Twas the week before xmas...

This week will really go down the books for me. I dont remember working like this the week before xmas. The POC is finally over, and we had great results. Specially if you consider the fact that the guy I was arguing with was a powerhouse. He turned out to be the CIO of 2 companies, and they're not mediocre IT companies. We were working all through the weekend trying to get everything tested. Was only able to complete it late Monday afternoon around 4PM. And then I had to report for my first day at my new job at 9PM. Good Lord!

About 2 hours through my first night shift, I recieve news from my cousin that my Aunt just passed away. Talks with the wife and brother who rushed to the hospital to be with my Mom ultimately led to the need for me to drop by around 4AM to help in coordinating the funeral arrangements. So I leave my shift early on my first day, drive all the way to where they were to pick up my wife, and then inspect the funeral home before I head back home. We close the arrangements and call my Mom to confirm, then I finally arrive home around 8AM. For the first time in 24 hours, I am able to finally take a nap. I close my eyes and it takes a few minutes before my engorged eyelids really relaxes.

Two hours later, I haul my ass out of bed and I meet with my team around 11AM and do some last minute testing. Turns out the POC demo had to be pushed to 3PM, so we wait as my body quietly continues to eat up all but a few more ounces of energy. I take this time to draw up some slides to aide me later. The POC finally finishes at around 5PM, and I arrive home at 6PM. My body collapses in bed. I am supposed to be reporting back to work in 3 hours but I really can't take anymore. I ring my new boss and call in a family emergency.

I've actually been deprived of sleep for longer periods of time, but they were mostly if not all, simply doing nothing or perhaps waiting for something. This one on the other hand required me to actually work the whole time. I was atteding meetings, I was talking to people, I was driving, I was bloody reviewing codes, and then presenting to the committee inside the boardroom, while entertaining rigorous questions. Christ!

And now a couple of days into my new job, I have still yet to adjust my sleepig patterns. Feels like a really bad case of jetlag. Now it's Dec 24th, and we're supposed to be preparing for Noche Buena and do some last minute shopping for gifts, groceries, and whatnots. The saga continues...