1:55 PM - 28.02.05
Sleep therapy
The anger among permanent staff in the office was palpable as soon as I walked in this morning. Clusters of people huddled in corners or around the workstations, hissing and muttering to each other. Cold silence as I walked by them. I think a lot of them must have gone home and listened to the same telecast as me. I was listening to understand the complexities of the deal - and it is very complex. They were listening to find out what accommodations were going to be made for their needs. There was no mention of that, other than to say that would be addressed "later". Even the staff I do like were hostile, so I decided to keep to my usual strategy. Head down, nose to the grindstone, headphones firmly in place. Hauled half the data from the one fileroom to my workstation so that I could track each document as I placed it in it's new location. The physical labour was comforting. I was having trouble adjusting the shelving, but when I asked my co-worker for assistance he seemed to be more interested in flirting than helping - I'll do it myself.
My supervisor called about 9 am to let me know that he had advised our liaison that Friday would be my last day. I had guessed that because she had been at the coffee station earlier and pointedly made certain she didn't make eye contact. Don't know if that meant she was upset or angry, but it doesn't matter. Corporate culture doesn't allow for the best interest of it's workers. I need to look after myself and my family on my own. The landlord I had been working with to find office space called this morning too. No deal on the one building because of security issues. He'd check some of his other contacts. Truth is it will likely be a moot point anyway. Unless the election is called within the next month the property won't likely be available by then anyway. However, I've been told I must provide an address, so I emailed several real estate firms when I got home tonight pleading for assistance. Looking at their listings was scary, because there is very little available. As usual the lease availability is at about 4%. Not good. Sigh.
At work, an email arrived just before noon from the human resources director. Meeting with the head of the new owners on Wednesday, questions would be answered. The atmosphere in the office shifted dramatically and suddenly most of the people present were pleasant again. The one male scientist who has been of concern to me - "throw it all away, destroy that" - was still a bit nerve wracking to be around. He was obviously trying to mine information from a couple of the consultants who had links to other industry sources. His questions were disturbing in that they focussed on the properties and their security/configuration rather than on the HR issues everyone else was worried about. A lot of the staff actually came by to ask questions. Again, a bit of a disturbing one when the one financial specialist asked where he could find the lease for the current office space. Turned out my co-worker had it. Why? We were working with operating files not corporate ones. Never mind. I've got odd stuff on my desk too. First I was told to catalogue everything and then to cease cataloguing certain classes of documents. The directions change almost hourly so I'm just staying the course that my supervisor and I have discussed and leaving it at that.
The dream I mentioned last night? There were three sequences. I can't recall the first, but the second I found myself a passenger in a car being driven by my aboriginal friend. It was obviously deep winter with snowbanks piled high and that gritty, long-term ice build up on top that goes with the season. We were driving from the upper parking level to the lower one at the local upscale mall, as she tried to return to the main street. A woman was walking on the sidewalk nearby pushing a baby stroller with a boy of about 2 in tow behind her. Suddenly the boy did an imitation of a jackknife dive. He ran up to the car we were in and did it so that he landed just in front of the front wheel on the driver's side. My friend and I were having fits, but she managed to stop the car before she hit the boy. His mom seemed to know that he'd done this sort of thing before. She scolded him for playing tricks on the drivers. Yeah man, even though I was asleep I could feel my heart racing with that one. As she was talking, a policeman on horse back rode up. He was asking if he could be of assistance. Strange thing about him was that he had emerald green paint covering his face from the upper lips to his hairline. An old fashioned black military hat was perched on top of his head - long, very curly black hair. I said that we needed some help finding our way. He replied that he would help if I gave him a kiss first. Man - I can't even get away from it in my dreams. I ended up giving him a motherly peck on the temple. He started to reach for me and panic woke me up. Oi.
I was reading through my posts to you, dear diary, from the beginning of last March to the middle of July last night, culling the information that my tech will need to discuss the problems we encoutered with the software and hardware we were required to use during the last election. From a total of nearly 150 pages - 10 font;Times New Roman - I was able to cut it down to 22 pages. No pictures or double spacing either. In one post I talked about a dream of skeletons giving up their bones. Why can't I have some of those dreams now instead. I was talking on the phone with two of my female staff members during the vey long process. My assistant said I shouldn't be mean to our tech. I don't think she realizes that she's going to get a copy of that report too - only enhanced by several pages so that we can plan for the next event.
Anyway it's really late and I don't know what kind of issues I might have to face tomorrow. there are a couple of more shoes to drop and I don't think we are going to be spared an explosion of anger from someone before it is all said and done. Need sleep I think. Night dear diary.
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