Yesterday's Grand Success

I had a perfect day yesterday.  No distractions, 100% effort in all my tasks, and drove critical tasks through to completion.

Emotionally it was ideal as well.  No panic.  No feelings of not doing or being enough.  Just satisfaction in a job well done that only I could have done as quickly and easily as it happened.  No unreasonable fear before I opened up my email platform.  Just a desire to add something helpful to the problems of the day and communicate with everyone involved.

I feel pretty awesome about it all, truth be told.  My expectations are all level, too.  I don't expect every day from now on to be perfect as well.

It is satisfying and encouraging to know that a perfect day is still possible for me.

Amazing Database Dreams!

It's been quite a while since I had a dream this vivid about how to modify all three layers of an application, but last night I had a strong and clear one.  I'm super excited!

My randomly firing neurons (and a good deal of prayer) led me to draw the following diagram once I woke up.

It's a method of not only creating a cascading unity dimension tree, but also how to integrate it seamlessly into the current Tactical Fluidity 2.5 database so that interfaces, reports, and a process for migrating the data into the new structure can all be done while the system is in operation and is 100% testable, reversible, and clear.  It even sports a universal double-entry ledger structure that can be used for inventory, containers, legal, or monetary transactions.

I've been pondering how to do this ever since the TF3 project blew up.  But some of the concepts and database elements were so powerful, that I've never given up the dream of having them in the TF2.5 core.

And now I have a blueprint for doing just that!

But beyond just the nerdy details (many of which are just hinted at in the diagram), I can't express the sense of relief I'm feeling that these geeky parts of my brain are still there.  I've had such a hard time lately (like the past four months) in just accessing these skills and talents.  A mental block was in that organic lightening storm I call a cerebellum & I didn't know what it was or how to remove it.

This morning I feel like I've licked the 2001 Monolith.  I'm so full of ideas that I'm fit to burst!  (Classic TICK reference for those of you with excellent literary taste, BTW.)

Thank God.

It's Tuesday!

Quote: “The only time you fail is when you fall down and stay down.” ― Stephen Richards

Daily Plan:

• RL Sprints.  (EDI adjustments, dashboard lockdowns, and new BOL fields.)
• EM Sprints.  (Paypal tools, tighter lab-BoF linkage, and UX improvements.)

There are some really critical issues that need to be taken care of so that my clients and the users of the systems I maintain know that progress is being made and their needs are being cared for.  My goals today are to take care of those needs and push the results out right away.

Update: Rocked it!  Going to maintain these goals through the end of the week, if necessary.  Until they are done.

Friday Musings

Quote: “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” ― Winston Churchill

Daily Goals:

• Communication & Planning - EM
• Code Sprints - RL

Midweek Mindfulness

Quote: "The opposite for courage is not cowardice, it is conformity. Even a dead fish can go with the flow." -- Jim Hightower

Daily Goals:

• Communication & Planning - EM
• Code Sprints - RL

Columbus Day

Quote: “Nine people can't make a baby in a month.” ― Fred Brooks

Daily Goals:

• State-of-the-Project - EM
• Code Sprints - RL

Frankly, I had a terrible weekend (started early on Thursday - very late) filled with family emergencies, intense drama, and little sleep.  I was glad that I was able to help, and no one died, but it sucked pretty bad.  No family or friends were hurt during the hurricane, either, BTW.  Bonus!

I'm looking forward to getting into my nice, normal, programming today.  Must not allow the emotional angst of the past three days get in the way of mentally focusing on the tasks that are in front of me today.  Onward and upward!

Tuesday Tomfoolery

Quote: "I do not think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday." ― Abraham Lincoln

Daily Goals:

• Complete Accounting Integration - EM
• Code Sprints - RL

Today is one of my prime code days.  Yesterday didn't go as well as I had hoped due to physical aliment, but I'm getting back in the saddle.

Monday Madness

Quote: “Between the mad and the misguided, the line is as thin as a split hair that has been split again.” ― Dean Koontz, Brother Odd

Daily Goals:

• Support for New Terminal - RL
• Complete Accounting Integration - EM

Today is one of my prime code days.  I've got lots of stuff laid out to do, but I'm also giving myself quite a bit of slack time in order to be available for supporting any start-up pains that the new terminal may experience as well.  Last week was wonderful in terms of how much I got done and the attitude that went with the work.  I've analyzed what went right all weekend and am going to be repeating my processes to duplicate the goodness!

Daily Results:
Efficiency: Medium
Focus: Low
State: Woozy

Have a bit of a cold and it threw me off my game today.  Ugh.

TGIF Status

Quote: "It’s a lack of clarity that creates chaos and frustration. Those emotions are poison to any living goal." ― Steve Maraboli

Daily Goals:

• Code Sprints - RL
• Code Sprints - EM

I've got a few code blocks to finish before I can post out my latest creations.  Planning to go in hard, tear it up, and end the week like a boss.

Daily Results:
Efficiency: High
Focus: High
State: In the Zone

Thursday Plans

Quote: “We can only see a short distance ahead, but we can see plenty there that needs to be done.” ― Alan Turing

Daily Goals:

• Code Sprints - EM (cont.)
• Code Sprints - RL (cont.)
• Gorilla Mindset Work (3-4)

Building on the successes of yesterday, my plan today is to carry on.  Still need to update some Support tasks, too.

Daily Results:
Efficiency: Very High
Focus: Extreme
State: In the Zone

Mindfulness and state-control exercises yielded impressive results!

Today's Plan/Status

Quote: "Live life to the fullest, and focus on the positive."

Daily Goals:

• Code Sprints - RL
• Code Sprints - EM
• Gorilla Mindset Work

I have not been doing so well with daily updates to this blog.  In an effort to rectify this, I'll start my daily post in the AM and add updates throughout the day from now on.  I'm going to be updating the Support tasks today as well, but that's just going to be part of my AM routine.  (Don't know if it will be part of the new normal or not.)

Daily Results:
Efficiency: High
Focus: High
State: Resourceful 

The day went really well.  I completed all of the planned tasks for the day.  RL results were posted.  EM work isn't ready for prime-time.

Status

Efficiency: Moderate
Focus: High
State: Embrace the Suck

RL Direct Contacts: 2
EB Direct Contacts: 1

Todays Status

Efficiency: Moderate to High
Focus: Moderate
State: Clarity

RL Direct Contacts: 1

Recent Status

Efficiency: High
Focus: Moderate
State: Certainty

RL Direct Contacts: 2

Today's Status

Efficiency: Moderate
Focus: Moderate
State: Clarity

Today's Status Report

Efficiency: Moderate to High
Focus: High
State: Clarity

Quote: "It took the madmen of yesterday for us to be able to act with extreme clarity today.  I want to be one of these madmen.  We must dare to invent the future."

TerraCor Evolutions

Creation Evolution: RailLogics: TerraCor BOL EDI (Task#: 1341)
End-point adjustment.  Improved job auto-selection capabilities on import.  Six very minor bugs found and fixed along the way.  Silo selection is being pooched because they are sending us nebulous silo names (Ex: 'Silo 07' when there are three storage units that start with this text).

I went through and cleared out as many of the current critical messages as I could identify, too.

September Schedule

Looking at the past several months, my current commitments, and the needs of my family - I have put together a schedule that seems realistic.  I'm putting it out here so everyone can see what time I have to devote to 'stuff'.

	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
Type of Day:	Code	Code	Mixed	Mixed	Mixed	Flex	Off
Prime Coding Hours:	4	4	4	4	4	(varies)	-
Beta Coding Hours:	7	7	1	1	1	(varies)	-
Rehab-Work Hours:	-	-	8	8	8	-	-
Best Meeting Time:	1-3pm	1-3pm	8-noon	8-noon	8-noon	(open)	-

This general schedule will not be followed with zealousness (how could it be?), but will be the generally-true average.

Given the above data, it should be clear that first couple of days each week will be devoted to the heavy coding stuff.  And testing, polishing, and code releases will be done towards the end of the week.

What about email?  I do an hour of general 'prep' each morning from 7-8am.  I sometimes check my email at this point, but not always if I'm raring to get into my prime coding time.  I will usually check my email at least once a day.  I'll also keep the TFSupport sites up-to-date and accurate.

If you have a critical issue, please text me!  (This is my fire-alarm so please don't pull it unless you really need to.  Thanks!)

Blog Reboot

I'm rebooting this blog.

It's changing from a very narrow, project-based blog to a more general information-flow as to my state of mind, productivity, and output levels. Hopefully this will become a place where anyone I work with can access what is cooking in the dark and mad-sciencey corners of my mind on any given day.

I plan on making a daily post at a minimum.