Living with a Computer Engineer: A Roller Coaster of Emotions and Casper-like Encounters
Living with a computer engineer is an adventure. Sometimes it is a roller coaster spanning the pendulum of emotions in seconds, from mild irritation to downright anger. You’re standing at the office door tapping your foot with your arms crossed as time is ticking down to get out the door to the doctor, the recital, the dinner with friends. But you feel like Casper, the friendly ghost. He doesn’t even see you.
The Pervasive ‘Just Five More Minutes’ Plea: Insights into a Computer Engineer’s World
This phrase rolls off my husband’s lips, “Five more minutes, honey, that’s all I need.” This is usually followed up with a comment about a computer situation he is currently working on. “I just need to do this,” followed by some computer jargon that I am clueless about, i.e., “this Linux download needs to be started,” or “I’m trying to figure out the issue with this code,” so your guess is as good as mine. All I know is that it sounds important and appears to be time sensitive and more important than anything else.
Navigating the ‘Just Five More Minutes’ Dilemma
It impacts daily life. Some days are more challenging than others. My husband shares bits of information about his process as I wait for the keyboard to stop typing or the video to close. It’s all about those zeros and ones. Then you hear, “ Honey, I am really close to solving this situation, but please give me just five more minutes.” What to do? Depending on the day may depend on my response. Be supportive and respond with” ok, five more minutes,” then start the timer for five more minutes, and wait for it—one of two things to happen after that “just five more minutes” request. My husband will appear from his office and be available for dinner, errands that need to be run, and a attend family or friend event. Or I will hear, “Darn it, this thing crashed, and I have to start the process again from the beginning.” Then I get to do those events or errands solo. Whoo Hoo shopping time! Those words “just five minutes more” become a song, and I can even give it a countdown to hear them come from the computer room. I say, “Hey honey, it’s time for …” Counting down on your fingers, then when the last finger closes, you got it, “Please honey, just five more minutes, and I will be right there.”
When I call out, “Your dinner is ready,” He responds, “ok, I will be right there.” Maybe I’m lucky, and he can join me within fifteen minutes. Then again, It might be one of those nights that he has been sucked up into the geek time (which means he has lost all track of time as he diligently works hard on the current computer issue.) Leave the meal in the microwave and tell him where he will find his dinner. Because chances are you will be in bed before he stops to eat. That saying “Time Flies When You’re Having Fun,” is true for my husband as he spends hours, days, and weeks learning about the technologies and staying abreast of ones he has learned in the past and applying them as needed. He enjoys being challenged as he finds solutions to problems, working through the troubleshooting process, and, most of all, when he understands how it all works. Then he can begin to put the learned information into action.
The Evolution of a Computer Engineer: From Late-Night Coding Sessions to Unveiling the Passion for Learning and Helping Others
Reflecting twenty-plus years ago, when he began his computer learning experience, the process was different and definitely more time-consuming. He would sometimes pull all-nighters either by himself or with some of his friends, learning that code to make something work and talking with another part of the system for a different assigned task to work. The excitement that came from observing my husband shared excitement that radiated from his voice, the sparkle in his eye that he shared with you, “ I get it,” and “I tried it, and it worked.” Then comes, “ I wonder if it would work if I did this; hey, honey, please just give me five more minutes.” It warms my heart as I have seen firsthand his dedication, commitment to learning, maintaining his learned knowledge, putting it into practice, and, most importantly, wanting to help others.
For those “just five more minutes, please, honey,” as I reflect on his time commitment to his learning, dedication to the process, and goal of helping others. Is it worth giving just five more minutes? Of course, it is, as technology is his passion, and he enjoys all that comes with it. Ok, not everything. Please, honey, just five more minutes will continue to ring throughout the house.
Northstarr Recommendations
If you are married to a computer geek, here are some things you could try:
1. Laugh often
2. Keep the coffee flowing
3. Put plates of food nearby in case he notices that he hasn’t eaten recently
To find out more about how we can help, visit our website or give us a call at (888) 767-2210 to set up an appointment. We look forward to meeting with you!
