Concatenates

It's a perfectly good and legitimate word. I learned it in a college math course. So naturally I thought that others who'd had math classes in college had heard it. Well, you know what they say about when you assume...

I put the word in my hazard report, and when it went out for review, well I found out how differently I was educated from the engineers I work with. Not just that they didn't know it, but some thought I'd gone out of my way to find a $10 word to throw into my report. As if I wasn't buried in "stuff" trying to get this thing ready for the dry run presentation, I would have time to go dig through the dictionary and thesaurus to come up with a word to : ! other people. Please. At least those who know me know better.

Yesterday was one of the stupidest days of my life, if not the one. I thought I had everything under good control. All I had to do was make this last set of corrections and upload it to the data base and I'd be in good shape for the dry run.

HA!

I'm sure there are many stereotypical poses that are repeated for government workers and for engineers. I think yesterday topped them all. In my smug self-assurance that all was under control, I was relaxing over an early lunch when it began.

A rain of emails concerning things that needed to be changed on my hazard report. A handful of good catches, and a ton of nits. So I began making the pertinent ones. I continued to get pinged every few minutes with yet another. After nearly an hour of that, I was beyond grumpy. And then the other Battle of the Titans began. I couldn't figure it out at first. I got notes from the engine guys that perplexed me. They had put words in place of my words in the hazard report...with no explanation for the change. I had called the engine the J-2X, which is what the model is called. They didn't like that and each inserted something different. I was obligated to show them that I had incorporated their changes, if I thought they were good or relevant. "How's this?" Well, I didn't make that change mostly because they hadn't explained it and I didn't see why adding Upper Stage Engine was necessary. Just more words...and the number of places to make the change... Well, finally after a few more mails, I figured it out. They didn't like my terminology...but they never said that. They just added words with no explanation. Finally I got it. They wanted Upper Stage Engine instead of J-2X. Well, no that wasn't it either. So I finally asked the right question...WHICH is the correct name for it? J-2X, Upper Stage Engine, together, or are they interchangeable, does one equate to the other? So I was informed the "preferred terminology" was "J-2X Upper Stage Engine (USE)". After the first use then one could simply use USE. It was never to be reffered to as J-2X alone...or as Upper Stage Engine alone, at least not on first usage. Gee. Why didn't I think of it that way?? :p So I had to go make all those changes. I won't hazard a guess...and upload it all again which it not just a straight upload. Each box on the form has to be copied and pasted into the database. Six or eight boxes over about ten pages. Sure, it's not difficult but very time consuming. All of this while I was supposed to be listening in on a telecon. Well, forget that. I heard it but I have no idea what they said. Oh, just one more thing. Then the engine guys argued because I didn't simply take all their changes and MAKE them. No questions, no reason, just make our changes. We know your job better than you do.

And Carla didn't understand why I complained...a one line email, that's all.

Well...the pay's the same.