Tuesday, June 25, 2002. Entry #170

This whole office thing is taking some serious getting used to.

Beyond all the little weird things I've been talking about for the last couple days, there's something more, something I can't quite put my finger on.

Part of it is there's a real privacy curtain between myself and everyone else. My door is wide open, but it feels like there is some invisible divider that people are loath to cross. Lara just came by and actually reached in to knock tentatively on my door before speaking to me.

It goes both ways. I feel like I'm looking at the rest of the office through a frame, like on a TV or stage. I feel like they cannot see me or know I'm looking at them. Every time someone comes to talk to me, it's like an actor breaking the Fourth Wall, coming off the stage to shake up the audience.

I'm going to have to prove myself again though, I suspect. Now that I'm not in the main group, I'm sure there will be concerns I am taking advantage of the situation to do some serious slacking.

Truth is, other than this post (which was mostly written on my lunch break), I've been more productive today than usual. I like not feeling that everyone can just stare over my shoulder, and I like not being distracted by everyone else's noise and music.

The only thing I don't like is how bland the office is. Frank said I could go ahead and make it my home, but I don't want to get too comfortable here. I'm tempted to bring the 10-foot tall Sarah Michelle Gellar/Daphne banner Lisa got at her store's Scooby-Doo promotion, but it might be a little out of place here.

So I may end up simply putting up with my blue walls. Hey, at least I've got walls.

For now, anyway.

The G-8 summit is going on right now in Kananaskis Country, which puts the whole mess in Calgary's lap. All the delegates fly in and out of our airport, and all the security and protestors are using Calgary as their base camp.

So far, there's been little trouble. There's something about this city that seems to breed peaceful demonstrations. A few years back, there was a security scare over the World Petroleum Conference being held here, and all the police were out in force to stop any trouble, but it became a big non-issue.

The only trouble I've heard about this week was that some protesters were angry that city officials were not going to let them have a big picnic in Glenmore Park. "What are the police going to do?" one protester was quoted as saying, "Arrest us? At a picnic?"

That's Calgary for you. The leaders of the eight biggest economic powers in one place, and the biggest hassle is over getting a park permit.

Hopefully the police, RCMP and Army won't have to use all the preparations they've got ready. I don't know about you, but I'll be happy if there's no need to use the big anti-missile guns they have ready and waiting.

One Year Ago Today: Attempted Return - Where I finally admitted I was on hiatus, and blathered about summer movies. Oh, and in 253 A.D., St Lucius I began his reign as Catholic Pope.

Mom Rating: 2 out of 5. Mom's probably getting tired of hearing crap about my office.

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Take me home, big fella