Tag Archives: Work

A clean slate for 2008 (hey that rhymes)

Work

Nearly a year ago I became the task lead for a project at work. It meant steady work, something I’d not had since I went [special/variable] part time. It was also kind of scary – being responsible for a portion of a project. I had a steady stream of files to convert to HTML – enough to pass a fair number off to in-office html coders.I even got to go into DC and meet the clients (something I’d never done as a full-time web manager).

All was well and good when I was just converting the word documents to HTML using templates, but in the spring or early summer the clients wanted to switch to using online forms to convert the documents. This would not have been a problem, but the forms were very buggy and not at all intuitive. The training I received was spent mostly listing the bugs in the software and process. Nevertheless, the client wanted the files completed by using the forms, which meant we needed to convert everything to HTML anyway, then upload them with the forms.

Small documents were not too bad, but when a document need a table of contents, we had to create a new sub form for each item in the toc. The process doubled and sometimes tripled the time it had been taking by using HTML templates only.

So, beginning in the spring and up until about an hour ago, I was consistently behind with the files. I never caught up – never finished a batch before three or four would come in. The client and the SME’s became impatient as did my project manager. The file turnaround delay was compounded by my taking some time off for vacations and family issues including a funeral, my Internet connection issues and and a few other unrelated, but deadline driven, projects.

I finished the final batch and sent them back to the client today. I’d planned on finishing up before 2008, and now that I have, I feel partly free and partly empty. Nothing, work-related, is hanging over my head (except updating my resume and a narrative on why I deserve a raise after more than 4 years of part time work).  I guess I should kick back and enjoy the rest of the day and tomorrow, because [hopefully] I’ll be getting more files soon.

Beyond Tedious

Work, ,

Andrew had his first real wrestling practice in high school today. I think he was shocked at the work he had to do. They ran 3 miles, then did a couple of hours of other exercises. When I got there to pick him up he was just about to “do steps” which, I imagine, was running up and down staircases in the school. It was raining outside, so they had to make do, I suppose.

When we got home I asked him to bring the garbage cans in and he came close to meltdown.

I think I might have the most boring job around, at least lately. I’ve been converting Word files to HTML files and uploading them to forms. Occasionally I get excited about a file I’ve completed, mostly because I used a new style on it, but usually it is beyond tedious.

Today I got 10 files that needed to be done asap. I mistakenly said they could be done in two days. I think they expect them tomorrow COB. I’m not sure that is possible because I have some other things I need to do, but we will see.

In for the what?

Blogging, Writing, , , ,

What’s that saying: In for the something out for the something else? Oh – In for the penny out for the pound? In for the penny in for the pound? That’s gotta be it!

Whatever it is, it is what I thought about when I chose to write this post right now instead of work on my work-for-pay stuff. I am monumentally behind in my “files” and have made some probably poor choices recently like the Hiptop Halloween Hunt yesterday and Costco the day before. While there are some valid reasons I’m behind, I really should be concentrating on those files rather than on writing novels and blog posts.

That said, I’m glad I’m back and doing some of this posting on a daily basis. I miss writing – copying text from PDF and Word files and pasting it into an HTML editor may sound like a blast, but it’s not as fun as you may think. It can be mind boggling tedius and it sapps the energy from my brain, making me want to do nothing but watch television at night.

So, to get back to the title of this post, I figured I’ve already gotten behind in my work, I might as well get this post for today done.

I wrote over 800 words on my NaNoWriMo novel this morning – I had no idea what I was going to write about until I actually started writing. Now I’m kind of excited to find out more about my characters and the plot. I’m pretty sure I know where it is going, but it keeps changing in my head.

The kids have today off and I was supposed to go to a free 508 conference in DC, but because I’m behind in work and because the kids are home, I figured I’d not go. I went last year and the section I attended was nothing more than a commercial for Adobe.

Ok, enough procrastinating. Off to copy and paste and format.