Y2/D296 - In Office
Jan. 6th, 2022 06:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkatWhen I arrived at the lobby to my office today, there was a line stretching out of the lobby and down the hall. I threaded through and asked what was going on? Everyone had a visitor pass.
Security: "Testing"
Me: I just want to go to work. [ETA: We have to swipe in at a Time Clock no less and no more than six minutes before or after our allotted time. I had gotten off the train at 7:55, my allotted time is 8:00, and I have until 8:05 to sign in.]
Security waved me ahead.
I waited for the elevator with two lines of men on either side of me.
When it arrived one line filed in. So, I jumped ahead of the other one for elevator two. When it arrived, I got in and so did twenty other people. Everyone had masks on. And it was a quick ride - 3rd Floor. I was the only woman in the elevator. I got off, and the lobby in front of our doors was crowded with people. I used my pass to get in and a few minutes behind me, a woman appeared and led the group of people to the conference rooms.
Unsettled by this turn of events, I went to my manager, Breaking Bad, to see what was going on.
Breaking Bad: So the lobby is crowded with people, and the elevators for testing?
Me: Yup. And they came to this floor.
Breaking Bad: Wait a minuted. They are doing COVID testing on THIS floor???
Me: Thank you. I thought I was being silly. So, I'm not upset for no good reason?
Breaking Bad: No, you aren't. This is insane. We're supposed to only have a certain number of people up here. And not sharing elevators with untested folks who may be exposed to COVID.
He takes off to check it out. Then infuriated sends an email to the management in charge of the floor to inform them that we may have been compromised.
Turns out that neither of us asked the right question.
Breaking Bad: FYI, apparently it's a signalmen test or a test to become a signalman. So you can't get tested unless you want to become a signalman. Foolish me, when I asked if they were testing, I should have asked "what" they were testing for!
ME: Well, we both should have done that. I didn't ask either. (Didn't think to.) Although why they are testing about 100 or so folks on our floor to be signalmen in the middle of a pandemic, and requesting we come in and work on the floor at the same time, is beyond me. I mean it's not like we don't have a huge support facility they can do that at - away from everyone.
**
Lots of people out sick at crazy org. The latest? Our lawyer, the one who has to approve practically EVERYTHING right now, is out sick.
Found this out during a project meeting regarding the status of a hot infrastructure project that I'm managing. We'd sent the lawyer documentation over a month ago. And the project team was asking about the status. The lawyer has to approve the documents before we send them out in a solicitation. But, the lawyer is apparently really sick and getting tested today. (We don't know if it is COVID yet. Workplace has free saliva based PCR tests provided at over 700 locations, but results take two - four days.)
The project manager is also sick and has no voice.
Mother: Don't they have anyone else the work can go to?
Me: That's what we were wondering. I mean you'd think someone would be covering for him.
Mother: No wonder there's a bottle neck.
Me: They screwed up. NY decided oh, we're going to open up EVERYTHING for the holidays. And bring everyone back to the office EN MASS, no more remote. And voila, here we are.
It's bad folks. I am not exaggerating. The cases are sky-rocketing everywhere. Niece and brother's family are containing themselves, because niece wants to go back to London - she has to take a PCR test prior to going, and when she arrives, and then twice weekly. Although it's easier to get over there - because the UK provides tests to everyone, unlike the idiotic US that doesn't and overcharges for them.
According to NY1, Staten Island to the surprise of absolutely no one is once again in dire straights (they have the most conservative idiots of the five boroughs). Brooklyn is not that much better. Queens (where I work) is also in dire straights.
And the five of us who got tested on Tuesday are still waiting for our results. It says "pending". Cubicle aisle mate can't smell (can taste though) and still has a slight cough. I can smell, I just am slightly hoarse and have a little cough, some post nasal drip, but that's it. It's mostly over.
Meanwhile, my parent's retirement community has various places locking down again. According to Mother, where my father is and the adjacent facilities have all gone under lockdown - since various members and employees have contract COVID. She won't be able to see him for at least another week or so. The pandemic has separated my parents more than anything else, it's also aggravated my father's Alzheimer's. When he went to the dentist - he had several cavities, due to impacted food. He's not brushing his teeth at all - prior to the Alzheimer's he was immaculate and brushed his teeth perfectly well.
***
I also made the mistake of watching the news this morning and reading the NY Times briefing on the train - so I was raging again. (Today's the anniversary of the January 6th Insurrection - a Day that shall live in infamy. It's also the day my mother broke her hip and my Dad entered the long-term facility. They've been separated ever since that day.)
I did get past my rage - music helped. I was wearing my Bose headphones and the song "This Little Light of Mine, I'm Going to Let it Shine" came up and in my head, I was dancing around the train and dancing my demons away.
So that cleared the gnarly mood away for the most part.
***
I did get stuff done today at least. Surprise. Surprise.
Halfway through my Dad's book "Beach Walk". It's actually pretty good, I'm enjoying it far more than I expected. And it has my Dad's voice. In one section his characters discuss perceptions of reality, and how reality is different depending on who is perceiving it.
Excerpt:
"In retrospect the problems then seem a lot simpler than today's. But then, everybody says that. I wonder if it's true. It's all perception and, of course, perception is reality."
"So, reality isn't reality," Charlie said.
"What people think is real is real. It doesn't matter whether it is or not. A person's behavior is based on what he perceives is real."
"So action can be based on unreality."
Reading this passage today, after seeing my father and knowing his perception of reality is constantly shifting and kind of - off course, was an odd feeling. I found myself grieving him - that's Alzheimer's by the way, you grieve the loss of a person in stages, they are there but not there at the same time. I can no longer pick up the phone and just call him. And even if I did, I don't know what I would get on the other end.
The grief seems to have taken up residence in my body, along with the grief of so many other things since 2020 began. I barely notice it at times, it's almost as if its some sort of appendage that I've become used to like the masks I wear to and from work, and most of the day at work, or every time I leave my apartment, as does everyone else.
Photo of the Evening...
Security: "Testing"
Me: I just want to go to work. [ETA: We have to swipe in at a Time Clock no less and no more than six minutes before or after our allotted time. I had gotten off the train at 7:55, my allotted time is 8:00, and I have until 8:05 to sign in.]
Security waved me ahead.
I waited for the elevator with two lines of men on either side of me.
When it arrived one line filed in. So, I jumped ahead of the other one for elevator two. When it arrived, I got in and so did twenty other people. Everyone had masks on. And it was a quick ride - 3rd Floor. I was the only woman in the elevator. I got off, and the lobby in front of our doors was crowded with people. I used my pass to get in and a few minutes behind me, a woman appeared and led the group of people to the conference rooms.
Unsettled by this turn of events, I went to my manager, Breaking Bad, to see what was going on.
Breaking Bad: So the lobby is crowded with people, and the elevators for testing?
Me: Yup. And they came to this floor.
Breaking Bad: Wait a minuted. They are doing COVID testing on THIS floor???
Me: Thank you. I thought I was being silly. So, I'm not upset for no good reason?
Breaking Bad: No, you aren't. This is insane. We're supposed to only have a certain number of people up here. And not sharing elevators with untested folks who may be exposed to COVID.
He takes off to check it out. Then infuriated sends an email to the management in charge of the floor to inform them that we may have been compromised.
Turns out that neither of us asked the right question.
Breaking Bad: FYI, apparently it's a signalmen test or a test to become a signalman. So you can't get tested unless you want to become a signalman. Foolish me, when I asked if they were testing, I should have asked "what" they were testing for!
ME: Well, we both should have done that. I didn't ask either. (Didn't think to.) Although why they are testing about 100 or so folks on our floor to be signalmen in the middle of a pandemic, and requesting we come in and work on the floor at the same time, is beyond me. I mean it's not like we don't have a huge support facility they can do that at - away from everyone.
**
Lots of people out sick at crazy org. The latest? Our lawyer, the one who has to approve practically EVERYTHING right now, is out sick.
Found this out during a project meeting regarding the status of a hot infrastructure project that I'm managing. We'd sent the lawyer documentation over a month ago. And the project team was asking about the status. The lawyer has to approve the documents before we send them out in a solicitation. But, the lawyer is apparently really sick and getting tested today. (We don't know if it is COVID yet. Workplace has free saliva based PCR tests provided at over 700 locations, but results take two - four days.)
The project manager is also sick and has no voice.
Mother: Don't they have anyone else the work can go to?
Me: That's what we were wondering. I mean you'd think someone would be covering for him.
Mother: No wonder there's a bottle neck.
Me: They screwed up. NY decided oh, we're going to open up EVERYTHING for the holidays. And bring everyone back to the office EN MASS, no more remote. And voila, here we are.
It's bad folks. I am not exaggerating. The cases are sky-rocketing everywhere. Niece and brother's family are containing themselves, because niece wants to go back to London - she has to take a PCR test prior to going, and when she arrives, and then twice weekly. Although it's easier to get over there - because the UK provides tests to everyone, unlike the idiotic US that doesn't and overcharges for them.
According to NY1, Staten Island to the surprise of absolutely no one is once again in dire straights (they have the most conservative idiots of the five boroughs). Brooklyn is not that much better. Queens (where I work) is also in dire straights.
And the five of us who got tested on Tuesday are still waiting for our results. It says "pending". Cubicle aisle mate can't smell (can taste though) and still has a slight cough. I can smell, I just am slightly hoarse and have a little cough, some post nasal drip, but that's it. It's mostly over.
Meanwhile, my parent's retirement community has various places locking down again. According to Mother, where my father is and the adjacent facilities have all gone under lockdown - since various members and employees have contract COVID. She won't be able to see him for at least another week or so. The pandemic has separated my parents more than anything else, it's also aggravated my father's Alzheimer's. When he went to the dentist - he had several cavities, due to impacted food. He's not brushing his teeth at all - prior to the Alzheimer's he was immaculate and brushed his teeth perfectly well.
***
I also made the mistake of watching the news this morning and reading the NY Times briefing on the train - so I was raging again. (Today's the anniversary of the January 6th Insurrection - a Day that shall live in infamy. It's also the day my mother broke her hip and my Dad entered the long-term facility. They've been separated ever since that day.)
I did get past my rage - music helped. I was wearing my Bose headphones and the song "This Little Light of Mine, I'm Going to Let it Shine" came up and in my head, I was dancing around the train and dancing my demons away.
So that cleared the gnarly mood away for the most part.
***
I did get stuff done today at least. Surprise. Surprise.
Halfway through my Dad's book "Beach Walk". It's actually pretty good, I'm enjoying it far more than I expected. And it has my Dad's voice. In one section his characters discuss perceptions of reality, and how reality is different depending on who is perceiving it.
Excerpt:
"In retrospect the problems then seem a lot simpler than today's. But then, everybody says that. I wonder if it's true. It's all perception and, of course, perception is reality."
"So, reality isn't reality," Charlie said.
"What people think is real is real. It doesn't matter whether it is or not. A person's behavior is based on what he perceives is real."
"So action can be based on unreality."
Reading this passage today, after seeing my father and knowing his perception of reality is constantly shifting and kind of - off course, was an odd feeling. I found myself grieving him - that's Alzheimer's by the way, you grieve the loss of a person in stages, they are there but not there at the same time. I can no longer pick up the phone and just call him. And even if I did, I don't know what I would get on the other end.
The grief seems to have taken up residence in my body, along with the grief of so many other things since 2020 began. I barely notice it at times, it's almost as if its some sort of appendage that I've become used to like the masks I wear to and from work, and most of the day at work, or every time I leave my apartment, as does everyone else.
Photo of the Evening...
no subject
Date: 2022-01-09 03:29 am (UTC)