Admins are my heroes. Not just during Admin Week, but every day. The scheduling algebra and calculus performed by these folks is just amazing. Getting all the right people in a meeting at the same time across multiple time zones, finding a conference room big enough to seat all the local folks, and then recalculating the whole mess when some higher priority conflict hits — it would drive me crazy if I had to do it every day.

I’m doing it now, as we prepare for the upcoming JavaOne and CommunityOne conferences in San Francisco. Not just the algebraic version, but the calculus version with all the moving parts and nontrivial number of people. Earlier this week, my frustration level was high. But then, I cancelled a conference room reservation, and one of those admin heroes responded to my apologetic e-mail in a way that made all my frustration disappear.

No harm…

I will sign you up for Conference Room Mind Changers Support Group. They never meet –they keep changing the conference room…

This was followed by a step-by-step outline of the program, involving voodoo dolls, cabs, and large quantities of aspirin, but I was already laughing before I got to step one.

Thank you to all of the admins who keep us all sane. Yes, I know it’s a week late, but scheduling can be such a …challenge.