+5 Informative?!

I rarely comment on Slashdot, because for the most part it's a waste of time and my non-IT brain doesn't communicate well with the mostly IT crowd. However, every now and then I feel I have some wisdom to impart. Usually the Slash-herd disagrees, and I get modded to about 2. Today, I just saw that a comment I posted on Sunday made it to +5 Informative! Woot, it is like my happiest Slashdot moment until I realized ... I wasn't even on topic anymore. The topic was about schools asking parents to shell out for MS Office, and my post was a reply to a person about fitting data in Excel. And I got +5? Slashdot really is broken these days.

Either way, here is my highly informative comment. For those not in the know, +5 is the most you can get your comment elevated to. Comments are ranked from -1 (really bad, probably intentionally trying to offend someone or pick a fight) to +5 (worth reading by everyone reading comments).

Nothing is really going on these days. The rain really and truly stopped for a few days! Last night the sky was cloudless. Actually cloudless. I stood on the balcony for about half an hour and just looked at the stars and moon. The moon was full, and it caught me by surprise. I think I was surprised because I normally have some inkling of the phase because I see the moon every now and again. I hadn't see it in so long, I'd lost track. Today was sunny and warm (mid to upper 60's). Everyone said this is what an English summer is supposed to be like. I hope this sticks because it's fantastic.

I am planning on going climbing tomorrow evening, which I'm looking forward to.

Amanda is home again which is great. The kids and I really missed her. I'm glad she got the chance to go home and see her family.

Wednesday the family is off to London to meet my parents. I head back to the US on the 8th returning on the 11th. Then the family goes on our Irish vacation for a week.

Travel and Sir Walter

I'm in Atlanta. It's 6:30. My flight home is at 8:30. I've been here Since 1:30. This layover is too long.

This week I was in Reno, NV. It didn't rain at all, which was a nice change of pace. The hills were on fire, which was impressive to see. The fire burned the whole time I was there. It didn't seem that big, but I think the forest service now has a policy of "managing" forest fires to allow old growth to die off. Anyway, when I flew in you could see the flames flicking against the horizon line. It was an awesome sight.

My paper went over well, and the organizers for a conference on the same topic in Liverpool have asked me to present there. Liverpool is just past Manchester, so easy to get to from Sheffield. I'll probably go.

I went bouldering twice while in Reno at the local gym. I went Tuesday night because I figured it would be the only night I could go. Then I went again on Thursday night because I had this gift card and time on my hands. As a "thank you" for speaking, the conference gave me a $25 gift card. Except it was in US dollars and could only be used in the US (per long leagal sheet that came with the card). I should point out that this was an international conference and many of the speakers came in from outside the US. Still, free money. So, I spent it at the gym.

I worked on a V-? bouldering problem. It was unrated, and by the end of the night I could do all but the last move. There were three of us working it. Nobody could do the last move. I'd say up to the last move, it was probably a V-2 or just barely a 3. With the last move, a V-inf. We even asked the gym worker if there was a trick. Nope, just a suicidal dynamic off of a single foot hold and a crimppy almost sloper on one hand. Bollucs. I declare the problem solved.

I like that I get to travel. I like that I get to see so many places and I like that I'm only gone about once a month. I'm better at it now than I was a few years ago. I know more what to expect, and I get more out of my trips. The upshot of this is that I had over 100,000 frequent flyer miles in my account.

We found out this week that Sir Walter isn't going to make it. He has cancer and it is spread through his body. I'm sure Amanda will write more on her blog. This is only slightly non-sequiter because Amanda will travel to St. Louis next weekend and put her cat to sleep. I now have about 2,000 frequent flyer miles. Totally worth it.

It was like Prom (except there was beer)

Last night, Amanda and I went on our first date since we came to the UK. A coworker and his wife came over and watched the kids while we went to a formal black-tie ball put on by the kids' school. The girl took the picture here of Mom and Dad looking sharp. I think the flash might not have gone off, which is why its so grainy.

Amanda and I had a great time with dinner, dancing, and conversation. Dinner was Duck breast, which was quite good. There was a band of geriatrics who were just not the right people for this party. They played one set of awful renditions of various types of music, and then the DJ started. Hardly anyone was dancing to the band, but as soon as the DJ started, the dance floor became packed. The band took a hint, and packed it in. I got to meet a lot of the parents that Amanda had already met through school and (since I don't dance) had a great time talking with the other dads (who also don't dance). One of them told me to just tell my company to "Sod off" and move to the UK permanently. Quite honestly, its just a bit tempting.

The event started at 7:30 and we didn't get home until 1:30! The time flew by, plus the weather was unbeatable. It had been sunny and warm (about 65) all day (finally, no rain!). The ball was held in a large reception tent out on the athletic field. Since it stays light until after 10, I didn't even realize that it was getting late until I looked down at my watch and saw that it was already 11:30. Amanda and I didn't feel like leaving in the slightest. It really was a great time.

Last Wednesday I went gym climbing. I did a few bouldering problems and then did routes. I was crap. Not climbing for three weeks really screws up your skills and your grip. I'm thinking I'll get a squeeze ball or something for the times that I can't get to the gym. I also need to go in early next time and show the staff that I know how to lead. The gym is about 70% lead only routes, so I've started to get bored with the limited top rope routes.

Sheffield has two large climbing gyms, The Foundry and The Edge. (There is also a large bouldering-only gym.) I have climbed both places and The Foundry is better, but The Edge is closer and has the climbing club thing where they will pair me up with other climbers. Anyway, the Edge was absolutely packed on Wednesday. I figured it was just all the rain had driven the area climbers indoors, but I found out it was also that The Foundry was flooded and had not yet reopened. It really is awful how many homes and businesses were lost or damaged. June was the wettest on record (over 100 years), and the locals all agree that it has never rained like this in their memory. Here's hoping July is better.

Next weekend my parents are coming to visit! The whole family is very excited and looking forward to seeing them. Then I'm off to Reno to present at a metrology conference. Back in the UK for a couple of weeks. A short trip to London with my parents. Then back to St. Louis for my second and final interview. Finally, the family is planning a trip to Ireland for mid August.

Oh, we also bought Amanda a car today. It needs its MOT inspection, and so the owner is going to do that and we will get it on Tuesday or Wednesday. It's a Peugeot five-door hatchback. Automatic transmission (an essential for Amanda). Seems to be a fairly decent car. It is always a gamble, but I think we'll come out O.K. on this one.