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00:47 - 05.12.05
pushing the river
We were in transit or at the office from about 11:30 am to 8 pm.That's about double the time we are supposed to work on Sunday but it is a normal occurrence. Stopped at the dry goods store on the way in to pick up more supplies. We have received a shipment of about half our saved materials from last time, but we haven't been advised if or when the rest will follow. We can't wait forever and some of these materials are essential - not luxury. Surprisingly the mall was not that busy so we were in and out of the store quite quickly. When we arrived at our building we found one of our supervisors and her hubby outside just checking the particulars - where it was and where to park. At a guess they had come from church and did the side trip before heading off to lunch. Glad we have such motivated people. Next up was a call from the techs to tell me that the hard drive that had been ordered had not yet arrived. So much for that six hour turn around written in the contract. Called my tech to let him know he now had his Sunday free. No point anyone in the office just staring off into space. Without the basic services we can't do much else.

At the office a call from the cleaning company indicated that they would arrive around 2:30 to sterilze the walls and the rugs. I still don't have formal apporval from Elections Canada but the local rep gave a verbal "yes, don't hesitate, do it now before the furniture arrives". Quite honestly, because it is a health and safety issue for me as well as my staff I called this morning to book them anyway. I can't all my time on drugs and using inhalers just to get through each day. By the end of the event I could guarantee that my health would be really compromised. My assistant and I started clearing out the offices so that there would be no obstructions when the cleaners arrived. A lot of lifting and carrying because we had begun the task of sharing out their paper tools - flyers, videos, manuals - among their work spaces. It all went back to storage.

When that was done, I explained what I wanted my Assistant to try to accomplish tomorrow while I was in the downtown company's office where I have been employed since the spring tying up the loose end's left for them. That was the email discussion I had with the second in command last week. I'll be happy to be done there I think. There was an email from their big kahuna explaining the amount of Christmas bonus each permanent employee would recieve for their presence in the workforce. I have no quarrel with that except for the fact that the perfumed worker who started a week before me and became permanent staff a couple of weeks ago will receive nearly half what I earned in the total time I was working there for about half the amount of work I did just because of her permanent status. That notwithstanding the fact ......... well never mind it's all recorded in your microchip isn't it?

Next up I started calling the people who I want as core staff in the office asking them to come in to work tomorrow while my assistant called various courier and delivery companies trying to find that cube van or quarter ton truck that we need to pick up the first of our furniture tomorrow afternoon. If all else fails, we can use one of the big vehicle rental companies, but then we have to find the people willing to act as movers and I don't want to do that. It isn't about denying anyone work somuch as it is that I don't believe that under the Elections Act that that type of work is covered liability wise. It would be nice to think that cverage would be automatic but one man who worked for Elections Canada last elections was left to fend for himself in the courts when a lawsuit was pressed for personal injury during the course of the event. When we can't even get authorization for simple things like cleaning an unsafe workplace it isn't likely that I work approval to authorize the extra lifting and carrying that would be necessary to wrestle the furniture up tp the second floor tomorrow.

The phone specialist returned to complete the work he had left to go for us. When he first called me to let me know he sounded quite annoyed. Apparently the Ottawa staff had called him and declared that I had complained because he wasn't scheduled to return to our office until after he had provided basic service to that other returning office first. I've already recorded the truth of that in your microchips dear diary, but the phone specialist will likely never read that. The local rep arrived not long after he did and wanted a tour of the site just so she could confirm that what we had reported about the state of the building was true. Don't know why I'd not tell the truth but I guess with headquarters being thousands of miles away it feels the need to have someone verify those facts for them. She saw the cleaners and the phone specialist labouring away so I guess that isn't a bad thing. he left and my assistant and I left about an hour later to grab a quick bite. The Toad and Turtle Pub and Grill. The food was great and the waitress was excellent. She used to work in one of our grocery stores and recognized the two of us from there.

I had to take a call from the techs while were were talking and that seemed to bother her, but right now social activity has to come second to getting that office running. He was calling to let me know that that hard drive still hadn't arrived in town and the new estimated time of arrival was sometime around midnight - did we want to meet him at the office then. Not really. He named a time in the morning that he wanted to arrive tomorrow but my assistant didn't feel that she could be there in time. He wasn't happy with the later start time and sort of stated that he'd talk with his supervisor before committing to the time set an hour later than he originally requested. What is irritating is that it isn't our fault that the hard drives were fried or that the replacement was delayed. Nor was it the techs I don't think. My assistant said she thought that the tech was being dishonest about why there was a delay and was annoyed about being asked to be flexible around the install time. Whether she is correct in her perception or not we have to be able to get into our database tomorrow so "playing nice" is critical even when we dn't feel it is justified. Besides that she had just presented me with her social and family schedule for the month of December and had stated that it was so full that we would have to "work around" her commitments. Nuh huh he contract stipluates a minimum amount of hours each week. I don't mind being flexible to meet her wants but then I expect to see the same amount of flexibility from her in terms of what time she puts in to office related tasks and also in terms of how she responds to similar requests from other staff. They all hae personal lives and ocial lives to reschedule too. All but me that is right now it feels as though I have neither. I think my assistan has more appointments on her personal dance card this month than I've had in the pst five years. Not that I mind but being told that I had to work around those and take up the slack was a little stressing I must admit. I probably just took the comment the wrong way - right?

The manager of the cleaning crew arrived just after we returned from supper. Could his people stay until 1 in the am to get most of the work done? Thought about it and decided since they were bonded that it would be acceptable to leave them on their own in the building. If I hav to be up at 5:30 in the am I can't be waiting at the office door at 1 in the am. Working with you in my jammies is one thing, but out in the cold and then having to get home without a safe form of transportation isn't my idea of an efficient use of my time. They agreed that they would lck up after themselves and return bright and shiny tomorrow to complete their tasks. The manager just called when I started writing to you to confirm that they had left for the night and that all was well.

When the telephone specialist completed his work altogether and the tech had delivered the replacement for my home printer/fax machine tonight, my assistant and I headed off for the day. I'm tired now so I think I'll try to get that furnace jump started again and then it's off to bed. Good night dear diary.


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