12:39 PM - 02.03.05
Hawks
Signs of imminent Spring? Well construction on key streets is always a good start. Downtown - right in the heart - is a cluster of , I think, seven buildings all given over to the pursuit of justice - court houses of varying responsibilities. Not that Calgarians are overly naughty or litigious. Just that multiple layers of law and governance make each level distinct and apart from each other. Add in high traffic traffic courts and it explains a lot. A few years back it was discovered that at least tw of the buildings had such severe environmental problems that it waas not safe for anyone to be in some of the rooms in those buildings. In Queen's Bench, one of the evidence rooms had to be sealed completely leaving the exhibits inside. some cases were completely halted as a result. Don't know when or if they were ever reopened. It wasn't until the judges refused to work there that anything was done. Multiple complaints and seere disabilit on the part of the clerks and lawyers were ignored or dismissed by the governments in question. The judges though - that was different.
So last summer the walls came tumbling down leaving a huge crater in the middle of downtown. A super courthouse is now being constructed instead. Those covered walkways underneath the crane are always busy with pedestrian traffic. Last night it was interesting to watch as the unspoken protocols of using such constricted space were observed by the footpads. At one end a young man in skater gear ipping along on his skateboard grooving to whatever music was blasting in his headphones. He reached the divide, tipped the board up into his arms in a very graceful,single movement of the foot and proceeded in to the tunnel. At the same time at the other entrance to said walkway a middle aged male in what was obviously a very expensive suit topped by a trenchcoat with one of those briefcases on wheels (small suitcase really) did a similar action, collapsing that wheeled wonder and carting it through the shared space in his arms. Flashes of a new Disney release similar to "Freaky Friday" but with a masculine twist scrolled through my mind.
Work was just steady today. I'm trying to get everything out of the workstation that I've brought in over time and redistributed to it's hme. One team of users, who have been really hostile to the work and therefore me, spent a lot of time asking questions trying to figure out where they are in the process. All of a sudden the lights went on and the realization that they could now find all those missing bits and pieces and that they were all in one place meant some thawing of the great divide. I don't know what their issue was and I don't care. If they'd put even minimal effort into looking after their record themselves, then they wouldn't have had to deal with an "interloper" being inserted into their team by their bosses. Was there a lesson learned. Maybe by two of the five. Nothing else I can do about it though.
Employee meeting before lunch to answer some of those questions about their employment status and benefits. I think there is another shoe to drop yet but calm regned for the afternoon and I won't be around when the next round of angst is generated. The company must have a very astute psychologist hiding in the background I think. Just barely manipulative but not exploitive.I spent the evening working on election issues again. More calls or face to face discussion with potential staff and more appeals to realtors. Even though the news of the divestment hasn't really been made public there have been several realtors trying to get the rights to show the space now occupied by my co-workers. When the response is that quick and intense you know the rental market is tight. Maybe when the courthouse opens the freed up interim space will help. I think that's at least a year in the making though.
Heard from a couple of Returning Officers as well today - just touching base and tading status reports on our assignments. A email o three from my tech just before heading off to training in Ottawa. H liked my "book" and distilled it to what he felt were the most pressing issues to bring forward while he has the management's ears. Comments about the change in gears. Sounded a bit giddy but maybe it was just the hour at which he was writing. I told him that's what happens to people who work lections. We all become night hawks.
However, this little bird has to get up in a few hours so good night dear diary. Talk to you tomorrow.
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