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Honey-dos for Grandpa

My usual list of housekeeping:

  • install OpenOffice 2.2
  • fix the map updates for the Nuvi sat-nav
  • change the SSID and secure the wireless on the BT Homehub
  • fix the laptop and wireless card
  • provide recommendations for wireless and wired access for the work on the house

All in a days work.

Demos. When everything goes wrong..

I’ve been demoing ZENworks Configuration Management to partners across Europe for two weeks with no problems at all. Mainly running a live demo from my set of servers at home.

It’s risky – I might have a power outage, WAN outage, local issues – but so far so good.

I’ve also got a fully virtualised demo on my laptop incase things go bad.

Today both failed.

Internet access was via an authenticated proxy – and for some reason I couldn’t connect to my servers at home. Then my virtual demo started to get sick. Firefox kept hanging, Windows went slow, DNS stopped working. It all pointed to a networking conflict of some sort.

Eventually the technical team opened up their firewall so I didn’t need a proxy – and the demo looks great.

Two things I’ve learned again:

  1. if something is going to fail – it will do. Big time.
  2. always have a plan C (death by powerpoint) and maybe a plan D…

Tut Tut Laurence!

Laurence purchased a nearly authentic (ahem) Tumi bag in China. Same market that we got the delightful Tag Heuer watches.

We were walking through Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris – and noticed this huge poster.

Flying..

Argh.

I’m trying to get back from Edinburgh to meet up with Grania, Aoife and Hugo for a few days off. It seems like Edinburgh airport doesn’t like me – I was almost stuck here last year.

First I arrived at the airport – just checked in – and there was a fire alarm. Everyone was evacuated from the airport for over 45 minutes.

Next my flight from Edinburgh is delayed because the inbound aircraft is delayed. First delay was over an hour; now it’s another hour or so.

I hope they don’t cancel that flight.