July 13, 1990
Dear Everyone:
Welcome to WordPerfect 5.1.
This is the latest version of WordPerfect, an “upgrade” from the
old 5.0 which I was using up until the day before yesterday.
Technical things aren’t “New and Improved!”, they’re “Upgraded”.
This is because they aren’t “new and improved”, only parts of
them are. You can’t just buy
an upgrade (well, actually, you can, but it won’t do you any good), you
have to have the original software to “grade up” as it were.
In this, it’s not that much different from a laundry detergent
that adds “new softeners” to an already existing formula, or a box of
cereal that has “plumper raisins”.
But would you really buy a cereal that advertises:
“Try our upgraded Post Toasties”?
The “new and improved” WordPerfect has
much better graphics, as you can see; and does a lot of other things
differently, which is why I cringe every time I start work on an older
document. Still, that’s part
of the adventure.
“Ashley Holtz” and I did an inventory of all our
software a few weeks ago and all of us are getting “upgraded” to various
programs. So Wednesday “we”
upgraded my PC. I say “we”
because it consisted of “Ashley” telling me what to type and me typing.
So much more efficient than him just typing it himself, don’t you
think? Not that I’m
complaining; my next quarterly report is going to say “upgraded software
on departmental PC’s”, even if I barely knew what I was doing.
Actually, we’ll find out if I know what I’m doing
because next Tuesday, while “Kevin” is in the usual “IDHS” Project Team
meeting in “Pleasanton”, I’m going to upgrade his PC.
It takes time to do these things, so we’re trying to pick times
when people are already scheduled to be away from their desks.
Trouble is, “Ashley” is in the same meeting, so if I run into any
problems, I won’t be able to ask him for help.
I guess I’ll just wipe off any fingerprints and pretend I never
heard of “upgrades”.
In other news…
It looks like “Alma” and “Melanie” are going to
London. This is “unofficial”
because we haven’t heard any formal announcements yet.
But around here, there seldom are formal announcements, so their
trip will remain “unofficial” until they board the plane and then we’ll
consider it official.
It seems that Company “Periodicals”, UK,
affectionately known as CPUK (pronounce See-Puck), requested some
help/advice about their records.
Originally, we heard “unofficially” that “Ashley Holtz” was going
to teach them about “IDHS” and CRMIS.
Then we “heard” that it would be “Ashley” and “Alma”.
But the manager (the one above “Chris Jennings”, our immediate
manager) didn’t think we should be “unsupervised” for 3 whole weeks.
“Ashley” evidently informed her that he did not fill in for
“Alma” when she was out and, besides, in his opinion, we could go for
whole months at a time without “stuporvision”.
Nevertheless, it ended (at last count) with “Alma” going because
she’s the stupidvisor of Records Management and “Melanie” because CPUK
specifically asked for someone who could help them with Active Files.
There’s also some “unofficial” rumors about the
fact that CPUK, in some way, relates to COPI (Company Overseas
“Periodicals” Inc) and COPI has a supervisor who has distinct ideas
about how CPUK should handle their files and CPUK doesn’t like.
When you consider the cost of First Class air fare round trip
from San Francisco to London, plus 3+ weeks in a hotel for two, it adds
up to some pretty expensive office politics.
But hey!
It’s only money and not ours at that.
Apparently CPUK is going to foot the bill.
So “Alma” and “Melanie” get 3 glorious weeks in England (with a
possible side trip to Aberdeen) and we get 3 glorious weeks without
“Alma” and “Melanie”. The
only fly in the ointment is that I’m going on vacation at the same time.
“Rowena Chandler” planned it better.
She goes on vacation for 3 weeks the same week that “Alma” and
“Melanie” come back.
“Melanie” has offered to bring back souvenirs
and/or bargains for us.
She’s planning on taking $1,000.00 with her for spending money.
After consulting with “Jeannie”, who says that most things in
London are very expensive, and that a lot of these things can be got
cheaper in Oakland, I’ve decided to tell “Melanie” that all I want is a
piece of the Tower of London.
Gift wrapped, please.
Love, as always,
Pete
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