9:57 PM - 29.03.05
Wish Upon a Star
I woke up with a seriously swollen throat and high fever. It's going around, so I guess it was just a matter of time before I succumbed. Called in sick to work since I wasn't likely to be able to keep the detailed work straight anyway.
It was odd, but there was a whole day this weekend when this one principal that looked after one school my sons attended felt almost physically present, even though I haven't seen or thought about him in years. The first time I went to meet him was just after he had lost his wife in a very traumatic way. I wasn't aware of saying it until after, but by accident I called him by a first name that was close to his but not his own. He started and said "That was my twin brother's name. He died a while ago and tries to communicate sometimes." I think he wanted to ask if I could pick up anything else, but given his position and the circumstances at the time, it wasn't appropriate. Truth was I could "see" the image of the brother, but there was no other communication. I think he just wanted to comfort his brother by his presence. That same principal was in my dreams last night. Awful as it sounds, I checked the obituaries a couple of times just to see if it was possible that he'd died and was just saying his good byes. That's happened before with people I wouldn't say I had a close relationship with in life, but who seemed to need to provide the association with a sense of closure anyway. Don't know what to make of it. Given the Scottish heritage that runs in my blood it could just be that affinity we seem to have with respect to GHosts.
It was probably a good thing I wasn't at work today as it turned out -my phone rang constantly. How did everyone know I was at home? First up was the landlord whose building I'm hoping I can rent. She has arranged for a security card on th weekend so that my tech and I can determine how we're going to make the cables and such work so that we can function between three floors technologically speaking. At least he can decide how he'll do it and I'll buy the supplies to facilitate it. Next up was the call from elections Canada's lawyer with respect to the difficulty I've been having to find rentable space. He was actually quite comforting. He said that there were just certain ridings across Canada that always ran into this problem each election no matter which Returning Officer was trying to find space. He acknowledged it was just the nature of those communities themselves. He commented that he knew I have done several events and that they had confidence in my ability to cope with whatever happens when an election is called. That made me feel much better. Ther was no comment about the other material I sent in on the weekend although I suspect he's been advised of the legal issues I raised. I imagine it will likely be some time before he has done the research nmecessary to respond. His tone throughout though was cordial and respectful so I'll take that as a good sign.
Spent quite a long time on the phone with one of the other Returning Officers - just trying to work out the next set of steps that we need to work on. We've both done the same number of elections but with very different communities each having some very challenging issues. What works for one won't necessarily work for the other but the brainstorming helps and it stimulates a bit more creativity than maybe would be generated by just one person. It helps too to have someone who knows exactly what you are facing without having to spend a couple of hours explaining the basics. Next was a call from the woman who had originally recruited me to the agency I work for now. Just checking to see if I was happy in the placement I've been given. I guess she was concerned because I had called in sick and also because I had updated my resume on the one website. She thought maybe it meant I was unhappy and wanted something else. Nope. I truly just am sick. the update to the resume was just something my intuition told me to do about a weekend ago. Don't know why but I've learned to listen very carefully when my gut says something. We chatted a bit about how the assignment had evolved from just the one task to many, but I emphasized that I really liked that aspect of the job. I don't do well unless there is an opportunity to learn and build new skills and some variety. I don't like routine.
Next up were responses by phone about the film extra dilemma. Called or emailed about a dozen people altogether last night. The particular background required makes the asking a bit difficult, because it involves racial characteristics. Even though this is a positive form of discrimination - a chance to be in a movie and get paid too - approaching anyone simply based on their ethnicity is potentially explosive. My one friend and co-volunteer picked up on it and asked whether the production company wanted "tokens" or not. I wasn't crtain what she meant by that, until she expanded and said sometimes the production companies fill the positions with people who may have the physical features that are associated with the ethnic background even though they really aren't of that heritage. That brought to mind a story my Dad told me about one of his friends playing an aboriginal person in a film - probably still in the black and white days of film - when the person didn't really have any feature that would indicate that racial background. I responded that it was likely the Hollywood definition of the particular community in question. I had noted in the emails I sent out that it was like asking for "Europeans" without specifying whether that meant Swedes or Italians even though the differences in language, colouring, body types and behavioural characteristics are significantly different. I thought that might defuse any sense of offense that might arise, but I guess there are always going to be some people who will find it makes them angry. My friend wasn't angry but she said it would be like walking on eggshells with some of the people she knew. Acknowledged. Everyone else I spoke with had no such qualms about it. In fact quite a few were exited about the unexpected chance life was offering them. Film at it's best, after all, is the art of creating the illusion of reality even in some very unlikely and unreal story/plot lines. I think most people understand that.
In my inbox today was the new astronomical schedule for the month of April. It includes NASA's maps for the eclipse on the 8th giveng the timing for viewing and the conditions they expect. Apparently this is a very unusual combination of hybrid and annular activity and there won't be another one for several years. In Aries - what else. Time for bed now, so I have some energy to invest in star gazing in a few days - the solar type not the stellar.
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