Trains, Trainers and Training

Quite a bit has happened since my last post.

Last Friday I decided (unwisely) that I should endeavour to make use of public transport to get to/from work. I was meant to meet a friend for a few drinks after work, so this would save me the hassle of driving home and then a secondary journey to meet him. What I didn't account for was the sheer amount of time you spend waiting around, and the fact that the Great Unwashed (that's the public to you) also seem to want to use the same transport! Tsk. It's not like in the movies, is it?

Anyway, the journey in went without too much incident, although I'm obviously too used to parking practically next to the front door, as I didn't quite realise how much walking is involved. When I left to get the train back later, the Gods had obviously decided "torrential downpour" was a suitable weather option, so my favourite trainers soon adopted that humorous squelching noise, before becoming pretty much ruined. Finally arrived at the station and had to wait THIRTY MINUTES for a train that actually stopped, rather than zooming past on its way to (not so) glamorous locations.

I'm sure it would have been quicker (if less kind to the environment) to go by car. I doubt I will be repeating that mistake again.

Finally, I have spent the past 3 days training someone how to use Project Sisyphus. They'd used it previously, in one of its many previous (and easier to use) incarnations, but I got the impression during the training that the memory of it paled away when compared to the behemoth that it has become. I look forward to the first of many support calls..!

I Was Very Ill Indeed, If You Don't Mind

Have just returned to work after a particularly nasty bout of gastric flu, or something similar (there can't be that many things that give you those symptoms, expect maybe food poisoning?).

Anyway, after discovering last week that I had a deadline of tomorrow to finish a big bunch of work (that I had yet to start when I had to go home due to being ill), it seems the Gods have looked favourably upon me and the deadline has been extended to mid-January. This never happens, especially not to extend the deadline by so long, so I am doubly pleased. Of course, I don't expect this good mood to last long; no doubt I will discover soon enough that I am needed to do a site visit in Outer Mongolia or somewhere.

Conversely, one of our customers is now testing our latest patch to Project Sisyphus. Typically, having had a fairly quiet (if not productive) morning, I am now struggling to deal with a barrage of phone calls and emails identifying "problems". Said problems have tended towards the "dodgy data" or "didn't watch what they were doing" or "try reading the displayed message, why don't you" side of things, so I'm wondering if it's time for a relapse.

Left To My Own Devices, I Probably Would

The office is silent, but for the hum of a server & the clacking of my keyboard. The rest of my co-workers and "superiors" have set off for home, seeing as they managed to get in at some ungodly hour, whereas I sauntered in at 9:15 so get to be in charge for the rest of the day (what there is of it). Our hours are fairly flexible when we don't have a deadline, so it's a case of making hay whilst the sun shines, I suppose.

The question has to be: do I continue with the dull, drudge-laden work I'm stuck with, or do I spend the rest of the day on the internet, or doing some other non-work thing. I think you can guess the answer to that one!

I'm almost shocked by how little guilt I feel. Almost.

The Mind Is Willing...

Now I remember why I don't get involved in anything hardware-related.

The PC I liberated from my employers seems to have a faulty CD/DVD drive -- it opens and closes but anything else (like actually accessing a CD) seems a little too much like hard work, so it's primary function currently is to act as cup holder.

Not a problem, thinks I, it's just a matter of swapping CD/DVD drives between the old and new PC. Well, yes that would work, if only the case on the new PC wasn't seemingly welded on. Now, I'm no 4 stone weakling (in fact after a very long stint sat at a desk 9-5, I'm well into double figures on the lardometer), but no matter what I did that case would not budge. So I resorted to using a USB memory stick to transfer the (mercifully few) files.

I fully intend to keep quiet about the dodgy CD/DVD drive; they're getting a free PC, it's not like they can moan, now is it? Only time will tell...

Much Ado About Nothing

Not much happening at the moment.

There are a number of hefty bits of work in the pipeline, but we have to wait for someone to sign off the work (and agree to stump up the cash). Our customers don't seem overly keen on spending money (tight buggers), so who knows how long this quiet time will last? While we wait for that to happen, there are always lovely little jobs that have been "on the back burner" that can be done. Of course, I'd rather chew off my own thumbs than do most of these tasks, so my "looking busy" and "paper shuffling" skills have been brought to the fore, and tea drinking has now reached fever pitch. The beady eyes of my manager can't be fooled for long, though, so I fear at some point I will succumb...

On a related note, we are in the midst of a clear-out of our old hardware etc., so I've snapped up a desktop PC for a friend whose own PC is on its last legs. As is the way with these things, I am now in charge of the transfer of data from the old PC, installation of software on the new one etc., and no doubt will be #1 IT Helpdesk contact for when it's Gone Horribly Wrong™. Joy.

Ending Before I Began

A short break from blogging, as I was off up th' hills and "feeling the burn" as I climbed/crawled up The Old Man of Coniston. I could make a joke here about going up the old man, but I won't. Honest.

Thankfully, aside from the hated hill walking, there was plenty of wine drunk (hurrah!) and generally doing very little. I'm not keen on walking at the best of times, even if it's just from bar to bar, so I think I've done my quota for the year. That said, I have plans to visit Madrid next month, and off to New York in December (I'm such a jet-setter!) so I'm guessing I'm not off the hook yet...

I am having issues loading images at the moment, but will update this post shortly (or add another) with a couple of images, just to prove I was there. Will also look at some more changes to blog layout and links etc., should I have time.

Back to work as from yesterday, so hopefully there will be something to moan about soon.

UPDATE: Some pictures for you to feast upon...

First, the Old Man as seen from way, way, way below:



And a view of the cairn on top, after regaining my breath and resting for a week:

Genesis

Well, as this is my first post I should probably start by telling you a little more about me.

I'm a "Software Development Consultant" (sic) in a software house in the UK, and have been for the past 9 years. Very little changes here - I get given dodgy work to do, based on ill-thought-out specifications, and have to magically shoe-horn this into our doddery system, which I lovingly refer to as Project Sisyphus (a link for those that don't "get it"). Imagine a drawn-out game of KerPlunk, with the objective being not to lose any marbles, and you'll be close to the mark. I also have the dubious pleasure of communicating with our wonderful customers, translating their requirements into something that (a) makes sense, and (b) is possible within the constraints of the laws of time & space.

I hope to post about some of the many things that annoy me in the day-to-day of my job, as well as any other nonsense I can come up with. I hope you enjoy.