Later that same day... in Packrat

Not really - I’m just giving updates.
Budget. Turned it in without the utilities, communications, and building insurance that our accounting department and not our elected leaders wanted. I stated that I had asked questions, received no response, and without justification I would not be adding in those items. My supervisor agrees with me. The tribe will continue to pay for the “common areas”, which I said include everyone’s offices because we don’t get to pick and choose who comes in and who we’ll see. We’re here to provide services to the tribal and the general public.
I had also seen an old indirect cost document that included the things they now want out, and it had been done by a man who was actually a CPA who had worked for the federal government and had also been an auditor. He saved us so many times (we kept pulling him out of retirement) that we made him an honorary tribal member. I mentioned this and said that in all the years since we’ve had annual and special audits that never found a problem with our system. They want us to budget for the utilities, etc., but our enormous indirect cost rate stays at the same high rate it was last year.
I’m not opposed to change, and we definitely need changes here, but tell me why. Simple - and still no answer.
Newspaper articles. I finished one and in starting on the other I saw that I had press releases in my email. Oh, joy!
Travel. This is Thursday. I fly to Wisconsin Monday. I still haven’t received my travel itinerary or travel money. I sent an innocent question out to prompt work on this; I need to know when I’m flying in, because I may get to squeeze in a meeting with the Corps of Engineers. Either they can get what I need right out or they’ll scramble to get it done on time.
Play. We had a teleconference today with hardly any details brought to the table. I agreed to the production of the play but will not attend the panel unless Yale funds my travel. We are not spending any more of our dollars to support that play.
Insane asylum project. I quit communicating with the woman who contacted us; I found the names of other committee members in an article and am trying to get contact information. I will work with someone else. In the meantime, I haven’t responded to the woman, who sent me another email. I broke down and read it - same old song, about loss and how all the old ways are gone, and again, SHE DOESN’T SPEAK FOR US. She still insists no one remembered the people buried there until the one man, as if I never said anything about our ceremonies. Well, I won’t be dealing with her anymore.
Primary elections. When I predicted who would be the top two vote getters and therefore moving on to the general election, I was half right and half wrong. People I support made it; people I absolutely DO NOT want in office did, too.

Well, I’m off to a birthday dinner!