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10:45 p.m. - 2002-11-27
Work
Well, the intuition was spot on on Sunday. When my Dad came by, I asked to spend some time checking the new development in the Federal constituency I administer. It was a spur of the moment idea, but I had a gut feeling that it needed to be done immediately.

This afternoon, a specialist on mapping and demographics from Elections Canada called. He wanted to clarify some points with respect to the assignment I had done in the spring of this year. All of it pertained to the new areas we visited on Sunday. Given the amount of change that has occurred since I submitted that work, it would have been necessary to go out and look at those areas before responding, if I hadn't just done that already. As it was, I was able to give him a lot of extra data that will be incorporated into the work already recorded on the maps. In addition, I was able to alert him to the fact that additional data would have to be added in the next phase of our assignment because of the rapid development still occurring in the new areas. He told me he was very pleased with the work I had done so far. Coming from someone who knows the volume of work that is required to assess the demographics and create those maps, the compliment meant a great deal.

We also discussed my mobile polls - which are teams of election day workers who travel to places, like seniors' lodges or hospitals, where voters are too sick or elderly to attend regular polling stations. One of the seniors' lodges I had been monitoring was under construction and would have house about 125 people. It was due to be occupied soon, but burned to the ground about two weeks ago. I had planned to twin it with another new seniors' residence (something required by the legislation) to create a new mobile poll for the next election. It was very timely to discuss the different scenarios I might be able to use to work around the problems presented by the damaged facility. I also have a hospital in my jurisdiction which has long term care units in addition to the regular services of a medical facility plus a forensic psychiatric ward. Each division I've mentioned has a different set of rules we have to follow to ensure patients have the opportunity to vote. The long term (over three weeks) patients are served by mobile polls. Regular stay patients are served by special ballot provisions. Last election I and one of my staff, who has been a psych nurse, administered the vote in the psych ward. We can't arbitrarily deny the vote to someone who is remanded for assessment - that is a court function - so we must ensure the opportunity to vote is available to those patients as well. Last election it became quite an adventure, to say the least. Discussing some of those issues with the specialist helped me clarify some procedures for that aspect of the next event - the legislation is very contradictory and complicated for that part of the job.

I was also able to confirm that I would receive the work I had done to date back soon; we aren't allowed to purchase the materials to make a duplicate set for ourselves during the project. I need copies so I can work out the wrinkles with the political parties in my area. Saves me from problems with them during an event, if I can get their input beforehand. Apparently, our next assignment will be in the spring of 2003, but the scope of it depends on the political winds at the time.

I talked with my supervisor for my regular job too today. Based on the discussion, I asked for a separation slip from the company. Apparently, there is new discussion occurring with the last company I worked for for a new project but I can't wait. Both my supervisor and the liaison have and are drawing very good wages while they negotiate. They have the luxury of taking their time - I don't. It's hard to be positive in light of the talk - in some ways I feel like I've been strung along. The option of moving on was always there of course, but to be contacted on a regular basis during the negotiations implied - at least to me - that there would be some work in a reasonable amount of time. Even today, my supervisor was still asking for data with respect to the work already done and input for future projects. His comment after I asked for the separation slip was just to stay in touch. The separation slip means I can apply for unemployment insurance while I'm looking for other work. I've never had to do that before, but I really can't afford to do otherwise. I hate it.

It takes a lot, sometimes, to run on hope and a positive attitude. I've been doing it for years, of course, but sometimes it feels like I'm running on fumes. Even the deepest well can run dry. Oh well, maybe tomorrow.

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