This may amuse you. It might also scare you a bit…

First, you have to realise I have form here. Years ago, when we were fitting out Frances’ treatment room, we were having coffee with my parents. We complained that what we really needed was an avocado green vanity sink, but they had gone out of fashion. My father put down his coffee, and went upstairs. We heard  the loft door open and close, and he came back down the stairs carrying … an avocado green vanity sink!

A couple of years ago when we were planning our kitchen refit, we were having dinner with friends in Norfolk. We told them about our plans, and said “what we’d like to track down is a Neff Hide&Slide oven, but the older style with physical switches rather than a touch panel”. Nigel stood up from dinner, and said “come with me to the garage”. There, he presented me with a dirty but complete Neff Hide&Slide oven, the older style with physical switches rather than a touch panel. I had to swap it for an old lawn mower, and it needed a new element and seals, but now it’s in and works beautifully.

So, on Saturday night I was out with friends celebrating my birthday, as you do. As is the way, talk turned to work, and I complained that we are having a challenge getting a good power benchmark for our servers. I said that I know what data I need, and I’m pretty sure I could get it, but I can’t physically type commands into the ESX system, and the third-hand approach exchanging instructions with a system operator at our supplier is not working.

And Keith said, as can happen, “well, since Jill retired we no longer use our ESX server. It’s been on eBay but no-one wants it, and I was about to take it to the dump.”

Thus from Friday I will have a new, old, virtualisation server, and I can get my client the calibration data we are so desperately seeking.

Now, do I know anyone who might have an old Ferrari in the garage, and when are they free for dinner?