James Sapara’s Personal Blog

Well the long hours of work, at work are starting. Again there has been another urgent meeting to re-re-re-iterate the urgency of our deadline. I suppose I’m just too laid back to look panicicked, worried or crazy about it. They seem to read that as something like don’t care or don’t get it, which is far from the truth. Anyways, we get that out of the way and some how end up in a conversation with me talking about leaving again, thou I was much more serious about it this time. From my perspective there have been some choices along the way so far that do not instill confidence in me. Regardless, I’m gonna stick with the project until we either succeed or part our ways to try something else.

My boss #2 flip flops between understanding and being a dick. I mean that in the nicest way, cuz I know what he’s trying to do and why he’s doing it. I really do, having been in the “EXACT” same situation myself. Ever since they told me to not do anything project management related things have gotten ever so slightly worse. That too, I understand; but, that doesn’t mean they should disregard or mis-interpret my input. Anyways, it always feels like they’re making me out to be some lazy ass program who wastes most of his day on msn and reading websites. Then goes home and claims to do work.

From their perspective I can see how it looks. I have msn windows open on occasion. Sometimes I’m skimming some news sites. Heck, I even play a video game from time to time. The reason I do those is to stimulate myself with something other than C++ and valves sdk. Seriously, I’m considering getting them a report on positive business policies, cuz it wouldn’t hurt to have a policy that we have to vary our tasks a bit through the day. It’s been proven to increase creativity and productivity… but what do I know… I’ve only been obsessed with project management for 4 or so years. I’m sure they have more experience blundering around than I do. Heck, they’ve probably even managed successful projects. Anyways…

Taking those breaks into account I still was being unproductive in some ways. The area we work in is one big room with no dividers. I can hear everything thats going on all the time. People are walking through all the time. It’s bloody distracting! I am also easily lured into conversation by almost anything, so I often end up talking about video games or hot chicks in movies. Anyways, we felt it was best to separate my from the herd at our last meeting. So far it’s working great. I rarely interrupting people in their work and vis-versa. I still have to get up and walk around every once and a while, which seems to agitate Brad if he’s around to wittiness it. I wish there was a way to explain to him that walking around and stretching makes it so I can actually work long hours. If I didn’t do it my arm would (and it has) seize up and not work. That doesn’t get us any further ahead in my books.

I’ve also agreed to work late at work if there will be someone there to work with. I still see no point to working at work by myself. I’m a programmer, if there is no one to work with then I don’t need to be there. I can see the need to be there for my team to answer questions, help solve problems. They are also valuable tools for me as well in the same regard. But staying at work by myself when I have system at home that fits me way better is just silly. Anyways, we seem to be at some sort of agreement with that. Hopefully it sticks, because this is one term I’ve bent on 3 times now… and I’m not likely to bend easy the next time.