11:43 p.m. - 2003-02-11
boundaries too, two
A lot of talk about transportation issues while on the daily commute these days. Some is just silly, as in - of course it takes longer to travel when the roads are icy or slushy. This is Calgary, deal with it. Not enough busses or trains but complaining about taxes - well you can't have it both ways. Wanting more and bigger roads to speed up tavel times, but not near my community, thank you very much. Well then how are those newer bigger models supposed to help you? Call city politicians - no they're stupid. Well then good, enlighten them. I think it's just that mid-winter blues thing. Right now, we have sky blue pink with a purple border skies on the way to work. When people can actually see sunrise on the trip, attitudes will be much better.
B popped in before her course this morning. We spoke about looking after the scientists using the data library. Her preference was for me to ask D to look after them, if he wasn't busy. He started in December and needs the practice - she wants him to be able to do this work with more comfort. If he's busy? "Then go ahead and run the searches yourself". At 9, one scientist was looking for help. I saw D busy with something else and it was a straightforward request - not.
When I printed out the data report, I found the pesty consultant standing at the printer, waiting to confront me, loudly, about my temerity. (She is across the hall from the printer and is always there checking what I've sent, when it is printing). How dare I run a search on something she's worked on. I explain what B asked of me, including the fact that she wants D to do the searches if possible, but that she was also comfortable with me helping as necessary. She became louder and louder, as the scientist waited. I should consult her first. I replied that some of the scientist's requests would also require the assistance of one of the other specialist contractors then walked toward her, M's, office. I have no intention getting into any arguments with her over B's instructions - she can take her complaints up with B.
What I've learned in talking with B, is that the pesty consultant was hired just after B - who was also consulting at that time. B was brought on as permanent, because there were problems with the two prior staff members. They were let go, as soon as it was clear B could could handle the work. The PC was hired as a consultant to support her. D was hired as a consultant at the end of November. I'm guessing that PC resents B being full time with a lot of authority, while she is still consulting. In addition, I think she is feeling threatened because D and I have been brought in to help, rather than her being hired full time. She seems to see B as the source of all her problems. She complains loudly about B's decisions or undercuts her when B is not around.
Now that B is starting to hand off some of that authority to D instead of her, she is becoming quite aggressive about taking some of that power for herself, by trying to bully D and me when B isn't around. She works hard at undercutting D's confidence in his abilities to do the work. His response to B's instructions - as I conveyed them by the printer was - "Oh no, it would take me months to learn even a quarter of what PC knows, I can't do it." Not, on both points. It's not that difficult.
I went to see my chiropractor at lunch. I've developed "backpack shoulders". I felt much better after and I didn't even get the lecture. How come? I turned the tables by giving him the gears for spending so much time playing sports (hockey and football) and going to skills workshops on his free time, when he could be relaxing with his family at home and maybe even getting over the cold he's had for so long. Well, all those years of being a Mom can't be wasted you know. I've some really terrific lectures that my sons can just about repeat word for word.
After, I went across to the dollar store - loonie store in Canada man, 'cause that's what we call our dollar. Miss Kitty has been quite distressed about my time away from home. In the mornings now, she sits outside the bathroom door mewing with both paws waving underneath as she tries to crawl under the door to join me. This morning, she had my skirt pulled halfway through, before I realized it had just about disappeared. When I went to pick up my backpack - there she was inside, not planning to move. Just like having little boys again. So, of course I had to go find her some treats. She loves it when my youngest gives her a bath - no kidding! So I got her a grooming glove, another catnip toy, and some more balls with bells in them to chase around. Oh and some packets of flower seeds for me - time to start growing.
Met one of the women I worked with, two assignments ago, on the way back to work. We stopped and gabbed for a while. I really like her. Very blunt, up-front personality with a wicked sense of humour. Doesn't suffer fools gladly, but also never gets into the dirty politics. Doesn't have to - everyone is very respectful of that razor sharp wit. Next I bumped in to a scientist I worked with about four years ago - in the women's slinky lingerie section of one of the big department stores. Now he has a razor sharp mind that can cut through technical problems like a chain saw through butter, but he looked like he'd rather be chewing glass than be there trying to shop. So what was going on? Oh yeah, Valentine's Day. He must be expecting the reward to be worth the current pain.
Tried to make up for lost time by really hurrying on the way back through the plus 15's - usually a 15 to 20 minute walk. Got behind a group that had spread itself across the walkway and deliberately wouldn't move to let the rest of us pass. I cut through the racks of clothing to dodge the women, but the males had strung themselves out in the shape of a "j". They would shift slightly, back and forth across the walkway, to prevent anyone from going around them. The walkway is about 8 feet wide. It shouldn't be an inconvenience to stay on one side of the pathway, but foot traffic was hindered by their antics in both directions. These were middle aged people not kids - don't know what their problem was.
It reminded me of another incident several years ago. In the office tower I was working in at the time, there was one of the most prestigious law offices in Calgary on the top, 31 - 32, floors. I was on the 21st floor then. Going down for lunch, the elevators were always jammed, as people tried to escape their floors en masse. On the day in question, the doors of one elevator opened. Standing in the four corners were four tall males lawyers in very expensive power suits. In the middle was one of their young turks. Tallest of the bunch, dressed in an outfit that, conservatively, probably cost as much as two or three months of our wages, elbows out in a slight crouch looking like a back on an opposing football team just ready to scrum. The rest of the elevator was empty. Everyone waiting hesitated and backed away from the doors. The lawyers grinned. That young Turk looked just like one of my sons and a picture of my guy in diapers flashed into my mind. I grinned back and walked under the little beggar's elbows. Planted myself right next to the lawyer with the most expensive doodads, now thinking of him in diapers. Gave him one of my "don't mess with me, I'm a Mom and I know where you came from" looks. They looked somewhat chagrined. Messed up their little psychological experiment, I guess. Everyone else from my floor piled on after me. End of game.
Got a lot of work done in the afternoon. I had arranged to touch base with my new contact from the data management company after work. Explained my perceptions of the dynamics in the office and asked if she had any other strategies for turning aside the aggression of the PC. No just keep on doing what B instructs and don't back down. Good, that's what I wanted to hear. I told her that I wondered if part of the intent of the senior management in bringing in another consultant - me in this case - might not have been a deliberate choice to bring the PC out in the open, so that B could stand firm with her on neutral ground. That's a lot easier to do, if the boundaries are drawn based on her behaviour toward me, rather than a head to head confrontation between them. I think the silence on the other end of the phone was answer enough.
Got home and there was a call from the second co-worker, J, I had from the data management company in the last assignment. J had been laid off a few weeks ago by the VP that quit or was terminated, just as I was starting this assignment. J had talked to the VPs sister, who is still with the company, this morning. It was obvious she was trying to pump me for information. What exactly were the arrangements between the two merging companies? I don't know. How much new work is there? I told her what I had been told by the two recruitment interviewers I saw, just before I started this new assignment. What was being said, especially by my supervisor? It was obvious she knew that I had been brought back in, but she wanted me to confirm that - which I did. She told me she had been promised that position by the VP. She also wanted to know about two of the other women who had had to take time off because of the lack of work in the industry. One started at the company I'm in, in another discipline, this am and one is scheduled in sometime later this month. I'm not certain what J is up to, if anything, but I'm not willing to tell her about anyone else. I just did a Gracie Allen and changed the subject. Next call was from my Metis friend. Social Services has put her and her daughters up in one of the women's shelters until they can find them some housing. She knows she has to dry out and she says she's ready to start dealing with her son's death in August. She hasn't even been to his grave yet. I think that is the best possible place for her. She seemed ok tonight. I'm glad.
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