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12:01 AM - 12.04.05
Rhettorical Questions
The day started out strangely and just continued on that way. It could just be me or it could be that the Mercury station, before going direct, is causing a pile up on the highway of life - one that will make itself felt soon.

I had one of those "elevator just waiting for me" moments. The doors were open and the light above the door was visible for the entire time I was approaching the bank serving our floors. Usually that means by the time one arrives at the unit it is closed and gone to serve other floors. Sometimes I think Fred, the ghost, holds them for me though. Today the doors stayed as they were until I stepped in, then they whisked shut so that the people behind me didn't have a chance to step inside, nor did I have time to catch the button that holds the doors in place either. Good morning Fred, nice to see you too. My computer had already been powered up when I arived on the floor. Ok Fred don't get carried away. I showed the coworker who is next to me, but she hadn't noticed it until I pointed it out. The login screen was up, but it didn't appear that it had been compromised. The last time I called tech support about that, they said that they did that remotely from time to time so that they could perform maintenance activities while we weren't using the unit. Decided to just record the instance, logged in and sent the weekly report off to the other co-worker who sits nearby. Last week, my supervisor had asked me to include her in my circulation list so she could take the actions I suggested that were in her scope of responsibility. Fine.

I had just sat down to focus on the tasks of the day, when my telephone rang. It was the owner of the dance studio. Had I received his fax from Friday with the revisions to the program (his computer has crashed several times so he hasn't been doing email). Yes I had seven pages of data that I had already shown to some of the co-workers here. I noted that there needed to be some edits for clarity based on their questions, but that I would send any changes back to him for approval before submitting them to the play day committee. I glanced out the window just as he was commenting how cold he was feeling - heavy black clouds, just at the cusp of becoming thunderheads, filling the Western sky - as we spoke. He's from a more tropical climate, so I felt sorry that he was uncomfortable, but I love the rain. When we were at the zoo on Friday, it was drizzling just a bit. Perfect weather for a three or four hour walkathon. The sun was still shining, so we had the benefit of both the cooling showers and the solar eclipse filtered light. Anyway he segued from that in to a request that I attend one of their wine and cheese appreciation courses at the end of the month. His rationale being that if I was to be of any real help on play day, then I would better serve my co-workers by having taken the course myself. That makes sense except for the fact it is on a Saturday evening downtown. Transportation and safety become issues. Guess I'll work around that. He said I could bring a date, probably guessing that coming solo would be uncomfortable for me, but that isn't going to happen. There is a large high-end hotel across the parking lot, always with a lot of cabs nearby, so I guess I can make it work. There is also some argument for asking number five son to come with me, since he works as a chef and is opening a new restaurant for the company he's been with since he started the course he took in high school - about five years ago I guess. The problem is that he often works 12 hour days, usually six days a week and he has a very nice girlfriend he rarely gets to see. Don't know if I want to impose on him, even though he might benefit from both the course and meeting the studio owner who ran hotels for a living before opening his studio. I'll have to think that one through.

Got busy at the computer. I ran across some data that had me printing off a screen shot so I could show it to my superviosr to illustrate my point. One of those "I don't want to step on any toes, but..." questions about how to go about doing my job without making someone else feel that I'm trying to make them look bad or take away their work. My supervisor was tied up with other things, so I just went back to my desk to continue on after leaving her to ponder my question. She arrived a few minutes later. She said she thought I could refer it to another department, instead of internally to the records group. Fine. Then another odd bit came out when she commented again that she felt badly that she was providing no guidance or support to me while I worked. I responded that since she seemed content with the weekly reports, then that was all that was necessary for me, since those reports are very comprehensive. she hesitated a moment, then stated that she really hadn't done more than skim them. No analysis or assessment of the way tasks were being carried out. A rather sick feeling in the pit of my stomach started, as I contemplated that bit of information. I've proceeded with actions based on the fact that she has sent emails saying she liked my reports and was keeping a spreadsheet tracking my progress. Then the comments from her supervisor Friday acknowledging the anomalies I was finding - those ones that would generate more work for everyone. A bit of dissonance there, that was accentuated by her comment that she wanted the coworker I am now including in the circulation to take over implementing some of the suggestions. So then who am I reporting to and what are the lines of authority. The coworker in question doesn't really know a lot about what I need to do, based on her responses to the questions I've asked her to date. Often there has been misdirection or a refusal to respond at all. I had already approached her on the issue arising this morning, before going to my supervisor for example, only to be told she hadn't got a clue. This is the coworker who is related to that other person in one of the encounters I've had, where the records were not being properly handled and where it appeared there might be intent around that. How to think about that.

Next up the young male who looks after a certain class of data came by to see my supervisor. He wanted to make her aware that she had just received a delivery of two boxes from - surprise, surprise - the placement company I had just left. He noted a gentleman had just brought them by and was anxious for her to see them. She seemed to be trying to shush him as he was adding in the name of the company from where they'd come. The world went a bit sideways again. My previous supervisor had commented that he had had difficulty communicating with my current supervisor and that she hadn't been responsive to his approach to her for contracts before this time. Now all of a sudden there is work being delivered directly to her. Was he the one who came by, or the coworker who had caused so much trouble at the previous assignment, the one I think plaigiarized my resume to get work? Does that mean that she's thinking of bringing them in for some work? Guess sending my resume out to another company, even though it didn't seem logical at the time, might have been a good impulse after all. I won't work with that coworker again if there are any other options available. It made me sick to my stomach just thinking about it. Oi.

I tried to calm down after my current supervisor left, telling myself I didn't have enough details to try and interpret the impications. With Mercury station, there is probably a lot I'm not aware of going on - especially with the Neptune aspects that are also occurring now. Neptune rules the industry I work in right now and very little of what the public sees or hears is the truth of what is occurring. Ditto in offices like this one. There have been too many oddball things - like the one data handler whose presence was such a comfort last week. He is usually only around just before a big sale of some description occurs. The speculation was making my head hurt at that point, and I knew it was futile any way, so I just turned Eminem up full blast and rapped along under my breath. I was actually wishing that I'd brought the Vagina Monologues in with me, since they would have made even more sense in the current work context. Those spidey senses are really tingling right now.

Shortly after I was chatting with the coworker who is to implement some of the suggestions I made in the weekly reports. First up, could I let her know how many of the boxes I'd worked on contained US data. Actually the number surprised me. About 10% of the number that I had been told were inactive records. I hadn't realized I had even gone through that many records. The odd thing being that there is only one class of documents that has been comprehensively addressed. What lurks in all the other boxes, Green Lantern? She was reading her horoscope in the local paper at that point, so I asked her what her sun sign was. Capricorn. Well that is the sign of my number five son - cusp between that and Aquarius - which I told her -and my ex who is sun, moon and rising Capricorn with a side of Saturn, thank you very much - which I didn't mention. At that point she went off like a rocket. "Oh that explains the problems with you." What problems? I come in to work, sit down at my computer, and key data all day. "You're just like my sister. Do you know that she is exactly like you, oh and yes that was my Grandmother's sign too" Followed by an almost incoherent tirade about all the awful things her sister and grandmother did, because they were both so stubborn and intractible. Then she stomped off.

Sure. That's like saying all Canadians are the same, despite the evidence - in this biggest national land mass in the world now that the USSR is no more - that the most consistent thing about our country is the diversity of the people who live here. Someone from Newfoundland generally has entirely different characteristics from some one from Toronto. While never the twain shall meet between Quebec or Alberta - or so it seems. Then there were the rallies about the same sex marriages over the weekend - both for and against. Yet we are all Canadians.

I almost pointed out that emotional conflicts were more likely incompatible moon signs and challenging aspects between other planets, but decided to not waste my breath. The issue she was raising wasn't about the astrological signs, it was the first open declaration that she didn't feel comfortable with me being in this assignment. Something that has been apparent from early on, but which was below the surface - more passive in expression, the non answers or the midguided directions. Great. One of the reasons I rarely tell people I work on astrology charts is because of that kind of reaction. Sometimes people just want any excuse for not taking responsibility for their behaviour or their problems. It's the stars' fault.

When I left for lunch, she asked why I was leaving. She was working through her lunch, you know. She socializes a lot and that was noted several times during the session Friday at the zoo when she was being compared to different animals "social butterfly". Not a big deal, but it isn't my fault if it means she has to work through lunch to catch up on tasks. I just noted I was running several errands with respect to my other contract. With all the spear rattling going on in parliament, I just want as many ducks in a row as possible there. The walk outside in the freshening wind helped blow off most of the morning angst. Since I had given myself permission to spend a little of my tax refund, I headed over to the music store after I'd done the work necessary. Mary Poppins for my grandbabies, and the Lone Gunmen series for me and my youngest - the spin off series from the X-Files about the trio of computer geeks who helped Fox solve his mysteries. The young lady who was processing my order got quite excited when she saw that purchase. They were my favorite part of the series. Well ok Fox was pretty cool too. Picked up one of Nickleback's CDs too - Silver Side Up - and was delighted with the depth in their lyrics. Great rock and roll, but intelligence too. What next. Oh right they're from a little town just north of here, same one as Lanny MacDonald - one time Calgary Flames captain, y'all. Hmm.

In the elevator coming back to work, two men got on. the one was describing a new hire he had just brought on. Her new coworker was asking a bit about her background. The HR manager made a disparaging comment about her educational background, dissing the university degree she had obtained, "but she has great industry contacts." How to poison a work environment before someone even has a chance to begin their job. Do I say something or not? I should, but to whom and about whom. No security tags visible on either male.

Kept that CD playing with the headphones firmly in place for the afternoon. Slid over to Smokey Robinson and Brook Benton to mellow out at the end of the afternoon. Calmed down greatly from the morning - at least until the CD ran out before the last half hour of the day. Didn't take off the headphones and wished I had. The co-worker right next to me goes home at 3. Shortly after she had left one of the supervisors from one of the other departments came steaming up to talk with the coworker who doesn't like Aquarians. She was complaining about the work done by the co-worker who had just left. She held forth for about 10 minutes, then wandered in to the stacks. Immediately after, my supervisor came by and did the same kind of venting for the same issue. She acknowledged that she hadn't provided clear direction to that worker and that several other supervisors were all adding to this person's work load all giving their own directions as well. Even though the co-worker who I am supposed to work with implementing some of my suggestions has never taken any supervisory role that I could discern with respect to the absent coworker, she was certainly claiming that she had. She stated that the missing person just didn't seem to be willing to do what was asked. The two stood there and dissed the other staff member in the hearing of several library users, without any thought for what they were doing to her privacy or her reputation. Oi, not exactly what I wanted to hear at the end of the day. I think it is time for bed. Good night dear diary. I'll think about the rest of this tomorrow, as Ms Scarlett would say.

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