docs: def load(self):
          """ Loads a task if the active file is available.
              """
  
          try:
              _parser = parser.parse_config(self._paths['active_file'],
                                            self.HEADER_ACTIVE_FILE)
  
              # parse expected options into a dict to de-dupe
              keys = ('name', 'start_time')
              opts = dict(o for o in _parser.options if o[0] in keys)
  
              # check for all keys
              for k in keys:
                  if not opts.get(k):
                      return False
              task_name = opts.get('name')[0]
  
              # setup the paths
              task_dir = self._get_task_dir(task_name)
              task_config = os.path.join(task_dir, 'task.cfg')
  
              # validate start time
              value = opts.get('start_time')[0]
              start_time = datetime.datetime.strptime(value,
                                                      '%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S.%f')
  
              # get user id for process ownership when running task
              # here, we use the owner of the active file
              file_meta = os.stat(self._paths['active_file'])
              owner = file_meta.st_uid
  
              # parse task config and send its options to registered plugins
              _parser = parser.parse_config(task_config, self.HEADER_TASK_CONFIG)
              registration.run_option_hooks(_parser)
  
              self._name = common.from_utf8(task_name)
              self._start_time = start_time
              self._owner = owner
              self._paths['task_dir'] = task_dir
              self._paths['task_config'] = task_config
              self._loaded = True
  
          except (parser.ParseError, ValueError, TypeError, OSError):
              # something failed, cleanup
              self._clean()
  
          self._clean_prior()
          return self._loaded