Done last week (20150308 Su - 14 Sa Pi Day)

[mdlbear]

Strange week. The first half, at least, was terrific -- I was in New Orleans for a symposium at Pittcon | Conference & Expo. The symposium itself, sponsored by my mother in honor of my father, was Monday morning. Since everyone else arrived Sunday evening and I got in late Saturday, I had all day Sunday to myself to explore the French Quarter. Which I did.

I ended up walking six or so miles, which was surprisingly easy. Of course, it was all completely flat, but still. Spent about $50 buying CDs from street bands. I hadn't brought a guitar, and didn't need it -- didn't do any singing at all. Lots of good conversation, though. People I haven't seen in a decade and a half.

The symposium, Chemical Heritage Foundation - New Perspectives on the History of Infrared Instrumentation, was Monday morning. The high point was Foil Miller's talk: Anecdotes Involving Some Infrared Pioneers. At 99, he's "old enough to have known many of the pioneers of infrared spectroscopy personally", as it says in the abstract. It was followed by a luncheon at the Bourbon House. New Orleans is mostly about the food and the music.

Friday was my birthday. I turned 44 (hexadecimal), a number which contains two "1" bits, so I suggested that my cake have two candles on it. Saturday was, as everybody reading this probably knows, "The Pi Day of the Century"; I managed to get posts out at 9:26 on DW/LJ, Twitter, and Facebook.

The work week was short, frustrating, and unproductive even for a short week. The team I'm on loan to wants me to do my work in a new framework, which was only explained to me last week, and isn't even fully implemented yet, let alone documented. :P

I've been wondering why I always have so much pain when I get home from work, but not from walking all day in New Orleans. I'm beginning to think it's stress. Bletch.

And of course Terry Pratchett died. He was two years younger than me.

Links in the notes, as usual.

0308 Su
  * up 9am; ; 
  * Large breakfast in the hotel; E. on Burbon St to Esplanade; back on Decatur.  Total
    about 2.5mi; from the map it looks like a mile from Canal St. to the Esplanade.  Back
    to the hotel (at Canal and Decatur) for my hat and a bathroom break.  Planning on a
    late lunch somewhere near the flea market; there are a couple of open-air cafes with
    live jazz.  Perfect weather, if maybe a little warm for this Seattle resident.
  * 4pm iced mocha and beignets at Cafe Beignet.  Didn't need a lunch after all.  Live
    music.  I've probably walked 5 miles by this time, and spent over $50 on street
    musicians.  Many of whom have CDs.  Now somewhat covered with powdered sugar.
  % Cygnus needs a new keboard, as well as a fan.  The "b" key is dicey.

0309 Mo
  * up 6:32; ;
  * 7am meet in the lobby. -> breakfast was a large mocha at Starbuck's in the convention
    center.  
  * 8:30 symposium.  I was able to follow the talks perfectly, though I don't think anyone
    else in the family could except Mom.
  * 1pm Lunch at Bourbon House - only a 3-block walk from the hotel
  * Afternoon at the expo, which is huge.  My Amazon badge sparked a couple of
    conversations. 
  @ The Wordsmith's Forge - Safety Tracker for people who have trouble telling
  * 6:30 meet for dinner in the hotel.
    Gave copies of TGl's CD to Mom, Lionel, Al, Liz.
  * 11:30ish midnight expedition to Cafe du Mond for beignets and cafe au lait

0310 Tu
  * up 7:20ish; ;  ..., laundry, dishes
  : Hotel WiFi hanging on the click from the banner page; back to using the phone.
    -> ok, it was PrivacyBadger.  :P  Nevermind.
  * late checkout (noon)
  * Breakfast in the lounge buffet with Liz
  * 12:50 shuttle
  @ http://www.airportshuttleneworleans.com/ reservations not required for arrivals
  : Chrome has been nothing but trouble connecting to access points; FF worked, though.
  * RETURN MAR 10 TUE 	  03:35 PM	Depart New Orleans, LA (MSY) on Southwest 
    	       	  	  05:50 PM	Arrive in San Diego, CA (SAN) Flight #2587
			  06:25 PM	Change plane in San Diego, CA (SAN) Flight #351
			  09:15 PM	Arrive in Seattle/Tacoma, WA (SEA)
  : Luggage notes:  The Pittcon duffle holds its shape better (it has a bottom panel) and
    has a shoulder strap, but the strap isn't detachable, and the C-shaped zipper is harder
    to use and requires forcing to get Max in.  The mesh side panel (velcro spot) and end
    panel (zipper) are useful.  The ideal small duffel would be not much wider than the
    Travelpro suitcase, and have
    * a removable shoulder strap
    * a full-length *double* zipper
  ` * a strap handle on one end.
    * a back panel that slips over a rolling bag's handles.
    * as well as the side and end panels of the Pittcon bag.
  : Travel notes:  Remind me *never* to change planes in San Diego.  Getting from Gates 1
    to 10 requires going through security (albeit pre-screened, but still).  If the pilot
    hadn't gotten us in 40 minutes early it could have been *tight*.  Although, the
    concession at Gate 10 does have good salads.  WiFi is Boingo; only 30 min free. :P
  : Travel notes:  Didn't need the tablet/keyboard, and didn't do any singing.  Wonder
    whether there's an autoharp app.
    @ Autoharp for iOS and Android yup.
  : Luggage notes:  The divided organizer bag I used for underwear, socks, etc was
    counterproductive.  It takes a considerable amount of space and prevents small,
    flexible items from filling in corners.

0311 We
  * up 6:03; W=215; laundry, dishes, ..., laundry, dishes
  @ Project Zero: Exploiting the DRAM rowhammer bug to gain kernel privileges [LWN]
  @ Consumer ARM boards and the bleeding edge [LWN.net] 
  @ Why I’m Saying Goodbye to Apple, Google and Microsoft - Dan Gillmor [LWN]
  @ Making a Maypole | Martha Stewart
    The Maypole
    Hipster's Tea Party: How to Make a Maypole (1.25" PVC pipe)
    How to Build A Maypole | eHow
    " You can find a suitable pole at places like Home Depot where you can buy pine
      Round Stock (1 7/16 inches wide) by the foot in the wall and trim section. It will
      carry 20-foot poles, but any length between 10 and 15 feet should easily suffice. "
    Mommy Blessings: Children’s Maypole Tutorial
  @ What Universal Human Experiences Are You Missing Without Realizing It? | Slate Star
    Codex (The Ferrett)

0312 Th
  * up 6:15; W=212.0; laundry
  @ DIY Feminist Cybersecurity (ysabetwordsmith) 
  @ Pratchett's Discworld: a reading-order guide - Boing Boing
    the-discworld-reading-order-guide-20.jpg (1000×1795) 
  @ BBC News - Sir Terry Pratchett, renowned fantasy author, dies aged 66

0313 Fr my birthday
  * Up 6:33; W=210.2; laundry, dishes
  @ KeePass Password Safe (lifehacker - Five Best Password Managers) 
  @ The Aquarian Tabernacle Church Outlines Wiccas New Rights under the Georgia Religious
    Freedom Restoration Act Well played
  @ Window on Time (song) Karen Linsley Hubble 25th contest entry - YouTube

0314 Pi day
  * up 7:40; W=212.0; Shower, laundry, 
  @ 9:26 mdlbear | Pi time! 3-14-15 9:26:53.5
    Steve Savitzky on Twitter: "Pi time! 3-14-15 9:26:53.5 http://t.co/kHAWBMZnAG"
    Pi time! 3-14-15 9:26:53.5... - Stephen Savitzky
  : Curio cuddles
  * Taking YD to and from NW staff meeting. (She's on gaming staff)  A little shopping on
    the way back: Wallgreens and Home Depot.
  * Found G's lampshade -- in the left-hand cupboard on the landing.  "There's boxes full
    of God-knows-what in the cupboards up above..."
    ! inordinately smug.  Of course, this was after looking everyplace else I could think
      of, and the garage three times, but still.
  * 15min:  installed new 25' carpet runner in master bedroom
  * 15min:  took a box of fabric upstairs.
  * 15min:  "desk sortme" box taken up and cleared.  Was mostly empty.
  @ George Will Confirms Nixon's Vietnam Treason 
  @ Open Letter to Tom Cotton and the other 47 Ronin | The Arkside of Thought 
  @ Stonekettle Station: The Second Coming Of Richard Milhous Nixon Fscking nails it.
  : Pizza for dinner, and pecan for dessert.  Because Pi.  9:26 pm comimg up.
  @ This is for the Tough Days. | elephant journal
  @ 25 Moments: Woodstock, Johnny Cash, and more / 25th Anniversary Issue / News &
    Features / Acoustic Guitar f(Janis Ian)
  * assembled YD's futon.  Fortunately, she had identified it in the Ikea catalog and
    pulled up the instructions.
  : 9:30 missed Pi PM by 4 minutes.  But ok.

Comments

[amaebi.livejournal.com]

Yes, sounds like stress. :/

But that is potentially solvable, at any rate....

[mdlbear]

Unfortunately the work stress probably *isn't* solvable, except by going to work somewhere else. Which, at my age, is a problem.

[amaebi.livejournal.com]

:(

All the thumbholding to you.

[mdlbear]

thanks