the situation was "bizzarre" and that he would update my information. Now, the database is only being updated three times today (for Christ's sake! we have the #1 computer science program in the country!), but fortunately one of those updates is at 9 AM, which is in 15 minutes.

At 9 AM, I checked, and my information was indeed updated. However, I still couldn't get on to the system.

I call poor Chris back. The situation has now escalated to "very bizzarre", and he'll call the database people, and see what's going on, and he'll call me back.

One episode of M*A*S*H later, Chris hadn't called back. I had a meeting on campus at 10:30, and with every minute I was further away from getting into any of the classes I wanted, so I called my department's administrator, Michelle.

Michelle is the deus ex machine in this story. Michelle has godlike administrative powers - she can drop a class for you after the deadline without getting a "withdraw" grade. Michelle is, furthermore, a benevolent deity.

Michelle frequently calls me "Carl", but we'll let that slide.

Michelle, unlike Chris, was prompt in calling me back. She was dealing with different people, apparently more efficient people, plus as an administrator she's got more clout than me. After another half hour of "She says it should work now" - "It still doesn't", Michelle finally offered to sign me up through her almighty Administrator Computer System. By the time I got to campus for my meeting, I was all registered.

Michelle got a box of chocolates from me.

Anyway, like I said, it's all pretty much worked out. The computer game programming course I was so excited about sprouted a prereq last night, and I don't even have the prereq for the prereq, so that was a moot point. I'm waitlisted for one other course, but due to not getting the game programming course, my schedule was freed up for a possibly more interesting course anyway, so I am going to graduate. On time.

I am also taking three different language technology courses, so that next year, when I start talking to my computer due to lack of girlfriend, at least I can make it talk back.