In my dream, I'm doing essentially Field Service Engineering work, repairing something like shower heads, but they're not actual shower heads. The devices I'm working on are located in or near closets (confined spaces) and are located maybe 7 feet up on a wall. They're small devices -- roughly the size of a baseball -- and they're connected to the wall with a metal pipe or tube of some sort. The device has both plumbing and electrical connectors.
There are eight of these devices, each located in a different area. I'm not told what is wrong with each device. I have to figure it out -- which is one of the great satisfactions of being a Field Service work: when you show up the gizmo doesn't work. When you get ready to leave, the gizmo does work.
As I move from fixing one to the next, I accumulate a small group of people watching what I'm doing and supporting my efforts. My making these things work will make their lives a bit easier.
And I know that we're approaching some kind of holiday, where most people don't have to work. And I'm looking forward to being one of those people taking it easy away from work.
Fixing some of the eight gizmos is pretty easy, as the problem is pretty obvious. Some require some careful thinking and understanding as to what the gizmo does and how it does it.
When I get to the eighth and last gizmo, I'm stymied. It's not at all obvious what the problem is -- and not even whether the problem is with the plumbing or the electrical parts of the system.
If I had my voltage meter, I would be in good shape as I could fairly easily establish whether the problem was water or electricity. But I don't have my meter.
If I had my standard set of tools, I would be in good shape as I could fairly easily disassemble the gizmo so that the problem would likely be fairly obvious. But I don't have my tools.
If I understood the fine details of the gizmo operation, I would be in good shape as I could see where the system started to work and where it halted in mid-operation. But I don't have the documentation I needed.
So I'm completely at a standstill and I know that it's very important that I get all eight gizmos back in operating order before the holiday begins. And if I can't, I would likely have to stay on the job through the holiday trying to fix Gizmo Number Eight without any support from my home office, as everyone there would be on holiday. And I had plans for my holiday...
I'm not only frustrated. I'm not only angry. I'm completely furious.
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