Tuesday, January 25, 2005
I now believe in Karma.
I’m slipping. Almost a week since the last update and almost two since the last game update! Note to self, make more of an effort.
The last few weeks have been incredibly crappy to all three of us, but at last we’re beginning to turn a corner. Little Miss has cut a tooth and there are several more on the way. On Saturday night we had our first quiet night in months with Little Miss sleeping through till 4-5 am. It was a godsend. LSW is now a little bit more relaxed and Little Miss is no longer as grumpy.
Work seems to have turned around. Relations between Scooter and myself seem to have mended and we’re all working as a team again. The work we’re doing for client two is a lot more complex than we originally thought, so we’re all working on it, probably take an extra week of effort.
But here is the biggest thing is related to the game. A few weeks ago I got a notification from Fed-ex that there was an international was on the way. I thought it was one of those scam emails so I ignored it. But a package did arrive today and boy did I get a shock.
When I opened it there was a free copy of JBuilder X Mobile Edition with a note from Nokia saying thanks for the filling in a questionnaire. I don’t even remember filling in a questionnaire! Fully Licensed and worth $400 it’s a miracle. Now I’ve just got to get it set up right.
The last few weeks have been incredibly crappy to all three of us, but at last we’re beginning to turn a corner. Little Miss has cut a tooth and there are several more on the way. On Saturday night we had our first quiet night in months with Little Miss sleeping through till 4-5 am. It was a godsend. LSW is now a little bit more relaxed and Little Miss is no longer as grumpy.
Work seems to have turned around. Relations between Scooter and myself seem to have mended and we’re all working as a team again. The work we’re doing for client two is a lot more complex than we originally thought, so we’re all working on it, probably take an extra week of effort.
But here is the biggest thing is related to the game. A few weeks ago I got a notification from Fed-ex that there was an international was on the way. I thought it was one of those scam emails so I ignored it. But a package did arrive today and boy did I get a shock.
When I opened it there was a free copy of JBuilder X Mobile Edition with a note from Nokia saying thanks for the filling in a questionnaire. I don’t even remember filling in a questionnaire! Fully Licensed and worth $400 it’s a miracle. Now I’ve just got to get it set up right.
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
Well That was Fun
I’ve managed to sort out most of client four’s problems, however something bad was discovered about client Two’s new Website. Guess who’s fault that was! Scooter has now threatened my job and to tell you the truth I don’t care anymore. In the mad rush before Christmas in order to get things, a report subquery was missed. A small mistake but big consequences.
As the CV is almost finished, I’m really just waiting to see if I can last long enough to get the next bonus. The money will be needed because they moved our Payday to the middle of the month and everywhere else, you get paid at month end. I need to find half a months Salary so I don’t go into too much debt (as if I’m in enough all ready!).
Kackman is in the same boat. He seems devastatingly depressed about it. Personally I’m not sleeping too well about the whole thing either. TMCM is running around sticking idea’s up flagpole to see who salutes them. I’m just keeping my head down.
Little Miss is improving a lot. Pity she only goes three hours before waking up. We’re going to try a new plan. Before 12 I’m going to attempt to feed her from her special cup instead of annoying LSW. Think that’s planned for Thursday.
I’m still working on the initial protocol for the game. I’m testing the protocol to Hell and back because I want to make sure I can leave it. It’s still at one Phone Sending a Challenge to another but I feel I’m almost there. I’ve just got two small bugs and a couple of tests left.
As the CV is almost finished, I’m really just waiting to see if I can last long enough to get the next bonus. The money will be needed because they moved our Payday to the middle of the month and everywhere else, you get paid at month end. I need to find half a months Salary so I don’t go into too much debt (as if I’m in enough all ready!).
Kackman is in the same boat. He seems devastatingly depressed about it. Personally I’m not sleeping too well about the whole thing either. TMCM is running around sticking idea’s up flagpole to see who salutes them. I’m just keeping my head down.
Little Miss is improving a lot. Pity she only goes three hours before waking up. We’re going to try a new plan. Before 12 I’m going to attempt to feed her from her special cup instead of annoying LSW. Think that’s planned for Thursday.
I’m still working on the initial protocol for the game. I’m testing the protocol to Hell and back because I want to make sure I can leave it. It’s still at one Phone Sending a Challenge to another but I feel I’m almost there. I’ve just got two small bugs and a couple of tests left.
Sunday, January 16, 2005
It’s Teeth Jim, but not as we know it.
Friday night was a miracle. Little Miss decided to sleep for almost five hours and for most of the day as we pushed her around town while shopping. Saturday night was impossible. We couldn’t tell if it was the teeth or she’d picked up yet another cold. Sunday she was all over the place, one minute happy, the other screaming the place down.
Work has gone from bad to worse. Code that was written, for both client four and client two, has cocked up and apparently it’s my fault. Looks like I won’t be making it as far as the next bonus after all. I’m beginning to think that I’ll be Lucky to see the end of this week in that job. I can’t seem to find all the CV work that I put together as well.
All this has put added pressure on LSW and my relationship. We’re not exactly being civil to each other at the moment. We’re both knackered and stressed, both about my work and Little Miss. I know I should try and focus on the positive but that’s easier said than done.
Work has gone from bad to worse. Code that was written, for both client four and client two, has cocked up and apparently it’s my fault. Looks like I won’t be making it as far as the next bonus after all. I’m beginning to think that I’ll be Lucky to see the end of this week in that job. I can’t seem to find all the CV work that I put together as well.
All this has put added pressure on LSW and my relationship. We’re not exactly being civil to each other at the moment. We’re both knackered and stressed, both about my work and Little Miss. I know I should try and focus on the positive but that’s easier said than done.
Friday, January 14, 2005
Close Call
Oops. This blog almost got found out. I was writing a report with my notes in the background. Scooter was looking over my shoulder and he saw those notes and thought they were part of the report. Oh Dear! I managed to fumble an excuse and wipe the document and call up the proper report. Whew!
Little Miss is getting a lot better, three-four hours of sleep and she seems a lot happier. This means LSW is not as frantic but she does miss her when she goes to work.
However yesterday morning was a bit of an eye opener for me. I was changing Little Miss’ Nappie after a large poo. I’d just managed to clean her up when she Pooped again. I cried out, mostly in surprise, but there was some frustration as well. LSW calls up from downstairs telling me not to shout at Little Miss.
When I looked down, my little girl looked shocked by my outburst, maybe even scared. That look haunted me for the rest of the day. I was fretting about whether she’d be scared of me when she came back from nursery. When I did come back from work, she’d passed out and stayed asleep for most of the night.
Thankfully, this morning, it was all smiles and giggles but it was an object lesson on keeping calm.
A little game work has been done, and hopefully I’ll have both the test units swapping player, unit and Maps ready to play a game by the end of the weekend.
Little Miss is getting a lot better, three-four hours of sleep and she seems a lot happier. This means LSW is not as frantic but she does miss her when she goes to work.
However yesterday morning was a bit of an eye opener for me. I was changing Little Miss’ Nappie after a large poo. I’d just managed to clean her up when she Pooped again. I cried out, mostly in surprise, but there was some frustration as well. LSW calls up from downstairs telling me not to shout at Little Miss.
When I looked down, my little girl looked shocked by my outburst, maybe even scared. That look haunted me for the rest of the day. I was fretting about whether she’d be scared of me when she came back from nursery. When I did come back from work, she’d passed out and stayed asleep for most of the night.
Thankfully, this morning, it was all smiles and giggles but it was an object lesson on keeping calm.
A little game work has been done, and hopefully I’ll have both the test units swapping player, unit and Maps ready to play a game by the end of the weekend.
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
Now What?
Little Miss seems to be getting better. The cold seems to have broken and she seems to be on the mend. LSW is very relieved about getting some rest (about three straight hours last night). We tried shifts last night but it didn’t help. LSW still woke to the cries, even though I was looking after our rather loud little girl.
It’s now Six Months and a day since Little Miss arrived on the scene and it was a time of reflection for me last night. She doesn’t look like a helpless, crying baby now. She now is aware and taking things in and desperately wasn’t to crawl and eat things. To be honest, it feels likes years have passed, not six months. Although both her and LSW are the most important things in my life, I feel older and more helpless about the world every day.
Work has been strange but then what’s new. I’ve been quietly fixing some huge bugs for Client Four and as per usual TMCM has been changing the spec on the fly. There is another scare, which is as big as last weeks, but as the code was written by a programmer who has left, I don’t feel so scared about fixing it.
No game work for almost two weeks now. If nothing goes wrong then tonight might be the night to get the first step working.
It’s now Six Months and a day since Little Miss arrived on the scene and it was a time of reflection for me last night. She doesn’t look like a helpless, crying baby now. She now is aware and taking things in and desperately wasn’t to crawl and eat things. To be honest, it feels likes years have passed, not six months. Although both her and LSW are the most important things in my life, I feel older and more helpless about the world every day.
Work has been strange but then what’s new. I’ve been quietly fixing some huge bugs for Client Four and as per usual TMCM has been changing the spec on the fly. There is another scare, which is as big as last weeks, but as the code was written by a programmer who has left, I don’t feel so scared about fixing it.
No game work for almost two weeks now. If nothing goes wrong then tonight might be the night to get the first step working.
Monday, January 10, 2005
Oh Lord.
That was the weekend from hell. At one point Little Miss’ Temperature was putting 39.4c on Friday night. She was keeping both of us up for the night and LSW was frantic. We managed to get the temperature down but she’s stuffed full of the cold. She can’t breathe through her nose and waking up every two hours.
Saturday night was worse. She woke every hour and LSW slept next to her so she could settle her but at least the temperature was back to normal. We phone the NHS direct people but they’re recommendation is tough it out.
Sunday was just as bad and I’m planning to take Tuesday Off so LSW can get some sleep and go to work. This has been a very difficult time for both LSW and myself but is making us pull together. Normally, we end up shouting at each other but this time we really have been working and helping each other out.
Saturday night was worse. She woke every hour and LSW slept next to her so she could settle her but at least the temperature was back to normal. We phone the NHS direct people but they’re recommendation is tough it out.
Sunday was just as bad and I’m planning to take Tuesday Off so LSW can get some sleep and go to work. This has been a very difficult time for both LSW and myself but is making us pull together. Normally, we end up shouting at each other but this time we really have been working and helping each other out.
Friday, January 07, 2005
What a difference a day makes.
Yesterday everything was alright until lunchtime and then the hammer dropped. The new website at Client Four started to go bananas. After four hours of panicing and running about like a headless chicken I realised to my horror that it was my entire fault.
It turned out that a code module, which I’d written before Christmas, was using the wrong flag. The upshot was that data seemed to be disappearing from the system. It was just being hidden but a little bit of extra testing before Christmas would have shown up the bug.
I feel utterly humiliated to have missed such an obvious blinder and the little credibility I had at work have basically evaporated. It’s taken me, Scooter and the Dr all day to prove out the new code I’ve written to fix it is OK. The Client’s machine is now patched but there’s a small script still to run, but we need a backup of their system to test that one. I’m going to finish my CV over the weekend but I have to hold on till February, hopefully because of bonus. I seriously thought I was going to be fired today.
LSW is in an even worse state. Little Miss woke with a temperature of 39.1c. According to the books, you should take her to the Doctors if she’s that high. It turns out that she might have been wrapped up too warm during the night but the little girl has too much of a cold for it just to be that.
This meant that LSW took the morning off work and the mother-in-law came up to baby-sit, in addition to the wing mirror that was broken yesterday, the car tax demand and the fact that the bank didn’t send her a cash card (she can’t get any of her money out), she going through the grinder as much as I am.
Thank God it’s Friday. We can (kind of) rest. Due to the panic, there’s been no work on the game for the last few days.
It turned out that a code module, which I’d written before Christmas, was using the wrong flag. The upshot was that data seemed to be disappearing from the system. It was just being hidden but a little bit of extra testing before Christmas would have shown up the bug.
I feel utterly humiliated to have missed such an obvious blinder and the little credibility I had at work have basically evaporated. It’s taken me, Scooter and the Dr all day to prove out the new code I’ve written to fix it is OK. The Client’s machine is now patched but there’s a small script still to run, but we need a backup of their system to test that one. I’m going to finish my CV over the weekend but I have to hold on till February, hopefully because of bonus. I seriously thought I was going to be fired today.
LSW is in an even worse state. Little Miss woke with a temperature of 39.1c. According to the books, you should take her to the Doctors if she’s that high. It turns out that she might have been wrapped up too warm during the night but the little girl has too much of a cold for it just to be that.
This meant that LSW took the morning off work and the mother-in-law came up to baby-sit, in addition to the wing mirror that was broken yesterday, the car tax demand and the fact that the bank didn’t send her a cash card (she can’t get any of her money out), she going through the grinder as much as I am.
Thank God it’s Friday. We can (kind of) rest. Due to the panic, there’s been no work on the game for the last few days.
Wednesday, January 05, 2005
It was Little Miss’ second day at nursery and LSW’s first day back at work. I got the “Where’s Daddy Going?” look from the little girl as I left the nursery. This really didn’t do much to help the crushing feeling of guilt I’m already under. I’ve been getting a text every half hour from LSW asking how I’m doing and complaining that things were worse than before she left.
Work was in a major panic last night. A release which was going to go out to client four today, failed testing last night. So I was stuck here until late trying to replicate the error, with no success. Turned out that it was bad data that the Testing Team had entered and I think the product is shipping today. I get a couple of ‘thank you’ s but no time off for the extra work I put in.
The game is on hold. LSW decided to wreak the study yesterday in a cleaning purge. My filing system and Text Books have all been moved around. I’ve lost the mobile re-charger and even worse, I can’t find my development notes. I wish she’d leave the study alone. She’s got the rest of the house to mould in her image, just leave me my one sanctuary ALONE!
Admittedly, all these rants are nothing compared to the problems in South East Asia. The problem is that big that I can’t really take it in. The numbers feel so huge that it’s numbing. All you do is send what cash you can afford to and hope it makes a difference. My father says he knows one of the missing tourists from the UK but even then it’s still feels like an unreal scene from a movie.
Work was in a major panic last night. A release which was going to go out to client four today, failed testing last night. So I was stuck here until late trying to replicate the error, with no success. Turned out that it was bad data that the Testing Team had entered and I think the product is shipping today. I get a couple of ‘thank you’ s but no time off for the extra work I put in.
The game is on hold. LSW decided to wreak the study yesterday in a cleaning purge. My filing system and Text Books have all been moved around. I’ve lost the mobile re-charger and even worse, I can’t find my development notes. I wish she’d leave the study alone. She’s got the rest of the house to mould in her image, just leave me my one sanctuary ALONE!
Admittedly, all these rants are nothing compared to the problems in South East Asia. The problem is that big that I can’t really take it in. The numbers feel so huge that it’s numbing. All you do is send what cash you can afford to and hope it makes a difference. My father says he knows one of the missing tourists from the UK but even then it’s still feels like an unreal scene from a movie.
Tuesday, January 04, 2005
Happy New Year.
Kind of! I was sick over the holidays. I got home on Christmas Eve and basically slept through to Boxing Day. Thankfully LSW and I were at the in-laws when I was, so LSW didn’t have to look after Little Miss by herself. In fact, it was a little scary how enthusiastic MiL was too see Little Miss.
My Folks came down for the New Year and we had a quiet time. I really need a night out but Little Miss isn’t up to being babysat yet.
Little Miss is still waking up in the middle of the night and not going to sleep again. She seems to sleep 8-11, 11-3 and then she’s crying every hour on the hour (ish). We think it’s due to teething but we’re not sure. It’s a habit we’re going to have to try and break her out of because this is wiping both LSW and I out.
In fact, LSW was crying on New Years Day due to lack of sleep. Not really the start you want on her birthday.
Back at Work
God I hate it. Admittedly I’m being left alone but that in itself is worrying. All the queries that people normally want me to do are being routed elsewhere and there’s not work replacing it. Mind you I have a full development diary till March but I can see these tasks being reassigned. Definite Mushroom Syndrome.
Little Miss’ first day at nursery. I was quite surprised to see LSW not feeling weepy. We’ll have to see how today goes.
My Folks came down for the New Year and we had a quiet time. I really need a night out but Little Miss isn’t up to being babysat yet.
Little Miss is still waking up in the middle of the night and not going to sleep again. She seems to sleep 8-11, 11-3 and then she’s crying every hour on the hour (ish). We think it’s due to teething but we’re not sure. It’s a habit we’re going to have to try and break her out of because this is wiping both LSW and I out.
In fact, LSW was crying on New Years Day due to lack of sleep. Not really the start you want on her birthday.
Back at Work
God I hate it. Admittedly I’m being left alone but that in itself is worrying. All the queries that people normally want me to do are being routed elsewhere and there’s not work replacing it. Mind you I have a full development diary till March but I can see these tasks being reassigned. Definite Mushroom Syndrome.
Little Miss’ first day at nursery. I was quite surprised to see LSW not feeling weepy. We’ll have to see how today goes.
