Master Nerd

Today, thank God, is the last wednesday I’ll be working for some time. I work wednesdays in April, so as to oversee the Presignups process. It’s strange, wednesdays. I haven’t worked them for so long, it’s really a different way of doing things. I’ve been calling it 5 8’s, but it’s not really that. Wednesdays for me are errand days. Mowing the lawn, going shopping, cleaning the house, etc…

How do the rest of you get things done? Seriously! I’ve had such a hard time takin’ care of business without wednesdays because that’s when I get caught up. When do you service your cars, or work with businesses that only work M-F 8-5? Lunch? Oh maybe that’s what I’m doing wrong…. (since I don’t really take one). But what if you have to deal with someplace in Salem or Portland? I don’t get it, wednesdays are SOOOO awesome.

But then there’s this other side. When I work 5 days-a-week, I leave at 6pm. Like, the sun is still shining @ 6. (weird). I get home and have time to do more than just eat and go to sleep. I can actually like … do stuff. ‘course I’m still kinda tired, but not SO tired.

So it’s still a toss up.

1. Work 5 days-a-week. I get 5 longer nights, but am tired each day.
2. Work 4 days-a-week. I get 4 short nights, but get a whole fresh day to … whatever.

I’ll stick with my 4 10’s, but its been nice to try something else for a bit. It’s like september, where I get to switch it up a bit. Variety is the spice of life.

You can live your life in a rut, or a groove. Sometimes they look the same, but you can feel the difference. I guess Simon & Garfunkel had it right… feeling’ groovy.

I feel like I’ve woken up from a three week sleep. And I’ve done just that. Three weeks of fighting allergies and taking medication and feeling uber-fuzzy. Now I can think again. I can dream again. My list gets shorter, not longer. I’m gonna win after all.

I’m listening to Thirteen Senses right now. Good band (thanks Ruckus). I’m always so pleasantly pleased when I find a band I really like. I’m pretty tolerant, but real picky. I like music that I can listen to over and over. But I burn through music that way. My head memorizes it and gets tired of it. And quick. Today this music puts me in a more thoughtful mood. I used to use techno (particularly trance) to code. Somehow it ordered my mind and allowed me to focus and write and type and cipher all simultaneously. But trance can put me in a weird state, so I stopped listening to it.

I’ve been thinking a lot more about music lately. How it can affect our productivity at work. How it can change our mood, etc… (lol) It’s like a mind altering drug. But we get to choose the flavor. Reminds me of a blog I wrote about how we ‘program’ ourselves daily, by what we listen to, etc…

I know it’s not true, but I feel like I’ve gotten more done in the last 3 days than in the last three weeks (maybe not today, but mon/tue were great). I’m gonna continue striving for ever-increasing performance. I wonder if I can learn to work like a runner runs a race to win. Only one winner. There’s a change in mindset. To be the best. That’s what I want.

… *more thoughts* …

So a few weeks ago, my wife and I found out that we are expecting. Imminent stork arrival this fall… details to follow.

We’ve pretty much told everyone at this point. ‘cept maybe you 🙂

I’m bombarded by emotional, spiritual, philosophical, and material thoughts on a broader range of topics than I’ve ever really considered before. Everyone keeps telling me how wonderful it’ll be (which I don’t doubt). I like change. I think I always have. It’s cuz I’m a (super)naturally hopeful person. Change ALWAYS comes with the possibility (and in my case expectation) of better things, better times. Growth. Movement. Strength. I’m into that, and though I’m balanced enough to understand that raising a child is no piece of cake, I’m WELL willing to make the investment – with Joy.

Boy, I could go on and on, but I won’t. I’m sure there will be many more thoughts to follow.

Fall will be ever-more interesting. It appears some projects may need to be postponed.

So the first rollout of Presignups is done. As of 5pm, residents can now login to the Portal, sign their financial commitment and update their preferences.

Next week Squatters (residents able to stay in their own room) can choose their room, followed the next week by Movers (residents wanting to choose a different room).

The goal is that everyone would be able to choose their optimal room and that nothing breaks.

Hahahah

Well here’s hopin’. I never really trust software that I didn’t write. Configuring someone else’s tool and crossing your fingers never really does it for me. ‘Course my own software isn’t flawless – far from. But I can fix it. I hate being limited by other peoples’ stuff. Meh.

Should I trust my own software? Perhaps I don’t trust myself. But upon this introspection, I think I need to be more focused when writing software. I choose … now … to write precise, non-assumptive code. I also need to not produce, but create. A machine produces, and innovator creates.

What do you get when you mix code and philosophy? Me, I suppose.

I’ve felt so unfocused lately. I used to be able to code for 5 hours, then wake up and eat lunch. 5 more hours of code and I’d go home. Simple. Elegant. I want to get back there. Perhaps I’ve learned to multi-task. What if that really isn’t a good thing?

I think I’ll start practicing focus. Distraction seems to be playing it’s part. With a little help and a litle practice, hopefully I can turn this temporary disadvantage around.

Blogging is good. It’s honest. Will anyone read it? Does anyone care? Probably not, but it’s like self-help for the do-it-yourself-er. Never thought writing could be so helpful.

I’m gonna take some time off next week. Boy that’ll be nice. Presignups is coming, and that’ll take the rest of next week, and the 3 weeks after that. Stress level = moderately high.

5 day weekend = relaxation 🙂

Well I was sick most of this week. Only been in part of yesterday and today. I don’t really love being sick, who does? You feel rotten, and when you return, your more behind than ever. Phooey.

But I’m back, and just finished cleaning up the little messes that happened while I was gone.

Yesterday I engaged in a mental exercise involving Self-Modifying Code. The concept has engaged me from my techno-infancy.

Code that changed itself…fixes itself…Improves itself.

It’s quite a concept. But can a DB (database) do it? ‘course – but it has less to do with the code and more to do with the data.

Recently (and the whole issue that’s been inspiring my … dangerous thinking) I’ve been fighting with a system that constantly gets out-of-sync with another system (although they are supposed to be always the same). Why can’t I run a process (oracle job) that checks to make sure they are the same, then if it finds problems … FIXES them. It’s revolutionary, and not at the same time. Why can’t the DB fix itself. It can. And soon it will.

I’m also gonna create a tool that logs all bugs from all of my apps. Another process will check the DB for all common problems AND will email a status report to me on the days I work. Brilliant.

Now how to find the time to set all of this up? Ah, there’s the rub.

Ever just felt busy?
Seem like meetings fill your days from morning til’ night?
Yeahmetoo.

Anyway, despite all of this, I’ve actually gotten some things done. There for a week or two, my list got longer each day instead of shorter. I had 20+ emails in my inbox (which is like my todo list). I was a busy guy. I was coming in and going home seemingly without progress.

It’s still busy, but it’s betters. Are you allowed to use the words it’s twice in one sentence. Weird.

So yeah that WOUPortal is almost there (as it has been for 2 months now). One of these days folks, I’ll actually get it out there to you. Ron will write a UBER-good FAQ on it and the whole (WOU) world will use it and fall helplessly in love with it.
Then I woke up.

But seriously, I think it’s got a lot to give and I hope people use it and I hope they like it and I hope my meetings don’t take over my life and yes I’ll finish it. Someday.

We’re working on upgrading Karen’s registers on campus. Hey diddle-dee-dee boy wouldn’t that be amazing. No more nasty impossible to replace hardware, etc… Registers that plug into the network. Oh bliss. Rapture.

What else….

Still have some mods to do on the Timesheet program. I’ll be doin’ those soon as the WOUPortal is done…. going …. released…?

Eventually.

Man, I hate feeling busy. It’s like running in quicksand. You get tired, but the scenery don’t change. Meh.

But I know from experience that this too shall pass. Oh and it’s been sunny – also strange. Anyway, I’ll get some of these things then I’ll feel more productive. Life will return to smiles and sunshine (again with the sunshine… what a bizarre January)….

…

Yeah I’m done.