3pm. Cautiously moving forth. Noticing that weird, grinding sound to eventually track it down to one of the computer fans. Unsure whether to watch, listen or actually do something about that. Maybe starting with a rudimentary backup beyond the usual eventual, random copying of files. (Or a late coffee after all.)
Even before 8am. Things that get one back to real-world operations reliably and fast, too: Accidentially removing uncommitted changes in a semi-critical system. Next is testing backup. Or, more specifically, recovery.
10am again, already. White clouds just cautiously peeking across the roofs. Sounds of janitors busy on the stairs and in the backyard. A neighbour shouting at someone, lack of response suggests it's some call that doesn't work as expected. (Another coffee, to keep the day moving. Odds and ends, and too little items already checked today to be pleased.)
9am and on: Of error messages, copied instructions, misplaced whitespaces - changes that only derail late in the flow. (Even checking things twice sometimes doesn't keep one from missing the obvious. Wondering whether this is about too much or too little caffeine, or a general creeping degradation of focus.)
Late morning, between water and concrete, between performance and procrastination. Also: The chills from watching voiceless remote collaboration in a shared document. A lot of all this seems reasonably sophisticated and arcane to have passed borders to magic ages ago.
10pm, almost, again. Digging through personal data, with surprising results. Taking way too long to discover a misunderstanding of timestamps and timezones that should be absolutely obvious. Once fixed, results are closer to expectations. And boring. Not sure which outcome to prefer.
10am and on. Multiple factors, single results. Building temporary tooling to shape vast loads of input, considering needles and haystacks again. And falling for the temptation to dig into technology all too deep, losing track of time and priorities that way. Focus as an ever-present, unmatched challenge.
9am and on. That unsettling moment after installing crucial updates, watching and waiting for the system to restart and report back online again. (Also: That unsettling moment of wondering whether someone else committed changes and left them undocumented in the meantime. Real-world operations. The thrill of the chase.)