02:33 - 24.09.05
instinct
The weather office predicted the same weather as yesterday, but it was positively balmy compared to yesterday. Granted there was frost on all the vehicles I passed on the way to the bus stop, but that is close to normal for this time of year. Because of that prediction I had donned panty hose -reluctantly - and slipped a hot pink t-shirt under my blazer instead of the regular lace camisole. The colour was a psychological boost all in itself. Meant when the thermostat queens started in, I could unzip my jacket instead of alternately freezing then sweltering. Apparently that was deemed a bit shocking too. Oh well. Since I was going downtown today I just wore sandals. Runners and boots can wait.
Work was pretty focussed on just getting three days' worth of computer work done in the time I had on site today. Printed off several reports covering hundreds of pages each for various series of records. Culling the boxes to recall at one time by region or topic. Sent off my timesheet after my supervisor signed off and did the weekly report as well since there is no way to post it from the warehouse location. Reading all the accumulated email took time too. There were a couple of big meetings on the floor today - outsiders from the facts that they were wearing those stick on name tags - hate them - and a lot of formal black going-to-meeting outfits. One gentleman workig near me was on his cell phone for quite some time. Not from around here y'all. Funny though he didn't sound Texan - closer to Louisiana maybe - because the vowels and the letter "r" all sounded as they were some variation of "ah".
I had a brief conversation with the realtor for the Elections Canada office space on my break. The current tenant does not want us in there until their lease is over. After our experience last election where our alarm system was disabled and our office left unprotected I can relate to their concerns. Could we meet there on Monday next. I thought for a moment, because I have already booked the estimator from the handyman store to come look at the roof, balcony, doors and fence for repairs. That took three weeks to organize, so I don't want to try and have to renegotiate on that. If you noticed the photo in yesterday's post, dear diary, you will understand why I feel the pressure of time. Having my home peeled open to the elements while the roof is fixed is a little more than I want to deal with, if keeping this one appointment can prevent it. Turns out they don't conflict, so we were good to go.
Next up, left a voicemail for the woman at the city who orders in the blueprints. Because of copyright laws, I have to have written permission to actually take a photocopy even though I own the home. Since the builders of this unit went bankrupt, I have to go through an application process with the copyright office itself. I asked her to go ahead and order them in anyway. If all else fails, I guess I'll just do my own "interpretive" sketch just so I can be certain no weight bearing walls are compromised. Don't need this building tumbling down around our ears, do we.
At lunch and after work taking routes that made no sense to me, except that my gut told me to do so reaped great benefits. At lunch I ran into my Automation co-ordinator for the election. I had sent him an email three weeks ago with no response. I know he has to go out of town on business a lot, so I just waited for his response when he returned. Turned out there had been a death in the family in another province, so he was just settling back in to the work world as we spoke. It took him quite sometime before he could share that with me. I felt better knowing that there was a very good reason for the silence and it also helped to speak with him face to face to get a sense of how he was holding up. His day to day job has to be given priority, just as mine does, since the election work costs us income rather than otherwise. I needed to know how he was feeling about that. Like me, he can make it work after Christmas but not before. When I got home from work, I checked out some of my ezines and realized the chances of a call were even slimmer than what I had originally thought. The province of Quebec is having it's provincial election next month with voting day being November 6. Unless there is a serious crisis or something really stupid happens, there is no way that the federal politicians will want to compete with the local representatives for media exposure. They'll lose. Quebec, being the second largest province population-wise, is critical to any party's success so they tend to try not to irritate their voters. I also get a briefing newsletter from one of our law firms. Today it contained the text of a speech given by our Prime Minister, that outlined the business set to go when parliament begins sitting again next week. It didn't have any of the earmarks of a pre-election oration. Sent that one on to the other Returning Officers in Southern Alberta, just as a FYI. The media, politicians or lawyers - who do you believe.
After work I decided that maybe I would walk over one platform before my regular stop for the train, hoping that I might be able to get on the first train going past instead of the third. Remember that happened last week. As I was walking through one of the major stores in the mall I cut through, I heard my name being called. It was one of the women who I had volunteered with extensively over the years. She had been both a school trustee and an alderman and we were very compatible in terms of values and goals. She has taken a low-key job so she can continue on with her political work through a volunteer agency. That's what I hope I can do if I can get this debt thing I just took on under control. She doesn't have that hanging over her head, so I hope she can give me pointers for survival when this phase of my endeavours are over. Anyway, it appears that her major focus is on my communities. She wanted to ask for some ideas in terms of providing services and also expanding their outreach. Could I call her to discuss. Sure thing. Actually I really miss the volunteer community, so maybe this is the window opening up so I can return to what I really love to do. I enjoy the tasks I do at work now dear diary, but dealing with a lot of the staff day-to-day makes me crazy. Too selfish for words.
Spent some time talking with different coworkers whose company I do enjoy today though. There are always new friends made where ever I work, before you think I am being too picky and negative. I suspect a couple of them thought I was pretty terse, but if I have to spend 15 minutes each talking to 20 people it doesn't really give me any time to get all the tasks I had to have completed done. As it was I just filed the weekly report in the shared drive exactly at quitting time. Walked out with my supervisor who came up behind me with her coffee cup at the ready. Guess she needed to refuel at her favorite coffee shop before finishing off her day.
There really wasn't any reason why I couldn't have stayed longer I guess, except that I have some building supplies being delivered in the morning tomorrow and I needed to clean the basement up enough to make space. Add in my assignment from Elections Canada arrived and is waiting pick up at the post office and I think I'll have more than I can accomplish to deal with without losing even another hour. That said I guess having fed and watered the cats and read to my youngest it's time for the sleep thang. Good night dear diary.
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