What we're paid for...

So, today, it's 5 weeks until this kid pops out of me. Assuming of course he knows the schedule, LOL.

Last night I went over to this lab where one of the pieces of software I support is running. I had just come from my nighttime doctor's appointment... heh, I had 2 doc appointments yesterday plus work! Talk about running me ragged.

Anyway, I get all bunny-suited up (which is NO small feat when you are nearly 8 months pregnant), and waddle my ass into the lab. The 2 night test engineers are in there, preparing to run stuff on the system I support.

I make a few key changes, ensure my stuff is backed up, and tell them to go for it. They load stuff, and click Start. I stand around, wanting to watch to ensure my changes aren't going to cause any problems. Just for warm fuzzies: my changes were really benign. Not doing anything major to a system that I won't be around to support once I go on Maternity Leave, LOL! Once I start leave, I'll be out of commission until mid February.

It's been my experience that people who use hardware/software I support, even if they aren't "technically trained", i.e., don't have a "real engineering degree", are still people who HAVE A BRAIN. Some people don't extend themselves beyond the exact tasks they are being asked to perform, and yet others pick up an intuitive knowledge of the systems they use day in and day out, and can offer insight's you would have missed about the very system you helped develop.

I.E., a college degree and your IQ level aren't necessarily directly proportional!!!

And shoot, I learned way more out of college than I ever did IN college.

But unfortunately, not everyone shares my opinion.

Anyway, one of the test engineers and I get to talking. He's explaining why he's been avoiding using one part of the system. He suspects a problem. The hardware engineer has attempted before to do something about the problem, but his initial solution caused a different, unintentional side effect, and so hasn't been in use for a while.

So the test engineer is telling me what he thinks might solve the original problem. We both discuss some ideas... I'm no hardware type, but what he's suggesting sounds pretty good to me.

I ask him if he's going to tell the hardware engineer about his ideas, as I watch him crumbling the drawings of his solutions and tossing them in the trash.

He responds with, "No, I'm not paid to think."

At which point I had to put my forehead down on my arm and just shake, I was laughing so hard!!!

[I knew the hardware engineer must have said that to him. Sigh.]

Man... I'm going miss those test engineers while I'm on Maternity Leave. Sigh. :)