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12:02 a.m. - 2004-05-28 The locksmith was back to deal with the problems that we had encountered the evening before. The computer team had arrived and were told that they were our priority for the day. When we negotiated the lease we had met with one of two partners in the company. At about 10 am the other partner came by just to see how we were doing. He said that we had reached a point of organization that most of their other new tenants don't reach for about three months. Very kind words indeed. I just pointed out that the furniture movers and my staff had worked really hard yesterday and that besides that we only had 30 ays left before the Big Day. No time to spare. He gave me his card and told me to call if there were any problems. We still need the walkway repaired, but his building manager called shortly after to say that if the cement wasn't there first thing next morning we were to call, so he could go bring the sub-contractor over by the nose ring he would be inserting into his septum - ouch. There were some problems with the telephone lines again and at one point my Automation Co-ordinator came into my office in tears saying she had tried for two days now to get the information she needed from the telephone company with no success. She said she was feeling really overwhelmed and wanted to quit. I had received an e-mail from one of the Telus people the evening before and printed it off as part of the morning tasks. It didn't give us the answers we needed either, so I called Ottawa so that they could intercede. We had the information we needed in about 15 minutes - my AC was happy so I was happy.That group worked until about 6 setting everything up and getting the information downloaded. The photocopier arrived at about the same time as the TV and VCR for training and the kitchen and cleaning appliances. The vacuum was grabbed immediately and passed from room to room by each occupant. More new staff arrived to fill in the expanding demand for labour. It was nearly 11 before I could get away to go see the principals of the two schools that were becoming problems. One of my managers came with me so we could complete several errands at one time. The first school offered us their cafeteria instead of their gym - fine it was workable. Stopped by the post office, then the directory office to pick up an e-directory. Next school was a little more difficult. They offered us alternate space to the gym but it was quite small and cut up. We finally worked out a compromise and had some discussion around security issues. Last stop was one of the big box stores to pick up office staples. We were in transit about three hours. I had a meeting scheduled for about 15 minutes later, and then another, and another and another. In a break I went to see my special Ballot Co-ordinator. She mentioned that she had been working in her school and had been told that they weren't going to go through with renting their gym as a polling station either. Since I hadn't heard anything and couldn't use the computers at work I called home and asked my youngest to read off allthe e-mails that had arrived in my inbox after checking to see if there were any phone messages - there weren't. Sure enough there were two more emails - one from each school board. Called the first - one school impossible to secure. Fine could I have the one across the street? Well they didn't usually rent that one but they talk with the principal to see if he'd make an exception. Next school board? Four more schools who wanted to withdraw. Why? Becasue Voting Day is June 28 - the last day of classes and therefore when all the special assemblies and fun days are scheduled. There really isn't any way that they can schedule them for a later date. Serious dickering resulted in tading one school for another - only five more sites to reconfigure. Maybe more if I have to shuffle polls around - all the schools lost are in the same high growth, high population areas - makes it very tough to cover off. Next up the techs putting our computers up told us we wouldn't be able to get into our computers tomorrow so I couldn't get in to start making the changes that are necessary before I can print the camera readies, nor can my AC print off the voters list. Two statutory responsibilities we might not be able to meet through no fault of our own. As we were being told this my Assistant called one of the new people out the door and said he wanted to meet with him off-site. Then another voter came in wanting to vote today since he too is leaving the country on the weekend (The UK lucky guy) for an extended visit. He also was very sympathetic about the compute problems but I was very embarrassed once again. My number three son, Dad and one of the other techs popped in briefly with more supplies then headed out for other tasks. My assistant came in to complain because he couldn't find a stapler and then started in about the inventory once again. When I told him I had decided how and when we were going to do it - a real time count only that would be our record of goods received he turned to my AC and demanded she come with him since he couldn't get me to agree to what he wanted. I gave myself a couple of minutes to calm down and then headed for his ioffice. Not only did have my AC ther but also one of my other managers wasting their time once more on an issue that is and should have been resolved days ago. One of the other staff took me aside during the day and said he had been complaining bitterly about the building we rented, the people we were hiring and the way the others were managing their jobs. That was all at the back of why I was being careful how I approached the behaviour. Coming form a point of anger is exactly what he seems to provoke in me and I'm not going to bite. Anyway each of the two managers, after I had stated that they had way too much on their plates as it was,each spoke in turn to agree that they could not do the hours of redundant work he was proposing with all the other work we had. I'm beginning to wonder whose else tasks he has been interfering with. Oi. He left again at 4:30 pm. Frustrating but the evening was quiet and productive as a result. Came home to find my youngest waiting to chat with the third in The Lord of the Rings series playing out in the background. Lord Denethor and the funeral pyre. Hope that's not symbolic somehow. The kittens - all 9 new babies have been moved into the original nursery,now that the moms are more comfortable with the idea. The moms all wanted extra cuddling and attention to deal with the stress of having their babies moved, but at least they trust our judgement. I think they were actually happy to be back when they had literally begun their lives. � � |