10:27 - 01.01.06
Odditites
It was definitely a week of "out of the ordinary". Some of it was mild like choosing to wear that blue silk chinese cut dress - mid-thigh length. Honestly I thought it was longer, but apparently not. The women in our office of Asian extraction were all very excited that I would make a choice to wear such a thing although one did ask where the rest of the outfit was. Apparently one is supposed to wear long black pants or a long black skirt with it to be in keeping with tradition. Since I wasn't choosing "traditional" to begin with I didn't see the need, although bending over might have been less of an issue. Of course I grew up in the age of the mini skirt, so short hems don't bother me. I just needed to recall the way of walking and sitting that allowed one to be decent is all.
Then there was the parental audit of my youngest's new CDs. He had 50 Cent's newest endeavour out so I took it with me and popped it in the CD player at the office - volume on low. That notwithstanding and the fact that I have been playing my CDs since they arrived from the other workplace, the computer kept shutting that particular CD down. Ditto for the music from the movie the Punisher. Gave up and popped in my CD of Smokey Robinson that I found in the bargain bin at my local drug store, followed by Etta James. There was no problem. I guess the censor in my PC is about the same age as me. The PC didn't seem to mind the arabic emanating from the Desert Roses and Rhythms CD either. Who knew microchips were such critics.
The funny thing was when I was working with most of my core staff in my office around the problems with the database a couple of evenings ago we found those microchips digging around in the "My Documents" folder too. Earlier in the day I had written my usual recruiting letter that goes out to the school in our Electoral District. It asks principals to encourage their parent volunteers to apply for work on polling day. We assign and pay those volunteers to work in their own school as a reward for their community spirit. It also provides an additional form of security since those parents tend to guard their schools fiercely. Any bad behaviour doesn't last long when those ladies and gentlemen are around. My staff and I went on to work with other documents as we were talking but then I need to print out that school letter. Lo and behold if a message didn't come up stating that the document was already opened and being used by the uber techno police at headquarters. Did I want to open it anyway in "read only"? Caught that little bit on a screenshot for future reference and printed out the uber geek version of the letter complete with their coding. Pretty paranoid when even our working documents are being audited while we are already working in our computer. Wonder if they'd come and do my spring cleaning too. There was one evening last fall when my personal computer crashed. I needed to write to you dear diary so I logged in on the other PC I have for work to communicate with you. At one point I was commenting on a decision I didn't like emanating from headquarters. All of a sudden a line was being drawn through that text as I was keying it in. Uh huh. Someone has way too much time and power on their hands - don't they MJpK. Or is it really M Rodwanski running your show.
Spent most of yesterday afternoon working with my Tech specialist going over all the data we've been gathering and analyzing for the past couple of weeks with respect to the database issues. Headquarters had requested a telemeeting about it and we wanted to be certain we had everything in place and in some sort of logical arrangement. Too many bits and pieces of weirdness to do that. I finally had to close my door so that we could actually complete sentences since the rest of the staff seemed to think that open door meant time for socializing with the boss. It was quiet out in the office but we needed to get our work done. Some of the staff seemed to think that things other than work were going on even though other key staff were being called in to bring their data to explain and include from time to time as necessary. The staff were also thrown by my choice of headgear I think. I had another weather migraine so I was wearing my Canadian flag visor to reduce the pain. Apparently that is a fashion faux pas. Oh well at least it is in keeping with a federal office - right?
My assistant found it difficult to understand why I was being lenient with two of the key datacrunchers with respect totheir amount of hours on site. Those two both have full time work and additional responsibilities that they are working around to be available to me. Quite honestly both of them because of their knowledge and experience can do in hlaf an hour what it would take anyone else on staff including her several days to work out. Even then the accuracy of their work would be questionable while I know that what I am being provided by the two part time workers is exact and correct. That's why the leniency. She felt I should be disciplining them because of the shorter hours they were working for me. Certainly I could say something but are they going to give up full time well paying jobs to help me out for another month at half the wage. Don't think so. I feel I and Canadian taxpayers are getting a great bargain. The work they are doing is almost pro bono.
We are now officially half way through this electoral period so I bought a big carrot cake with cream cheese icing to put in the staffroom. Sweeten every one up maybe without adding much more to some rapidly expanding waistlines. I'm still losing wieght - although more slowly than before - have to keep hauling up on the pantyhose these days. Since appearances require that my legs be suitably covered I can't go without although it's tempting given our weather has been chinook like for the past month. Hopefully it will stay that way until the end of this event. My youngest stayed home yesterday to let the plumber in. One of my Dad's friends nephew. After last years' disaster with the one company I swore I'd never call another plumber again, but a couple of weeks ago a leak began coming from one source in the basement. Number two son had a look at it to see if he could fix it but no luck. He said it would need a professional so I asked my Dad for a reference. Again with the expertise it only took him about half an hour to tie off and do whatever to allow our water to flow without losing half of it to Mr Basement. Wading through the puddles in winter was not fun.
Got home last night just in time to say good by to my youngest. He was heading out to celebrate both his best friend's 18th birthday and to see in his first New Year as a fully fledged adult. Their choice of playground? The pool hall/bowling alley a couple of communities away. His friend's older brother went along as shot gun for their adventure. Me? I emailed a few friends, talked with my Dad, and did laundry before crawling into bed before midnight. I have to work today don't you know. Talk with you later dear diary.
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