… people, really. If you fail, I get to work. If you mess things up, I get to stand up and fix it all, make it all shiny for you to mess it up again. Yes, that sounds pretty much like a failed life in slavery, but really, it is not… well at least it doesn't feel like it most of the time. The work itself is not that hard, but often really makes me feel lost. Its sure takes time to do things like they are to be done and there is virtually no way of learning it besides just doing it, failing, doing it again. Its real lifes “try and error”. People often ask me “How does your work actually work?” or “How do you manage to know things before we have even noticed?” … its really simple, but please don't tell Paula, she still has that charmingly naive impression of supernatural Admin powers. My work really is all about reading logfiles. If theres something I do more, its “nearly sleeping” - which I might do even while reading that logfiles. Nearly every device in this damn company writes these logs and I keep track of things by just reading and chaining information … and sleeping. If anyone besides you gets to know that, I'm going to be fired. About Paula.. she is am member of the new marketing team in department three and I finally got to read her door sign after I once previously fell asleep in her office … 3.29 if I remember correctly. She really is quite obsessive with my work. Every time I pass her office, I check up on her. Her day seems to also write a logfile… not really in a file but on her face. She is so damn easily read. Since she now knows who I am, her face will change, when I walk by and there is digital trouble bothering her. Most of the time I already know - remember? Its all about reading logfiles. Sometimes I don't know but read it right from her face. But how can someone be so impressed by me refilling the printers paper tray once again, when everybody would already have noticed the red flickering light right beside the “OUT OF PAPER” writing? Well, maybe its not doing it, but knowing it before it happens. Once again: logfiles - thats all the magic, well nearly. There are some things that regularly happen in this office. For example, nearly once a week, a woman comes by to deliver some special mail from a daughter company. She always delivers it to the wrong office, so I have developed the habit of redirecting her way through the office to the right building using our new camera system and the electronic door locks. She still hasn't learned the way yet, but that is going to change. There also is this team in office 2.11 that will wreck their printer once a week because they don't learn not to use inkjet transparent sheets in a LaserJet. There is absolutely no way they are going to learn that in the next few weeks, but I compensate by appearing with the right tools in my hand just when one of those idiots posts the print job to the spool - and NO, they don't ask “why are you already here?”, they go like “Oh, thank god you are always around when there is trouble! That damned printer just ate another 5$ worth of transparent ….”. Well yes, this job often has the downside of having to work with complete jerks most of the time, what brings me back to Paula. She is completely different about my work. Her way of noticing is almost cute and I like to give her opportunities to notice. Not that I have a logtrap for devices in her office or so… don't blame me! If you go a thousand ways for preventing trouble and no one really cares, notices or takes everything you do for granted, you instantly fall in love with everyone who does. When I tell my boss, that theres going to be an impact on the workflow when I have to do maintenance on … well … some production environment, she says: “Then do it at night.”. When I do, the next morning, everybody will come to me like they always do - not even a lie like “Sorry to bother you” or “Sorry to interrupt you sleeping”, no. Its more like “Get up you sleepy lazy dork! Its time to do some work”. My murmur following these actions is often better not to be heard - and includes terms that would require this website to contain an age verification. Paula knocks, if i don't answer, she will try to call me, when my phone is silent she will drop me a mail… and when I am not responding on that, she is going to be worried and knock again - but just if its urgent. She is quite demanding, but also patient and even though her department talks about her like she likes to control people a lot, I have a totally different impression. Well, she likes to spike people when she notices a weakness… but just so they know that she knows, not to hurt them - and to be honest: I like to do that, too. Look at my T-Shirt… what does it say? Well its just again one of my many “dead people read hex” shirts - I have several of any kind and change them often, believe me. She thought about it a whole day. Who would have spoiled that? I think she figured it out in the meantime, I saw her call Google for the text of the shirt.
Well, while most people just don't care, there is some fun about the few people who actually do. I am happy to make them wonder, make them feel uncomfortable a bit to get out of the usual work. For me, every day is very much the same but I accepted that long time ago. Its my life. For many of the people working here, it makes a huge difference, if they are at home or at work. For me, as I said, its just the same, since most of my life I spend, doing stuff at work. Its what I do and its why I take my work very personally. I may be a nerd but I am just as much a human. Paula is one of the few people that have noticed. Without people like her, my work would be in vain, nevertheless I'd to it because… again, its what I do.. and its my life.
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