8:56 p.m. - 2004-07-28
sport
Swarmed by cats. That's my experience most evenings now when I walk in the door coming home from work. My youngest is usually off at the gym - he lost 7 pounds in just over a week, not fair. Anyway that means our family of felines is left to fend for themselves for a couple of hours every day. One would think they were starved for attention. Almost since they were born the kittens have rolled on their back, their little paws waving in the air waiting to have their tummies rubbed whenever I approach. They looooove it. The only way they could have known about the joys of belly massages was by their mums telling them in cat fashion. Only problem is that their mums want first dibs in the petting and cuddling now when I walk in the door. I'll be trying to untie my runners with two or three of the little ones climbing up my legs or my skirt. Their mums swatting at them so they are in line first. The first hour I'm home is a succession of cuddles and kisses from 14 cats. The ones waiting their turn are often to be found chewing on my feet and ankles - teething don't you know. How much love can one person have the good fortune to receive eh? By the time the cats are fed and played with my youngest walks in and the whole process begins again.
Sooooo, work today. We still haven't heard from my supervisor so I'm sorking as though Friday was my last day on this assignment. Trying to get all the loose ends tied up. Problem is eaach time one set of tasks are completed they generate several more that weren't anticipated in the original bid. It's often the norm in this kind of work but I prefer to leave everything all tidied up and complete if I can. Got most of what I planned to do done today so we'll see haow that plays out for the next two days.
My co-worker is not coping as well with the ambiguity and the tediousness of the tasks we have to do. He must have been off the floor quite a bit today because other staff kept popping into my office looking for him. At one point he was telling me he was so bored with his work that he was falling asleep. I know that feeling but you just work though it. Next minute when I'd asked him a question about the process for filing the new regional data in the file room he complained that he shouldn't be expected to take a leadership role on anything. He snarled that "he wasn't being paid for it, yet everyone keeps asking me to take the lead with respect to the file room maintenance". He's made similar remarks before about witholding some of his expertise from the project because there are no dollars in it for him. At the same time he grumbled when I took the responsibility for writing up the last two reports. My supervisor asked that I do them because I know why the details are important, the reports my co-worker has provided were simply a tally of records processed with no indication of the value adds we do. I understand the frustration, but to build a reputation and to build long lasting relationships with a client sometimes one has to give a little or even a lot. He won't last long in this company if he's complaining about his working conditions with this client either. By comparison I think I've died and gone to heaven. I guess it's all in what you have experienced in the past, but to my way of thinking having a staff that likes seeing you there, where you can have the materials you need to do your job supplied without a hassle, where there is secure and comfortable space to work is a pretty good deal. Yes the tasks are pretty boring and the money could be better but at least the material we are working on is interesting of itself and there are a lot of positive opportunities to learn in the work if one is willing. Oh well
Spent more time on things election today. First up a panic call from the agent for the one candidate who didn't take any financial documents from me. She told me that she hadn't solicited or received any donations so there was nothing for her to report. The party she ran for left it until today to panic and want to know all the ins and outs of the issue. Well, they've had one entire month to call the candidates' assistance line to ask their questions. I'm not their Mom and I'm not losing another day at work because someone wants to make their failure to plan my emergency - it's not. Next up, on my lunch break, called Ottawa to get answers to the questions for the agent who had several yesterday and to check and see why my assistant still hasn't been paid. A high priority was put on the issue about my assistant. Call us tomorrow. The questions were all answered thoroughly - tax stuff, you know - within about half an hour except for one on the second set of receipts - the non-tax deductible ones. The first agent wanted to know when they should be submitted for audit and the agent who works at the big financial firm insisted that I take them with me yesterday although there were no instructions to that effect for me to accept them. She insisted, so I wanted to be certain I should have them. Nope, they should go with the campaign Return that is submitted the end of October. I allowed that someone using their professional designation with respect to finance was pretty intimidating, but that I would make certain she got them back since they are her responsibility. Oi. Called the first agent to report back all the findings. He seemed content with the answers, so I hope he's ok now. Last meeting of the day was with the candidate who was such a problem this election and his agent. The agent was a nice very thorough man who just wanted to be sure everything went in as it should. No panic there just the desire to keep at the task until it was all done. I did ask my assistant to come with me finally, because I just didn't have a good feeling about the potential problems that might flare up. He was aggressive, but his agent made certain he toed the line. Those cats? I'm glad they're there to swarm me when I get home, makes the rest fo the day seem so much less important,and that's a good thing.
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