When I left work this evening, it was with one of the worst cases of Excel-induced brain static that I have ever experienced. (So if my writing seems disjointed, that’s the reason. Also my excuse if I make any weird typos.)
It’s funny how easy it is to please people with fairly rudimentary analysis of massive databases. I guess that it gives them a new angle on what’s happening. They’re excited every time we give them something new, and making noises about asking for us by name next year, writing personal thank-you letters to our commanders, and so on. I guess we’re doing a decent job…
As more people see the various reports and graphs that we put together, they start asking for them, too. Of course, each individual wants their own particular spin on the report in question, though… Ahhh, such is life. I like that I’m providing something useful to people–in fact, the Korean colonel who’s working as the senior person with our General (retired) has even started to ask me for some reports, too. He had a translator write down my name and title to be quoted as a source in one of his briefings… (Yesterday a couple of the Korean Air Force guys asked her to ask me if my hair was “naturally that color”… I tried a new haircolor and it’s a particularly brilliant red right now–think MJ–Kirsten Dunst–in the first Spiderman movie.)
I just wish that I could work three times faster than I can. The most frustrating thing is when I’m putting something together and the computer freezes up, or the data for a project somehow corrupts itself (it does this pretty regularly, too). But man, it makes for packed and interesting days. And actually, when I had a day like this yesterday, and followed up with a long workout at the gym, it was as good as I’ve felt in ages. I think that working hard mentally and physically during the day agrees with me. Though it was hard to get up this morning–I was tired and sore.
OK–I’m racking my poor addled brains to think of anything else to say, and they’re just not cooperating… I guess that working as a human data processor has overtaxed my gray cells. (Wow–it’s great feeling like I actually DID something, for a change–and something useful…)
Posted by Kjirstin 
