the office pages - pt. 1

[Glorious Amok]

it's August ...

and i'm sealed in a cold tower, like a side of beef hung in a cooler, freezing and wrapped up in wool, huddling over a cup of coffee which makes my brain race like the old speed used to, twittering like i'm being timed, like every second counts, speeding thru cancellation forms, tab 4 times, enter the date in DDMMYYYY format, tab 2wice, choose s for short rate or p for flat which in my head i call "plat" to remember how that works, tab again, now enter the date that the cancellation is desired to take effect, cancel the use of the word "desire" in that sentence, it has no place in the office pages, replace with "necessary" or some abbrevation like EFF. DAT. tab again, then SIO or PIO which is some longer anagram for repeating either short rate or flat, tab 2X, arrow R 4 times, enter the number 9, always the # 9, change from the PIBC screen to the DURM screen, type out the redundant explanation of what you've just done, such as "cancelled short rate" or "flat", and "signed release from the insured on file" then check 2nd page of paper documents to ensure there is, in fact, a signed release attached, if not, the PAUSE/BREAK button will scrap the whole deal, or if so, continue by tabbing to the next line, type BROKER: and fill in their name if you can find it anywhere on the paper and if it ain't there just leave a question mark, tab to the next line, type in your name, comma, today's date and ENTER will make the whole mess disappear into yesterday, suck up some red on the old inkpad and hit the docs once with the datestamp ... dab dab, SLAP ... initial it, and pass on that buck. no need to know why you did it, unnecessary to understand what you've done, if it's wrong, no need to accept responsibility for your actions, just forward the complaining email onto some supervisor somwhere with the precursor "could you take a look into this for me?" hit SEND and let it all go forever, attach no meaning or feeling anywhere, not even as an enclosure with the initials in captial ENCL @ the bottom, skip it all to sign back into hotmail, chat with a friend, or cruise the poetry boards for five minutes, searching for new entries of dementia, familiar pages bookmarked or typed automatically at Olympic speeds out of secretive practice, and this momentary mingling is your reward for being excellent at your job, for barely breathing between cancellations & still sounding serene & polite when answering the phone, dropping my voice half an octave & breathing the name of X company out all in one breath, inhaling while awaiting a brief response only please, & holding with control, waiting until my turn to speak ... "Good morning, Dominon of Canada ... one moment please ... you're welcome." dialing the requested extension with razorfast accuracy and letting it go, back to the skedaddle of punching insurance claims, car accidents, break-ins and apartment fires all into yesterday, without emotion, speedily, so that i may roam the boards for 2 more minutes later, with eyes sharpened from the half focus of cancellations, smiling at the company of my cyberfriends, nearly giving myself away for surfing rather than working, mousefinger hovering over "minimize" at the ready, triggered by the approaching sticky flip-flops of women worn in the offices in August, who shiver in sleeveless tops & miniskirts under the industrial air-conditioning, their eyes also eventually loosing focus and drifting toward the wall sized glass windows tinted to make the summer look grey, the only evidence of summer splendor witnessed in the frollicking behaviour of neon shorted tourists who shop and snap photos and drink iced cappucinos, throwing french fries at seagulls all along the waterfront ... while we're somehow willfully sealed into this 30 storey refridgerator.

[stilltrucking]

On a personal note: My favorite reading lamp broke yesterday, the one I found at thrift shop for seven bucks. The brass floor lamp with the swing arm and three way switch 100/150/200 W. For a normal person this would not be a problem. But for a nut case like me I know it will be months before I figure out what to do. For example I lost my fork a couple months ago, (I have one fork one spoon and one knife) for weeks I ate salads with a spoon until one day I got the bright idea to buy another fork for a quarter)

Meanwhile I got to read and no place to do it. In the middle of reading so many books that demand my attention. Starting to panic.

So with that in mind I was sitting here at six am eating my breakfast of champions, a plate of fried matzos and desperate for something to read. I had started to read your story yesterday but I stopped myself. Better save this one for another time I thought, when you are more desperate for a good read.

Nice[ Work/u], you have satisfied my reading desire for this morning. I wish I could find “Modern Times” the Chaplin film I would like to watch that.

Thanks
Not sure of what is the proper NEtiquette here. Should I have waited for part II before I replied? I sure would like to see more of this.