January 2, 2008

Date: January 2, 2008

      I came in this morning - deciding not to attempt the 8AM meeting since - I don't have a working badge.
      My old contract thru a 3rd party ended December 31st and so did the badge that bears their name. I am now a California Corporation. I am now an approved SanDisk Vendor. This is my first day as such (vendor - not corporation).
      So I wandered in to the lobbied building next door (mine has no lobby) and said - call _____ because she was filing paperwork for me to get a new badge. Two weeks BEFORE Christmas this was all put into place.
      I was nervous because I had only just received the PO. Last minute. Like the Friday before.
      The lobby was crammed with visitors, delivery people needing something signed, and employees and contractors who had forgotten their badges. Mondays are like this. The day after a 3-day weekend - or a 4-day weekend - are worse.
      After nearly an hour, I recognized someone from my building and decided to sign in as a visitor and let them walk me in. A visitor gets a paper badge. Won't open the secure doors. They were getting a temp badge. Yup. Forgot theirs.
      OK - I made it to my office. No _____ - she had a meeting until noon.
      Security mumbled BizFlow. (BixFlow is cursed frequently and often. I don't use it myself but, judging from all the comments, I hope I never have to!)
      I logged into my office PC - and then ---- oooops! After all our attempts NOT to have this happen - I can't do email or get on Sprocket (internal internet).
      I can't do much of anything (except log in to the screensaver).
      IT (pronounced eye - tea) (mumbled BizFlow. (I of course as a contractor have no access to BizFlow and couldn't approve myself if I had.)
      I was roaming the hallway (looking for someone) and found a bunch of contractors (try 60% of the workforce here) and no one could log on or do anything. "Locked out too?" they cheerfully asked.
      I got my manager's cell phone - called him - then I called the Help desk and bitched nicely. In a series of rapid phone calls, we got my manager (who had found me in my office) to approve via email (after a cell phone call) my having a 5-day emergency extension so I could actually do useful work.
      Success.
      I can now login.
      It is now ----10:30.
      I grabbed and fixed a document that was pending.
      I re-scanned and submitted my timecard from BEFORE Christmas. (Missing in action.)
      I called the bank for a transfer (payroll sets up today - MY company - I pay myself - don't ask.)
      ______ came back from her meeting - frazzled.
      It is now nearly 12:15.
      We found the errant step in BizFlow - the last step had required the new PO - which wasn't sent out until THURSDAY before New Years. OR, at the last minute.
      My manager didn't know there was ONE MORE STEP - so we told him. He, meanwhile, discovered his password had expired and he then had to do that little resetting toe-dance to even REACH BizFlow. After about 10 minutes, he clicked the button (that's what it took - click a button).
      Back I go with ______ and she called security.
      I hiked over to yet another building (the main one) and went to security. "Need my new badge."
      This took another phone call and then someone came and got the old badge.
      They stuck my new company name on the badge and reset it for expiration on March 30, 2008. We checked. The badge, looking ratty, works.
      So I stopped by IT on the way out and made sure I was now legal and not on a 5-day pass.
      Accomplished.
      I am now set for 3 months. When we can repeat all this hysteria.
      Happy New Year.
     
      Oh yes - the equity loan misses the full Margin by almost $28,000 so I will be rolling something out or doing something. That's the price of a new car. Of course, I want a Prius.
      I fund the 8th. (This is the equity loan on the house in Fremont - paying off the hosue in San Diego.)
      I am in debt to my eyeballs. Maybe that should be my New Year resolution. Get 1 million dollars in debt!
      Nah!
      I want to retire while I can still enjoy it.

What do they say? I owe, I owe, so off to work I go.