Work and work

I have spent the last 20 days working about 12 - 13 hrs a day with no break in a little tiny office where i have somehow managed to fit about 4 people at times, and where there are no windows, fresh air, tons of papers growing by the minute and little mouse droppings that appear every morning.

before the intense 20 days, about a month ago I launched my first website. Though it was many months, days and hours of brain damage, it was very rewarding in the end. I got very nice comments overall and business automatically picked up the next day! We sold about 5 packages right off the website and many catalog requests!

The website though was not the last thing in my mind. I still had an inhouse application to build. So right after the website launched i went back to the application brain mode. Too many nights staying late in the office, eating pizza, and drinking coffee.
Yesterday was the deadline, we had to rush everything to make sure things were working according to the business. which by the way - this is a heck of a business. If building an application for 2000 people who does the same routine is difficult, building an application for 150 people who has about 30 different business process per department is even worst!
On top of that, we had to do all the manuals - application processes for dummy - like and prepare for the training sessions and the planning involved.
that alone was 10 different manuals, depending on the department, what they sold, and their business rules.

In the end, after many nights bonding with my computer, getting crossed eyed and developing a secretary rear end, I am finally there... We are launching on Monday.

Needless to say, i am terrified. We have done this entire process with only 2 people inhouse. I wonder what has been left in the hole and what kind of problems will derive from it. All i can ask for is a lot of LUCK and the strength to go on.

As if 2 major changes in the business is not enough, we are also undergoing a renovation - which is why i get little presents in my office from my little Mickey friends. Renovation means that I also have to worry about this, and plan every single outlet, cable, infrastructure that the place is going to have. while planning already is a big deal, moving people around during work hours while we renovate different areas, making sure they can still work and still handle a new website and a new inhouse application makes it even BIGGER!

I really don't know how i have been able to cope with all these things and still be sane...
Though, my perception of being sane is just relative to what i see and i what i know.
Just last night, after we managed to get everything ready for Monday's launch, i told my crew to go home "early" which was about 8pm, and get a good rest. Then, i took a walk down the streets of little Italy, and i was a bit lost. I thought, i must have been so out of touch with the world, that seeing so many people on the streets was a bit weird to me.
Again this morning, i was on the streets. I couldn't explain to you how happy i was just to be able to walk under the sun, breath air and see people around... it really makes me wonder if i am still sane.

Well, here i am. Finally at home, resting one entire day - or rather doing the laundry i had not done in weeks and cleaning my place and my yard. It felt good.

So... this is it for now... Wish me Good Luck!