00:55 - 01.12.05
rhumba
It felt luxurious getting up at 7:30 in the am today - 2 extra hours to sleep in or two extra to work. I had stayed up to 4 in the am just getting all the email out that I needed to keep things rolling for the election setup. My assistant said she would pick me up at 8:30 so I had time to clean up a bit and shovel the snow off the front walk. Hauled some boxes out to take with us too then we headed for the grocery store to pick up that first load of essential supplies - toilet paper, paper towels cups and plastic cutlery. We bought coffee supplies to but Elections Canada will not pay for it. We set up a a coffee fund each election - 25 cents per cup - and that keeps staff alert and focussed.
Arrived to find the telephone company rep already on site. We tracked him down in the underground parking lot pulling wires out all over the place. Did a hail Mary prayer in the corner of my heart and headed upstairs to work on the day's tasks. Biggest issue is getting the furniture and phones set up so we can get our suite of computers going. The original place where the second tender had been offered and found out the salesman who did the quote had left the company some tim ago - on bad terms - and had not passed on any records. "We can't help you". Oi. Called about 10 other furniture rental places to hear the same response everywhere. Two big movie productions, several political parties and all the candidates are in line first. No ability to even take my name for their wait lists, because they don't have any product left. Finally on the last call one very cheerful young woman. Oh yes, we have a warehouse full of furniture for you. I almost didn't believe her - thought she was joking. Nope, really and truly. The gentleman who took my order called back later to "give me the bad news" - he couldn't ensure delivery for tomorrow. Oh well. At that point I would have accepted picnic tables and foot lockers to get on with. If I have to wait a day or two for real furniture I can deal with it.
Next up trying to track down the photocopier service I had agreed to use by tender. Their phone was "no longer in service". That blood pressure creeping up now. Called one of the really big suppliers in desperation. I prefer to support the local small businesses but I have statutory deadlines to meet that are non-negotiable. As it turned out the local phone company had messed up the first photocopy service phone lines and they were still in business. The owner arrived at our office personally to asure me he would deliver a unit for my use tomorrow morning. How cool is that? On the other hand the secrity specialsit is starting to really bother me. He gave me a quote that was nearly 10 times wht it cost at the last event a year ago. In his defense half the quote was for additional services based on the breaches of security we dealt with last time. And also in his defense the last security company we used was called into court to answer charges of collaborating to steal from some of their earlier clients. Maybe the cost isn't so outrageous afte all.
Still can't get hold of our printer and that bothers me. We have to get the preliminary voters lists printed as soon as they arrive in our offices and they are already in transit. Called the building manager because the offices are so dirty and smelly that I think it will be difficult to have staff on site all day. Both my assistant and I had breathing problems and we were covered with some substance that was most unplesant. He called back to insist that some terms in the lease were not going to be met because they don't normally do things that way. I insisted equally emphatically that the lease was signed and I expected the terms to be honoured - all of them. Oi again. Did get some arrangements done with respect to signage and heard back from the one head of facilities for the one school board - have my polling sites underway. That's good.
Received a call from head office around noon. Can we get confirmation that you are available to work an election. "Well sir, I warrant I am". When would the writ allow us to open our offices to staff and the public. Still can't tell me that but the first statutory deadline for the writ is to be met regardless. That being this Friday. Translating documents to French to meet that target and then sending it off for approval. I guess I am available to work, eh? The balance of the afternoon calling the staff from last election that I really want back if at all possible. Working over a traditional holiday time is really making things difficult in terms of scheduling but I guess it could be worse. This was the news where my friend overseas is concerned. Spent this evening with my own home phone - it isn't working any more than the fax machine/photocopier is. That Fred the ghost, did he really have to follow me home. My cell phone got a workout as a result since all the staff called today called back this evening. Good days work but I have to go do a couple of hours more emailig to get the next layer of communiation done so I can proceed with tomorrow's tasks. Good night dear diary. Sort of.
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