The Count

Before I left work yesterday - for the last time in 2008 - I compiled my 'final' to-do list. My to-do list has 51 items on it. 2 of the 51 actually summarize 32 and 16 changes so really it's 49+32+16 = 97 things on my to do list. With the way I've assigned the hours to each task, I have 500 hours (~13 weeks) of work on my desk. That number, though, doesn't include other major projects which are:

1. Converting my HTML files to use CSS to control formatting instead of using tables to control formatting 
2. Creating and then writing ~50 HTML files for the rewrite of 9 of our systems. The number 50 doesn't include the files I'll need for two of the systems as I've not seen the UI for them yet. That boggles the mind. I am going to hit the ground running on Monday with tackling the 32 items. I am hoping to have them done within a week (40) hours.
3. A 40 hour project. I need to re-verify everything I wrote in September for a new system. Since September, there have been numerous changes to the UI, including but not limited to, fields being added & removed. There's also been changes in the way the system does things so I need to revisit that.
4. A brand new .exe file that has, if I remember correctly, 20 new screens. I haven't touched any of that system. I am hoping to be done with that project within 40 hours.
5. Cleaning up a project that has four new screens and four changed screens. The majority of it is done but I need to make sure every thing is documented. I gave myself 40 hours but I hope it takes less time than that. I have internal documentation to write for it so it may take a bit.That's was January. February will kick off just as busy.
6. Tackling a HUGE project that changed 40+ screens. There were changes to 6 systems with this project. Three of the systems are done, but the other three are not. Then, when I get the other three done, I need to audit the screens of the first three systems vs. the doc to make sure every thing matches correctly.
7. A 40 hour project of going through 16 emails with suggested documentation changes. Some are probably 5 minute things and others are more extensive. I'm hoping to balance it all out.

So those projects take me through mid-February. The above schedule assumes that I am not doing anything but documentation and, unfortunately, that's not going to be the case. I am actually doing two full-time positions at work. Monday through Wednesday was spent doing my non-doc duties. Realistically, I will not get 6 weeks of straight documentation work. I can hope so, but it probably will not happen. So while 2008 was extremely busy and aggravating (due to the issue with the MSI in my last post & learning a whole new software to develop the UI for our software), 2009 looks to be even more of the same. Hopefully, less of the aggravating stuff.