OK, so, what has happened for the past 10 days or so?

Sunday 15th september: took my cat (Suzi) to the vet for a second checkup (post-seizure) and for her annual vaccinations; she’s been OK since the seizure, but I quit the antibiotics in case they helped cause it, even though they are generally considered to be safe.

The vet is an Aussie and jolly good fun, as evinced by the following exchange: parental guidance recommended: not for the faint hearted

me: I am still a bit worried about her backside, from the diarrhoea; does the anus look inflamed to you? I’m not sure, but then I’m not an expert in looking at cats’ backsides…

vet: Ah, but I am an expert in looking at cats’ backsides, and have several years of study and qualifications and study to prove it! It looks fine to me, nothing much amiss there, although the fur looks a bit patchy and the skin inflamed?

me: That’s where she’s been cleaning herself from the dried-on crud that accumulates; she’s pulling it out with her teeth and flinging the matted bits around the house, it can’t be very pleasant for her. It’s not nice for me, either, nor her when I bathe her.

vet: It should be OK, if you can keep it clean?

me: Maybe I could give it a number-two (close-clipped haircut) when I get home, keep the hair short and more clean…

vet: I could do that for you now…

…which explained the ensuing five minutes of near-hysterical hilarity, shaving my cat’s arse until nothing remained that could accumulate dirt. I suspect that the excess of opportunities for smutty puns were too overwhelming, so much so that nothing actually needed to be said to render us helpless in fits of giggling.

(Actually, I had a nice e-mail from Jason (thank you) enquiring after the state of my cats, and requesting more pictures of them; hopefully the above fills-in enough details, and more pics are available at: [www.crypto.dircon.co.uk] — I may splice a few more pictures into the page as icons, later)

Then, after the vet, I had friends around for pancakes, and packed for SunNetworks.

Recap of SunNetworks

(Pardon me for rabid tense-swapping in this bit; I cannot be arsed to fix it.)

Monday: Up early. Leslie and I catch an early Virgin flight to the Bay Area. Arrive, do a nice burger and milkshake at the Peninsula Fountain in Palo Alto, and then drive to the hotel (Argent) next tood to the Moscone centre in San Francisco. Pass out from exhaustion at 1800h.

Tuesday: up terrifyingly early, in a panic leave a message for Jason at 0500h, do breakfast with him and Leslie and drive to Santa Clara office to do a run-through of the presentation. Discover the presentation to be rather mangled, but get through it easily, only advice to me from the trainer being to avoid using the word condom (it’d offend the “religious right”) – and likewise to try not to swear quite so colourfully. We forget to retreive the VHS training video that they made of us, which is presumably still in the SCA-restaurant drop-in centre. Back to SF, drop off Jason’s SUV at the local branch of Hertz, go back to the hotel and eat dinner and pass out from exhaustion.

Wednesday: Up early. Go around the booths at Moscone and try to make myself equally a nuisance and a help. Accompany Joel and Glenn to local Whisky shop, and introduce them to irn bru. Eat conference buffet food for dinner. Pass out from exhaustion at 2130.

Thursday: Up early. Watch the Diffie keynote with Alex, Joel and Glenn. Prep and fix presentation with Jason at 1100. Visit exhibits in afternoon, and drink conference beer with Edmund in the early evening. Skip concert by Jim Belushi’s Blues band in favour of waving the flag of support for JavaCard/SmartCard presentation by Paul. Eat more buffet food and pass-out from exhaustion at 2030h.

Friday: Up early. Miss/forget James Burke keynote in favour of e-mail. Wander zonked amongst the smaller crowds (everyone hungover or gone home). Eat light lunch to prevent digestive sleepiness. Deliver presentation with Jason – we rock, but there are fewer attendees than I’d like (maybe 50..60?) – however sundry Sun-internal marketeers are present and finally get the gospel. Said “hi” to Valerie. Have early tea/dinner with Edmund and Joel in Chinatown (definitely an experience – if you want good food, tag along with Joel, but be prepared for his in-depth critiques and comparison of wherever you are against several dozen other restaurants.) Return to hotel room at 1900h, find earplugs and an apologetic note on the bed to the effect that building works will be ongoing on saturday morning, using a helicopter. Strike me that the earplugs are an unusually pragmatic trick for an American company. Pass out exhausted soon after.

Saturday: Up early. Watch helicopter from my vantage point on the 22nd floor, photographing it from above and below. shower, dress, pack, breakfast Jason and Leslie, say goodbyes, Leslie and I drive south to Palo Alot in search of a Walmart. Buy sundry toys (dremel bits, slingshot, telescopic sight for air rifle, camping eqpt) and marvel at what you can buy in an American supermarket. Airport, flight, zonk badly but not actually get much sleep. Land 1000h sunday. Get home. Pass out from exhaustion.

This brings me prettymuch up to date. So, how was your week?