Password, schmassword.......

OK, another rant in the offing.  On any given day I think many Americans feel they are about 3 tasks behind where they should be at that point in the day.  Perhaps that's why we freak out when we're forced to wait in lines, or are stuck in traffic, because we know how much we still have to do and how little time we have to do it in.  We can already feel 2 or 3 to-do's sliding into tomorrow's to-do list...

That's why senseless wasted time drives me insane.  Take mandatory password changing, for instance.  Clearly I don't do my travel expenses enough, as inevitably my password has expired by the next time I try to enter expenses.  I figure this out after about 10 minutes of futile typing, changing cases, cycling through any number of password permutations and while emitting a string of colloquial language.  (It helps me focus better.)

The wonderful thing (heavy sarcasm here) is that my work passwords don't talk to each other, although I think they are supposed to.  My understanding was that every several months I need to change the main password, which would change the other ones.  It doesn't, so now I have a new password, and have to remember the old ones, and what accounts they go to.  Give me a frikkin' break! I'm up to the Z in Alzheimer's, people!!!!!!!  Some days I can barely remember to pull up my fly (ask anyone, I'm THAT easily distracted) much less which password belongs where.

There are too many damn many password accounts -- why can't the evil IT trolls leave well enough alone and let me keep the same damn user name and password??  Are that many people really trying to access my work email, intranet, or Blogger account??  I just waited half an hour for my expense system to generate a new password, and then spent 20 minutes coming up with one it would accept.  Apparently you can't use any passwords you've used in the last 3 years.  Again, those would be the ones I REMEMBER. 

I finally come up with a new password I have a really good shot at remembering.  Did not expect the system to take it, as it's a string of my favorite cuss words that I use when am pushed beyond my limit.  I entered it, then had to re-enter it as the system felt strongly that I needed at least one capital letter and a number.  Added the Capital letter and number, still expecting to be rejected because of the graphic language, but at this point too annoyed by the process to stop.

Bulls eye!  Success!  And now, half an hour later, I can be productive.  I could have been finished with my T&E's by now, but instead, I've gotten another latte, spent some time on FaceBook, and therapized myself with a little rant here.  Still behind in the to-do list, but at least feeling a bit better about it.