12:42 a.m. - 2003-06-06
Questions
Got a call from my Dad last night - "What's new?" Ummmmm... usually that's a fairly safe question, but I just talked with him a couple of days ago and he generally doesn't call mid-week. So "What do you know that I don't?" was the response. Especially since he sounded like the cat who found the cream. Maybe it's the news that Cher is supposed to be coming here in August. I checked today to see if there was any information available, but although it was acknowledged that the concert would occur, there were no prices or sale dates available.
Next up number three son's - who works with my Dad - friend called from Vancouver. "So what's new??" I detect a trend here. Like my guys, he's finding steady work is really hard to come by right now - all sorts of temporary jobs to keep body and soul together, but nothing of substance. In a way I think it's a good thing, because all of my young men are suddenly very interested in finishing their schooling. Better to have that little life lesson now than when they have mortgages, families and bills to worry about. The problem with having all the college calendars around is that I'd like to pick up some courses too. Not for any specific purpose - just to explore areas of personal interest and talk with people who have the same focus. Someday - maybe.
Work was interesting. The documents I'm working with now have been grouped in a way that tells me either someone working with them had way too much time on their hands or they were really angry about something and decided to show it by making the information as difficult to follow as possible. Happens. I worked for a while for our postal service in their real estate division. The corporation had amalgamated six long standing regions into three and then reconfigured those into two. The workers who were "surplussed" showed their displeasure in the same way. Choke up the information system, conceal critical information within that and gridlock - especially where leases and other legal undertakings were concerned - is one of several unpleasant outcomes.
The rest of the people in our division, including the summer students, are going on a team building retreat outside the city tomorrow. C - who is still contract - and I were the only ones who were to be left behind to hold the fort. C came by at about 3:30 and said she was leaving for the day because she didn't feel well. Didn't know if she would come in tomorrow either. Guess I might be on my own, guess I might really be able to get some work done without the interruptions.
Went walking at lunch with my regular walking partner and a friend of hers, who works in another part of the financial department today. She was very pleasant to talk to too. They are both contract as well - about one third to one half of the staff in this industry are. It's a conscious decision by the companies, because of the reduced cost to them for benefits and because, if there is ever a major economic freeze, they can surplus one third or more of their labour force immediately - us. What we all realize is that there is no job security in permanent placements; it is the benefits that are the value. We just chatted about where we had worked and the agencies we work for and then it was time to go back to the grind. Great break though.
At home tonight - three sons and two grandbabies. Busy but happy. Time for bed, I'm tired.
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