When You Wish … A Different Approach To Sourcing

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?

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The World’s Worst Panorama 2023

Here’s my “group panorama” from Richard Bernabe’s Feb 2023 trip to Patagonia. From the left: Gero, Nigel, Thomas, Karsten, Jörn, Lisa, Richard, Alejandro, Glenn, Alex, John, Pat, Yours Truly and JoAnne. Please don’t study the stitching too carefully, or complain Continue reading

Friday, February 24, 2023 in Humour, Patagonia, Photography, Travel

Rainbows Rising

After a very blustery night the forecast seemed to have been correct and the day dawned very wet and windy. We travelled to the first stop without much hope, and it appeared to be justified. As I said to Richard Continue reading

Thursday, February 23, 2023 in Patagonia, Travel

Have I Offended El Gauchito Gil?

Today was slightly harder work. We had tricky start to the day. At the sunrise location the sunrise largely failed to materialise, but we did get light just on the peaks for a few minutes, and I got some good Continue reading

Tuesday, February 21, 2023 in Patagonia, Travel

We’re Going on a Guanaco Hunt!

Today was a lighter day, partly to allow everyone to recover from the long drive, and specifically to make sure Gustavo stays within his driving hour limits. We went up the road about 1 mile for sunrise, with a similar Continue reading

Monday, February 20, 2023 in Patagonia, Travel

This is Really Scary…

This morning’s subject was a “guanaco hunt”, capturing one or more of the charming Patagonia llamas in a nice pose, ideally in front of a mountain or similar. Over lunch, as beer was consumed, we got talking about how we Continue reading

Sunday, February 19, 2023 in Humour, Patagonia, Photography, Thoughts on the World, Travel

It’s a Long Drive, to Torres del Paine (Almost works!)

After a very quick dawn shoot we assembled for the long drive from El Chalten to Torres del Paine in Chile. This involves driving about 100 miles East, the a couple of hundred South, past El Calafate where we started, Continue reading

Water, Water, Tunch

The day started with another visit to the canyon viewpoint, to see if we could get better light than on Wednesday. At first it looked like the Eastern sky was overcast and we wouldn’t get much, but suddenly about 1/2 Continue reading

Saturday, February 18, 2023 in Patagonia, Travel

It’s a Mystery, It’s a Mystery, I’m Just Searching for a Clue

Richard’s plan for this morning was a hike of 1.5-2 hours in each direction, with a significant vertical element. With my hip and knees complaining a bit I took the better part of valour and with Nigel opted for the Continue reading

Friday, February 17, 2023 in Patagonia, Travel

Mixed Fortunes

We started the day about an hour before sunrise back at the overlook of Mt Fitzroy and the Las Vueltas river. On the positive side, yesterday’s wind didn’t re-materialise. On a more negative one, neither did much of the warm Continue reading

Thursday, February 16, 2023 in Patagonia, Travel

Onwards and Upwards (A Little…)

We spent the morning of the second full day driving from El Calafate to El Chalten, which will be our base for four days. The road was remarkably flat, mainly straight and moderately boring for much of the time, but Continue reading

Wednesday, February 15, 2023 in Patagonia, Travel

Where’s Wally?

The first day of the tour proper was spent on a trip to the Perito Moreno Glacier, a 250km2 ice formation, one of 48 glaciers fed by the Southern Patagonian Ice Field between Argentina and Chile. It is one of Continue reading

Tuesday, February 14, 2023 in Patagonia, Travel