2018-03-23 - 7:27 a.m.

Thankful that when awaking at 4AM with financial accounting (from work) processsing in my slow synapses (I feel like an old system....this computer works but it take me a while to warm up and get going), that I was able to fall back asleep at 4:30 and met the goal of at least two more solid hours of sleep!

I got three- a full sleep cycle apparenty as am rested.

I need to be as intend to work one of those wicked long days to get it done.

This is not out of ill health and obsession, just that I know if I don't put in a late Friday night the end of month will come too soon and I won't have met my goals at work.

And really, I have to meet them.

This week I spent lunch hours taking a SQL class.

It is very helpful. I struggled with a query that did not work last night but a co-worker offered to help and I am PROUD I said "Not now. Go ... you are off and tomorrow we can do this."

We have a 10 AM appt to review something else and then she can help me.

Her office location actually had a happy hour and it is important for her to go and meet others and socialize! She is a lovely , lovely person and so kind.

We have these detailed Handbooks of how to do each task but they are missing a detail here and there. For instance the one I worked yesterday for the task I did said to "Query for X" but there is not the query AS it is REALLY Basic.

My coworker just did that the first time I watched the task done (that was the hour of training- kinda rushed honestly as I was taking this over when someone was about to leave on vacation and it was a last minute 'OH SHIT we need to get this covered ' so I volunteered!)

The next month I see the task assigned to me (Hey no good deed goes unpunished!) Honestly the hour cram session in which the co-worker said "let me just do this now' was really not sufficient teaching and training.

It was a miserable FAIL and then I had to be the bad apple at work who complained in a survey!UGH!!! I had at our team meetings said on two or three ocassion I had no idea what I was doing and needed more help. It fell on deaf ears as everyone was so damn busy.

So I tried to do it myself and failed.

But of course it was AFTER HOURS when I hit the real kink that I needed help with. It was going ok at first... and after hours in that moment of frustration I filled out the employee survey which of course it turns out NO ONE ELSE COMPLETED! LOL Again a Dilbert moment at work. How to be that guy.... the one that calls to light the dirty laundry that needs cleaning in this unintentionally blaring overt way! YES it needs to get cleaned but many prefer to just hide it in a closet, and if you think about it that works for a while, until it doesn't, but you don't want to be the one person throwing it on the lunch room table when discovered in the closet! There HAS to be a better way... Umm... there is... if everyone completed employee survey's honestly... well good luck with that. That is a human nature problem not easily fixed!

There is also a problem with running critical processes after work which is my part of the problem to fix- I need to do anything critical only during business hours so I can hound others for help when needed. That and learn SQL so not dependent on help of others when there is not a pre-canned query and I need to write one to get a task done! This month prior to trying to run this job I spent a good hour or even more editing the Handbook to capture the details the co-worker shared when I then got another hour of training on the second month. That training felt like it was a check on a box for the trainer to CYA frankly. It didn't feel that good and I had an issue with the FEEL of it I suppose more than anything. I felt I unintentionally offended him with my comments that were really not personal as this happens all the time! Not just with him! It was not his problem our company has a great need to actually have a formal training program. We are just lacking in that, and recognized it and are now improving it to their credit. This is a wonderful company and a wonderful place to work! They don't ignore problems but seek to improve areas that need improvement. We have made many improvements so someone will be available to elp thankfully as well. I do work with a terrific group of people.

Trouble is that is when it is QUIET and MY BRAIN Can procesess!!

SO I try to do this stuff now when its busy around me and tune that all Out.

At this point that works..
but this week I wanted to take advantage of the SQL class as my self study hit a plateau.

I can only learn so much by looking at a book and working on my own. The structure of actually practicing daily at lunch EVERY DAY is what will help me stay on this goal of learning this.

I think that way more important frankly than the PMP for my job.

YES That PMP would teach other great skills but I NEED to get really solid at some of these basic skills of a data analyst I don't have.

I can run a pre-written query someone else wrote and some group approved.

But that is not sufficient I think as personally I think if you can have that done by someone who knows little

just use a bot

AH HA THAT Is why I belive the "Experiment" -- or rather the intentionality of hiring folks that know nothing.

This is by design as AI is designed to do just that.

I am ALL FOR THAT

Quite brilliant.

Hidden Treasures was such a great movie that anyone working today, especially if older but needing to remain in work force for the next ten to fifteen years for sake of raising kids, and hoping to help them get to college should watch!

BEST story I have heard or seen of how to keep oneself viable in a markets.

Embrace change and learn what you need to know.

I had a co-worker say "Did you see the book on the desk ?" Referring to a Exec's desk

I asked "NO What was it?"

"Artificial Intelligence"

AH A must read for us all. Despite the negatives there are positives.

Like remaining employed.

I don't think I am a sell out! (LOL OK I am to a degree.... but heck kinda of HAVE to be if raising a family! DIFFERENT if solo in this life OR EVEN if have a partner in that raising of family!)

Ah, so I am rested and I emotionally vented. I write as I have no partner in life. I write as I have no friends to vent to. So this works for me. I work, and I come home and when do get together with friends am not talking about work! Funny I used to never write about work but this helps just to get it out of my head and then go to work very focused and at peace with it and do my best. FUNNY what I THOUGHT I Was going to write about was totally different! Something happens when one sits at a keyboard... at least for me.... or sits to write at all Things come forth which one has a need to express and deal with. Its uncanny how that works. I thought I was going to write a terse short entry: THe plot thickens Senior in HS Girl was accepted at a NY college. One well ranked that accepts about 30% of applicants. Congratuations to her. She assumes they won't give her decent financial aid like the offers she has from two small VA schools. I told her remain open minded and we should definately take a weekend to visit that college. She has not visited it yet. One other in VA she never yet visited when there was anyone on campus is on a short upcoming day trip. Happy my part time job gave me off work so I can take her. Its also a day I believe the intense bass player supporting the wonderful jazz vocalist are playing. He's rather incredible to watch perform, and the vocalist is good. I want to bring my singer daughter to see the singer. I would love to bring the other girl too,... but think it might be nice one on one with my daughter and it won't make sense to back track home to get the other teen. I will take her out to hear this jazz singer another time.

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