12:26 - 11.06.05
Meetings of the Mind
Lightning slithered along the side of the 37th floor windows while we were in the sponsors'information meeting yesterday. Very cool. The topics were: creating an emergency response plan for one's event, photo shoots and public speaking. Hmmm. I can do the emergency response plan no problem. Allergic reactions and sprained ankles/knees are things I know well and candeal with comfortably. Digital cameras and taking photos to be reproduced for the evening banquet?? I've never even held a digital camera and all my attempts at taking pictures have resulted in red eyes and severed body parts. Lucky it's not permanent. I hadn't signed up to go to the banquet, because it is a couples event, but apparently each sponsor is to give a quick presentation about their group's day. Let's see then - 35 events times 5 minutes and add in time for segues; that's nearly 2 hours of speaking. I've done a fair amount of public speaking out of necessity, but I have never really enjoyed it other than when talking to school children. Maybe when the amount of time is really appreciated the talk part will be eliminated and the photos can say it all.
First thing yesterday morning I met up with the surly tech at the elevator bank. He tried to ignore me, but I said good morning anyway. That opened up a bit of a conversation - maybe detente is possible. The morning was really productive, because I knew of a way to set up the series of records so that I would get the same sorting each time I accessed them. Means a bit of extra work that hasn't been required before, but it beats having to scroll through 3000 records each day looking for the ones that have been missed as they are re-sorted daily at random. Finished up the series of records I had been on and moved on to the next category.
It always takes some time to shift perceptions, when I move from one department to another. Same terms, but different meanings ascribed based on the needs of the group. This shift was especially odd, because I moved from records of one of the most technically arcane departments to two corporate disciplines that are almost mutually exclusive. Being a Gemini sun time I felt like I was dealing with multiple personalities on paper. Oh well, I like puzzles.
The perfumed co-worker had outdone herself in the morning. I had to hold a cotton cloth soaked with eucalyptus oil up against my nose most of the morning even with my fan switched on to "medium". It gets pretty loud even then. I heard her comment that she thought that "it was all psychological" around noon, but the chemicals/perfume were gone after lunch. I guess it's the same response smokers have to people who can't cope with second hand smoke. "It's not bothering me, so it can't be a problem for you" even with all the evidence to the contrary or "it's my right".
The atmosphere in the department seemed tense in the afternoon, but because I have my headphones on most of the time I really can't say why. The two allies in the work space I used to share now regularly isolate and ignore the woman who took my place. There was some kind of free food available during the day in the employee lounge that they had knowledge of, but they made a point of not letting her know at all in the morning. In the afternoon, they came down with loaded plates again, but the supervisor in the group had to pressure them to let their co-worker know. I don't think the supervisor had been aware of it in the morning nor had I. It was only when they decided to include the supervisor in the afternoon foray, that she realized what had happened and tried to straighten it out. At that time, I was trying to get up to the meeting I mentioned so I passed on it.
When I came back I left my headphones off so I could enjoy Mother Nature's lightning show with a side of hail and thunder. Yes! After the supervisor left for the day, the two allies sat and whispered for the balance of the afternoon. It was apparent that they were tearing someone or several people down, but I really didn't want to know any more at that point. As long as their venom is restricted to the two of them, they are welcome to their meanness. If it starts to poison the rest of the department that is another issue. The only thing I resolved is to make more of an effort to spend time talking with the co-worker they've isolated so she doesn't feel the sting so much. They are well past the junior high stage of adolescent social ineptitude; too bad they can't just do their jobs like adults.
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