When is an Upgrade Not an Upgrade

Now. This minute. I have am in upgrade hell here, people, and the only thing that can save me is alcohol - or a coma. Short of that, I'm finding out when people say you are upgrading, they don't always mean it is a good thing.

I have found a glitch in the software I use every day, all day long. I wish I could blame Bill Gates, but I can't. I wish I could wave a magic wand and I could have my old version back. I can't. I wish I could scream my bloody head off and say very foul things that would have my male co-workers blushing at the fervor with which I say them. I can, but I wouldn't be working here long.

Remember my oh-so-productive Saturday? It's history.

The glitch which has interrupted my daily flow is an insidious one. You can't see it in any obvious fashion. No, it hides and then jumps out unaware when your calculations don't come out the way they should and you hunt and hunt for the reason and never find it. Until today. I found it. It can no longer hide from me. Unfortunately, some of the damage is done. All the work I've done in the six weeks must now be re-done! Oh, and did I mention it must be done FAST?!? Yes, for this is the urgent time, the window of opportunity in which these calculations must be used and for only a few weeks will this window be open.

Someday I want to go to this magical place where they do these upgrades. I want to sit next to the great computer programmer as s/he figures out what changes are going to be created for this version. I want them to tell me why this is a good thing to change. How is it going to benefit ME. Yes, I'm starting to be a bit selfish here. Yes, the "Only Child Syndrome" is rearing it's ugly head. What was wrong with the last upgrade? Nothing. Not a darn thing that I could see. It worked really well. It worked better than any of the other upgrades had worked before! I was pleased with that upgrade. I used that upgrade for a whole year with pleasure. I don't think this upgrade and I will be bonding in the same way. I'm sure of it.