Back to Slack. A misunderstanding was all.

Previously on One Year Viewed From Space:

"Wait. No raise?"

"Too many absences. Sign here.

"Aren't you going to sign?"


"Sure I'm gonna sign."

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Right after my one minute, annual employee review with Joe, I went back out on the factory floor and up to my friend Christopher. Mouthed words until he took his ear plugs out and leaned forward with his usual 'say what John?'

I went "@#$!" or something and when he got my drift he started on about the company's history of unfair labor practices, nepotism, cheerful corruption, strange sexual practices, etc.

All this over the roar of the GMA 2500 Inserter, which of course suddenly fell silent just as he was yelling someone's name. (Evelyn. Yikes.)
___
Sunday I stayed home and wrote the post below, still fuming a bit.

Monday I was full of talking points, to take to the Boxx. I talked to a supervisor who is in Recovery, and thought better of it. I'd sleep some more.

Tuesday, then, I went in and asked the boxx, "what can I do to improve my performance?"

"Wait a minute, Lucretia whoever she is, the new dock manager, blonde girl, was just in here complaining about Gandih and the Leo News people leaving a mountain of newspapers back there is that right?"

"Yeah, I talked to him yesterday, did they do it again?"

"She goes in there and thinks we're not on top of this but I think what's happening is they're letting people in here...looking for that letter you wrote...before hours and our hours are...as you say...Well, they're not supposed to drop papers off until you're here, and that's , eh..."

"One o'clock. And the doors locked."

"That's what I thought, I'm writing an email then, they've got to know our Returns hours, tell all their carriers, and the problem isn't with us it's with them letting people in that door."

"I'll tell Ghandi again but he'll argue as usual. We'll get 'em from both directions."

"No. No, I'm the boss, I'm going to lay down the law, that's the good thing about being the boss..." he said while positioning his fingers, and grinned.

I said "YEAH" "I like that."

The inner Halderman was welling up.

"Anyway..."

"Yeah I looked over that review, John. Signed off on it."

"Ah."

"Oh but you were supposed to get a raise. Joe forgot about that, I fixed it. It'll be on next paycheck. Now what were you going to ask about again?"

I like these chairs you can spin back and forth. Shove off from here six feet to pick up someone's phone.

I like the windows, nice big plate glass so you can witness the gestures proceeding fisticuffs outside where the carriers gather. And inside too, where we put the paper together.

I like that they've removed most of the big wall clocks, ---find that almost lets loose the springs, time she flys. If you do catch a glimpse of the clock you regret it nine times out of ten.

"A raise, huh? I appreciate that, thanks! In time for Christmas. That's something to call home about."

I got up to go. He smiled while he typed, a sort of "I pull your strings" smile, but benevolent.

"See you around."

"Ok, John." (Is how all our conversations end.)