Holiday Drift

The day before Thanksgiving holiday and the office is open for business but little is getting done. In fact in all the offices I have ever worked, little gets done before any significant holiday. Yesterday the boss brought in lunch, potato and leek soup with mounds of cookies, a bunt cake and pastry. There are still goodies—still nothing compared to what Christmas will bring but still there a festive mood slipping over the place. In fact the boss was just in my office letting me know that she planned to shut the office down around two this after noon. She also not
r a doctor’s appointment in a few minutes and I know that is just going to spill all kinds of fuel on office anarchy until her return. Half of the staff is out leaving just four of here to cover phone and stand ready for emergencies. We four can get awful rowdy given the opportunity and lack of supervision.

It’ been a rough two days this week. There has been a mass of tension in the office as one of the office mates has been under the management’s crucible. Even though the focus of management attention is not on me per se—I still feel the tension. I feel I am being watched, especially if I associate with the officemate who is the center of the storm. Little changes but I feel the tension. Sad but I feel the office mate is on her way out. I see some power play issues going on and some lines recently have been “drawn in the sand”. Youthful pride and a weird brand of elitism. It’s a silly and risky game to play—the stakes can be high. However, the officemate is young, this will be a terrific learning experience for her. She has the resilience of youth on her side and oddly enough the huge bureaucracy of the State. For her age she has been with State for a long time, has built up the State protections, leave and skills to survive in this system. She will do well regardless of the local out come. I guess her selfishness of doing her dangerous places a lot of tension with her mates at the office who cannot afford to be or appear to be so cavalier.

We are a call center, small but a call center, all the same. We live by our calls. However, the day before a holidays the calls have dropped to zip…nothing going on except family members calling to find out when we are being turned loose, get decision for holiday preparations and to have you pick up last minute items before coming home. There is no need to have two operators on today. This is typical. I think the folk we serve realize the “great system” grinds to a halt during this time of year and unless they are desperate: eviction, utility shut off, death or burn out, the folk just hunker down during the cold and hope for the best. Coming out only to pick up food boxes, Toys for Tot deliveries and other essentials of the season.

Holiday Miracle number two. Yesterday I lost my cell phone on the way home from the train—I figured it was gone. Loosing the phone would not have been the end of the world. It’s a very old Nokia, Nokia does not even service the phone any longer and it’s “the old system”. Everytime I go and try to get a new head set or something the inform me of this. So, I maws, sort of hoping ths lost phone would be the force o drive me to get anew one. I noticed the phone was gone this morning and I figured I lost it last night.

Dianne just called and a little Gangsta found it and called her a few minutes ago. Wow! Dianne gave him $5.00 and everyone was happy and I am connected once again.