I've started to get a routine down that is better timed to my normal day now. I figured out that the morning bus I take comes at about 8:15, and it gets me to work at about 8:30. Not bad at all. The evening busses are still a bit of a mystery, but I'll figure that out too.
Not that I have lots to do when I get home. I have succeeded in making myself dinner two nights in a row. After my last big shopping trip, I had bought a frying pan and a small pot. So I've made myself a hamburger and some salad, and last night I also made some brown rice, which I'll have plenty of leftovers from. Now I just need a salad bowl.
I also got some of those new cheap plastic containers for lunch, whenever I get around to remembering it. It is still kind of odd for me to bring lunch to work. It isn't just because I've never done it in the past, but also because it interrupts the routine of walking away from whatever I'm doing to eat lunch.
I feel like I'm still working while I sit at my desk, eating lunch. The idea of taking an entire hour off while I sit here seems impossible. Maybe a half hour, but how long does it take to eat a sandwich? I guess I might have to take my packed lunch outside to really feel like I'm "on lunch break."
Things at work are starting to heat up a bit. One of the big managers hosted a "town hall" meeting (otherwise known as a big conference call). Lots of people dialed in. I only wish that some people had already learned the etiquette of MUTING THEIR PHONES. Someone was futzing with their phone, constantly creating that crackle and slipping noise as they held the phone. I'm sure that the amplification of the different phones is very different, some calling in from the UK, but by the end of it I could barely think straight for a while, after constantly trying to hear the speaker's voice in amongst all the incidental noise.
I'm finally starting to get a feel for the scope of the work that is being planned here at JPMC. It looks like there is as much emphasis on improving process as there is actual development work itself. This is good, because it allows me to see the key issues involved in an organization as it tries to move into better process. I find the metrics they use to indicate progress rather interesting. Currently, they include stuff like minutes of system downtime, and more typical progress of projects according to their specifications, development, testing, and eventual demise. There are at least 3 systems that are scheduled for "retirement".
I've been starting to use some of the new tools to document parts of our new team's responsibilities and process, and it looks like it's going to be pretty good so far. The new system we have will also deliver notifications of new documentation as new items to an RSS news aggregator (MikeW - interesting, no? We're using phpWiki).
Anyone interested in news aggregators, just email me. It's a nice way to be informed instead of using just web sites.
Posted by David Cymbala at May 18, 2004 11:05 AM