It’s kind of like the other event we had. We spend forever
going back and forth with emails to straighten stuff out, then have a meetings
to undo all the progress we made in the emails.
Anyway, as we inch up to the week of the Fourth, I already
feel like I’m spending a lot of the work day doing things other than regular
work and this week I feel like I just gave up any hope whatsoever.
It’s just a nutso time. On Monday, I got hauled into some
other meeting that had something to do with this weekend: could I skip half the
day on Friday and work, possibly until Monday, doing something else? I have no
idea I was in this meeting, but I essentially got voltentold to do a temporary
duty thing, which I’m on now.
Monday evening, I also had to stay late – and then return –
to get some communication out. It had been sitting in my drafts folder for a
week waiting on the right people to tell me it was done. And, after that took
forever, of course it came through at 4:45 and no one knew HOW it was to be
sent.
I did what I was told and sent it, then was told I did it
wrong and had to do it again, so I did it again and went home – at 6:30. THEN,
as soon as I got home, I got a call that said it was wrong again, go back and
do it again. (For the record, I’d done exactly as instructed.)
So I went back and did it again. I then looked at what I had
done, and noted that it, indeed, had been done correctly. The person who said
it had been missing something had not looked through the entire thing to see
it.
And that person called me AGAIN to tell me to send it a
fourth time, but after I explained where the info was, it was OK. At least
until the next morning, when more crap went wrong. Essentially, I delivered it
to the office, and it was up to the office to give it to the right person but I
had no control over that.
More information than is relevant, but that was my Monday
and Tuesday – dealing with a communication that took forever and finding out I
was going to have to work the weekend doing something hot, humid and boring.
Tuesday evening, I wound up having to cover the other office
late, too. This broke a record for me. I do not normally get opportunities for
overtime, but in this one two-week span, I did the outdoor movie, proctored a
test on Saturday, worked in the other office and claimed an hour (even though I
stayed late two) on the communication thing. Each of those are different money
sources, so I had four OT slips to sign this week. That didn’t even take into
consideration that the TDY I am on is for an entirely different thing.
So basically, this week was toast as far as regular work
goes. As soon as I would into a groove, something happened. I think Thursday
was the worst, though.
We have a monthly meeting at the end of that day, and there
was a Fourth planning meeting, too. But to start the day, I had to go get a
piece of mail addressed to my boss.
Last year, one of the units in my department received an
envelope containing some white powder. In the end, everything was OK, but panic
ensued and they had to do lockdown, scrub downs and everything. I wasn’t there,
but it was a pretty scary thing.
As an aside, I am also on the WMD team, meaning if another
incident occurs, I’m going to be the one scrubbing down my colleagues. I have a
bright orange suit to wear if that happens. It’s held together with duct tape.
(OK, not really held together, but duct tape plays a useful part.)
Thursday, I was working in the other office and the security
guy came in. I heard him talking about a situation and it involved another
white powder thing.
Next thing I knew, I heard the announcement that we were on
lockdown. Because we have a lot of safety drills, another person walked into
the office and asked if it was real. I said yes.
And the whole time I was wondering if I was going to get the
call to go and suit up, and what I would do if that occurred. I mean, I wasn’t
in my real office; I was covering because someone else was at lunch. And I
started messaging people in the office where the “incident” was, asking what
was going on.
Next thing I knew, we got an all clear, so that was nice.
But it was really bizarre. As it turned out, they were able to identify the substance
as being harmless, so we didn’t have to do anything. (It had happened to the
same small group of people who had the real scare last year, so they were
understandably a bit gun-shy and did the right thing by reporting it. Had I not
been where I was and knew it was a real call, I would have assumed it was a
drill.
So back to work, right? Yay! First time in a week. I got a
double order of cards I’d been waiting for and was distributing them when I
heard the PA announcer click.
Remember that from elementary and high school? You’re in
class, going about your business, and the PA clicks. You freeze, because
whatever comes out could change your day. It’s important, right?
And “it” was an announcement of a “disturbance” outside.
SERIOUSLY? TODAY? As I’m on a different floor and not even at my desk?
It clicked off and those of us on that floor just looked at
each other. Then it clicked again. “This is a drill.” WHEW.
But on the drills, you still have to play along. There’s a
real reason, of course, but holy cow, a drill on the same day you have a real
alarm?
Usually the drills are nice and short, although they involve
sirens and other loud things. This time, though, it kept going. We did the
“duck and cover” and someone said the head security guy, among others, were
going floor to floor to find out if we were really ducking and covering, so I
crawled under someone’s desk.
Then we had the “evacuate” siren and the announcement that
floor wardens needed to take charge of their floors. Well, my floor is seriously
screwed up – we have one big group that takes up two floors that just changed
seating; I don’t even know who’s on my floor anymore – and although I have no
idea who my floor warden is, I’ve been told it’s me.
And I was on the wrong floor. So what do you do? Well, I
just evacuated with everyone else, although at first I went out the wrong door
where I found myself locked in with several others. (Fortunately, it was a
“disturbance” and not a “fire” or anything like that, where I could have been a
“casualty.”)
But we found the right door and filed out, then stood in the
100-degree heat until it was determined we’d passed the drill. (Note to self:
black is a bad color to wear on drill days.)
I have no idea what time we started with the drill, but we
got back in at 4:15.
And you’d think that might have canceled the 4 p.m. meeting
but no. We went ahead and had it anyway.
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