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Jeannie is Gone
Sep. 22nd, 2006 06:05 amYesterday was frantic.
I ended up leaving my planner at home on my dining room table, but![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
_storyteller_ brought it to me at work, giving me the chance to show him my office and show him off to the office. He was a very good sport about being paraded around and introduced.
We were having a goodbye party for Jeannie at noon, but the movers were late to her house, and the pizza delivery service hadn't had enough room to cook all our pizzas at once, and so at 12:05 I had a conference room full of 50 people, 8 pizzas (instead of 17) and no guest of honor. I was saved from freaking out by the mature awareness that I had no control over either the pizza guys or Jeannie. Fortunately, the rest of the pizzas arrived within 10 minutes. Unfortunately, Jeannie didn't get there until 12:40 or so, by which point 2/3 of the folks had left for meetings, but she was moved by our gifts.
It was then I found out that she and her boss had determined there was no point in her coming in to the office on Friday, so once she'd turned her computer in to Miss V, she was leaving. So much for my plan to buy her a personal gift after work on Thursday and give it to her in private today.
We only had a few minutes together in private, and they were spent very much like other days: me getting a few details covered for her, a few jokes. . . Then Miss V was there, and I stepped out. They spent a few minutes together, and when Miss V came out, Jeannie was with her, with her purse and tote over her shoulder.
They stopped next to my cubicle. I stood up and waited as they finished their chat. Then Jeannie turned to me and gave me a hug. "I'll miss ya," she said quietly and warmly. "You too," I said and wished her a safe journey.
Then she was on her way, and as soon as she was a few steps away, I broke down in tears. Fortunately the woman who sits opposite me, next to the window, was gone, so I went and sat in her cube, where I could cry in private for a while.
I hadn't expected to cry. I probably should have. Her loss leaves a big hole in my life. She was a partner and an ally, not just a boss. I still have great people to work with, and Miss V isn't going to try to run my life again, but there is simply no replacing Jeannie as an individual.
Once my tears had stopped, I went to do some minor errand-type tasks, and walked past the office of one of Jeannie's managers, who looked like she'd be crying. She invited me in, we shut the door, and had a mini wake. She gave me some insights into other reasons Jeannie had for leaving, which I can't share here, but which didn't wholly surprise me.
Today should be a quiet day. Everyone of director level or above is gone to an big offsite, and Miss V is on vacation, so there won't be much other than routine stuff to do. I'm glad.
I ended up leaving my planner at home on my dining room table, but
_storyteller_ brought it to me at work, giving me the chance to show him my office and show him off to the office. He was a very good sport about being paraded around and introduced.We were having a goodbye party for Jeannie at noon, but the movers were late to her house, and the pizza delivery service hadn't had enough room to cook all our pizzas at once, and so at 12:05 I had a conference room full of 50 people, 8 pizzas (instead of 17) and no guest of honor. I was saved from freaking out by the mature awareness that I had no control over either the pizza guys or Jeannie. Fortunately, the rest of the pizzas arrived within 10 minutes. Unfortunately, Jeannie didn't get there until 12:40 or so, by which point 2/3 of the folks had left for meetings, but she was moved by our gifts.
It was then I found out that she and her boss had determined there was no point in her coming in to the office on Friday, so once she'd turned her computer in to Miss V, she was leaving. So much for my plan to buy her a personal gift after work on Thursday and give it to her in private today.
We only had a few minutes together in private, and they were spent very much like other days: me getting a few details covered for her, a few jokes. . . Then Miss V was there, and I stepped out. They spent a few minutes together, and when Miss V came out, Jeannie was with her, with her purse and tote over her shoulder.
They stopped next to my cubicle. I stood up and waited as they finished their chat. Then Jeannie turned to me and gave me a hug. "I'll miss ya," she said quietly and warmly. "You too," I said and wished her a safe journey.
Then she was on her way, and as soon as she was a few steps away, I broke down in tears. Fortunately the woman who sits opposite me, next to the window, was gone, so I went and sat in her cube, where I could cry in private for a while.
I hadn't expected to cry. I probably should have. Her loss leaves a big hole in my life. She was a partner and an ally, not just a boss. I still have great people to work with, and Miss V isn't going to try to run my life again, but there is simply no replacing Jeannie as an individual.
Once my tears had stopped, I went to do some minor errand-type tasks, and walked past the office of one of Jeannie's managers, who looked like she'd be crying. She invited me in, we shut the door, and had a mini wake. She gave me some insights into other reasons Jeannie had for leaving, which I can't share here, but which didn't wholly surprise me.
Today should be a quiet day. Everyone of director level or above is gone to an big offsite, and Miss V is on vacation, so there won't be much other than routine stuff to do. I'm glad.
