23:15 - 16.11.05
weather warnings
The announcement on the internet provider's helpline last night when I tried to login, dear diary, was that the whole of the Calgary and surrounding area service was down and it was not known when it would be restored. It wasn't until sometime this morning that it was fixed. Unlike the provinces on each side of us it couldn't even be blamed on heavy snowfall. All we've had so far is frost. Guess it's Mr Mercury retrograde. As good an explanation as any right now.
Yesterday, going to work was bitterly cold. My hair was still damp from washing and it had frost formations on it by the time I got to the bus stop. Brrrr. Brushed it out while I was waiting for the bus, which of course, was late. Arrived at work and tried to login to the network. No problem until it came to my own account, then no go. Called the support center whcih is located in Saskatchewan, our sister province to the east and major donor to Calgary of residents. Great people they are those prairie guys and gals, every one. Chatting about weather while waiting for the PC to reboot. The tech first gave me the temperature in Fahrenheit thinking I was located in the US. I had already heard that the major highways in the provinces bracketing Alberta were closed due to blizzard-like conditions, so it just didn't seem right. Don't argue with someone on the scene though, right? He realized from my silence that maybe we weren't connecting, so he asked where I was calling from. Oh centigrade. Uh huh. He allowed there was enough snow in the ditches that the snowmobile enthusiasts were already out toning up their machines. Crazy, but there you are.
It was really cold in the warehouse because it was built without insulation. By 10 am most of the rest of the staff were working with their winter coats on. I finally gave in and joined them after trying to cope by adding just a sweater, a shawl and a scarf. Still chilled to the bone so I hunkered down in my Mom's camel coat and focussed on the data and the music - cardio hip hop. Checked in with the company email every so often so I stay up to speed with downtown issues. One thing that is really a negative is that I can't make it to the workshops and presentations that would upgrade my knowledge base. Presentations from the head of the company in the US as well as local department's profiles on their activities and inhouse training about records management. Guess there is a price to pay for being away from the internal politics.
Those raised their head about the time I surendered to the need to be warm. Remember I talked about the co-worker who was fired on Monday? Well an announcement that the perfumed worker had "consented" to fill the empty full time position. If the dismissal was truly about time on task, work ethics and attention to detail then I don't think my supervisor ever saw what really was going on in that group. At least with the person who was fired her low productivity was attributable to her illness and subsequent surgery. Yes other people had had to take up the slack for her but that is what a healthy work community does. Neither the ally or the perfumed one made any effort to assist and they spent more time socializing and attending to personal business on the phone than ever the fired coworker did. I just don't get it and I really am wondering what was being said or done behind the sick worker's back to make her ouster so heartless and bloodless. There seems to have been no opportunity for her to even respond to the allegations. Something that is only fair. But I guess if the the ally, the perfumed one and the coworker from the same agency as me as well as maybe the second in command all agreed to tell the same story to our supervisor then it would be difficult for anyone to dispute the "facts" eh? The other worker in that team was dismissed by the second in command as "weak" and "less intelligent" so her opinion would be dismissed as would be mine since I was called flaky by my supervisor for reporting the dolls and the theft from my work area not a week before. I wonder if my supervisor will make the connection before it is her turn to be misrepresented as incompetent and underperforming. Won't be hard given the state of the records as they are now. The fact that a lot of those are an inheritance from companies long defunct won't likely cut much mustard then. Bitter - me?
Went home last night and had the delayed reaction to the Monday scenario, and a right fine temper tantrum it was too dear diary. The house was a mess and it smelled because my youngest hadn't cleaned out the litter boxes as he had promised he would. Most days I'd just prod him to get busy but I didn't want to deal with that then. Add in the crashed internet and the grandstanding in parliament rattling the dissolution of parliament cage again and I was right cranky. Lucky my youngest liked the treats I'd bought from the local deli enough to forgive me my bad behaviour. Nothing fancy really - lasagna and meatballs with a side of nanaimo bars. Well the new research now says sugar is relly good for you when stressed - might even fight obesity. A doughnut a day keeps a doctor away. Now all those comics are going to have to apologize to policemen everywhere. See we should trust our men in blue/black whatever. So I skipped supper and had nanaimo bars before crawling into bed. Lately the mom cats in my bedroom have taken to cosseting me at night. When their kittens are distressed they lay circled around then or on top of them purring away. Right now it is me they do that to. They cuddle up laying across my chest, back and around my head just purring, purring and then I sleep. Lucky to have them aren't I. Between them and my youngest who tucks me in and telss me to chill out I guess I'm well cared for.
This morning was better although I had to dip my pen in my hot tea just to get the ink to flow. I contemplated putting on my Fagin gloves (the movie Oliver!)- the ones without the fingertips to keep the circulation in my hands flowing but that would have really slowed me down. The liaison came by not long after I started and asked me if I would mind taking a look at some boxes left in the old work space - ours being moved last week while I was away as you may recall - just to determine their status. I was a little uncomfortable going back there and I'm not sure why. Ditto for going to the lockers to retrieve my CDs and paperwork. Just not comfortable with that yet. Anyway it didn't take all that long and it made his work load a bit easier so I guess that's something. Most of the rest of the staff seemed more at ease with me - I think my report had stirred things up quite a bit. The receptionist had always been friendly before but her attitude twoard me now is quite angry. She really likes her boss so I can understand that. He is still really perturbed with me too. However, I'm not the one who created the problem - I just did due diligence as is required of me.
I had had a voicemail from one of the partners at the agency who placed me in this assignment. She called looking for my timesheet. In addition to everything else I had forgotten about getting it signed and sent in on Monday because of all the drama. I told her a bit about both the incident on All Saints Day as well as the firing on Monday. She reinforced that my responsibility was to the company and not to anyone else's personal interests. I know that full well, but it isn't always easy to accept the abuse that can come from doing one's job. There certainly is no compensation for missed time caused by stress or for the isolation that comes from standing one's ethical ground. I know full well I do what I do because I wouldn't be able live with my conscience otherwise. I wish our society actually meant what they said about admiring and respecting the characteristics of honesty and integrity though. One thing is said but actions speak way louder than words. Ask the fired co-worker for her take on it. I still worry about her, but I think she has a very strong personal support network. She'll need them. The one disturbing thing the agency partner asked was about my relationship to the second in command - did I still dislike her and did I think she was responsible for the dismissal of the co-worker. I didn't recall saying anything about disliking the second in command to her other than I didn't appreciate being patronized as if I was slow, when often it was the second in command who didn't understand the implications of what was being told. That lack of respect for one's experience means one can't do one's job properly sometimes. Maybe that comes out to the same thing in the end though. As for the specualtion about the dynamics of the firing. Well that's why I rely on you so much dear diary. I can speculate and fulminate as much as I need to when I post to you but I don't engage in that kind of discussion with people who may be involved or have some stake in the issue, even if only because they have to work on the same floor. Just not a wise thing to do. Anyway put my winter coat back on after our discussion and went back to those fascinating records about old politics and power plays. Wonder what someone 10 years from now will see in those boxes. Went home, spent a couple of hours emailing about the election work - staff, thank yous to Ottawa support people, and the landlord. Now good night dear diary.
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