I look at processes and figure ways to simplify. The result is usually some kind of database and/or application. Repetitive motions (copy & paste, editing files, etc) can be made into automated scripts. Many times it is faster to write code to do something than completing the task itself.
Microsoft Office products are integrated with Visual Basic for Applications, meaning that simple scripts can be written to edit data, import data, export data, etc. It is easy to make a macro that visits a web site, pulls data from it, puts it in a spreadsheet, manipulates the data, formats it to make it pretty and finally email a report out to a handful of recipients, all done daily and automatically without any user input.
Call me a nerd, but I love data. I usually don't care what the data is, but I just like to have it. That is why I love databases. I love writing applications to play with databases. There is nothing like creating an application to add, edit and manipulate data. That is why I am always playing with new database hosts, data types and languages to access the data. Whether it be a web site, stand-alone Access programs, or a .Net form, I will not tire of manipulating data.
