19:53 - 27.05.05
Garlic and Stakes
My paycheque hadn't arrived at work yesterday, so I emailed the agency last night asking them to call me to arrange for a pickup today. I explained that I needed the money this weekend, the cupboards are bare, the mortgage payment is an automatic debit at the first of the month and my line of credit is just about exhausted. Elections Canada owes me a potful of money, but it's ONLY been two months since I submitted my invoice, so I don't expect to see it anytime soon. Not enough to risk a bounced mortgage cheque by gambling that that pay would come through this Friday anyway. I asked them to call on my cell phone since the phone at work is so wonky and I didnt want an email exchange because of the risk of missing each other when we were actually in the office. I carry the cell phone with me everywhere except the ladies room. When I woke up this morning I discovered that the cell was missing and panicked a bit. Turned out my youngest had borrowed it last night, then forgot to put it back. That should have been my first clue.
I hadn't even turned on my computer, when the lady who switched workstations with me yesterday, rushed up to me. She said she was going to ask our supervisor to move her as soon as she arrived at work this morning. She stated that even though she had only sat where I had been for a couple of hours yesterday, the air had been so bad that she spent the balance of the night up with pain in her lungs and coughing. Not just me, I really am not crazy. The coworker has had pleurisy before so her lungs can't be subjected to much stress either. Canaries in a mine - that's what we are. She went back to work and I set up for the day. It didn't take long for me to realize that the move hadn't helped as much as I hoped. Turned on the fan so it blew the air from the other side of the partition back that way. That helped a lot, but I could still feel inflamation setting in in the airways, so I took the last antihistamine I could safely get away with and broke out the eucalyptus oil again. The others said they liked the sensation it gave them so I did the same thing as yesterday. Soaked cotton pad in the bra. Lucky I'm not still nursing isn't it?
My supervisor had been given one of her two paid volunteer days off yesterday, so she had spent it working at the Mustard Seed - a homeless shelter. Have I mentioned how much I like this company? I now sit right inside but on the other side of the aisle from the main doors. When she walked in she exclaimed that she was really pleased with the way I had organized the space. It was much less cluttered and I had even managed to free up space around one of the big copiers so it was easy to access and create an extra study/work station for staff visiting the library as well. See, being a mom with six sons in a very tiny "cosy" home has given me unlooked for skills as well. I can maximize the use of almost any little pocket of room - survival skills 101. The coworker who had switched with me returned and explained her difficulties, so the two of them left to try and figure something out for her. Shortly after I looked up to see one of the maintenance staff pop open one of the ceiling tiles just above my station. There was at least and inch of thick crusted dirt showing and I cringed to think of what was growing in that soil.
Work was very focussed today for me. Went out walking on my own at lunch - around the circumference of Prince's Island Park and back again in 45 minutes. Not too shabby for an "fragile thing like me". The wind was a shadow of it's yesterday's self and it was hot. It was my first day this year not wearing pantyhose - yay! - but I was still overdressed in a cotton denim shift with a cream sweater over top. The bust on the shift is cut just a tad too low for office wear, you see. Returned and continued on from where I left off. It wasn't until near the end of the day that I realized I still hadn't heard from the agency about my paycheque. Tried to check in, but couldn't get through. Maybe they had mailed it or something. Decided to wait until I got home before panicking. 15 minutes to go and Human Resources left a voicemail stating that they were responding to questions I had submitted to them over a month ago that impacted how their data was treated within my project. Decided to return that call on Monday, after I found my notes and emails pertinent to it. That would take 15 minutes anyway and I was too tired to think by then. Went to say goodnight to the coworker who had switched with me and to thank her again. She said she was feeling really awful and was having chest pains along her sternum (breastbone). That upset me. I suggested she go see a doctor right away. She said if she didn't feel better by tomorrow she would. Guilt in major doses.
Tried to cross at one of the main pedestrian/car arteries on the way to meet up with the neighbour. Right in the front of the line of cars was a police cruiser with two officers sitting and chatting. The walk light was in my favour, so I stepped off the curb and started across. Felt a shadow on my right side. Looked up to see one very large, very full transit bus bearing down on the crosswalk - trying to turn left on a green light. Would he be able to stop? Glanced at the police and wondered if I'd get ticketed for obstructing traffic if I stopped and waited for the bus to complete it's turn. Decided that a ticket was less of a problem than being squished by that bus, even if I did have the right of way. Got home and found no cheque at home either. I think I should have stayed in bed or taken up my neighbour's offer from the day before. She offered to spring for a necklace of garlic that I could wear in to work to ward off Fred's antics. Indeed.
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