W.Y.B.

First, I should say...I like and have a great deal of respect for my current boss. I can't say that about every boss I've ever had. But if you're feeling like you've got some pent up hostility that you'd like to take out in a safe way, try this instead of some of the other options out there.

Where Does The Time Go?

I can't believe how long it's been since I've managed a post! I was going to post one night but I got extremely aggravated trying to post comments to beta sites (with no success) and just ended up giving up on blogger for the evening. I've thought about posting at least a dozen times with some of the random thoughts (most of which now elude me) I was having at the time, but I either don't have the time or the energy (yes, it is sad that I lacked the basic energy required for typing!). And I've terribly missed visiting all my favorite blogs and see what is going on with everyone.

I haven't signed up for the new beta version of blogger and I will probably only go on to the new version when I'm forced to do so. One of our IT guys at works refers to upgrades as "taking a system that works and turning it one that doesn't". I remember when we got our new primary system. It was a nightmare. Before they started programming they were nice enough to ask for our feedback, but it wasn't enough. One of my suggestions was that whoever was going to be programming should learn how we lowly end users actually used the system before they went to work. Later, MUCH later (as in after it was too late), a guy from the team said that they should have done as I had suggested. And I did a lot of beta testing when they rolled the system out. Everyone but me got the best, most stable (and I use that term very loosely) and I got the latest beta version of the system. I seemed to have some sort of special gift....if there was a bug in the system, I was going to be the one who found it. After days of pulling my hair out, cursing the system, and pounding on my keyboard they would take all my feedback and use it it put out a better version of the system and then give me the next beta version. My productivity was at an all time low. When you're doing something that should take 10 minutes and it takes 90 minutes (and that doesn't include all the time I spent documenting), you tend to be a little on edge and become a huge promoter of workplace violence. This was one of the times that it was lucky for all involved that the primary architects of the system lived 3,000 miles away. It made impetuous, revenge killings unlikely.

As for everything else, life is divided neatly into two things: Work and Wedding. If I'm not worried or doing something for one, I'm doing something for the other....and usually worrying about both. We're short staffed at work right now for two reasons: we have one person out on maternity leave in one group and the work load for another group has tripled while the number of people have remained the same. There are lots of things that need my attention, but most of them aren't getting it. It's really a case of which fire is the biggest and trying to help the groups wherever I can and trying to keep the stress for everyone else as low as I can. Some days it doesn't feel like I help very much, but I do what I can. The Wedding will be here before I know it and I'm terrified that I'm going to forget something major! And I'm constantly amazed about how stressed out you can get about something that really isn't all that important! But such is life.

I'll try not to be such a stranger in blogland, but don't give up on me if the posts are less frequently until after the wedding!

Things That Annoy

I'm tired and I feel like complaining, so here are some things that annoy me:

1) T.V. shows that just stop. Two shows from last season that ended on huge cliffhangers and whose return I've been awaiting have been cancelled with no more new episodes (Invasion & Surface). Next thing you know, Lost will be unceremoniously ended without any resolution.

2) People who don't understand how to use the turn lane. It's there for you to get into PRIOR to needing to turn to keep you from screwing with the rest of traffic. Don't slow down in the fast lane and then just cut across the turn lane when you get to where you need to turn.

3) People who pull out in front of you (especially when it's clear for miles behind you) and then either a) suddenly need to go slow after just achieving warp speed to pull in front of you or 2) go 15 feet, slam on their brakes and turn.

4) People who tailgate. This is especially annoying when you're already going 20 miles over the speed limit. Also very annoying when the car in front of you is holding you up and you can't get around them either. Guess what? Getting on my tail and flashing your lights isn't going to make the guy in front of me go any faster.

5) The person, who when you're talking, always has a better story than the one you're telling. No matter what you've done or experienced, they always have a story where their experience is better/worse/whatever. You can never share anything that they don't have to achieve one upsmanship.

6) People who think that they're better than you.

7) The cable going out in the middle of your favorite show or right as something important is about to be revealed.

8) Insomnia.

9) Discovering that there is no chocolate in the house (okay this is more tragedy than annoyance).

10) Close talkers. Sorry, but I need a certain amount of personal space. This is really annoying when it's someone you either don't know or don't know well....especially in business because it's even harder to tell them to get the (bleep) out of your space.

Okay--I'm sure that there are tons more things that annoy me, but I'm more tired than cranky now, so I'm going to bed.