2007-08-03 - 4:36 p.m.

...the nice thing about admin is that it is predictable...or not...

holy cripes it's another long weekend. I love it. What I particularly love is how tiny little holidays just creep up on you in foreign countries. Most of the times I come in to work only to discover that the whole place is closed down to celebrate the mayor's dog's birthday or something. Doesn't matter, it still feels like a snow day in August, which I just love.

I also love waking up on said holidays, and just KNOWING from the silence on the street that everybody is staying in bed, relaxing in the backyard, or otherwise just staying off the roads. sigh, it's a great sound, as I roll over and sneak another fifteen minutes snooze time. ah, long weekends.

This long weekend is caused by BC day, which is kind of an interesting concept. Celebrating a province. When I was in the US we never really celebrated "Illinois Day" and in Germany we never celebrated "Lower Saxony Tag" and in Sweden there was a distinct absence of "Skaane Dag." This is a new one on me - an all new reason for people to hang out in their back yards, or go to a beach and light up a grill. I'm all for it.

Of course, at Mountain U, it means that administrative activities ceased on Wednesday evening and will not resume until next Wednesday evening. I know, because I went by to pick up forms to get some paid thing related to maternity leave. My HR rep wouldn't see me. The secretary went back and checked with her, came back from behind the partition and told me that she was too busy to see me, and that I should email her. So I went back to my office and emailed her. And immediately received a "vacation" notice from her.

I swear this woman doesn't actually exist - she has NEVER replied to a single email I've written her, never returned a phone call. I think she's just a diabolical plot - like North Dakota. Nobody's actually been there or seen it - the government just pays some guy to drive around the country in a pickup truck that says "North Dakota" on the license plate to keep up the myth of North Dakota. I think it's used as some kind of slush fund. And I think that this woman is also just a ploy - a fake employee so that Mountain U can have some kind of slush fund. And there are so many NICE people in that office - why do they have to give me the FAKE woman?? I'll bet she's always on holiday because she really lives in North Dakota, and spends all her time driving to and from work.

Anyway, apologies to any North Dakota fans out there. That was a tad bit cruel of me - truth be told, I'd like to visit North Dakota some day. (And I'd also like my HR rep to contact me someday, but I have less affection for her than I have for North Dakota at this point). So I will wait until Monday - oh yes, that's right: TUESDAY - when I will slip over there and try to see her again.