asthmatic printers and brain does not work that way manuals.

New printer at work due to the old one steadily fucking up. Morning was spent with everyone trying to figure out which inbox their documents were going into (specifying it on printer preferences was a bit of a pot luck deal). This appears to have been mostly overcome. However? When working, it sounds like most other machines do when there's something caught in them. (you know how mechanics can tell what's wrong with an engine by the sound? turns out most office workers can tell the sound of paper caught in specific parts of a printer. Everyone keeps eyeing it very warily.) And it makes these noises when nothing's being printed - or at least nothing looks like it is.

Yours truly is more aware of the printer problems than most since I sit next to it, and people tend to ask me first. Even though I print a smidgen of what most people do. Eyeing it and waiting for it to die.

reading an xml book as part of one of my 'improving objectives'. It occurs to me that manuals need to configure themselves to the reader's mindset and brain. Robin said that when he read it, it was easily understandable. I, on the other hand, am going 'er, examples? You're throwing too much jargon at us too early. Also, the lessons keep reiterating stuff that you've already gone over four times and this is hampering my comprehension because it's not moving fast enough.'

...I am the type of person who tends to not need the in between steps and learns on the job. Which of course teachers despised since I never showed my working, as most of the time I didn't have any. I work with what I've got, it never occurs to me to ask for anything better and I have problems with the big picture. (both seeing it, the blurring that takes place and the methods used to justify it and what gets left behind/left out)

Think shall abandon this book and go find a website. Suggestions?

...Fuck

Dunno if any of you remember, but a bit ago I mentioned my uncle got cancer with prognosis not good. Died this morning. Apparently he's been fading fast for the last few days - got news that he was essentially blind last week, and since the weekend, it's been fading. Funeral next week.

Yeah, a good word would be shite. Always gets me how the cancer ones all seem to have been 'mostly fine' 'soldiering on' 'really sick but fighting', then all of a sudden it's 'fading fast' and they're gone within a couple of days. Like their body and mind just suddenly gives up.

Mum sent me a text just before lunch, phoned her, told my manager that I'd need time off next week but not sure when, then fled the office to have a cry in the street. Simply, away from people who'd be asking why I was crying or try to offer sympathy. Anonymity-callousness of cities is handy at times.