A tribute to my co-workers...

I work with the greatest group of people...

The operators, supervisors, station agents and managers at Elmonica are (for the most part) (!) a pleasant and caring group of people to be around - even during our big snow storm... And that took some doing since we were all a bit on edge during that mess...

When my Navy daughter was very sick last fall, 2000 miles away from her very worried mom, I fell apart at work after talking with her on the phone; when it was my time to be assigned work, I was sent downtown with an extra service train. Sitting at the 11th Avenue terminus, I spent time talking with my baby. By the time I was given a piece of work to do, I felt so much better...

Another day, also during her illness, I fell apart in the ladies room, and ended up crying on the shoulder of an operator who just listened to me; bless her good heart...

Yet another operator stepped in and worked for me on just a few hours notice when I asked him because I had to suddenly bring my Navy daughter home on emergency leave when her father was dying. Bless his kind heart for his help...

When I had a bad incident with my train last fall, I got more support than I ever thought was possible. I still think of all the kind words that have come my way, even though I screwed up big time... The only right thing I did, was to stop the train before it got even worse...

On a much lighter note: when I came in one day all bundled up in the cold and snow, an operator teased me about looking really big or something like that - I laughed, then enjoyed another operator's compliment when he pointed out that my hair fell in nice waves on my scarf... You two know who you are; I love you both! Keep up the friendly teasing, keep up the banter...

Some days I come in feeling low because I miss my 19 year old baby so much - I am OK with letting the Navy have her for a few years, but why don't they have a Navy base here in Portland? Surely we could fit a carrier into one of our harbors somewhere around here????

On those days, I soon forget my woes when I walk in the doors at Elmonica; I always go out to my train feeling much better.

The list goes on and on - I love coming to work, always wondering what I will hear from somebody - the personalities who operate our trains are quite a collection of human characters - and I mean that in the most respectful and loving way. I laugh more working at Elmonica than I have ever done at any kind of job; I feel more uplifted, more able to go out and deal with the stupid people who run in front of my train, thanks to my co-workers... Often that has translated into feeling better about situations in my private life, too...

Thus, to my co-workers; you share life stories, war storied from work, funny tales, sad tales, or simply just stories about everyday life - like buying a house :-) I love to listen, I love to shoot back an appropriate one liner, I love to share in the banter, and - I love to encourage the new operators...

And, I LIVE for teasing the "older" operators, those who are much smarter and wiser than I am... (grinning...)

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Yikes...
...that has to be enough of the touchy-feely stuff today - I am running out of Kleenex...