21:45 - 09.10.05
Catch up
When I was in at work on Friday, my supervisor made time in the afternoon to sit and discuss the work in the warehouse. Nothing dramatic. She made a point of telling me a few times, that I could call her at any time about "anything" even though the second in command is responsible for day to day logistics. I just joked about the need to call her if blizzards kept me community bound, but it was comforting to know that that avenue of communication is wide open. Given the problems with the on site computer and the objections the second in command raised on Friday that is a good thing. You see she only just realized how much access I have to some data when she walked by on Friday. It is the only way I can properly do my job and it is not any different than the access I have been given in other companies. She immediately protested that to my supervisor, who just said it was important that I be able to complete all my tasks. Hopefully come Tuesday there won't be any fallout for that. Sometime the second in command seems to know way more about me than I've ever divulged about myself - especially as it pertains to my personal life. She even knew the year when my Dad bought his business - before she was born. At other times when she is being incredibly patronizing, it is as if as though she has not ever seen my resume and yet I am certain she has had access to it. Maybe not, because of privacy regulations, but then how does she know the other information.
I asked my supervisor if she knew whether there would be further funding for this project past the date of my initial contract, because I knew that budget talks were completed and also because I need to be sending out resumes pretty quickly if there isn't an extension of my contract beyond the end of December. She flinched and said she hadn't been told anything yet about what had been finalized. I didn't want to make her uncomfortable, but I know full well that my best interests have nothing to do with the decisions made by any company I work for. If I don't look out for myself, then I am hooped if the response is "no go". I hope she understood that was my reason, but either way I need to know soon. The warehouse has a team of people like me and a couple of times now their staff have asked some pretty leading questions about my employment situation. Other than the travel issue, I would really enjoy working there I think. I want to see this project to completion, but if it isn't going to be completed then I need to be moving forward on finding something else soon.
The topic about privacy and human rights came up at the farewell luncheon as well. The perfumed co-worker was sitting one over from me next to the one male worker in the department. She was commenting that another friend of hers was upset because of a sexual harrassment issue that had happened in his workplace. A new receptionist had been hired and all the scientists thought they were behaving very well in their interactions with her, bringing her coffee and taking time to include her in their conversations. That changed when she returned from a Hawaiian vacation. One of them asked her if she had tan lines or if the had been nude sunbathing. She filed her complaint then. Now if the scientist had just asked it in passing, as a throw away comment as he passed her desk, I could see that as maybe an over-reaction, but the perfumed co-worker is notorious for leaving out significant details in her stories about things the rest of us have observed that change the entire face of the story.
For instance, if the question was posed to the receptionist in front of other coworkers, where leers and jeers followed from any source, then she has every right to complain about being embarrassed in front of everyone else. Her position would have just been sexualized in a way that could make it difficult for her to ever be treated respectfully by some of the males. It could be, unknown to the rest of the staff, that the one making the comment in what appeared to be innocence, had been verbally or physically harrassing this woman for the entire time she had been there when he knew there were no witnesses. I've talked about some of my own experiences around that one. It could also be that her last position had been one where she had been subjected to that kind of embarrassment every day as a systemic behaviour and she was not ready to accept that treatment again even once. The perfumed coworker said that the receptionist was now being treated as an outcast - isolated from all inclusion or involvement by the rest of the staff. Quite honestly that is considered retaliatory action by a human rights tribunal and could put the company at risk of further action. Hopefully they aren't taking the attitude of the co-worker on this - that the woman is getting her just desserts. It could cost them their public image, as well as other penalties.
Our male co-worker joked and said he felt harrassed by the women on our floor sometimes, because he is often the butt of a lot of their jokes. I just commented that the law applies the same way for both genders and that it is not what the person who insults another says they intended that counts, but what the person on the receiving end has perceived it to do to their ability to function in the community of workers within which they work. He asked me if there were any successful cases where males had lodged complaints. I said yes, but I couldn't recall any at the time. Were any of my sons in a position where sexual harrassment was an issue for them. Not that they'd mentioned to me. He was quite thoughtful after that.
Missed my regular bus again on Friday because I was trying to fit about three days worth of work into the one downtown day. As with Thusrday, it was probably a good thing. After work I packaged up the cheque to pay the rest of the cell phone expenses with the lease I had just received from the landlord for my elections office the evening before, as well as the timesheets for my assistant and I for last week's meetings. Made it to the post office downstairs minutes before it closed. Next up went to the bank with both paycheques for the past two weeks. The last one had arrived at the downtown office at closing time on Thursday. Finally got to the train station just in time to hear the announcement that mechanical failure on the line I take was causing significant delays. Great. Just as the announcement ended though, my train pulled up - nearly empty too. Sometimes there are benefits for missing a train during rush hour after all. There were short delays along the route, but because I sat the whole time I really didn't care. There is beautiful autumn scenery all along the train route that ravels along the river valley. I just savoured the view. As we reached my station it was obvious from the people filling the overpass that the broke down train had just debarked it's passengers before we arrived. The woman sitting beside me was telling her coworker she had been on that first train but had gotten off because it was so crowded that you could feel the person next to you inhale and exhale. Too close for comfort - unless there's a blizzard of course.
Yesterday I felt as though I had been hit by a Mack truck. Other than my battles with my balking computer all I did was watch "Dogma" with George Carlin, Chris Rock and Alan Rickman starring and go to the restaurant for dinner with my youngest. The second really wasn't something I needed to do, but I think my youngest was feeling I needed to have some sort of a Thanksgiving dinner anyway. He went to his Dad's family's event today and didn't want me to fell deprived I guess. While he was gone I napped blissfully with my bedroom cats who purr me to sleep and then I sent emails to some old friends I rarely have time to "talk" with otherwise. Quite honestly I enjoyed the break from all the other obligations that make me feel so overwhelmed sometimes. Thanksgiving is about being grateful for the little things that make the quality of one's hours rich too. My youngest has just arrived back home, so I guess it's time to read. Something else I am very grateful for - sight and the ability to enjoy good writing. Good night dear diary.
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