The Departed

Today marks another milestone in my short but dramatic employment at Pacific Blue Cross. It's been 1 year and 2 months since I had first started as a clerk. My department is currently the biggest department in the whole company with 61 staffs. It is quite a change from the 5-staff department that I started when I first entered this company. The experience has been nothing short of a roller-coasting ride.

Recently a lot of my department colleagues either moved away to other positions or other companies. Altogether I believe they accounted for 1/3 of our department size. Just yesterday I sent off our traveller-from-England temporary switchboard operator. It was sad to see her go, but we all gotta be somewhere sometime. Today I had to send off someone that I've known and befriended with in these months.

I first met her when her department got merged with ours. She was the administrative assistant to the manager, but somehow was assigned a tiny little half desk in our department. She was always up-beat and she tries her best to infect us with her satirical humors. At the time she was 8 years into her service it's been only 8 months for me. (in her words, spanking-new)

She once asked me in the elevator if I heard of this old song. I intuitively answered, "I am not from that era......" with 3 other staffs in the elevator doing the, "ouch that hurts!" sound. She then mobilized her neighbors to boycott against me for being mean about her age. It was the cutest thing. Of course, everything went back to normal after I sent her emails with lots <3. Work was never dull with her around. Just a while ago she hopped to the reception on her tip-toes announcing that her daughter's boyfriend is going to propose soon! Now with the new job that's close to home, she can definitely spend more time with her daughter before she sends her away for another stage of her life. Departure is never easy, but it is a part of life. I am going to miss you Tricia.

P.S. She'll be serving time in Corrections Canada now. Hahahahahaa...