My brain hurts
Another day of tweaking the database from hell. It's almost done now - just the tricky bits left to finish off. At least the people who have to use the thing can get on with their jobs now. Me, I need a break.
There's a strange kind of weariness that comes of concentrating hard on something for a long time. When I'm writing and get into the zone it's exhilarating - time flies by unnoticed as I wander the halls of my imagination, or somesuch druggy nonsense. I am unaware of the music playing (or more likely have forgotten to switch the speakers on and haven't noticed the lack of noise). I've had people ask me about telephone conversations they've had with me during the day, and which I can't remember even answering. I can get absorbed.
The downside is the weariness that comes after an eight hour session at the keys. It's a mind-death that makes bed and sleep look really inviting. But the body doesn't want to sleep. The body hasn't had anything much to do and wants to party.
So it is today. Only I've not been writing words, instead staring at the screen in full concentration, slowly going through line after line of code, putting inverted commas around some variable references, taking them away from others. If it sounds fun, then you really need to get out more. As do I.
Normally I can rely on my faithful hounds to come and pester me for a walk sometime during the day. If I'm doing something I don't enjoy, that's usually enough of an excuse to put it to one side and go out. But today's been a rain day as only Wales can have them, washing all the snow away in a slushy, salty slurry. Even the dachshund took one look out the dog-flap and waddled back to his bed.
And so now I'm in a bit of a state. My brain is to all intents and purposes fried. I can stare at the pages of Sir Benfro, but if I try to type anything, I can only produce words like 'mewlk' and 'splundthr'. And I stare at them for long minutes trying to decide whether they should have inverted commas or not. This blog entry has taken half an hour to type already; the flickering cursor is a hypnotic thing.
But help is at hand. I've not had time to watch Serenity since it arrived at the weekend, and those nice people at Amazon rental have just delivered National Treasure - which has got to be mindless enough for me to vegetate in front of.
Daft action movies, that's what I need right now.
There's a strange kind of weariness that comes of concentrating hard on something for a long time. When I'm writing and get into the zone it's exhilarating - time flies by unnoticed as I wander the halls of my imagination, or somesuch druggy nonsense. I am unaware of the music playing (or more likely have forgotten to switch the speakers on and haven't noticed the lack of noise). I've had people ask me about telephone conversations they've had with me during the day, and which I can't remember even answering. I can get absorbed.
The downside is the weariness that comes after an eight hour session at the keys. It's a mind-death that makes bed and sleep look really inviting. But the body doesn't want to sleep. The body hasn't had anything much to do and wants to party.
So it is today. Only I've not been writing words, instead staring at the screen in full concentration, slowly going through line after line of code, putting inverted commas around some variable references, taking them away from others. If it sounds fun, then you really need to get out more. As do I.
Normally I can rely on my faithful hounds to come and pester me for a walk sometime during the day. If I'm doing something I don't enjoy, that's usually enough of an excuse to put it to one side and go out. But today's been a rain day as only Wales can have them, washing all the snow away in a slushy, salty slurry. Even the dachshund took one look out the dog-flap and waddled back to his bed.
And so now I'm in a bit of a state. My brain is to all intents and purposes fried. I can stare at the pages of Sir Benfro, but if I try to type anything, I can only produce words like 'mewlk' and 'splundthr'. And I stare at them for long minutes trying to decide whether they should have inverted commas or not. This blog entry has taken half an hour to type already; the flickering cursor is a hypnotic thing.
But help is at hand. I've not had time to watch Serenity since it arrived at the weekend, and those nice people at Amazon rental have just delivered National Treasure - which has got to be mindless enough for me to vegetate in front of.
Daft action movies, that's what I need right now.
Comments