our company is doing work near May Pen

I realise I have no idea what kind of work your company does, and whether or not I want them near May Pen. Which is not anywhere I've been to, but somewhere I've been through many times, on the way to the other side of the island.

we mine limestone.

...I think my sister hates you.

We have a very bad track record with mining, but that was mostly bauxite. Devastated the ecology. Not sure how the limestone is going, probably because we have a lot less, and rank way lower in the worldwide supply (we were #2 for bauxite for a decent while, and when you're second to Australia, a little island like us gets pretty fucked up--it was also the only sizeable legal money that wasn't tourism).

Back still fucked. Five minutes to walk it out.

well I'd hope we are not horrible to the ecology, but I honestly know almost nothing about our record. I do know the size and scope is pretty small.

Well, I didn't like it because harm came to cats. I liked it because it was affecting and heartfelt.

I should have phrased that better. Sorry.

Sorry, Cass. I shoulda' put a warning in that post.

No worries. I should have gotten come closer to that conclusion myself and then backed out of reading it instead of finishing it. I kept thinking it would get happier and it didn't. User error.

I'm in a bad place for anything that even hints at pet loss. I should have just stopped reading.

Someone's comment that it was affecting or something was enough to warn me off, for the timebeing anyway.

Hec has never been a cat hater so much as a "Mr. Pickles is sad because he doesn't like the color of the outfit I made him, therefore Christmas is cancelled" hater.

Timelies all!

Heading out after work tomorrow to go to GaFilk. Once the laundry is done, I will pack. whee.

I know it's not different from anyone else, but I would pay cash MONEY to know what people see when they see me.

I just spoke to a couple people for the first time, and I am itching with curiosity.

I feel like I'm 12, that I carry myself with no particular air of authority or competency, just like--I know some stuff, that's all. Not overly friendly, but I will chat, and I smile more often than not.

And I look at my yardie, and she's every inch the polished executive in expensive clothes, and she's nice and funny and smiles a lot and is friendly...but it just feels different.

I think of her, because she's uncannily close to my template--comparing myself to my sister, for instance, is redundant, because we have terrifying similarities that are not good for either of us, or the world at large. But K, K is a normal Jamaican kid who left at 12, and came up somewhere else, and ended up in LA as an adult.

I went over to speak to a co-worker earlier today. He's in IT, but not my department. He'll be doing some testing on my system, and I'm behind in delivering him information he needs, so it behooves me to keep our relations in good health. I go over and stand at his desk, and he greets me with "Yes, ma'am?"

Yeah, still mortifying. And clearly I can't resolve that with feeling 12, but he says I look sharp (business formal--deep purple shirt, grey striped tie, wide legged black slacks), and so he was responding to that.

I stopped by someone else's desk to beg for an extra gig of email storage space (being nice is simpler than being organised), and a guy I'd never met was standing there. They introduce me, and he goes "Ahhhh!" with an air of great revelation, so I changed the subject to something not me. Later, he reveals that he thinks I'm one of the directors, and speaking of things I can't resolve (I still feel like I'm playing dress up with the ties, but it's fun dress up)...I am cautioned by the email administrator to be nice to him, so I can eventually get 5GB of space, and I'm indignant. I'm always nice. Distant, I tell him, but nice. Right?

Apparently aloof doesn't cut it, but I bolted on "I gotta keep an air of aloof mystery" and I still have no idea what the new guy means by "I'm gonna look you up and..." because I changed the subject again--but how can anything now not be a disappointment?

Yes, that all makes no sense, but it's a weird clash of internal/external dissonance, that's exacerbated by every other person having a different casual impression of me. None of them align, and I don't know which one I like, and which one is best for my job.

As long as I keep getting forgiven for stuff I guess--and that people don't laugh when I get mistaken for a director.

I need to go home. Today has been extremely painful, and it has to end.

Where in Jamaica does your friend live, Laura?

Whitehouse in Westmoreland. I don't know much about the area except that he says it is very pretty and on the water. His dad passed last year and he now spends a lot of time there because he owns a convenience store and gas station. The siblings take turns going to Jamaica to take care of the business because they all live in the states.

It is tough to give an objective first impression as a board member that had a fixed impression prior to meeting you F2F. The short version might be, even more awesome in person!

Vonnie has posted an unofficial guide to flu season on LJ. She'll probably save a few lives sick days for people.