I've been informed that I am taking on some guys from another department. My crew is growing, but I have mixed feelings about it. I just want to find a new job. Now it seems they are trying to make things a little better for me financially come next year. This is a dilemma.
Showing posts with label Work. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Work. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Friday, October 02, 2009
The more things change, the more they stay the same
I have cut way back on my blogging, obviously. But I think some of it was because all I was doing was bitching about work. I know it must be tiring to read.
Well lately work has been "interesting". I have now been there for 3 years. Most people are amazed I am still there considering I commute almost everyday to Denver (130 mile round trip). This year I started wishing there were more jobs out there, but the fucked up economy is showing in the fact that the only job in my field that is available is yet another 45 minutes further from my house. I don't think I want a 4 hour round trip commute.
What is new is that my boss is taking a new job in the company. Many people that know about it expect that I would want his job, but I don't. My job sucks bad enough. He's been a decent boss (my 4th boss in 3 years), but he is a real pain at times. I gave him a nickname that he is unaware of. We call him "The Vortex". This is because if you get sucked into his office you may not come out for hours. This guy over analyzes shit to the point that I almost want to give in just to get the fuck away from him. But I never give in if I truly believe I am right.
Now that he is moving on, we are doing a bit of a reorganization. They don't want to replace him since it is cheaper to just force some other sucker to take on the job in addition to their current responsibilities. Yesterday it was official that all of his departments were going to report to a lady that is a VP over QA and some developement projects. She is a decent manager, but I know her technical skills are lacking. She has never pulled rank with me, but I know I have had to prove her and her people wrong on a number of situations. Since then she seems to listen to me more and more, and trust my opinions and judgement, but I know she still relies on some of her folks who I feel are completely clueless and have her fooled.
I am not upset about the reporting structure change, but I know it does mean I will have a different dynamic going on in many of my meetings with her. We'll see how it works out.
Other than that...
The kids are good. Healthy and doing well in school. Erik is playing football on a Park & Rec team. He is doing way better than I expected. His coach talked to him about losing some weight, which he is doing (he doesn't listen to me in these matters... and who am I to talk). Kevin is working a lot at McDonalds, and getting ready for a lot of snowboarding this winter.
It looks like I am not going to be going to Michigan for Christmas this year, so I think I will plan a long weekend with the kids to go skiing/boarding.
My love life is pretty empty these days. I started seeing someone that broke it off early. It was pretty disappointing because I really liked her. We had a lot in common. But if you're not feeling it, you can't force it. I've been on the other side of that, so I understand where she was with it.
A lady friend of mine that I have hardly talked to this year called me the other day. She lives in another state, so having a close relationship is very hard. We are realistic about it. The interesting thing about this particular call was that she suggested that we take a trip together. I know that if we lived in the same city, or maybe even just the same state, I wouldn't hesitate to take a trip. My dilema is that she is the type of person that I know I will fall for provided we spend a good amount of time together. So now I need to wonder if our "realistic" approach is a good thing or should we just say fuck it, and throw all previous thoughts out the window.
Well lately work has been "interesting". I have now been there for 3 years. Most people are amazed I am still there considering I commute almost everyday to Denver (130 mile round trip). This year I started wishing there were more jobs out there, but the fucked up economy is showing in the fact that the only job in my field that is available is yet another 45 minutes further from my house. I don't think I want a 4 hour round trip commute.
What is new is that my boss is taking a new job in the company. Many people that know about it expect that I would want his job, but I don't. My job sucks bad enough. He's been a decent boss (my 4th boss in 3 years), but he is a real pain at times. I gave him a nickname that he is unaware of. We call him "The Vortex". This is because if you get sucked into his office you may not come out for hours. This guy over analyzes shit to the point that I almost want to give in just to get the fuck away from him. But I never give in if I truly believe I am right.
Now that he is moving on, we are doing a bit of a reorganization. They don't want to replace him since it is cheaper to just force some other sucker to take on the job in addition to their current responsibilities. Yesterday it was official that all of his departments were going to report to a lady that is a VP over QA and some developement projects. She is a decent manager, but I know her technical skills are lacking. She has never pulled rank with me, but I know I have had to prove her and her people wrong on a number of situations. Since then she seems to listen to me more and more, and trust my opinions and judgement, but I know she still relies on some of her folks who I feel are completely clueless and have her fooled.
I am not upset about the reporting structure change, but I know it does mean I will have a different dynamic going on in many of my meetings with her. We'll see how it works out.
Other than that...
The kids are good. Healthy and doing well in school. Erik is playing football on a Park & Rec team. He is doing way better than I expected. His coach talked to him about losing some weight, which he is doing (he doesn't listen to me in these matters... and who am I to talk). Kevin is working a lot at McDonalds, and getting ready for a lot of snowboarding this winter.
It looks like I am not going to be going to Michigan for Christmas this year, so I think I will plan a long weekend with the kids to go skiing/boarding.
My love life is pretty empty these days. I started seeing someone that broke it off early. It was pretty disappointing because I really liked her. We had a lot in common. But if you're not feeling it, you can't force it. I've been on the other side of that, so I understand where she was with it.
A lady friend of mine that I have hardly talked to this year called me the other day. She lives in another state, so having a close relationship is very hard. We are realistic about it. The interesting thing about this particular call was that she suggested that we take a trip together. I know that if we lived in the same city, or maybe even just the same state, I wouldn't hesitate to take a trip. My dilema is that she is the type of person that I know I will fall for provided we spend a good amount of time together. So now I need to wonder if our "realistic" approach is a good thing or should we just say fuck it, and throw all previous thoughts out the window.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Welcoming the Spring
Its been an entire month... What do I have to show for it?
I got my reviews done at work.
A couple of our big projects are moving along well.
I went on a date (what a shocker that is).
I am not thrilled with work. Two of my best employees have a bit of a feud going on. It upsets me that they aren't getting along. I don't even understand what caused it. One thinks the other doesn't like his type A personality, the other hasn't said a word to me. I will probably have to clear the air with them in a week. Have I said before that I hate being a manager?
I was supposed to be going to Iowa this week, but I did not make detailed enough plans for what we need to accomplish, so we're delaying the trip. Now my boss thinks that maybe we could do what we need remotely. I totally disagree, but this may have travel budget implications. I was going to take the 2 employees I mentioned earlier. I may have to rethink that even if we do get the budget.
My typical weekend is comprised of me sleeping in until at least 9:30, then putzing around the house. I may go to a movie, I may not.
This weekend was not typical. Friday night my friend Laura ask me to join her and a friend of hers to to a movie. That was fun. The movie was ok (Duplicity).
Saturday morning I received a call at 7:45. Of course it was my friend Mike. He was calling to tell me he was on his way over. He was borrowing my ATV for a few days. I made a few attempts at starting my ATV after putting a new battery in it the other day (without success). I've left it sitting around unused for too long. Mike also brought his computer over for me to look at. Aparently Turbo Tax doesn't like him. Unfortunately I fixed some problems with it, but not enough to make it work.
After Mike left I did my typical laundry and cleaning (a half-assed job on the cleaning). Then I headed to the store to pick up a meat tray and some beer for a board gaming party. That was fun, as usual.
Sunday morning I did sleep in until 9, but then got to work on more cleaning. I also rotated my tires and washed the car. I had to work for a few hours on crap I left unfinished on Friday. Then I went on the date I mentioned earlier. Nothing big to report. We'll see if anything happens.
One of the shows I am watching this year is getting REALLY good. Dollhouse... If you haven't watched it, you should start. I was a little more than luke warm on the show until this week. It's been building up to some big stories, and now its starting to hit. Friday nights episode was THE best. I am now totally hooked.
I am hoping to take a long weekend and head to Vegas before it gets to damn hot. Why do some people love the heat, and I just can't stand it. Give me 75-80 degrees and I am one happy boy.
I got my reviews done at work.
A couple of our big projects are moving along well.
I went on a date (what a shocker that is).
I am not thrilled with work. Two of my best employees have a bit of a feud going on. It upsets me that they aren't getting along. I don't even understand what caused it. One thinks the other doesn't like his type A personality, the other hasn't said a word to me. I will probably have to clear the air with them in a week. Have I said before that I hate being a manager?
I was supposed to be going to Iowa this week, but I did not make detailed enough plans for what we need to accomplish, so we're delaying the trip. Now my boss thinks that maybe we could do what we need remotely. I totally disagree, but this may have travel budget implications. I was going to take the 2 employees I mentioned earlier. I may have to rethink that even if we do get the budget.
My typical weekend is comprised of me sleeping in until at least 9:30, then putzing around the house. I may go to a movie, I may not.
This weekend was not typical. Friday night my friend Laura ask me to join her and a friend of hers to to a movie. That was fun. The movie was ok (Duplicity).
Saturday morning I received a call at 7:45. Of course it was my friend Mike. He was calling to tell me he was on his way over. He was borrowing my ATV for a few days. I made a few attempts at starting my ATV after putting a new battery in it the other day (without success). I've left it sitting around unused for too long. Mike also brought his computer over for me to look at. Aparently Turbo Tax doesn't like him. Unfortunately I fixed some problems with it, but not enough to make it work.
After Mike left I did my typical laundry and cleaning (a half-assed job on the cleaning). Then I headed to the store to pick up a meat tray and some beer for a board gaming party. That was fun, as usual.
Sunday morning I did sleep in until 9, but then got to work on more cleaning. I also rotated my tires and washed the car. I had to work for a few hours on crap I left unfinished on Friday. Then I went on the date I mentioned earlier. Nothing big to report. We'll see if anything happens.
One of the shows I am watching this year is getting REALLY good. Dollhouse... If you haven't watched it, you should start. I was a little more than luke warm on the show until this week. It's been building up to some big stories, and now its starting to hit. Friday nights episode was THE best. I am now totally hooked.
I am hoping to take a long weekend and head to Vegas before it gets to damn hot. Why do some people love the heat, and I just can't stand it. Give me 75-80 degrees and I am one happy boy.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Celebrate!!!!!
Guess what day it is kids?It is my Blogiversary
Not that this is a big deal, especially when I have a hard time posting once a month.
My life is not so different from month to month. My department has been making a lot of great progress on our projects. Although I am feeling a sense of accomplishment, I am also feeling burned out. I think my whole department is. We're even starting to get on each other's nerves, which has never happened with my group of "performers". I need to do something for them, but unfortunately I have to get approval to do ANYTHING to boost morale.
My mom, and cousin have been hounding me to go to maine this summer. They are renting a couple of houses for a week. This would make it much more affordable, but I think I would rather just escape away from everyone for a week. Anyone got a couch needing an occupant?
An old friend and I patched things up recently. She and I aren't dating. We did date for about 4 weeks a number of years ago. That ended, but we stayed friends. Then we had a falling out. That was aout 3 years ago. We've contacted each other over the last few years, but up until a few weeks ago we had not seen each other. We met for drinks and it was like the friendship had never been stopped.
Last week she invited me to a friend's wine party. I haven't been getting out much, so I felt it would be good to meet some new people. I then found out that this is a singles group she belongs to. She said "there will be lots of single ladies to mingle with". This actually sounded more and more like something I needed. I picked up a nice Pinot Noir.
Well, I had a great time. No, I didn't get any phone numbers. I didn't even try, to be honest. It was just good to meet some people and kind of refreshing to just start a conversation with someone out of the blue. I did meet a few very attractive ladies. I made a good impression with a number of people, so hopefully I will be invited to more events of theirs.
Friday, November 28, 2008
No Room To Complain
I hope that all of my friends here in the US had a great Thanksgiving.
My oldest son had his 16th birthday the other day. He has gotten an awful lot of cash from everyone. He of course wants a car, but i am not getting him one. Because friends of his got cars when they turned 16 he things he should have one. My ex agreed with me not too long ago, but I think he is working on her hard. There was talk of her getting him one. I wish she would stop backing down. I have a perfectly good '97 Chevy pickup that he can use.
Work is really intense right now, but we are getting things done. Probably not fast enough for the execs, but we are also trying to not impact the various project deliveries that are scheduled. I've been giving a lot of training classes again. I kind of enjoy it, but I hate the fact that everyone wants the same things out of the new tools that were available in the old one. These people need to deal with change and get over it.
Ski season is starting up. My oldest has already gone on one trip with his school's Snow Riders club. Early snow is not very good, so he scraped up his board pretty bad. My youngest is in 5th grade, and apparently the ski areas give free passes to 5th and 6th graders. We got him the cards, so I am sure that means lots more skiing this year (I hope).
I have had a strange run of good luck with women from the Internet dating sites lately. I wasn't even really trying and have had dates with 2 in the last 2 weeks, and another who I thought wasn't interrested suddenly wants to see me. I've never been a good juggler, but I'll see what being a cyber slut is all about. Not really... I am not sleeping with them. Well, not yet.
One lady is a very intense marathon runner, and bike rider. I am no runner, and my bike riding is more on the enjoyable end than competative. I hoep that doesn't bother her. So far so good. Another lady is pretty fresh on the dating scene, so I need to see how mentally stable she is before going too far. I remember when I was in her shoes. I didn't know what to expect, and was ill-prepared for meeting new women. It's hard to tell so far. Then the 3rd I haven't met yet, but she seems interesting, and has her own company (no, not Avon or anything like that).
I am a one woman man, so having 3 interested at one time kind of gives me a weird anxiety.
My oldest son had his 16th birthday the other day. He has gotten an awful lot of cash from everyone. He of course wants a car, but i am not getting him one. Because friends of his got cars when they turned 16 he things he should have one. My ex agreed with me not too long ago, but I think he is working on her hard. There was talk of her getting him one. I wish she would stop backing down. I have a perfectly good '97 Chevy pickup that he can use.
Work is really intense right now, but we are getting things done. Probably not fast enough for the execs, but we are also trying to not impact the various project deliveries that are scheduled. I've been giving a lot of training classes again. I kind of enjoy it, but I hate the fact that everyone wants the same things out of the new tools that were available in the old one. These people need to deal with change and get over it.
Ski season is starting up. My oldest has already gone on one trip with his school's Snow Riders club. Early snow is not very good, so he scraped up his board pretty bad. My youngest is in 5th grade, and apparently the ski areas give free passes to 5th and 6th graders. We got him the cards, so I am sure that means lots more skiing this year (I hope).
I have had a strange run of good luck with women from the Internet dating sites lately. I wasn't even really trying and have had dates with 2 in the last 2 weeks, and another who I thought wasn't interrested suddenly wants to see me. I've never been a good juggler, but I'll see what being a cyber slut is all about. Not really... I am not sleeping with them. Well, not yet.
One lady is a very intense marathon runner, and bike rider. I am no runner, and my bike riding is more on the enjoyable end than competative. I hoep that doesn't bother her. So far so good. Another lady is pretty fresh on the dating scene, so I need to see how mentally stable she is before going too far. I remember when I was in her shoes. I didn't know what to expect, and was ill-prepared for meeting new women. It's hard to tell so far. Then the 3rd I haven't met yet, but she seems interesting, and has her own company (no, not Avon or anything like that).
I am a one woman man, so having 3 interested at one time kind of gives me a weird anxiety.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
I have a new boss
...this doesn't change anything about my job, other than now I have to get him clued into how fucked up things are with some of our projects. He's been here a week and I think he was a bit surprized and the extent of the mess.
He seems like a good guy, and easy to work with. He has asked some very good questions, and I know he wants to do the right thing. I think our department is the only one trying to fix the problems at this place. But I look at it this way, if the other groups need to continue to work they have to go through us. Yes, we have the power to make their lives difficult, but I don't work like that. The VP of our section wants me to do things that could definitely make people take notice, but that would cause impacts to customer deliveries, so I need to find a better way to work them into our plans.
He seems like a good guy, and easy to work with. He has asked some very good questions, and I know he wants to do the right thing. I think our department is the only one trying to fix the problems at this place. But I look at it this way, if the other groups need to continue to work they have to go through us. Yes, we have the power to make their lives difficult, but I don't work like that. The VP of our section wants me to do things that could definitely make people take notice, but that would cause impacts to customer deliveries, so I need to find a better way to work them into our plans.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Projects just keep coming
There comes a time when you have to just say no. That time came today.
Last week I was working 12 hour days including on Saturday. We're finally able to implement some of the changes we've been proposing to our development group. I had my whole department in at work for 9 hours Saturday, then a couple of us had to be on-line from home to deal with some minor problems that a developer was having.
This first phase has really stressed me out. I have been wanting to get this done for over a year. Now that phase 1 is done I feel so much better. As far as I know there haven't been any complaints about our changes. I am pleasantly surprised.
The next phases will be equal or worse on the stress scale. Things are starting to pile up. Last year no one wanted to make these tool changes, but now that it's been drilled into their heads everyone seems to need us all at the same time. This isn't feasible, but that doesn't stop them from trying.
I was going to start testing of the data imports from one tool to another yesterday, but as I was setting my laptop on my desk, my boss comes by and asks if I was going to walk over to the Hyatt for the Project Management training class. My jaw dropped. I totally forgot to put that in my calendar. DAMNIT! So I've had to go in for Project Management training for the last 2 days.
The good thing is... now I know what my boss wants when he asks for a project plan.
For the last few months I have had a hard time sleeping before midnight. This week I've been falling asleep while watching movies in the evening. I think it all started this week because a friend came to see me, and kept me up until 5 AM Saturday night.
I am so tired... burned out...
I really want to buy a new trombone and join a community band, but something keeps me from doing it... the fact that I work in Denver, I don't think they'll be too pleased with me being later periodically. Maybe I should just do it, and see how it goes.
Last week I was working 12 hour days including on Saturday. We're finally able to implement some of the changes we've been proposing to our development group. I had my whole department in at work for 9 hours Saturday, then a couple of us had to be on-line from home to deal with some minor problems that a developer was having.
This first phase has really stressed me out. I have been wanting to get this done for over a year. Now that phase 1 is done I feel so much better. As far as I know there haven't been any complaints about our changes. I am pleasantly surprised.
The next phases will be equal or worse on the stress scale. Things are starting to pile up. Last year no one wanted to make these tool changes, but now that it's been drilled into their heads everyone seems to need us all at the same time. This isn't feasible, but that doesn't stop them from trying.
I was going to start testing of the data imports from one tool to another yesterday, but as I was setting my laptop on my desk, my boss comes by and asks if I was going to walk over to the Hyatt for the Project Management training class. My jaw dropped. I totally forgot to put that in my calendar. DAMNIT! So I've had to go in for Project Management training for the last 2 days.
The good thing is... now I know what my boss wants when he asks for a project plan.
For the last few months I have had a hard time sleeping before midnight. This week I've been falling asleep while watching movies in the evening. I think it all started this week because a friend came to see me, and kept me up until 5 AM Saturday night.
I am so tired... burned out...
I really want to buy a new trombone and join a community band, but something keeps me from doing it... the fact that I work in Denver, I don't think they'll be too pleased with me being later periodically. Maybe I should just do it, and see how it goes.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Busy month... but someone wanted an update
So Kevin is the starting catcher for the freshmen baseball team at his high school. He is taking this year very seriously, both school and sports. I think it's funny how the school's eligibility standards are so low. If he is failing 1 class he cannot play... My ex has a much higher standard. If he has a C he cannot play. We'll see if she'll buckle if that happens. I am betting so. Kevin is still in 2 honors classes, band, and now sports. Yesterday he tells me that the coach wants him to play on the JV team this week to see how well he does. He is an awesome catcher, but I am not expecting him to get much playing time on JV. He is also on the freshmen team. So he has 6 games this week. UGH!
His grades are very good, not perfect, but I don't care that much about having straight As. If he gets them I will be extremely proud, and reward him in some way. He's been continuing his drum lessons away from school, but is about to put those on hold until after baseball season is over. He still plays trumpet in band, but I can tell he doesn't like the teacher. I have a feeling he is going to want to drop band unless this guy is less of a dick. I was going to have to call the guy because he was going to fail Kevin in band because he missed a concert. My ex sent a note stating that Kevin had a huge English assignment that needed to be done, so she was note allowing him to go to the concert.
I totally agree that he needs to make his best attempt at being at all concerts and contests for the band, but when an academic class is suffering, you have to focus there first. What an asshole. Kevin asked for his number so I could call him. He apparently chickened out and gave Kevin a writing assignment to do to make up for the concert. Coward! I am going to track down his number anyway, or at least his e-mail.
Erik tried out last week for little League. We find out which team he is on this week. He is excited. He is doing well in school as well.
He got his yellow belt in Tae Kwon Do a couple weeks ago, which he is also into very much. I think it is teaching him a lot of good things.
Erik is a reading machine these days. It's hard to believe that he was considered well below his class just a few years ago. Thank you J. K. Rowlings!!! We still need to work on his writing.
So work is again kicking my ass. The main reason I was hired aover 18 months ago was to implement some pretty substantial process changes and new tools. Well, most of the process changes require the tools to change. We JUST got the company to buy the tools a couple weeks ago. We've had a year to prepare for this, but there is only so much prep you can do ahead of time.
We've been working a lot of weekends lately getting things ready, and upgrading the servers to accommodate more people using them. Now I am going into presentation mode, trying to explain all of the things that we are putting in place, and of course dealing with all of the resistance that comes along with change. My stress level is way up.
One of my guys is under so much pressure (not from me) that I am afraid he is going to crack. His wife doesn't work, and she got into an accident (not her fault) totaling the very nice SUV he bought for her. She is now traumatized and is afraid to drive. He works a second job on the weekends. The only car he has now is a piece of shit 15+ year old Nissan Sentra. And now that is giving him trouble. The guy seriously works 70+ hours a week.
I was talking to a friend of his (we all play World of Warcraft together). Scott is a good guy. I've never met him in person, but we had a talk last night about Mike. He works with Mike at Mike's other job. He is concerned about Mike too. He also thinks Mike's wife needs to get a job. Apparently she does nothing. I guess one of the reasons Mike doesn't mind working so much is because if he had idle time at home, she would dream up projects for him to do on the house. I know this year he has built a deck, started finishing his basement, replaced a number of appliances, etc.
On top of all this she calls him ALL THE FUCKING TIME. I give Mike shit for leaving his cell phone on his desk, but now I know why. He doesn't answer it if he doesn't have it on him. I remember when my ex used to call me all the time at work. It drove me crazy. He is such a nice guy, I hear some of his side of the conversations, and she sounds like the neediest woman on the planet. I also think she is a hypochondriac.
So what's going on with me, besides kids and work? Nothing really, but there is something coming up.
I have casually asked the lady from work out, was it she that asked me out. She only works in the office 3 days a week. She works from home the other 2 days. I told her about 9 months ago that I owed her a drink for helping me with something. I never followed through with going out for drinks. I was just trying to tell her how much I appreciated her hard work. Sure there was a little flirting there. I am a flirter. What can I say? But the fact was, I was seeing MS.
The last couple weeks she's been helping me out with some other things. Her department needed some stuff from me, so she's been giving me shit about it. Our IM conversations turned personal. I've learned a lot about her recently. She's asked a lot about me. She thought I was still seeing MS. When I told her I wasn't she said she figured I was most of the way to being married. She then told me I looked married. What the hell is that? She then said something about making me look single again. I still don't understand. She then reminded me that I stilled owed her a drink. I took this as her giving me a not so subtle hint to ask her out. I didn't right then, but I told I do need to do that.
She is always there on Fridays, but yesterday I wasn't. It snowed something like 5 inches here over night, so I decided to be a chicken and not risk the drive. I sent her an IM that spurred a long conversation which she was disappointed in me for not being there. She said she didn't need to be home for the kids. She wanted me to take her out for that drink. I asked if I can take her out on Monday instead... so we'll see.
I am still very nervous about seeing someone from work. I just get the impression from her, that even if we don't work well in a relationship we could still be friends, but then again women are unpredictable.
His grades are very good, not perfect, but I don't care that much about having straight As. If he gets them I will be extremely proud, and reward him in some way. He's been continuing his drum lessons away from school, but is about to put those on hold until after baseball season is over. He still plays trumpet in band, but I can tell he doesn't like the teacher. I have a feeling he is going to want to drop band unless this guy is less of a dick. I was going to have to call the guy because he was going to fail Kevin in band because he missed a concert. My ex sent a note stating that Kevin had a huge English assignment that needed to be done, so she was note allowing him to go to the concert.
I totally agree that he needs to make his best attempt at being at all concerts and contests for the band, but when an academic class is suffering, you have to focus there first. What an asshole. Kevin asked for his number so I could call him. He apparently chickened out and gave Kevin a writing assignment to do to make up for the concert. Coward! I am going to track down his number anyway, or at least his e-mail.
Erik tried out last week for little League. We find out which team he is on this week. He is excited. He is doing well in school as well.
He got his yellow belt in Tae Kwon Do a couple weeks ago, which he is also into very much. I think it is teaching him a lot of good things.
Erik is a reading machine these days. It's hard to believe that he was considered well below his class just a few years ago. Thank you J. K. Rowlings!!! We still need to work on his writing.
So work is again kicking my ass. The main reason I was hired aover 18 months ago was to implement some pretty substantial process changes and new tools. Well, most of the process changes require the tools to change. We JUST got the company to buy the tools a couple weeks ago. We've had a year to prepare for this, but there is only so much prep you can do ahead of time.
We've been working a lot of weekends lately getting things ready, and upgrading the servers to accommodate more people using them. Now I am going into presentation mode, trying to explain all of the things that we are putting in place, and of course dealing with all of the resistance that comes along with change. My stress level is way up.
One of my guys is under so much pressure (not from me) that I am afraid he is going to crack. His wife doesn't work, and she got into an accident (not her fault) totaling the very nice SUV he bought for her. She is now traumatized and is afraid to drive. He works a second job on the weekends. The only car he has now is a piece of shit 15+ year old Nissan Sentra. And now that is giving him trouble. The guy seriously works 70+ hours a week.
I was talking to a friend of his (we all play World of Warcraft together). Scott is a good guy. I've never met him in person, but we had a talk last night about Mike. He works with Mike at Mike's other job. He is concerned about Mike too. He also thinks Mike's wife needs to get a job. Apparently she does nothing. I guess one of the reasons Mike doesn't mind working so much is because if he had idle time at home, she would dream up projects for him to do on the house. I know this year he has built a deck, started finishing his basement, replaced a number of appliances, etc.
On top of all this she calls him ALL THE FUCKING TIME. I give Mike shit for leaving his cell phone on his desk, but now I know why. He doesn't answer it if he doesn't have it on him. I remember when my ex used to call me all the time at work. It drove me crazy. He is such a nice guy, I hear some of his side of the conversations, and she sounds like the neediest woman on the planet. I also think she is a hypochondriac.
So what's going on with me, besides kids and work? Nothing really, but there is something coming up.
I have casually asked the lady from work out, was it she that asked me out. She only works in the office 3 days a week. She works from home the other 2 days. I told her about 9 months ago that I owed her a drink for helping me with something. I never followed through with going out for drinks. I was just trying to tell her how much I appreciated her hard work. Sure there was a little flirting there. I am a flirter. What can I say? But the fact was, I was seeing MS.
The last couple weeks she's been helping me out with some other things. Her department needed some stuff from me, so she's been giving me shit about it. Our IM conversations turned personal. I've learned a lot about her recently. She's asked a lot about me. She thought I was still seeing MS. When I told her I wasn't she said she figured I was most of the way to being married. She then told me I looked married. What the hell is that? She then said something about making me look single again. I still don't understand. She then reminded me that I stilled owed her a drink. I took this as her giving me a not so subtle hint to ask her out. I didn't right then, but I told I do need to do that.
She is always there on Fridays, but yesterday I wasn't. It snowed something like 5 inches here over night, so I decided to be a chicken and not risk the drive. I sent her an IM that spurred a long conversation which she was disappointed in me for not being there. She said she didn't need to be home for the kids. She wanted me to take her out for that drink. I asked if I can take her out on Monday instead... so we'll see.
I am still very nervous about seeing someone from work. I just get the impression from her, that even if we don't work well in a relationship we could still be friends, but then again women are unpredictable.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
I know I'm slow
I've been awfully busy lately. Work has been difficult, as usual, but on top of the normal bullshit, I had to get my employee's reviews done. It is one of the main things I dislike about being a manager. It sounds like my boss wants me to do more management stuff, instead of being more of a technical manager (I work as well as manage... hehehe). He's recommended I do some training, but I am not sure what kind of training will be available.
Last weekend I had a great weekend of skiing with the boys. My sister and a bunch of her friends came to Colorado to ski for the week. She wasn't flying in until Sunday, so was hoping I could take a day off and bring the boys up. The funny thing was, I already took Monday off because I was going to take the boys skiing for Sunday and Monday. We just changed oour plan as to where we would go.
Normally we go to Monarch a lot because it is WAY cheaper, and the crowds are not nearly as bad as anything up west of Denver. Patti and her friends were coming to ski Winterpark, which I have never tried, so I figured what the hell. I got a room at the Best Western, and we headed up. She was traveling Sunday, so I skied with the kids that day. The conditions were as good as I have ever seen them. Fresh powder, sun shining, and no wind. It doesn't get much better than that. The crowds weren't too bad considering it was the weekend.
I forgot to take my good camera, so I had to take these with my new Helio phone.
Of course, there were no pictures of me.
I didn't take the new car up there. I still have the truck, which is 4 wheel drive, so I keep it around for things like climbing over Berthoud Pass. That is a winding mother of a road.
But as promised (and nagged about), here are some pics of the new wheels.
I am really liking the car, but I still feel weird whenever I see a Vibe on the road. I know I shouldn't be that attached to a car. I realize it is not the pretties car on the road, but there was something about it I just loved.
Since some of you were wondering, I haven't done anything about asking out the lady at work. Part of me wants to, but actually part of me is still liking not dating right now. I'm sure my thoughts on this will change when my horniness makes the decision for me.
Last weekend I had a great weekend of skiing with the boys. My sister and a bunch of her friends came to Colorado to ski for the week. She wasn't flying in until Sunday, so was hoping I could take a day off and bring the boys up. The funny thing was, I already took Monday off because I was going to take the boys skiing for Sunday and Monday. We just changed oour plan as to where we would go.
Normally we go to Monarch a lot because it is WAY cheaper, and the crowds are not nearly as bad as anything up west of Denver. Patti and her friends were coming to ski Winterpark, which I have never tried, so I figured what the hell. I got a room at the Best Western, and we headed up. She was traveling Sunday, so I skied with the kids that day. The conditions were as good as I have ever seen them. Fresh powder, sun shining, and no wind. It doesn't get much better than that. The crowds weren't too bad considering it was the weekend.
I forgot to take my good camera, so I had to take these with my new Helio phone.
Of course, there were no pictures of me.
I didn't take the new car up there. I still have the truck, which is 4 wheel drive, so I keep it around for things like climbing over Berthoud Pass. That is a winding mother of a road.
But as promised (and nagged about), here are some pics of the new wheels.
I am really liking the car, but I still feel weird whenever I see a Vibe on the road. I know I shouldn't be that attached to a car. I realize it is not the pretties car on the road, but there was something about it I just loved.
Since some of you were wondering, I haven't done anything about asking out the lady at work. Part of me wants to, but actually part of me is still liking not dating right now. I'm sure my thoughts on this will change when my horniness makes the decision for me.
Friday, December 07, 2007
Pushing forward
It is Friday night, and I have to go to work tomorrow. It's cold, and probably snowing as we speak. I guess we'll just have to see what happens. (bitch bitch bitch)
We doing our second attempt at moving the folks in Iowa to a new server. We think it will go well, but then again we thought that the first time.
I don't really have to be in the office, but 2 of my guys are going in, and one Systems Engineer. I'll probably work on some database crap I need to finish. That or do some performance review paperwork (somebody shoot me).
I will also take the guys out to a nice lunch... ON THE COMPANY!!!
We doing our second attempt at moving the folks in Iowa to a new server. We think it will go well, but then again we thought that the first time.
I don't really have to be in the office, but 2 of my guys are going in, and one Systems Engineer. I'll probably work on some database crap I need to finish. That or do some performance review paperwork (somebody shoot me).
I will also take the guys out to a nice lunch... ON THE COMPANY!!!
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
I am sick of being stressed
OK, so I've been bitching and moaning about the project in Iowa... well last week we laid off over a dozen people. Basically a house cleaning. There is an aweful lot of people there assigned to do jobs they are not qualified to do. Quite frankly, I am surprised the numbers weren't higher. There are a few people still there that I would have picked.
One of my key guys informed me that he's been offered a job at another company. He and I are friends, and we are both disturbed by the way things have been going for us, but I certainly don't want him to leave. He said he was on the fence. We discussed what it would take to keep him.
I let my director know what was going. It happened to be the same day he was leaving to go to Iowa for the lay off. He had a lot of shit on his plate to say the least. While he was gone, he and our VP discussed options and strategy to keep my guy happy. When they returned we had a meeting with him to discuss our options. He seems to have come back to our side of the fence. I hope they come through with what we discussed.
The one good thing that has come from this panic is that I am focusing more on our local issues than just the Iowa shit. We are working on plans for what we should have been doing in Denver all along. Iowa will hit us again, I am sure, but for now we are feeling better about our futures.
I've definitely had better days. My motivation is down, my mood is bad. The good thing is, I am working out just about everyday to help deal with my frustrations. I am feeling better, physically, than I have in a very long time.
The kids are doing great. This first quarter is flying by.
Girlfriend? Well, that isn't helping my mood.
I've been playing a bit of WoW lately. It's my escape. Probably a bad thing to do instead of dealing with my other issues, but I have gotten my Orc Hunter to level 27 :D
One of my key guys informed me that he's been offered a job at another company. He and I are friends, and we are both disturbed by the way things have been going for us, but I certainly don't want him to leave. He said he was on the fence. We discussed what it would take to keep him.
I let my director know what was going. It happened to be the same day he was leaving to go to Iowa for the lay off. He had a lot of shit on his plate to say the least. While he was gone, he and our VP discussed options and strategy to keep my guy happy. When they returned we had a meeting with him to discuss our options. He seems to have come back to our side of the fence. I hope they come through with what we discussed.
The one good thing that has come from this panic is that I am focusing more on our local issues than just the Iowa shit. We are working on plans for what we should have been doing in Denver all along. Iowa will hit us again, I am sure, but for now we are feeling better about our futures.
I've definitely had better days. My motivation is down, my mood is bad. The good thing is, I am working out just about everyday to help deal with my frustrations. I am feeling better, physically, than I have in a very long time.
The kids are doing great. This first quarter is flying by.
Girlfriend? Well, that isn't helping my mood.
I've been playing a bit of WoW lately. It's my escape. Probably a bad thing to do instead of dealing with my other issues, but I have gotten my Orc Hunter to level 27 :D
Thursday, September 06, 2007
I'm still here...
I'm in a funk...
I am over worked...
GF trouble...
What else is new? I went camping over the holiday weekend. Had a great time with my kids and my friend Mike's family.
So much happened these last few weeks I have a hard time putting it down in words. I need a vacation from my brain.
I miss chatting with you all.
I am over worked...
GF trouble...
What else is new? I went camping over the holiday weekend. Had a great time with my kids and my friend Mike's family.
So much happened these last few weeks I have a hard time putting it down in words. I need a vacation from my brain.
I miss chatting with you all.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
One More Day...
until I am on vacation.
The big trip to Maine for my family reunion starts Thursday. I am anxious, and nervous. I don't know what to expect from this trip. I am going to be really self-conscious about myself, and people asking about MS. Am I stupid for taking my girlfriend on vacation with me? Probably.
I am really excited about seeing my immediate family, and seeing some of my extended family that will be there. I guess there are going to be family members there that I have never met before. That's what happens when your mom is from a large family and her siblings are spread all over the country.
I hope that it all goes smoothly, but I am afraid it won't/ I am going to try and stay calm, and not over-react. MS is getting stressed out because she knows I am going to be stressed out. AHHHHHH
I am surprised that I am not being asked to delay my vacation due to my job, but I told them that this was planned a year ago (well, not quite, but they don't need to know that). We're supposed to be rolling out new processes and tools to the group in Iowa at the end of August. We're not ready.
Actually I don't think we'll meet the schedule for one big reason. The server hardware we need has not even been ordered yet. I know that once the hardware is on order that our schedules will be screwed until we turn the switch.
The Iowa people are driving me crazy. We ask some really simple questions, and they skirt the answer EVERY FUCKING TIME. my frustration level with them is at an all time high. I am thinking they are trying to fuck this up for us, when in fact this will make their lives so much easier.
ACK!
I'll see you all after the 4th of August.
The big trip to Maine for my family reunion starts Thursday. I am anxious, and nervous. I don't know what to expect from this trip. I am going to be really self-conscious about myself, and people asking about MS. Am I stupid for taking my girlfriend on vacation with me? Probably.
I am really excited about seeing my immediate family, and seeing some of my extended family that will be there. I guess there are going to be family members there that I have never met before. That's what happens when your mom is from a large family and her siblings are spread all over the country.
I hope that it all goes smoothly, but I am afraid it won't/ I am going to try and stay calm, and not over-react. MS is getting stressed out because she knows I am going to be stressed out. AHHHHHH
I am surprised that I am not being asked to delay my vacation due to my job, but I told them that this was planned a year ago (well, not quite, but they don't need to know that). We're supposed to be rolling out new processes and tools to the group in Iowa at the end of August. We're not ready.
Actually I don't think we'll meet the schedule for one big reason. The server hardware we need has not even been ordered yet. I know that once the hardware is on order that our schedules will be screwed until we turn the switch.
The Iowa people are driving me crazy. We ask some really simple questions, and they skirt the answer EVERY FUCKING TIME. my frustration level with them is at an all time high. I am thinking they are trying to fuck this up for us, when in fact this will make their lives so much easier.
ACK!
I'll see you all after the 4th of August.
Thursday, July 05, 2007
Too much information...
... running through my head
The shit hit the fan at work about the Iowa projects. All that was planned has changed. I am scrambling to get ready for setting them up with the new tools and process by the end of August. I don't think that's enough time, but we're going to try.
My home Vista upgrade has caused me a couple of problems. Battlefield 2 is not working. I have updated drivers and BIOS (which created a big headache) and still it won't let me play. I may have to get a new video card. That is upsetting to me. WoW on the other hand is working better than ever. I guess I have to change my game of choice until a solution is discovered.
I've seen a couple movies this past month...
Knocked up: HILARIOUS!
Not quite as good as "40 Year Old Virgin", but damn close.
Evan Almighty: DISAPPOINTED
Too many holes in the story. Steve Carell is a favorite of mine. It had some good moments, but no where near as good as Bruce Almighty.
Live Free or Die Hard: KICKS ASS
I didn't think they could get another good movie out of the franchise. I was WAY wrong.
Ratatouille: AWESOME!
Brad Bird did it again (he wrote and directed "The Incredibles" too). This guy knows how to write and direct an animated movie.
The shit hit the fan at work about the Iowa projects. All that was planned has changed. I am scrambling to get ready for setting them up with the new tools and process by the end of August. I don't think that's enough time, but we're going to try.
My home Vista upgrade has caused me a couple of problems. Battlefield 2 is not working. I have updated drivers and BIOS (which created a big headache) and still it won't let me play. I may have to get a new video card. That is upsetting to me. WoW on the other hand is working better than ever. I guess I have to change my game of choice until a solution is discovered.
I've seen a couple movies this past month...
Knocked up: HILARIOUS!
Not quite as good as "40 Year Old Virgin", but damn close.
Evan Almighty: DISAPPOINTED
Too many holes in the story. Steve Carell is a favorite of mine. It had some good moments, but no where near as good as Bruce Almighty.
Live Free or Die Hard: KICKS ASS
I didn't think they could get another good movie out of the franchise. I was WAY wrong.
Ratatouille: AWESOME!
Brad Bird did it again (he wrote and directed "The Incredibles" too). This guy knows how to write and direct an animated movie.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Bitching about work
Hey friends...
I have a minute to breath... barely
This is a rant... feel free to ignore it. I just need to vent.
My experience with the Iowa group has been fairly limited. We try to support their software configuration management needs, but I was happy with just letting them stay status quo until we move them over to the tools we use in Denver. That's not happening soon enough. Their SCM server is crapping out on them. Locking developers out every day, sometimes multiple times a day. It is a Linux box.
A few weeks ago we decided we needed to change out that server. They wanted to move from a Linux box to Windows. Sounded easy enough, but me and my crew are not too familiar with the tools they use. We got it all set up except for one add-on that send e-mail out every time a file is checked in. I told them they may need to go without that tool. They said "NO WAY!", they had to have it. About a week or so ago I asked why getting spammed from the source control tool was so important... that was a big mistake.
Well they use this tool in a VERY unorthodox way, and also do software releases in a very odd way, I came to find out. Apparently, when a customer finds a bug in the software and declares it an emergency, the group in Iowa fix the code and check it in. This generates these e-mails that identify only the lines in the code that are changed. The Iowa group then forwards that e-mail to the client. When I was investigating this I though "Why the hell would they care what lines of code were changed?". I came to find out that the customer has our source code on-site (This is bad, VERY BAD!), and when an emergency bug needs to be fixed they take this e-mail and make the changes on-site instead of just getting a new release from us. They then rebuild and redeploy locally. I think the words that came out of my mouth were, "You got to be fucking kidding me". Not only that, but the client has the "option" of making changes we don't know about, or not implementing all of the fixes we send them.
Let me explain something here. My title is Manager of Software Configuration Management. It is my responsibility to be able to control and recreate any software that has either been deployed internally or to the customer (ESPECIALLY to the customer). I had no idea this was going on. The project manager that told me this said she knew that this was a bad way of doing it, but this was needed due to customer expectations. I told her this was going to have to change.
I could not keep this to myself. I wrote this up in an e-mail to my boss, he is the head of Systems Engineering, and to the head of Product Engineering, and the VP of Software Engineering for our division. What suprised me is the speed in which I got a reply. The first came from the VP. She was in shock. So much so that she followed that up with another "less volatile" response. Unfortunately she told me that I had to get that fixed.
This is an issue way beyond my group, which is way I threw it up the ladder. I don't interact with the customer, and if I was to tell the customer that this practice is no longer going to work I know I would have my head on the chopping block. I let everyone know that the customer relationship needed to be worked to get them to understand the change to the process, and it should be done by someone that already has an on-going relationship with them.
I think the VP agreed, but she never told me. I was trying to understand how to unravel this mess when my boss came by. He was laughing and shaking his head. I told him I don't want to look under any more rocks in Iowa, "can we just nuke 'em from orbit, it's the only way to be sure". That was a movie quote (I know... such a guy thing). Can anyone guess the movie?
Well the responsibility is no longer on me to fix this. It has been handled at the VP level. More than one VP had to be involved because a different VP handles the customer facing stuff (I was right... YEAH!).
Sorry for all the process talk. I know it's not exciting.
So now we're moving them over next weekend to the Windows box without the e-mail add-on. Another weekend ruined with work. There are going to be a number of ruined weekends coming up shortly. This was just one of the things stressing me out.
I haven't even been playing much as far as computer games go. My BF2 installation needs to be redone. So I've been playing a little World of Warcraft. Sometimes with Chrissie. I like how her character dances for mine.
Little League is over, but Kevin is also on the freshmen team at the high school. That goes for a couple more weeks. I've been spending a lot of time at the ball parks.
I have a minute to breath... barely
This is a rant... feel free to ignore it. I just need to vent.
My experience with the Iowa group has been fairly limited. We try to support their software configuration management needs, but I was happy with just letting them stay status quo until we move them over to the tools we use in Denver. That's not happening soon enough. Their SCM server is crapping out on them. Locking developers out every day, sometimes multiple times a day. It is a Linux box.
A few weeks ago we decided we needed to change out that server. They wanted to move from a Linux box to Windows. Sounded easy enough, but me and my crew are not too familiar with the tools they use. We got it all set up except for one add-on that send e-mail out every time a file is checked in. I told them they may need to go without that tool. They said "NO WAY!", they had to have it. About a week or so ago I asked why getting spammed from the source control tool was so important... that was a big mistake.
Well they use this tool in a VERY unorthodox way, and also do software releases in a very odd way, I came to find out. Apparently, when a customer finds a bug in the software and declares it an emergency, the group in Iowa fix the code and check it in. This generates these e-mails that identify only the lines in the code that are changed. The Iowa group then forwards that e-mail to the client. When I was investigating this I though "Why the hell would they care what lines of code were changed?". I came to find out that the customer has our source code on-site (This is bad, VERY BAD!), and when an emergency bug needs to be fixed they take this e-mail and make the changes on-site instead of just getting a new release from us. They then rebuild and redeploy locally. I think the words that came out of my mouth were, "You got to be fucking kidding me". Not only that, but the client has the "option" of making changes we don't know about, or not implementing all of the fixes we send them.
Let me explain something here. My title is Manager of Software Configuration Management. It is my responsibility to be able to control and recreate any software that has either been deployed internally or to the customer (ESPECIALLY to the customer). I had no idea this was going on. The project manager that told me this said she knew that this was a bad way of doing it, but this was needed due to customer expectations. I told her this was going to have to change.
I could not keep this to myself. I wrote this up in an e-mail to my boss, he is the head of Systems Engineering, and to the head of Product Engineering, and the VP of Software Engineering for our division. What suprised me is the speed in which I got a reply. The first came from the VP. She was in shock. So much so that she followed that up with another "less volatile" response. Unfortunately she told me that I had to get that fixed.
This is an issue way beyond my group, which is way I threw it up the ladder. I don't interact with the customer, and if I was to tell the customer that this practice is no longer going to work I know I would have my head on the chopping block. I let everyone know that the customer relationship needed to be worked to get them to understand the change to the process, and it should be done by someone that already has an on-going relationship with them.
I think the VP agreed, but she never told me. I was trying to understand how to unravel this mess when my boss came by. He was laughing and shaking his head. I told him I don't want to look under any more rocks in Iowa, "can we just nuke 'em from orbit, it's the only way to be sure". That was a movie quote (I know... such a guy thing). Can anyone guess the movie?
Well the responsibility is no longer on me to fix this. It has been handled at the VP level. More than one VP had to be involved because a different VP handles the customer facing stuff (I was right... YEAH!).
Sorry for all the process talk. I know it's not exciting.
So now we're moving them over next weekend to the Windows box without the e-mail add-on. Another weekend ruined with work. There are going to be a number of ruined weekends coming up shortly. This was just one of the things stressing me out.
I haven't even been playing much as far as computer games go. My BF2 installation needs to be redone. So I've been playing a little World of Warcraft. Sometimes with Chrissie. I like how her character dances for mine.
Little League is over, but Kevin is also on the freshmen team at the high school. That goes for a couple more weeks. I've been spending a lot of time at the ball parks.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Too Damn Busy
I know I'm not around much. My work is kicking my ass. Many deadlines that may not be possible. I have lots to blog about, just no time to do it.
I hope everyone is doing well.
I hope everyone is doing well.
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Interviewing and talking
No, things are not so bad at work that I am leaving. I have interviewed a couple of people this past week for my job opening.
I determined that both guys could do the job just from reading their resumes. Sure, people sometimes lie in their resume, so it's up to me to make a decision through talking to them.
I don't really like interviewing people. It's part of my social anxiety. I tend to talk to much because I am nervous. Mike, one of my guys that does interviews with me, said he is going to kick me the next time I start providing way too much detail. It was good to hear that. It keeps me aware of my rambling on.
The first interview was last Friday. The guy had been awake for over 24 hours due to a major software release from his current job. He seemed a bit wired. I wasn't going to hold it against him. He knows what he is doing, but he doesn't know the main tool that we use. There would be a substancial learning curve, but as he stated, he has always wanted to learn this tool. His expertice in other areas kept him in the running.
The next guy I was a bit skeptical about. I feel bad about this, but I am a bit apprehensive about hiring someone from India. I have met some great engineers from india, but I have also known a lot of mediocre and bad engineers. Some of the problems stem from the communication gap. Some people from india speak so fast that it is hard to understand them through their heavy accent. Other parts of my feelings come from the fact that a lot of people from India are very meek. I can't afford to have someone that doesn't step up and question why we do things a certain way.
This guy came in, dressed in a very nice suit. I was in my jeans and a Polo shirt. We're casual in the office. I had forgotten about the interview. Usually I'll wear a pair of Dockers. He was very articulate and extremely well versed in the tools. He had to do some extreme customization to integrate a couple tools together. He apparently did this all on his own. He was not afraid to speak up, and even interrupted me when he knew that I was going to ask a particular question.
Mike was with me for both interviews. Both of us had some hesitation about hiring the first guy. We both agreed he could do the job, but we thought his focus in a particular area caused him not to fit as well as we'd like. After we finished with the second guy I went over to Mike's desk to get a quick first impression from him. His exact words were, "HIRE HIM!!". I felt the same way. We made him an offer today. The recruiter and I are 99% sure he'll accept.
I had originally put in a bunch of stuff here about the discussion that MS and I had for the last few days. Suffice it to say that she needs to get her son back on ADD meds, and probably a sleeping pill (I guess he only gets a couple hours of sleep per night). There was also a lot of concern over our relationship. She is being VERY needy,a nd it concerns her that I am not.
Lots to think about.
I determined that both guys could do the job just from reading their resumes. Sure, people sometimes lie in their resume, so it's up to me to make a decision through talking to them.
I don't really like interviewing people. It's part of my social anxiety. I tend to talk to much because I am nervous. Mike, one of my guys that does interviews with me, said he is going to kick me the next time I start providing way too much detail. It was good to hear that. It keeps me aware of my rambling on.
The first interview was last Friday. The guy had been awake for over 24 hours due to a major software release from his current job. He seemed a bit wired. I wasn't going to hold it against him. He knows what he is doing, but he doesn't know the main tool that we use. There would be a substancial learning curve, but as he stated, he has always wanted to learn this tool. His expertice in other areas kept him in the running.
The next guy I was a bit skeptical about. I feel bad about this, but I am a bit apprehensive about hiring someone from India. I have met some great engineers from india, but I have also known a lot of mediocre and bad engineers. Some of the problems stem from the communication gap. Some people from india speak so fast that it is hard to understand them through their heavy accent. Other parts of my feelings come from the fact that a lot of people from India are very meek. I can't afford to have someone that doesn't step up and question why we do things a certain way.
This guy came in, dressed in a very nice suit. I was in my jeans and a Polo shirt. We're casual in the office. I had forgotten about the interview. Usually I'll wear a pair of Dockers. He was very articulate and extremely well versed in the tools. He had to do some extreme customization to integrate a couple tools together. He apparently did this all on his own. He was not afraid to speak up, and even interrupted me when he knew that I was going to ask a particular question.
Mike was with me for both interviews. Both of us had some hesitation about hiring the first guy. We both agreed he could do the job, but we thought his focus in a particular area caused him not to fit as well as we'd like. After we finished with the second guy I went over to Mike's desk to get a quick first impression from him. His exact words were, "HIRE HIM!!". I felt the same way. We made him an offer today. The recruiter and I are 99% sure he'll accept.
I had originally put in a bunch of stuff here about the discussion that MS and I had for the last few days. Suffice it to say that she needs to get her son back on ADD meds, and probably a sleeping pill (I guess he only gets a couple hours of sleep per night). There was also a lot of concern over our relationship. She is being VERY needy,a nd it concerns her that I am not.
Lots to think about.
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Where do I start?
Work has been unbelievably stressful recently. Now that I am now managing SCM in Des moines as well (please don't ask me to explain SCM again) the server that houses the projects there desides to start acting flakey. What does this mean? Now I have to get someone hired for the Des Moines office IMMEDIATELY! But until that happens we've been asked to meove their systems off of the flakey Linux box and put it on a Windows server that we just happened to have lying around.
Big issue... transfering this stuff from one server to another is relatively easy. Moving it from linux to Windows is not. We're not even sure some of the tools will work properly on Windows.
We had hoped to have the new hardware set up over the weekend and ready to move data over early this week. Well that didn't happen. Like I said, moving from Linux to Windows is not that eas
y. Not only that, but they are using different tools than we are so we have to learn their tools while trying to get them to work. Needless to say, the pressure is on.
I had a job posting to hire someone for the Des Moine job, and guess what?... Not a single person applied. We've now made the position for either Des Moines or Denver and we'll manage things remotely if need be. One of my guys knows the perfect person for the job. I have his resume through unofficial channels, but I cannot interview him until our HR recruiter gets off her pretty little ass (yes, it is quite pretty) and does some sort of bullshit screening interview.
Our system in Denver has developed a problem since we upgraded to a new version of our tool. We have been working with IBM's tech support to find a fix to the problem. Today we contacted IBM for additional support and they said that our maintenance aggreement has lapsed. I have been waiting for a new purchase of licenses to get approved for these tools, and wrapped up in this purchase is the renewal of the maintenance. WE ARE SO FUCKED!
Big issue... transfering this stuff from one server to another is relatively easy. Moving it from linux to Windows is not. We're not even sure some of the tools will work properly on Windows.
We had hoped to have the new hardware set up over the weekend and ready to move data over early this week. Well that didn't happen. Like I said, moving from Linux to Windows is not that eas
y. Not only that, but they are using different tools than we are so we have to learn their tools while trying to get them to work. Needless to say, the pressure is on.I had a job posting to hire someone for the Des Moine job, and guess what?... Not a single person applied. We've now made the position for either Des Moines or Denver and we'll manage things remotely if need be. One of my guys knows the perfect person for the job. I have his resume through unofficial channels, but I cannot interview him until our HR recruiter gets off her pretty little ass (yes, it is quite pretty) and does some sort of bullshit screening interview.
Our system in Denver has developed a problem since we upgraded to a new version of our tool. We have been working with IBM's tech support to find a fix to the problem. Today we contacted IBM for additional support and they said that our maintenance aggreement has lapsed. I have been waiting for a new purchase of licenses to get approved for these tools, and wrapped up in this purchase is the renewal of the maintenance. WE ARE SO FUCKED!
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
THPPFT!
I am feeling kind of blah about things lately. Could it have to do with me coming down with a cold? I have semi-worked from home Monday and Tuesday. It was rough trying to concentrate with a head full of snot and cold medicine.I am going to try to get tickets to The Police concert for when they are in Denver this June. I am a huge fan. I have just been to BLAH to get off my ass and get tickets.
Stress from work is no better, and is probably worse than ever. My new boss is grateful for all of the things that I do, but holy shit this needs to stop.I am trying to hire someone for our Des Moines office. I don't have much hope in finding a perfect fit for a technical job in Iowa. I know it's bad to say, but there just isn't that big of a bowl to fish from. Any SCM engineers out there want to move to Iowa? I didn't think so.
The official opening day of Little League Baseball here in Colorado Springs is this Saturday. My kids are psyched. Kevin (14yo) has a scrimmage game that day after a hitting competition. We'll see how that goes. I am still not sure what is going on with Erik's (9yo) team. I think they've had 2 practices now, it might just be 1. Not that I want to coach, but if you're going to volunteer to coach these kids, then schedule some practices.
PLAY BALL!!
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