12:02 a.m. - 2004-06-03
Bed Time
I went in to my downtown job this morning. It actually felt quite blissful. Quiet ride downtown, no questions, no phones, no noise. Just a focus on the tasks I need to do. One fellow standing in front of me listening to his favorite music and playing air guitar. He was awesome, and I was fascinated for most of the ride in.
Not only that, today I could have my headphones on without having to worry about what I was missing. I was dancing with the King. About noon Elections Canada tracked me down. Why hadn't I answered the questions from last night. Well let's see, I was busy until about midnight last night and then I sat down to sign all the paperwork that is required. I finally gave up at about 1:30 because I kept dozing off while I was signing things. In addition, since I had been swamped at the office I had tried to login to my computer at home, only to find it had been locked down. "Yes we did that" Well if the only free time I have is after I leave work where else do they want me to work? I am so tired I can hardly function by the end of the day. "Well what is it that has been a problem - what is tying you up?" The loss of the first office, the loss of the first Assistant, the loss of several polling sites. Yes, I did finally get most of them back, but only because I went to the schools and begged for mercy. The lateness of the operability of the computers and phones. The lack of critical supplies. And the list went on. Those are not a good sign. The caller was very patient and just let me rant for a while. He said he was writing it all down, and he probably was, but that doesn't mean that it will get air time anywhere else.
The only bad spot was the reaction of the liaison on this contract. A would usually drop in and say hi sometime during the morning before the election was called. Today I still hadn't seen or heard her by 11 AM, so I stopped by her office on the way from the coffee station. I said hi, and asked if she had had a good trip. She responded very briefly and made it clear she didn't really want to speak with me. I just assumed she was really busy and went back to work. I didn't see her again until I was leaving for the day. We met at the elevators where she and her friend were heading to take their smoke break. In the elevator she allowed that she was very unhappy "that I was leaving them" and that she was disappointed that I had put the election work first. She acknowledged that she understood it was in the name of public service, but wished it wasn't so. I agreed with her, in that I said I was really unhappy with the timing as well, but that I didn't have any control at all over that. I also asked for clarification about the "leaving us" statement, pointing out I would still be there one day a week and that the election would be over in less that a month. She was still visibly upset - teary - and I don't know that I know how to interpret that. Or maybe I do and I just don't want to think about it right now.
Back at work, I know I did a lot but the only thing that really showed was the registration of another candidate. He brought his wife and daughter in with him and I enjoyed playing with a tiny one for a while. More racism rearing its head - the person in question saying she just had a bad feeling about her target and made a suggestion that would have really isolated him. Very disappointing and a bit disturbing.
Still no VICs card - only one Returning Office has been able to generate the commands. That is the one who has said her automation co-ordinator worked in the company that made the software for the cards' program. She said he knew all the backdoors to get around the flaws in the coding. One bright spot is that my AC and her assistant make a great team - I'm glad they are so compatible. Anyway I can barely see now dear diary. Time for bed.
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