WTF?!?

Next term I'm teaching an online course. I received the appointment back in July. At that time I requested access to the course material, so that I could start preparing. I was told that, as a Winter course, I would be contacted in October/November with particulars.

I found the delay somewhat annoying, because I was about to have six weeks of unpaid time, and figured I might as well get a head start, since the fall would be busier.

In August, I found out that I would be teaching in the fall. This made my fall *considerably* busier than I had anticipated back in July.

In mid-October, I received a request for an introduction letter, to be completed by the beginning of November. I was crazy busy at the time, and didn't complete it then. (I didn't feel too bad, because they hadn't given me what I asked for when I *had* time, so I figured they could wait until I had time again.)

Mid-November, I received an e-mail stating that I would need to complete the assignment packages and have them uploaded by mid-December. I didn't have time to deal with that information either, but wondered when I would receive the course information myself.

On Friday I received another reminder about the introduction letter.

Tonight: I finally had an hour to sit down and write the letter. I open up the sample letters sent to me, and discover that this letter needs to include material specific to the course. I search through all my e-mail, and cannot find *any* reference to where *I* can get access to the material! I try logging into their online system (even though I had no notification of my account having been set up), and, although I *can* log in, and there *is* a link to the course page... there is *NO* actual information specific to the course! WTF?!? I asked for access BACK IN JULY!!!!! I'm now being asked to produce things (long before I see a paycheque for this course, I might add), and I *still* don't have *anything* to start from! Gah!

To me, this is sounding like a disaster ready to explode. Does it sound like that to anyone else? The description I got when asked to do this did *not* sound *anything* like "horrible mess that will eat your whole term plus more, and chew you up and spit you out in a quivering pile of sleep-deprived wreckage in May." (Had it sounded like that, I would have run far, far away.)

For now, I will wash dishes (how did it get to be so late?!?), do a quick review of tomorrow's class material, and then go to bed. Hopefully I won't be so stressed out that I spend the night in restless sleep with nightmares. (That seems to be what happens if I go to bed stressed out.) *sigh*