Slow Night

The original plan was to go from North Liberty to Marion to see Jonathan (my nephew) play basketball. After a kick ass day at work, I picked up Karen from her work and we were driving home. Our discussion centered around the weather and the rain that was falling and the fact that the temp was at 37 and supposed to fall before we would get home from Marion. I voted to not go - I admit - because I (selfishly) wasn't really interested in dealing with crappy road conditions.

As a result, after paying for the van repairs (new radiator, oil change, resetting the speedometer because it had looped around and was under the peg it normally rests on), we went home. Then I had to go to Fareway to drop off Megan's proposed schedule note (she had left it on the kitchen table), but that turned into Karen and I both going so we could go to Panchero's and bring home supper.

I also spent a 1/2 on the phone with a friend I used to work with at another company. My friend had gotten in touch with me because my friend had applied at the same company I work at and was asking me what I thought. If you are even a casual reader of this blog, you know that I am in a good place where I work. I do not know the manager for the position my friend is applying for, but I told my friend I really enjoy where I work, I really enjoy the company, and I really am in a better place than when I worked where I worked with my friend.

I hope my friend is hired and that I can see my friend in the hallway at work in the future.

Speaking of work, Sonia and I thought that we were going to have to do a huge amount of work that would involve looking for instances of "A B" and replacing it with "A C" in all of our user guides and help text. What we found out, today, is that one team of Developers 'owns' the screens where this change was to be made, but there wasn't a project included in the schedule for them to do it. Basically, the project says to change 7 screens, but the team of programmers that would have to do that work didn't get assigned to do the work. Thus, the project description is incorrect and misleading.

Another issue that crept up is that we have 'global' text that applies to all clients. Within this 'global' text, there are references to "A B" but some clients have been already switched to "A C" so it was pointed out that it said "A B" but the client sees "A C." Currently, it is set up so that all clients see this global text so for the client that has "A C" it is confusing to read about "A B" in this 'global' text.

The client doesn't really care if this is 'global' text or not. They care that they see text that doesn't match their system, which leads to Sonia and I, who now have to figure out how to rewrite the text in the 'global' text. My first thought was to not mention "A B" or "A C" and to replace that phrase with a more generic phrase, like "A D" but when the project manager that raised the issue in the first place heard that, it was stated, clearly, that the client would not accept it.

This whole issue has been tabled until Thursday, after the snowstorm that is causing Megan to work from 5-10 instead of 5-8 tonight. I am hoping that there is a 'secret' way to make this change that satisfies the client. I do not want to create a second file for the client that has "A C" because, eventually, all clients will have the same phrase. That's what kills me. If we do create a second file, it will go away.

I can't say what will end up happening because I really don't know, now. Maybe I'll have news by Thursday night.