12 November 2002

Oops. I forgot to take my disk home again yesterday.

But I have an excuse. Around 1:00, my manager called me and asked if I and the other programmers on my current project could meet in the conference room for a shakedown of everything that needs to be done so that we can be ready for this demo next week. Like, say, finishing the software.

We detailed individual tasks that still need to be done. On top of the work of integrating the device - that was already going to take me most of the week to finish - I found out that I also have to write a new configuration screen, change the way we generate the user ID, collect a brand new piece of information about each user, and add a completely new function that reads in a list of invalid users (a CRL, actually, for those of you who know what that means) and updates the database accordingly. Oh, and write the user manual for my application.

By the way, that side project I was working for another manager? Yeah, I need to finish that, too. It'll only take a couple of hours, right?

There are only two silver linings to this cloud of panic. First, they've authorized EWW for this project - which is to say, I'll get paid for the extra hours I'm going to be putting in. (Not overtime, mind you - salaried people don't get overtime - but I won't be having to work for nothing.) And second, the technical lead on the project has custody of his kids this weekend, so he's refusing to work over the weekend.

Anyway, when I left work yesterday, an hour later than usual, I was in too much of a hurry to get out of there to remember to grab the floppy that I keep these journal entries on. Sorry.

And then about half an hour into the Hall last night, I developed a headache. Not an especially bad one, but the throbbing-in-the-temples kind of headache that you can't just ignore.

So around 9:30 or so, I gave up, logged out, and went to bed early. I spent the night dreaming about a little girl with long dark hair and blue eyes who cuddled on my lap while I told her stories. It was sweet and adorable except for the moment that I looked down at her and realized that she had no torso. I panicked briefly - didn't she have a chest when she was born? I remember that, don't I? - and she suddenly had a torso again, and was giggling hysterically over having pulled a good joke.

No, I'm not pregnant yet - why do you ask?

Anyway, my day doesn't feel right, anymore, if I don't start it with writing a journal entry - but now that I've written it, I think I need to get to work.

--Liz