5:06 p.m. - 2003-05-08
Constables and Contracts
Made it to work today - even got in early. Thought I'd catch the earliest bus because there are less people, it's quieter and if I had to make a dash for the door because of queasiness, I'd have half a chance of getting out with some dignity. I was fine though. I held off taking my meds until I got to work too, so that might have helped as well. Didn't feel great when I did take them though, so I just stayed put, doing straightforward stuff so I wouldn't have to worry about making mistakes. Got a lot done that way. Sent in the stats I'd spent so much time on to T2 and B. No feedback.
Phone rang almost immediately I arrived at my desk. Some nice Texan fellow, but wrong extension. Next call didn't come in until after lunch. The call display read the name of my supervisor, A. When he called this afternoon, I was sitting at my desk. Both times I tried to pick up on my line, but there was no connection. The message he left also didn't show up as a blinking light on the desk set until a few minutes after he left it. My son called about an hour after that and there were no problems with his call.
One explanation could be that with the extra two lines added to my phone for the summer student, something has gone amiss, interfering with my calls.
However, when I was working with Amnesty International I took their calls at my home on a dedicated line for a while. There was a security problem and for a while I was told the RCMP were monitoring it. Don't know if that happened or not, but there was a distinct hollow-echoey sound from time to time during conversations. That has often been the case on my work line, even before the student's line was put in. This company does say they monitor calls randomly - which is fine - but that sound almost always occurs when A calls. Doesn't really matter when the call is just monitored, as far as I'm concerned - protects me too since there is proof I'm not giving away company secrets.
Not having calls connect is another thing. A was responding to my messages about being ill - why didn't I stay home? - thanks but I can't afford it, I don't get paid except for the hours I'm actually present and working on site; and my comments about why I was sending out resumes. He was very supportive and said my health and family came first. We talked a bit about the contractual implications for me and for the data management company, if I do find something else, or if I become too ill to work. I don't believe that a company can insist I stay in circumstances where bullying occurs or when illness is a factor, but courts and lawyers don't always turn out the way one would think. Who knows. A was going to check a couple of things out for me then let me know what scenarios were likely. I'm not going to worry about it until there's an issue.
I really like the summer student who shares my phone. Young woman - early twenties maybe, university student and getting married in August. Articulate and interested in people. We took a break and had some hot chocolate together - it's snowing outside, we're entitled. We spoke a bit about her family and about mine. She thought it was "awesome" when I told her I had six sons. Odd for a young woman these days, to say they want lots of babies, especially sooner than later. Even nicer was I didn't hear "What church DO you belong to" or "didn't you ever figure out how birth control works?" Those are the normal responses. Neither question is any one else's business nor is it germane to choosing to have children.
Anyway, I left earlier than I usually do as well. Same reasons, time for my meds and I wanted to be at home in case I got sick. Train is half empty as well - no problems, right? Not today. Got to my train station, platform was deserted, odd. Went inside, no one in the concourse at the bottom of the stairs/escalator. Also too odd. Looked up to the top of the stairs, what did I see? Great Big policemen looking down - well not at me, I obviously wasn't the gender, age, size, race or whatever they were waiting for. Good thing, I wouldn't want to feel so many people that intimidating all at once, were waiting for me thank you. Decided the best strategy was to get to the bus pullout and get on the first one going toward my community. Obviously, everyone else felt the same way. Usually the teens are busy socializing and joking around, but it was too obvious from the gendarmes' faces that they weren't there to catch someone for not purchasing a ticket or littering. Those were "chew you up and spit you out" faces today - not the norm for our constabulary, who value good community relations above all forms of crime prevention. Glad to get home, I was.
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