Grazing Rites

I was headed home on the bus the other day when one guy turned to another and said, “do you know why libraries are square?”

“Noooo…” came the reply.

“Because some politician decided triangles were pornographic” said the first guy.

Rather than reply the second fellow, who incidentally was sitting next to me, just shook his head and got up to sit somewhere else on the bus. The first guy took his seat. I was concerned that he may push his crazy theory on me but he kept his peace. That is, until I wanted to leave at my stop. Then he stood up and gripped the handrails on either side of the way to the exit.

Just as I was completing my mental calculation of how hard I would have to hit one of his arms to regain my freedom he finally let me pass with just enough time to exit before the doors closed. Looking back I saw him sit right back down in the same seat. And before you ask no, he didn’t need to stand up to let me pass. He just got up to block my way for awhile.

Can’t we harvest these people’s organs or something? If we could sacrifice this nut job to cure Michael J. Fox I’d consider that a win.

Before you break out the pitchforks know that I am joking. Well, mostly.

I don’t know why people on TA kept slagging on this place, I thought it was pretty good. The check in process was easy and friendly, although the fellow did cut me off when answering one of his questions but I didn’t mind. The room was nice, not super spacious but not cramped either - it did the job just fine. The sink outside the bathroom always seems a little weird to me even if I do understand the usefulness of the arrangement. The shower had good water pressure.

The one semi-serious issue we had was no hot water on the last night and morning but we never mentioned it to anyone as it wasn’t a big deal so we never really gave them a chance to correct it. Checkout was a little slow because there was a new guy at the desk but that’s pretty forgivable. The pool was nice, the pictures make it seem a bit bigger than it is but when you’re half a block away from Wet N Wild it doesn’t really matter.

It was about a half hour walk from the Universal attractions and has an I-trolley stop right out front. Red Lobster and 7-11 next door and IHOP, Denny’s, and mini golf across the street the location is great. The free shuttle that takes you to Sea World is useful although I’m not sure that it would be the ideal way to go anywhere else. The TV included BBC America which was nice, the ice machine ran out once but by-and-large we had a pretty good time staying there.

There’s no reason not to stay here. If they had issues in the past they were either not systemic or have since been corrected. I would stay here again if I wanted to go back to the same attractions.

So I’m riding the bus home from work today when a scuzzy looking guy grabs my left foot.

“Sorry” he says when I pull my foot away violently in shock and glare at him askance.

Sorry? Did he somehow accidentally grab my foot? Did he perhaps think it was some kind of handrail on the ground? Did he mistake my Florshiems for some object one would want to grab? Did it look like a quarter or a dollar? They did come with a wallet but that wallet was at home. Was he going to hold my shoe ransom were he able to acquire it?

Does he not have sufficient motor control to stop his hand from reaching down and grabbing someone’s foot? Granted I know very little of neurological diseases but I tend to think of our brains very much like computers: when something is wrong it’s far more likely not to work at all rather than act strangely in complicated and complex ways. It’s takes a great degree of motor control to grab someone’s shoe when they don’t want you to, I daresay it could even be a challenge.

He didn’t seem to exhibit any other strange behaviour though.

I did here about that fellow stateside who tapped his foot in a bathroom somehow soliciting gay sex but I had been seated for a few stops before this fellow got on the bus. I assure you I did not at any time tap my foot despite the music I was listening to. I’m just not much of a foot tapper and perhaps that’s for the best.

Actually I retract my earlier statement about no other strange behaviour. As I write this liquid started to come out his nose and he felt his hand, the one that had previously grabbed my foot, was the best place to put it.

Ever see the movie Outbreak?

Ever feel like you’re sitting next to the monkey?

For the record this fellow has gray salt-n-pepper hair and a beard. Caucasian wearing a black hat and a black Wilson hoodie with blue jeans and dirty white and black sneakers. He had a large black backpack and got off at Main @ 33rd. Good hunting pathologists. Maybe Dustin Hoffman could play me in the movie.

My foot feels warm. Probably psychosomatic.

It’s great when a piece of technology purchased years ago has new life breathed into it.

My DVD/CD combo burner for example. That came with a computer  I bought over a year ago and flashing  the ROM update increased it’s speed on certain media making burning DVDs much faster. Easier too because a quirk of my machine was having to log out and back in between discs.

Then my trusty PDA. When I first got it I was so excited I started using it right away. And being a man I did that without reading the manual. I later discovered a ROM update had been issued but would result in data loss on the device so I didn’t bother doing it. Then I tried getting World Enough And Time working on Burton’s cell. I didn’t spend much time on it and had virtually no experience on his phone so my debit machine voodoo wasn’t happening but it got me to thinking about trying on my PDA.

It didn’t work but I also tried an episode of Chef! which did work but didn’t fit the screen right. I remembered the ROM update was meant to update Windows Media Player. Maybe that would do the trick. Mindi and the kid were headed out for much of the evening so I would have time to focus on the update. I dug out the instructions and went to work. It may not sound like much to do but I would also need to re-load my programs and configure the device to work the way I want.

Wow. They said it was just to update Media Player but it did much more than that. It changed the way WiFi works for example.

As well just wiping the device did a lot to speed it up and make room. This is my first PDA after all. I had no idea what I was doing when I first got it. Frankly it was something of a minor miracle that I got such an awesome machine to begin with, although I did have help. But when I would load features and programs at first I didn’t know I could load them onto the SD card rather than the device itself.

Aborted attempts to use Outlook for example left some untidy files laying around taking up space. 4 years of uneducated use adds up. So starting from scratch, with improved programs, I was able to make better decisions.

So not only does it run better and have more space I was able to get programs like Bejeweled and Sudoku working.

So what about the videos, the entire impetus behind this? The ones I could run before ran smoother but no progress on those that didn’t work before. But with Orlando so soon I couldn’t really investigate third part video players as much as I would have liked. I’m still stoked about the new features of my old toy though, even the screen looks better!

So unlike the Vegas trip when one of us has the DS the other won’t have to make due with second-class entertainment.

I feel like I have a new PDA. Of course that got me thinking about getting an actual new PDA but that’s a subject for another day.

At first glance attractions and food in Orlando appeared to cost more than our flight and accommodations. This would not do. Granted our flight and accommodations were one hell of a deal so the bar is incredibly low but with my partner on EI we can’t go crazy. Well, not bugetarily crazy at any rate.

So the initial number crunch came in well over $600 for food and attractions. And when I say food I only include dinner; breakfast, lunch, and snacks are extra. Suffice to say local transportation and souvenirs are not included.

Now I had every intention of hunting down better prices anyways but fair and recovery thereof had made that task fall by the wayside.

So first off it was time to re-evaluate our activities. Upon further reflection it was time to take EPCOT off the list. For one thing it was the most expensive thing weighing in at well over $70 before tax. Secondly large portions of the attraction are going to be closed for renovations when we’re there.

I initially added it to the list for 3 reasons: Craig recommended it, Trip Advisor Forum Local Experts recommended it, and it was the largest attraction and thus ideal for a weekend day destination. All of those are fine reasons however the driving force really should be Mindi and I being excited about seeing or doing something there and that just wasn’t the case.

So that’s $75+ right off the top.

Prior to the initial estimate we had already ruled out Kennedy due to no launches and Medieval Times due to no Jon. It just wouldn’t be the same.

So that leaves Wet ‘N Wild, Universal Studios, Islands Of Adventure, and SeaWorld for attractions. 4 major attractions in what will essentially be 5 and a half days. Some might say we’re not taking sufficient advantage of our time there but I prefer to think of it as having more time for the things we’ll really enjoy. To say nothing of not running ourselves ragged on vacation and budgetary prudence.

So I wanted to save money and being selective was only going to get us half way. But I had also heard horror stories about ticket brokers: timeshare scams, tickets arriving much later than advertised, tickets not showing up at all, companies mysteriously losing track of orders but still making off with the money, and that Travel Universal scam that nearly caught my mom last year.

Florida being a top destination in all age groups seems to make it the subject of numerous scams. Think about it; young kids on their first vacation, families from overseas, the elderly scouting retirement properties and not being very techno-savvy…likely victims all. So I made the decision to deal exclusively with the actual properties themselves and not any kind of third party.

As a result I may have not gotten the absolute cheapest price for everything but the peace of mind is worth it and that by no means rules out the possibility of discounts.

For Universal Studios and Islands Of Adventure I saved quite a bit by getting the 2-park one week pass. This was actually cheaper than a single day ticket for each park.

Wet ‘N Wild had a promotion where you get the whole post season for the same price as a day pass. That didn’t save us money but with us staying only 500 meters from the property will probably come in handy.

SeaWorld was a little trickier. It’s initial price was only slightly less than EPCOT and their website seemed to have no discounts of any kind. Normally you can save a least a couple bucks by buying online or well in advance but these guys had nothing. After removing EPCOT it was now the most expensive attraction, this would not do. I couldn’t even find a promo code but I did eventually track something down.

If you go in through the US but out-of-state resident section you could save $11 with a special promotion, you just have to know where to find it. So not only did I get a discount where it seemed impossible but it also came with a second day free option and a coupon for fudge, which Mindi likes.

Score one more for the good guys.

At the beginning of this exercise we were looking at about $380 per person just for attractions, now it’s more like $230.

So all that managed to bring the price down by about $150 as well as make all of our passes valid for longer.

As Peter Griffin said, “it’s win freaking win“.

So my former boss resigned recently and much like since this process began I couldn’t wrap my head around it. How would any of us respond to being demoted due to ‘restructuring’? If you did something wrong or something catastrophic occurred maybe I can understand but all that happened to her was her boss quit.

She’s not the first manager of mine to leave though. However the circumstances of Neil’s departure, becoming a doctor, were cause for celebration. This just stinks.

It’s not like I worry about her future or anything, she’d kick ass wherever she chooses to go, if anywhere. I mean that literally as well as figuratively, she’d succeed and take people down, physically. Only when appropriate of course.

No, what hurts is the heartbreaking disrespect. She faithfully served our organization for 24 years. That’s 24 years of hard work and incredible sacrifice. If she ever wrote her memoirs it’d be quite the page-turner. My 11 years and related sacrifices don’t begin to compare. You think my life revolves around fair? You should meet her children, the stories of their births cannot be told without mentioning the fair.

She got it. The history, the meaning. Why we’re there and what drives us to do what no sane or rational person would do.

And now she’s gone.

She touched my life. I wouldn’t have the job that I do now if not for her.

Neil may have been my first manager but Patti and I really connected, even after I left the department. She was always supportive but honest and realistic. She seemed to care more about my future than her own. And never in a condescending or patronizing way. We spoke as equals despite a keen awareness of our respective strengths and weaknesses. Although she always got the last word of course. There was a professional respect, loyalty, and friendship.

We are all, each of us, diminished by her departure and the truly sad part is how some people don’t know it, and how unnecessary it is.

The ironic thing is her life will likely be much easier now.

To make the kind of sacrifices you need to at our organization for nearly a quarter of a century only to have them turn their back on you, it’s mind boggling.

Now I’m the first to stand up and say seniority isn’t everything, but it isn’t nothing either. And she did well and succeeded. You can’t discount her contributions, although her humility often drove her to do so.

I can’t imagine what it must be like to walk away from all that. When I faced  a problem that left my future in doubt at the 7 year mark I felt my brain splitting at the prospect. I’m more mature now so it’s not as emotionally upsetting a concept at 11 years but it’s still too much to wrap your head around.

I remember when Neil would call every fair, even 3 years after he left. I asked him what it was like. The answer was always the same “Wrong. It’s weird, the free time is nice, but mostly it just feels wrong“.

Poor Neil. Poor Patti.

They both had a job I’ve wanted for 11 years and yet I feel sympathy for them. Talk about wrong.

She mentioned how this might be an opportunity for me. I don’t know. I know it’s emotion not logic or rational ambition talking when I say I don’t want to advance like this. There is a logical component to it though: if they sold her out what’s to prevent them from doing the same to me?

It would have actually been easier if I had become her boss because at least she would still be there. I rarely let ‘directives’ stand in the way of what’s right. Not that such an arrangement would have been right either.

I could go on forever about the injustice of it all.

When things began down this road I told Patti to be selfish. The work-to-money ratio wasn’t a bad deal. Enjoy the free time. The latter half of that suggestion still stands. No one wanted it to end like this but the rest is well deserved. I hope she enjoys the free time and lower stress levels.

It won’t be easy though. Patti and I are two of a kind I think; we need to be useful. If we’re not pushing ourselves, our limits and boundaries, we don’t feel like we’re doing our part. The fair switch may not have an off position. It all boils down to helping people and one way or another she’ll find a way to do that. She can’t not. It’s in our nature.

I had 2 days off this fair. On the first I went to work as a guest. For the second I trucked out to the closest thing we have to direct competition, Splashdown Park.

I was struck by how much less they have compared to Cultus. I mean yes of course no Valley Of Fear but I forgot they didn’t have the lazy floaty thing. Not Big Jim’s River Run but that level circuit that goes on forever and takes you under a hut at one point.

Speaking of Big Jim’s River Run it seems some kids thought it was Red Rover, standing in the way of people seeing if they would get knocked down. This concerned us for both safety and fairness reasons, particularly after Mindi collided with them. When we confronted them they ran. Later Mindi’s nose started bleeding, I had some difficulty believing these events unrelated.

But revenge was on the menu and I ordered a serving.

Later that day we found them doing the same thing. Mindi had already passed the area and her sister was nearby. I planted my feet and said “you’re not supposed to hold on to the sides or stand at the bottom of the hill”

“So?” they retorted.

“So it’s dangerous and against the rules” I said.

“Whatever” they say, remaining in place.

“Perhaps I haven’t made myself clear,” I continued, “you’re going down the next hill, now, or else I’m throwing you”

“What’s your problem?” they asked, terrified but with a sliver of bravado remaining.

“You were doing this about an hour ago when my girlfriend ran into you. She got a bloody nose and I’m hoping you’ll give me an excuse to return the favor. So go ahead, say no to me and see what happens.” I said.

The sliver of bravado melted and they broke ranks like mice.

“I wasn’t involved with that” said the girl.

“I know, and you weren’t holding the sides just now either so you’re free to go” I said. She bolted.

The others tried to make the same claim.

“I saw you. Besides you’re holding on to the sides right now and still standing at the bottom of the hill” I said.

They let go.

“So are you going to move along or do I get to throw you?” I asked “Oh, and my aim isn’t very good, you may not land in the pool.”

“Okay! Okay!” they said.

“And if I catch you at this again you won’t be given this opportunity again” I said.

They went down the slide muttering insults under their breath.

“I’m glad we could have this little chat” I said.

Didn’t see them the rest of the day.

It was recently revealed to me that Mark told people he didn’t like me while I was working for him. Fascinating. I don’t feel so bad about the negative thoughts and feelings I had towards him anymore.

Apparently he thought I didn’t work long enough. When I was putting in 75-85 hours a week, the second highest in the department and well above the hours he was putting in, he thought I wasn’t pulling my weight.

Good thing I find out about it now, had I known at the time I would have punched him in the face.

No seriously, you tell someone after they put in 85 hours a week for 3 weeks that they weren’t doing enough. Even the holiest saint would punch you in the face and rightly so. God would side with them on this one. He Himself in all His glory wouldn’t be able to stand by without leaning down and asking “are you f*cking kidding Me? Even I rested on the seventh day”

Jesus.

I was able to fit in my Ride Day on the first Monday of fair as per usual. Mindi, Burton, and Sam were all able to join me. Of course it was raining pretty heavily for the better part of the day but that didn’t stop us. We rode the roller coaster in the rain for example. I hadn’t done that since grade 10, I had forgotten that at those speeds raindrops become little bullets but I still had fun.

Burton wussed out on a bunch of rides which was a shame but thankfully Mindi had no such reservations.

The Friday before fair my job requires that I make a presentation to the ride carnies that is impossible not to come off as a lecture. Last year this resulted in heckles and taunts as I went on the Rainbow knock-off. This year I think the operator of the Twin Flip tried to kill me; I blacked out at one point, it was great.

We did other fair stuff too like The Simpsons couch and Marketplace. We also caught the Superdogs which Mindi seemed to get a huge kick out of. Personally I think they need a Supercats show. Call it AcroCats or something.

Sam was quite the shutterbug but being Sam he was very covert about the whole thing. He has a penchant for taking my picture while I’m talking, not very flattering.

Wow, nothing makes you simultaneously love and hate people like pay day.

There’s the people who can’t follow instructions be it things told to them by their direct supervisor or a half dozen large signs with bold print and graphics or a rope directly across their path. They create delays for everyone else or a mess. Or both. And frustration.

There’s angry guy who abuses my staff, then comes back to abuse me, won’t follow instructions, then picks a fight with several people in line. When someone takes the offer he runs away.

Then there’s the person who shows up on the wrong day and wants everything absolutely perfect no matter how many people she inconveniences.

Then there’s the manager who supports that behaviour.

Then there’s the 2 people who no show on their shifts.

Then there’s the Code B (think about it) who doesn’t bring the correct documentation and responds by threatening to sue us and making unreasonable demands while insulting us.

This, at the darkest, lowest, most stressful moment is where hope is born. After wasting what felt like an eternity, although in actuality only 45 minutes, on lawsuit woman with well over a hundred people waiting in line, and about 30 seconds away from calling Security to remove her someone steps forward.

“This man has done nothing but be polite to you and accommodate your unreasonable demands. He’s done more for you than you deserve and put up with far more of your abuse than I would have. All the while you’ve been holding up a lineup of well over a hundred people. Think about that. Think about what you’re doing. If this man walked away from you and returned to the job you’re keeping him  from he would still be more professional than you could ever hope to be.”

That took most of the wind out of her sails. It didn’t stop her, she started shouting threats and insults at myself and the lineup. But she left and I resumed work.

Within seconds of her leaving the entire lineup laughed at her and commiserated with me on the most challenging issue I’ve faced all year. From that moment on it seemed as though everyone had both patience and a sense of humour.

Edgar dropped by at the end of the day to say hi and take some pictures.

I hate people and think people are great.

And thus ends fair #11. Had a late start which let me sleep in. Although not that late as the kid had other plans but we got to hang out which was nice. He was a little fussy though so it wasn’t all smiles and giggles. Actually had breakfast.

Concerned about my midnight or later end time I wore a jacket instead of my vest but it was actually really hot out despite being overcast. I hoped I’d need it for the trip home or else I’d feel really stupid. I hate starting the work day sweaty.

It turned out that my boss never got the novelty item. Not wanting to disappoint I dropped seven bones on bunny ears, then after I had already set up part of our area in the rain I was told the parade was canceled. If I had a radio I would have known much sooner. A shame, that.

Being the last day of fair I wanted to get my family a little something to say thanks for being so cool about my crazy hours. I haven’t had the best luck with jewelry so I got a wood carving for my son’s room. They screwed up on a detail but I think it still works.

It took me 100 minutes to get home. That’s 1 hour, 40 minutes. The bus I was supposed to take never came. Had it I would have gotten home in 45 minutes. The next bus broke down causing me to miss the last train and subsequently walk an additional 11 blocks.

It wasn’t completely without purpose, I helped a man in his late 40s find his way home to Surrey and helped a lost Rides kid get home in the absence of a knowledgeable bus driver. So I served a noble purpose but it was still damned inconvenient.

Ended up needing the jacket though.

Started the day with a headache but this is fair so it’s no stop to me. A free roast beef sandwich and the company of Calvin was enough to set me back to rights again.

Got caught in another rain parade but not as heavy as before and I was wearing my trusty vest so I weathered it well enough.

Had dinner with a newer member of my former department.

Burton called and expressed an interest in working for me again which would be cool.

I was disappointed to hear New Voyages won’t be releasing any more episodes in DVD format. It seems people had been burning them and selling them at convention.

Dicks.

So I sent James Cawley a message of support as he seems to be encountering lots of problems of late.

So tomorrow is the last day of fair. My boss has plans to visit a novelty shop on the way to work to purchase something funny for me to wear at the parade.

Could be interesting.

Could be trouble.

My son had us up for quite a bit last night. Normally my girlfriend’s so quick to catch it I often don’t even know he woke up but last night I woke before she did. I wonder if the baby monitor might not be working right. I wonder how much longer we’ll even need it for. The kid’s got a good set of pipes.

One of my staff had to leave as soon as I got in today. She said it was the flu but I suspect jet lag. She’s a trooper though. The result however was me minding the store for about 4 hours. No breakfast (not even a vitamin C) and no lunch until 3pm. And the only thing that didn’t have an enormous line was funnel cakes. So that’s what I had for the first time ever. 11 years and my consume-mass-quantities philosophy has still left me with new discoveries.

I spent much of the rest of the day revising our manual for the forthcoming new hires. Boy do we need them, I’m dancing on the head of a pin here.

Went for dinner with Sam and we reunited a lost boy with his father. Sam also offered some praise for the lost child radio procedures, completely unaware that I had written them. That was really great to hear. People had said nice things about that protocol in the past but never someone who didn’t know they were speaking to the author. And Sam is not easily impressed. So high praise indeed.

Slept in by over an hour, not a good way to start the day. So instead of the usual hour I give myself I got ready in 7 minutes which is good for saving time but bad for me because it makes me feel icky. I go to open the door to leave and it starts to rain. So I left the house 16 minutes late.

I’m not really sure why I overslept. I do remember having bad dreams, like one in which someone I know did something bad to my son and I was the only person who wanted to hold them accountable.

But despite this crappy start to the day I wasn’t in a bad mood. Maybe it was the happy smiling baby I got to see before I left. Maybe it was the less than 30 degree temperature. Maybe it’s the light at the end of the tunnel.

I do love September. It’s not because of my birthday because September was often somewhat depressing when I was in school. My appreciation of September began in 2002, it was my first September after getting my degree. Fair was over so I had a decent amount of cash. Putting in long hours not only makes you lots of money, it also keeps you from spending so when it’s all over you’re left with lots of free time and lots of money.

The perfect combination for a vacation.

You’re also in a perfect mindset to appreciate both the time and money as you recently had no free time nor the time to spend money.

And the perfect time to vacation is at hand. If you go south the weather’s great, prices are low, lines and crowds are non-existent, but everything is still open.

Hopefully I can trust y’all with this knowledge. I don’t want you spoiling it.

Oh, but the vast majority of people who don’t take advantage of this can’t due to school or other commitments. Students, teachers, and parents of school age children can’t travel at this time.

September 2002 was also when I went on one of the greatest road trips of all time. Jon and I went to Anaheim with stops in Portland, San Francisco, and Redding.

Yes, Redding, they had a cool nightclub called Impulse.

We met Jay Leno and saw the Goo Goo Dolls, James Woods, and John McCain. We went to the Golden Gate bridge, The Tonight Show, 6 Flags, Universal Studios, NBC, and Disneyland. Not to mention a couple Hard Rock Cafés.

Was it the greatest vacation ever? I don’t know. Our road trip to Edmonton was pretty great, Europe was amazing, and Las Vegas a hell of a lot of fun. It’s in the top 4 though.

I’d give almost anything to do it again.

Do you hear me, Jon?

But there have been other special September vacations as well like when I went to Toronto in 2003 after completing my first management contract. This was the first time I ever went somewhere by myself. Yes I stayed with Pam when I was there but I did everything else myself, bought my ticket, went to the airport, all the planning. It was an important step in my development.

While there we went to Paramount Canada’s Wonderland and Niagara Falls and I went on the Maid Of The Mist for the first time.

September’s my special time to sneak in fun while everyone else is knee deep in commitments. It’s appropriate given the reverse being true for most of the summer.

But I always think back to that Anaheim trip. It felt like we had discovered a magical time that no one else knew about. A 13th month where the rules of school, work, day to day life, crowds, and economics didn’t apply.

So despite sleeping in by over an hour I was only 15 minutes late and I don’t even think anyone noticed.

Warren came by today to see his girlfriend perform with the Elvii. It was cool, I got him in, showed him my cubicle, and he bought me dinner. I showed him some pics of my son and he shared some tracks from the album he’s been working on. He came up with an idea for my birthday, a post-Orlando dinner at a place famous for ribs, Memphis something. Ironic considering I have a stopover in Memphis on the trip. It didn’t occur to me until later though.

All-in-all a good day despite an inauspicious beginning.

Another one of my staff’s last day. A budgeting decision of mine got changed on me but I’m not without contingency plans. I just hate being over budget even if it is just a little in one area. Had Rib-B-Q for breakfast. My facial injury felt funny, I guess it’s healing.

I guess the most interesting thing was going for dinner with the former-employee-turned-applicant. I’ve known this person for a long time and the road hasn’t always been smooth. But there seems to be greater maturity there now. Similar goals and dislikes. Once they applied it became hard not to picture them as part of the team.

An actual former employee, I’m rather excited at the prospect to be honest. It’d just be so much easier. No establishing a relationship, we already know what we’re all about. Seriously, it takes forever to convince someone new that I’m not crazy and that they can be upfront and honest with me. No concerns over hidden agendas or gross incompetence. Trust and respect has already been earned on both sides.

I of course have to be fair and balanced when evaluating the candidates, I can put these thoughts from my mind easily enough when the time comes. But it’s comforting to know that at least one applicant won’t be a total assclown.

Given my exhaustion, facial injury, and sunburn I stayed in my cubicle most of the day. For some reason I felt like crying all day. Maybe it was irritation from the chlorine at Splashdown, maybe it was the issues brought up by the Mark post I’ve been working on, maybe I’m just tired.

A couple folks from my former department came to invite me to lunch. The moment they made the offer all of the computers in their department site-wide went down. It was a radio hailstorm. I offered to look after a location but they managed on their own and an hour later we went for lunch.

Ran into my former manager on my way to dinner but she was so busy we hardly spoke.

Found out one of my former staff applied for the opening in my department. That’s a minor relief given the current job market.

I tried to fix a broken computer in my former department but for the first time this fair I couldn’t resolve the issue. So much for my debit machine voodoo.

But it turns out IT couldn’t fix it either and declared it permanently dead.

Of course as I was leaving I helped a guest my former department was having some difficulty with. Afterwords he suggested I work in their department instead. “I did, for 9 years” I said. He was surprised.

“Are you sure leaving was the right choice?” he asked “you have a talent for it.”

Funny. Everyone seems to have an opinion on the subject.

Apparently some questions have been raised regarding my relationship with and opinion of Mark. I think the air really needs to be cleared on this.

Wow, where do I begin?

I feel like Picard trying to talk to Troi at the end of ‘Chain Of Command’.

Our relationship was a VERY strange one. He saw me as his son, his protege. A younger version of himself. He told me so.

He was at different times an opportunity, a destroyer of things I held dear, an egotistical monster, a colleague, a teacher, and one time my savior.

Suffice to say it’s incredibly complex.

When he first came I saw him as an opportunity to effect positive change. The radiation burst that speeds up evolution. But it quickly became apparent that he did not share our goals or values. Neil was willing to manipulate the system and stand up for us to make sure we had what we needed to do our jobs and look out for our guests’ best interests. Mark wanted to save money, that was the beginning and end of his goals.

His budget cuts put the staff in physical danger, including myself.

He arbitrarily cut my wage as well as two others because he found a loophole that let him. I never forgave him for that. For many things. As much as it made me angry it had a life-altering effect on another. For the worse you can be sure.

One day he was given a new responsibility, one I had been entrusted with a few times before so I tried to build a bridge by giving him some advice, he interrupted me claiming “I have to have confidence in myself or else I’m not an effective leader”

“So that prevents you from receiving advice from people who’ve done it before and may have specific knowledge you don’t?” I asked.

He just stared at me. I shook my head and left mentally chastising myself for being fool enough to extend an olive branch, clearly I should have just waited for him to fall on his face.

He would perpetually order me to ask managers in other departments questions I knew the answers to inside and out, sometimes regarding procedures I invented! I was faced with a choice: lie about asking or embarrass myself and annoy professional colleagues. I created a third option by prefacing it with “even though we both know I know this Mark has ordered me to ask you…”

Those interactions ended with commiseration and sympathy from the manager in question.

He kept me on my toes, I’ll give him that. A bit like a dog that’s been beaten repeatedly.

That beaten dog metaphor really works in this situation.

Here’s a classic example of unforgivable Mark. He had ordered a Runner, some 15 year old kid working his first job, to take tickets to a gate. Along the way this poor kid got hit in the eye by some misfiring pyro. The kid managed to stumble to first aid to have his eye flushed. When we discovered what had happened Mark was livid. He was intent on firing this kid for disobeying him.

Yes, ideally the kid should have informed us of what was going on but frankly for his age and experience he should have been commended for seeking medical attention and not panicking. This wasn’t about a minor procedural breach, Mark kept saying it was about disobeying HIM. This was ego run amok.

The management team was discussing the kid’s fate as we awaited his release from first aid. I was disappointed to see no one standing up for him.

When he returned to the office I had to physically get in Mark’s way “I can’t let you do this” I said to him.

“Fine, if you’ve got a point to make then make your case and I’ll consider it” he said.

“You can’t fire this kid for forgetting to inform us of an injury until after it was treated. It’s a minor breach of procedure at best, and even then it’s an unwritten procedure. I wrote the book on his position. Literally. I wrote the manual and conducted the training, this possibility wasn’t covered. If you want to issue him a verbal warning I’ll do it for you but if you try anything above that I’ll go to the union myself” I said.

“But this kid’s caused you trouble before” he said.

“That may be but that doesn’t make THIS right” I said.

“Wouldn’t we be better without him though?” he asked.

“That’s something we can talk about during his appraisal at the end of the season. This kid’s doing the best he can at his first job and by-and-large he’s done pretty well. Firing him is an overreaction and it will do irreversible harm to both him and the department’s morale if you do this. This isn’t about him, it’s about your need for control. Life isn’t like that and this kid deserves a fair chance.” I argued.

“Are you willing to be responsible for his actions for the rest of the season?” he asked.

“We shared that responsibility the moment we hired him. You want to lay that solely on my feet? Fine, if the alternative is you firing him. It’s wrong and it’s not going to happen.” I said, staring him in the eye.

“Alright, he’s your responsibility” he relented.

When the time came to issue the verbal warning I sat in on it. The kid was absolutely terrified, like one wrong word would have destroyed his fragile nascent ego or at the very least make him cry.

“Do you want union representation?” Mark asked, as he was required to.

“Not if Ray’s here” he said “I know Ray’s an honourable man, he won’t let anything bad or unfair happen to me, I trust him.”

At the time I wanted to strangle Mark for making it come to this but as I look back over the whole encounter I consider it a defining moment of my existence. That situation should tell you everything you’ll ever need to know about me. That kid looking at me, completely willing to trust me with what was probably the most stressful situation of his life up to that point.

I realize I’ve painted quite the picture of a monster here thus far but that’s only half the story.

He wasn’t without a conscience but his sense of right and wrong seemed to trail behind his snap decisions. As a result he spent a lot of time feeling bad and trying to heal rifts that he had created. He’d hurt people and then feel bad when it was too late to do anything concrete to make it better.

And one of the harder things to accept was that more often than not, he was right. Don’t get me wrong when he was wrong he was wrong big but more than half the time he had good ideas. It’s easy to hate someone who’s a monster but someone who’s a monster less than half the time with after-the-fact guilt? What do you do then? You get over it and do your best to limit the damage and protect the team.

I was, and still am, fully committed to the organization I serve. I worked with what I was given. I didn’t let it stop me from doing my job, even when he made it harder.

I had it out with him a few times too. I sat him down and told him exactly what I thought he was doing wrong and to his credit he kept an open mind about my comments.

There was also this one time I found myself in a bit of trouble and he saved me. He took some heat and vouched for me when he barely knew me. My career may have been over right then if he hadn’t intervened.

Afterwords he took me aside and said “everyday you come here and give 150%. I don’t mean that like people always say give 110% and all that, you really do the work of one and a half people if not more. I don’t want to see you come back from this trying to give 200%. You’ll kill yourself, son. You made a mistake, it’s something you learn from, it’s not something you work off and it doesn’t take away from the good you’ve done.

These people need you, I need you, and we need your confidence in yourself. I know this punishment is taking away something that means a lot to you but I also know that no punishment we give you could compare to how you’ll punish yourself. So go home, beat yourself up over it for a day, then move on because we’ll need the you these guys all know”

What do you do with that?

Owing so much to someone capable of such heartlessness?

I’ll tell you what you do, you do your job.

And you watch your back.

One day he insisted I leave my laptop in the office. Sure enough it was stolen and his first response was to tell me to my face in front of witnesses to commit insurance fraud by staging a break in at a friend’s place who has insurance! When I told him in no uncertain terms that I had no intention of committing one crime to right the wrong of another he told me he’d help me out in official channels.

For the next several months he gave me the run-around like you wouldn’t believe. I eventually had to send him a snail mail letter threatening legal action just to get him to return my phone calls. In the end he essentially told me to screw myself.

Like I said, this stuff’s complex.

I learned a lot from him regarding budgeting and such. I am now incapable of looking at a budget without seeking out undiscovered inefficiencies or areas to save money.

It’s a switch in my head he somehow flicked on and now I can’t shut it off. It’s created some minor challenges in my new department as they weren’t concerned with budgetary issues, I used to be like that. I think I can’t justify taking more than I need when I know my old department is strapped beyond reason. If I can save several thousand dollars it’s money others may need more than I. I actually had to convince my boss that saving was important.

This new department had never been on budget before, in my first year I brought it substantially under budget for the first time in the history of the organization. Mark gave me the mindset that made that possible. I used my own skills and talents to do it but had it not been for Mark I wouldn’t have made it a priority.

Before Mark I came up with out-of-the-box oddball solutions that served the team and the guests that worked. After Mark I do all that and save money at the same time.

So do I hate him? Do I owe him? Do I miss him? Am I glad he’s gone? The answer is yes, to all of those.

Did I look up to him or see him as the father figure he made himself out to be? No on both counts.

The whole situation was complicated but I can say this: I made it work. My various conflicting feelings and obligations never kept me from doing my job. I protected the team, helped the guests, served the organization, and made improvements along the way.

What can you take away from this story? I can work with almost anyone and maintain my professionalism, especially when the wellbeing of the family is at stake.

Did I leave my old department because of Mark? No, had that been the case I would have left years earlier. That said when the time came to leave, the changes he’d made that I disagreed with and the worth of which never became apparent, the things that changed the nature of the department made leaving a little easier.

An uneventful day at fair is still a mystery to me, I don’t know what to make of it. Conducted an uneventful meeting, went for an uneventful lunch, did some uneventful office work, lost track of time but still made it to an uneventful parade on time, more uneventful computer work, an uneventful dinner, more uneventful office work, and another uneventful parade.

I keep expecting something to blow up.

I found out we still have no applicants for the posting in my area.

The most interesting thing about today is tomorrow, we’re going to Splashdown. I’m pretty excited.

Perhaps the most uneventful day of the fair for me thus far, largely by my own doing. I didn’t visit my former colleagues as frequently and I ate by myself. Spent most of the day on computer tasks. Then at the parade it was pointed out to me that fair was half over. Wow, that snuck up on me.

One of my former staff had expressed strong interest in coming to work for me the previous night. “I’m in” were his exact words. Well today he told me my former department made him an offer he couldn’t refuse. Including an interesting piece of news…

They may be bringing back the casino location. Not the actual booth of course, that’s long since disintegrated and likely biodegraded. I wonder if they’ll continue to use my design for the new booth if they build it. The retirement of that location was a factor when I switched departments. Not the deciding factor but it figured in. Rumours of my possible return just became a bit more appealing.

Got a pretty good sleep last night, having the place to myself for the second night in a row. Not sure when exactly my family would be arriving I busied myself with short tasks. When they arrived Sheila was able to meet my son and the family as she had hoped which was nice. Got to show mom where I work which was cool. She hadn’t come to the fair in several years so I think she was impressed with some of the newer attractions.

God, I remember when she and my brother came to visit me when I was Info Boarding. It simultaneously feels like a lifetime ago and just yesterday.

I made my son an ID and name tag that both listed his position as ‘Drool Supervisor’. Everyone got a good chuckle out of that.

We made our way to the parade but since it was drizzling they were in rain configuration which results in a shorter parade and the Seuss car being unavailable. My son obviously didn’t understand what was going on but he was very good throughout the whole thing. Near the end he seemed to catch on and start waving his hand up and down and wiggling his butt a bit. Overall he was quite a hit, our little prince of the parade.

People kept saying “look at the cute baby in the parade!” as we drove by. My son seemed to find the whole thing fascinating.

Afterwords we got some Hunky Bills and ate in the staff lounge, formerly the boardroom. After our late lunch we visited the headquarters of my former department and my son was once again the center of attention and a lot of affection. They talked about giving him my old call sign. It was cute.

After getting some fudge it was time for my tired family to call it a day. I on the other hand was only half way through my day. The rest of my day was largely uneventful thankfully.