Oh to be GLADoS now that Spring is here

For those of you who aren't video game aficionados. GLADoS is a character from the game "Portal".  I first encountered GLADoS when my fifteen year old son went on a Portal 1 and 2 spree a few months ago.   Her name is the acronym for Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System.  She's the power behind the computer system in the game and has one of the most annoying voices since HAL3000 in 2001: A Space Odyssey.  


But she's funny as hell.  She says all the wonderful sarcastic statements that I would love to say to people I encounter at work and not catch hell (or have my work history end in an untimely fashion).


People think working for the Government is a complete cakewalk.  It really isn't.  You have to abide by arcane rules and regulations that would make Kafka cringe. You have to deal with people who spend their entire effort trying to circumvent "the system" or cruise through their careers like flickering ghosts on the public radar.   Government breeds stupidity at times and "good enough for Government" is a axiom to live by.  


I've been a public servant of sorts for over a decade and days like today make me feel the burnout in the deepest depths of my soul.  Most people go into government for two reasons--security and the hope that they can actually make a difference in being a public servant.  I \am still mostly in the later, though days like today keep pushing me into the former.  

Its been a busy week and projects and trouble tickets seem to slam into each other like bumper cars set to kill.  My staff is overwhelmed and overworked.  I'm overwhelmed and overworked.  And the stupid  questions keep coming about things I've answered at least a half dozen times before . Or I get a request for data on reports that no one ever reads but need to be filed yesterday and suddenly take priority over the fires that are already burning merrily out of control on my schedule.

Yes, I envy GLADoS and her snide sarcasm.  She also has the luxury of lacking a tongue that has to be bit every time a problem child moves into her line of vision.