19 January 2024

Had better days


My simulation throughput has dropped significantly after the team that owns the powerful computing resources withdrew the resource.

Crippling along is how I would describe my thermal simulation progress nowadays.

So it's no surprise at all that I have been working overtime consecutively, since losing the resource to run multiple cases in parallel means I have to babysit the simulation to minimise the time in between runs.

Anyway, I have not been idle. I have been seeking out computing resources that I can use and so far have gotten access to another shared server to run simulation, and soon I will also get another workstation from colleague who had left the company.

So ya, while I do rant like a grumpy old man (I have never denied that), I also actively look for solution.

Anyway, after 130+ simulation cases on one of the projects I am working on, another colleague is complaining today why there are still change requests because of thermal? That the colleague is supposed to be working on another project that is starting. Why the request is not earlier in the project timeline?

Ah, the luxury of working on one project only, of dropping from one completely before starting on the other. I envy that. Wish for the same too, really, but know that's just a pipe dream in this group.

But anyway, it would really pissed me off if the colleague is implying that I have been slacking. You know, I would be a happy bunny if the big boss accepted the solution path I presented in the meeting this morning, the solution that does not require your part to change. And it's not like I have not been highlighting this concern, if you have been paying attention to the past few updates I shared in the project meeting, you would have known about the change that requested by the program manager today is one of the many things I have assessed and shared. Your reluctance to accept it as an option because it requires more effort on your part doesn't make the solution less effective, and definitely does not mean I have not been diligently doing my part to find the best possible cooling solution.

And really, project cooling capability target is getting more and more ridiculous. Initially I thought that the next project that is starting (yes, I am in that too and already been requested to provide results...) is going to be the one that I finally fail to achieve the ridiculous cooling capability target. Now perhaps this project is the one instead of the next, since the solution path that I painstakingly assessed and produced, is being casually rejected because, well, I am supposed to be able to break the laws of physics...

Ya, guess it's time for me to fail spectacularly so they will stop expecting me to perform miracle. Okay, hubris is a sin, so I should say time for me to fail so they can get someone more capable to realize their lofty pulled out of thin air target.

It has seriously been sucky these few weeks, had better. Much better.



Other |runaway rants| category entries.


14 January 2024

不顺


二零二四年至今,不顺。

病着开始的一年,第一周在虚弱不适中度过。

第二周,工作上开始不顺。做着的项目找不到解热的方案,新项目种种约束下荒谬的散热要求,又偏偏在这样的时候失去可以每天同时模拟几个方案的资源。

大儿子学年大考成绩出炉,又满江红,比上个学期的成绩更差。看来真的是向着全级最后一名迈进。

家里越来越不温暖、越来越少爱。只有自己在乎,不被重视,一直降低的底线。心寒。

睡眠素质比平时还差,每晚难眠又频醒。身体各种大大小小的健康问题。

唉,这命…

真的就不能有好的一年吗?



心语细述 |系列|


12 January 2024

Unneeded preparation


Plan for the worst, hope for the best.

Not sure whether the amount of water stored is sufficient since no prior experience, but I was mentally prepared for a four or more days of water supply disruption even though the schedule said for my area it's supposed to be 72 hours.

Ya, I have trust issue when it comes to these things.

Anyway, staying in a condominium with water tank (and probably sensible neighbours) meant that we still had water when the water supply disruption started on Wednesday. So it's life as usual but I am sure being sensible people we were all being conscious of our water usage.

In fact, all stored water is untouched when the management informed us that the water supply has resumed on Thursday. So basically I have experienced no water supply disruption, not even a drop in water pressure.

Absolutely no complaint about missed experience, I love hot shower! =P

Well, I foresee many days of flushing toilet with scoop and bucket.



Other |temperamental thoughts| category entries.


09 January 2024

Eve of water supply disruption


Tomorrow 06:00 hours onwards, for up to 96 hours, there will be statewide disruption in water supply for some maintenance and repair work.

For my area, the scheduled down time with no water supply is 72 hours. I hope they will at least meet the schedule, better still if they can complete ahead of schedule. Truth is I am skeptical.

Since the weekend I have been storing water in various containers, think I have about 400 litres of water stored at the moment in a few 90L plastic containers that we usually store other stuff in, as well as rubbish bin sized plastic bags in two laundry baskets.

Dad said he has filled up his bathtub, that should last him through the no water supply period.

Later in the day I will fill up all the buckets and pails, and all that remain is to hope the stored water will be enough for the whole family for however long the water supply disruption will be.



Other |temperamental thoughts| category entries.


07 January 2024

乏力


二零二四年第一个周末,我没有加时工作,那是好事,感觉成功。

但整个人仍是大病刚复的状态,仍旧病弱和易累,不时还会咳嗽和气喘。

凡事乏力,精神和身躯都一样,就是很差的一个状况。

情人老婆仔买了益生菌和免疫丸给我,所以每天就是起床三颗胶囊、睡前两颗,间中还服用止咳药,感觉很老人。

唉… 二零二四年至今,不好。

我又能怎样?

乏力、无奈。



随兴随想 |系列|


03 January 2024

2024


Ended 2023 down with Covid, started 2024 on the fifth day since tested positive, the last day of the quarantine.

This is the second time I was infected with Covid-19. Still feeling weak and tire easily these few days.

The shortness of breath is new, at least I don't remember having it the last time I had Covid-19.

Definitely not a good way to end a year and start a year, but then, this is just so... my life.

Can still hope that 2024 will be good to me.

Ya, hope, the thing that get me through life.



Other |temperamental thoughts| category entries.


31 December 2023

2023 in numbers


2023 was to me, a year of loss and helplessness. Losing mommi is a life changing event, something permanent, something that left a mark. Losing the pet Cocoa is saddening, but she lived a long healthy life so there is solace in that. Losing Brownie is a distressing shock, I am still feeling the remorse and guilt, I should have provided her a safe environment to grow old, but I let her down.

2023 is full of helplessness, the inability to make things better in regards to mommi prior to her passing, and the powerlessness of her sudden passing. The pay cut. The leaving of a capable colleague, the other thermal engineer. The helplessness and frustration in the dealing with customer. The projects assignment. The failed patent attempts. The drifting apart and the inability to stop it, to revert it.

Here are the 2023 numbers:


125 blog entries. 11 entries per month except November, 16 years continuously, a testament to my persistence, consistence and self-discipline.

29 days of commute to work recorded, which covered 1314.0 kilometres, giving an average of 45.3 kilometres per day.

9 petrol filling recorded. My five years old Civic is doing an average of 12.8 kilometre per litre of petrol. This is the average with long distance trips, urban driving average is probably closer to the 11 to 12 km/l range.

26 days of leave taken. 3 more days compared to last year. This is a healthy trend. =)

125 days of worked till overtime-worthy late, a 8.1% reduction from last year. Still a large number of working overtime, but am glad it is in the right declining trend. I have all overtime duration recorded, the total is 334 hours and 26 minutes, and the average overtime duration is 2 hours 40 minutes and 30 seconds. So in effect I am doing worse than last year, since although I worked overtime fewer days compared to last year, I worked on average 40 minutes longer when I did overtime. Not good. =(

Putting the overtime count into perspective: 52 weeks of 5 working days = 260 working days. Take away 17 public and replacement holidays, and take away 26 days of leave I had 217 working days. Out of the 217 days I worked overtime 125 days, that's 57.6%. Sad.

0 days on business trip. =)

3 online tabletop gaming sessions held, a drastic reduction from last year, oh well... We played 2 board games this year, both games are familiar games, no new game tried.

20 novels read, 15 new books and 5 reread, a huge 48.7% drop from last year, sad. Average of 18.3 days for a book. Read rate is horrible this year. =(

0 patent filing. Failed. =(

46, 19, 16, 14, 4+1, 0 for my own reference.


Happy New Year dear reader, wish you a wonderful 2024.



Other |hyped up heads up| category entries.