This news is in positive contrast to the last few days of work. I had spent my time alternately pleading and threatening to find enough N95 masks to do fit testing as the tech will be looking me in the eyes on Tuesday at 9 a.m. The final straw was on Wednesday, yes you read that correctly, almost a week before the appointed time when I sprang into action to make sure I had sufficient supply. The delivery van only comes from our district facility on Mondays and Thursdays and of course with the holiday, this wouldn’t work for the Tuesday testing. I phoned on Thursday morning as soon as they arrived to order the masks to be delivered that day and was asked for my account number. I have two account numbers, one for each of the jobs I do and of course have to look them up, the driver in his quest to assist me tried to find my position on the master list. When I finally located the number he tells me that it’s the ‘old one’ and gives me the new one from the system we’ve gone to May 1st and then shares that the listing for my position is under Employee Health – great, no one would ever think to look for it there. Then the roadblocks start “we can’t release any N95 masks to you as that requires authorization from your manager” NGH – not gonna happen. So, I put on an academy awards winning performance and the driver says “well how many do you need?” so I tell him I could use two boxes but will settle for one and am told that he’ll see what he can do. Not feeling too optimistic about my chances, I stop and retrieve two boxes (which I’d like to point out I previously loaned to them) from another department. At the end of the day I realize that whatever the driver could do wasn’t enough as he’s headed back to the district facility and hasn’t left me any masks. As I stop to leave a list of those requiring fit testing, I accosted by the ringleader of the department who notes that she witnessed me taking the masks from their department this morning which their manager has instructed them to have two boxes of each on hand. I state that the supply clerk was going to replace them and she counters with “don’t they take them up to you, why would they leave them here?” I explain that I only took back the masks I’d originally loaned them when they had an initial meltdown when the H1N1 situation started and they can get them replaced. Good luck with that I think to myself. She clarifies the situation with “so, the masks ARE here in the building” This causes me to step forward aggressively, make direct eye contact and state firmly “the masks ARE in my office and that is where they are going to stay until they’re used for fit testing on Tuesday” before turning and exiting with an intent look on my face.
I did have a bit of a reprieve at work though on Friday as I’d brought in my vacation photos on the laptop to share with a colleague who had spent 10 years in the Caribbean working with the St Vincent de Paul Society. We watched the slideshow for an afternoon break and spent a few moments in St Kitts and she was tickled pink to see the changes since she’d left.
I am including a phot
o here on the left of the strawberry blossoms which are early this year with our mild spring and you can note the lupines are already leafed out. As well the flowering crab on the right which we planted in our yard is settled in well. I have waited about 20 years to be able to say that a quince was blooming in my yard. The original one which was growing in front of the veranda at our old house was unceremoniously chopped up and yanked out with a pickup truck and taken to the dump one day while I was out as it was felt by the resident carpenter to be in the way of the new veranda. I was not impressed and tried to find another one, start cuttings without success etc. over the
years. When we visited a garden center last year and I spied this lovely specimen it tweaked my memory and I began to relate the saga of the uprooting to the owner of Bob and the Boys Farm Market. When I was wound up to speed and describing the removal I noticed out of the corner of my eye the life partner sigh as if admitting defeat and pick up the shrub and place it with the other plants we were buying. He even dug the hole and helped me plant it when we got home. A bit of closure for us both.My gardening this weekend has been limited to clearing out one flower bed in front of the house, getting the herb containers ready and checking on the shrubs. I’ve gotten the seeds that daughter # 2 gave me started in my grow op containers. I really should get my act together because with all the precipitation and warm temperatures the black flies are already moving in. I almost agree with the neighbour who says that she doesn’t go out if it’s bad enough to wear one of those insect net hats.
And if you’re looking for that pot at the end of the rainbow which we must be having as there’s been enough rain, here’s a thought…unclaimed bank balances. I have checked out mine and of course there’s no extra money in a defunct account the Bank of Canada has been holding for me but you can give this a try:
www. bank-banque-canada.ca
look under services, unclaimed balances and you use the search form. What did I expect? I always check the pockets of the laundry but ah, one can dream eh?
