18:07 - 05.10.05
Mars Attacks
The day was actually really good yesterday, dear diary. Then I got home and chaos reigned for a while.
On the bus I sit on the bench just behind the rear exit. Easy to get to and it has the added value of being supplied with a solid side that I just happen to fit perfectly in terms of curling up for a nap on the way down south. On the way to work yesterday morning one of the regular riders stopped in front of me as she was waiting for the driver to let her off at her stop - one before mine. I was conscious but just. "Do I smell?" Huh? Loaded question, but no she didn't. She shoved the arm of her coat in front of me and muttered something about spilling something smelly on the sleeve, but not having enough time to clean it before coming to work. Strange, but I was wide awake when I got to my stop.
The day went quickly and pleasantly. The second in command didn't show up so there were no distractions. Except for the fact that the computer was so slow, I could just focus on my job and my music. It was considerably warmer, because the heater had been turned on. I think the smokers in the group had been told not to run in and out of the door right next to our work area constantly as well. Good thing on both counts, but it might have had something to do with the fact that one of their coworkers had been working in our area the day before when I was sick and had had to wear two winter jackets to keep warm. Pretty sad when one has to go outdoors to get warm isn't it?. I did the weekly report, but it was nearly 3 hours for a one hour job because of the security features on the PC. Decided not to complain, because that was the company's choice. They are still paying me, despite the loss of productivity. Who am I to argue? That is provided they don't insist on the same deadline being met. Noticed that the second in command had been doing a lot of nonwork surfing while she was on her own on Monday. She had left her "my favorites" open and it was quite lengthy. Job searches, and home searches in other cities/towns. Uh huh.
Hopped back on the bus at the regular time and found myself sitting by the woman who had asked me about her smelly jacket in the morning. We just chatted about her job. She works at the Truckers' service depot just about half a mile from where I am. Everything is supersized from the on and off ramps, to the parking spaces, and likely to the food served. The drivers can book a bunk, do laundry, shower, eat and play pool all while their vehicles are being serviced. She said she looked after the clean up chores. Not much fun in that, but she said meeting the people she did was worth the work. She liked hearing the stories about their travels and a lot of the men bring her gifts from all over North and Central America. She said they used to leave her cash, but she prefers the little mementos because they are more personal. She obviously has had a difficult life - shows on her face - but she has a warm and friendly manner that makes it easy to talk with her all the same.
Oh at home, well yes. Email from the one Elections Canada connection I really like. He had been waiting for the cheque to pay the extra cell phone costs I mentioned in August posts. He said they had no record of receiving it. Not only that there were more charges of an equal amount from a bill he hadn't seen before he called me last time. Oi. and Oi two. I knew I had the manifest for that letter, but checked the Post Office website first to use their track a package service. Didn't matter how I entered the number, the response was that there was no such record. At all. Not even of the time I dropped it off. Uh huh. Finally located the manifest and got my youngest to scan it in so I could send the jpeg as proof that I had sent that cheque nearly a month ago. I knew I had also just received my bank statement the week before and just had to recall which safe place I put it in. Panic makes that task more difficult. Found it and relayed the details of the transaction to him. It had been cashed 4 days after I sent the letter. That doesn't sound very stressful, does it, but it took a couple of hours by the time everything was assembled noted and the email sent. With Elections Canada's webmail being so secure, a lot of the time was spent waiting for transmission to be completed -the size of that jpeg photo being the issue. Add in the stress of finding that an issue one thought was well dealt with wasn't and it was just a tad tense at home. Looked at that bank statement and added in the extra debt from the extra heretofore unknown charges. Should have just left it be, but I couldn't. Oh well. It's only money right?
Today the bus ride was quiet with everyone napping like me. Last night I had also been emailing back and forth with the agency that placed me trying to work out a way to get my timesheet signed and in to them when I won't often have access to my supervisor for her signature, which is mandatory. Add in there isn't a fax machine available at the warehouse for clients' staff and I'm really hooped. The second in command arrived around 8:30 am and said she would fax last week's timesheet off tonight. It was due in last Friday. She was as confrontational and miserable as every other morning we've worked together, so I've decided that's just her morning persona. However,I really resent her speaking to me as though I was two years old and a slow one at that. I just explained that the connectivity problems yesterday when I couldn't log in to the company browser really slowed me down. I wasn't complaining or blaming -just trying to clarify matters. "You're the only one having that trouble" Well that might be because I'm the only person on this pilot of their security access on a full time basis. Anyway, back to the paycheque dilemma - deal with the issues you can change - right? Usually there is a week's delay at the least for a cheque to be cut and returned. Then there is a long weekend coming up. When might I see that payment? That bank loan wasn't meant for daily living expenses, but I guess I should be grateful I have the extra resources available instead of worrying so much about the size of the balance. Or maybe not. Credit is a very bad way to manage basics, boyo. It's that mental "should" voice that is driving me nuts. I now think I need three jobs to cover everything for my own piece of mind but I can only manage two as it is. Patience Grasshopper. The entertainemnt for the day was the fire alarm going off - three times in a warehouse filled with 5 million boxes full of paper. Uh huh. No one else looked worried nor did anyone move so we stayed put working away on the boxes in front of us. Really interesting stuff in there too. Looked up just after lunch to see real live firemen alking through the aisles with the building manager. That was strange but comforting - I guess.
Quiet bus ride home. Got home and found the cats had made more mess than usual. Stressed out again as I feel as though my attention is continuously dragged away to deal with things like the missing cheque and the cats and the election work. Nothing done on the renovations - no progress, nowhere. Mr Mars is really starting to get on my nerves.
�
�
