31 May 2006
May 31, 2006 at 7:57 pm | In California Diary | Leave a CommentI remember seeing a bumper sticker once that read "Africa isn't for sissies". I think I'll get one made that says "Senior Management in Multi-Nationals isn't for sissies".
On Tuesday morning, we delivered our product, on time, and under budget, into the QA environment, ready to be certified. On Tuesday afternoon, I got called into a meeting telling me that the plug had been pulled on the project, and I was to down tools, and not spend any more money on it…
Great.
You should have seen the looks on the little faces of my team when I told them that, I know they had been working all weekend, and haden't taken the memorial day holiday. I knew about all the late nights, and then stress, but that we were throwing it away now that it was finished, and nobody would ever use it. I think 2 of them started crying, although they tried to hide it…
On a more personal level – the job that I was brought to California to do, no longer exists. This leaves me in an interesting predicament. Apparently I just need to wait for them to figure out what to do with me. In the interim, I think I'll take 2 weeks, and go surfing!
Windsurfing is not like riding a bike
May 30, 2006 at 6:36 pm | In Uncategorized | 2 CommentsThis weekend, I signed up with the Cal Sailing club, and started windsurfing again.
It’s been about 15 years since I last tried, and man – have things changed. The boards got wide, and the sails got see-through…
Everybody told me it would be like riding a bike, but I found myself falling into the water for most of the first day, just like a complete novice. By the end of the day, though, I was actually getting some speed, and it was great.
The puppies were v funny though. They still have their stitches from getting the chop, and are not allowed in the water yet, which killed them. They just wanted to get wet! The next thing they know, their daddy gets in the water, and they’re not allowed to come with. One of my friends here was holding them for me, and the entire time I was on the water, I heard them crying… Next weekend, they’ll be able to come out into the water with me, and I’mreally hoping that they’ll like to sit on the board while I sail. That would be cool!
British Grand Prix
May 26, 2006 at 8:29 pm | In Uncategorized | Leave a CommentOn days like today, life is good.
My guy at Sun Microsystems heard that I was going to be in London, and sent me a formal invitation to the British Grand Prix. I'll be flying to Silverstone by helicopter in the morning, have breakfast with the British Racing Driver Club, walk the pits , watch the Grand Prix, have lunch with the drivers, have VIP access to the Status Quo concert, and then fly back to London in the helicopter…
They took me last year, and it's a fantastic day out.
Castration Guilt
May 25, 2006 at 4:19 pm | In Uncategorized | Leave a CommentOver the weekend, Chaka (my 6-month old Male Black Lab) started to flex his little male muscles. I'll say this for him, he has guts. His frist target was a giant Rotweiler, and his second was a pit-bull. Kalula, the little female has been my bigger concern though. She's been attracting ever larger dogs that want a little action, and over the weekend – some of them were not at all pleased when I tried to seperate them.
On Monday, she went to the vet to be spayed, and she was seriously unhappy on Monday night, but by Tuesday morning, she was much happier, and starting to play again – the vet gave me some sedatives, so that we could keep her calm, and she wouldn't rip the stitches. The little boy just wanted to play though. The vet has been telling me for a while now that he needs to get the chop, but I just couldn't do it to him. On Wednesday morning, though, she yelped when he got a little too boysterous, so I called the vet, and they took him in.
Around lunchtime the vet phoned and said that, while they normally like to keep the dogs for the afternoon so that they can observe them, he was just so unhappy, and crying, that they thought he'd be better at home. I arranged to work from home for the afternoon, and fetched him. When I arived, he gave me this look that said "Bastard!", and I took him home. He spent most of the afternoon lying with his head in my lap, whimpering, and I felt dreadfull…
This morning he wagged his little tail again, and he's started licking me, so I guess he's forgiven me. I still feel really bad about it though…
25 May 2006
May 25, 2006 at 4:09 pm | In California Diary | Leave a CommentI initially bought a heart-rate monitor so that I's know when a heart attack was immenent when I was cycling to work. Surprisingly, I haven't had a heart-attack yet – which is a good thing…
Now I need to start understanding what it all means. According to the monitor, since I started cycling to work, my resting heart rate has dropped from 97 to 62 this morning. I suspect this is a good thing, but I'll do some more research to be sure…
The Clift – San Francisco, CA, USA
May 22, 2006 at 5:00 pm | In Hotels | 1 CommentBoutique Hotels are a big thing at the moment, and every country I visit is becoming more and more encrusted with them. The problem that is starting to affect a number of them, is that they are starting to suffer from the same problem as main-stream hotels (that they are becoming more of the same, and have no local identity).
The Clift manages to still convey a uniquely San Franciscan identity, which was something I liked. Also a bonus for a Boutique Hotel, it doesn't have tiny little rooms. Actually, my rom was quite big and spacious. It even had a treadmill in it's own Alcove, which was nice – especially if you like to run naked in the mornings…
Room
The room was spacious, if a little impersonal. The bed was comfortable, and the bathroom was (very) minimalist. Possibly too minimalist. When there isn't anywhere to stand your toothbrush, then I personally think that they may have taken it slightly too far…
Food
The Hotel's restaurant (Asia De Cuba) is the only place I've ever encountered in the world that serves a fusion of Asian and Cuban cuisine. The food is really good, although the portions are massive (and according to the waiters, designed to be shared), and it's not cheap. Dining alone as a business traveller was always a strange experience, as there were always masses of food left on my plate, and I was the only person alone in the place.
Bar
The bar appears to be a bit of a San Francisco event. The prices are possibly even higher than London prices, so you tend to encounter the more affluent San Franciscans along with the tourists and the business people. A single Corona will set you back $8, and as in most places in America, a 15% tip is now considered to be the minimum for getting served (Good service gets more), so you're looking at a practical cost of $10 per beer. Something quirky about the bar is the portraits on the walls. Keep an eye on them, but I won't ruin it for you.
Location
Being a very short walk from Union Square, The Clift is in a fantastic location. The BART (San Francisco's answer to the Tube) is 5 minutes walk away, as is the historic Cable Car. Fishermans Wharf and North Beach are easy to get to, as is China Town, and the Mission District.
Staff
The Clift's staff are dressed in a smart, informal way, with Dress Shirts (and at the time I was there, Gray Sweaters), and Black Trousers, but no ties. I liked the slightly less formal dress, and the friendly manor, and felt it was a big part of the hotel's charm.
18 May 2006
May 19, 2006 at 12:19 am | In California Diary | Leave a CommentThe vet loves me. She told me so yesterday.
Chaka, the little black Lab managed to hoover a foxtail into his nose. Actually, I'm not being fair. They're a big problem for dog lovers in Northern California at this time of year.
We were out walking yesterday, when I noticed that Chaka had just walked straight over a rattlesnake. I called both dogs, and they ran to me (looking for a treat). Quick as a flash, I had their leashes on them, just in time for the rattlesnake to wake up, and start rattling. They got that look on their faces like "Oooohhhh… a new toy", and tried desperately to go and play with it.
After a bit of taunting, the rattler decided that these two coomedy pups weren't anything like the coyotes and cougers it normally plays with, and left in disgust.
On the way out of the park, I was just shouting to Chaka to get his head out of the dried grass when he started sneezing. When we got to the vet, he was sneezing blood. One quick anaesthetic and endoscope later, the vet lovingingly caressed my credit card as she waited for the transaction to be confirmed.
The bastard dogs are going to have to get used to not going to their favourite place for a while, and I'm going to have to wait a little longer for my Harley. Bastards.
16 May 2006
May 16, 2006 at 3:08 pm | In California Diary | Leave a CommentYesterday was just one thing after another.
After work, I took the dogs for a run in their favourite open space. I've found this brilliant Frisbee that's built like a doughnut, and it flies for miles. The puppies love it because of the airtime it gives, so that they can try to catch it. Of course Kalula ran into the pond with it, and it doesn't float, so there I was – wading into the pond to fish it up off the bottom.
Walking back to the car, we were playing frisbee, and some other fascist dog run up, stole the frisbee, and ran off with it. No owner in sight. The puppies gave me this "That's not fair!" look, and I tried following it, but it runs a little faster than I do…
Anyway, we reverted to playing ball for the rest of the walk back to the car, and then went home. After about half an hour, I noticed a little patch of blood on the floor, and saw Kalula licking her leg. She had managed to rip her milk claw so that the nail was standing out at 90 degrees from her front leg. No crying or anything though, she just sat there licking it. The vet tells me that it's because, in a wild pack of dogs, showing that you're badly hurt is a sign of weakness, and will get you killed. That's why they only cry when it's a minor hurt…
Anyway, the down-payment on a brand new Mercedes later, we walked out of the vet with one of those ridiculous cones on her head, and a pink bandage on her paw. I have to feed her some painkillers and anti-biotics, but she should be fine. She's feeling really sorry for herself though, and when I rub her, she gives this soft little mournful moan that just breaks my heart.
The bandage can come off in 4 days, and she can run into the water again in 9, so all's well for now.
Ford Fairlane – Rock and Roll Detective
May 15, 2006 at 6:02 pm | In Movie | 2 CommentsEver since I got my first DVD player, I've been dying to get a copy of Ford Fairlane on DVD, but even the almighty Amazon couldn't help. Imagine my excitement at stumbling accross it on the Netflix catalog the other day, and ordering it.
I watched with baited breath as Netflix told me that they were shipping it, then that it had been posted, and should be in my mailbox the following morning Finally, on Saturday morning, I went to my mailbox like a kid on Christmas, and there was the red envelope. I ripped it open, and pulled out the DVD, and yes – this was it – The Rock 'n Roll detective had arrived.
I forced myself to take the dogs for a walk, came back, and had a braai (BBQ). Eventuall, by 8PM, I couldn't take it anymore, and popped the movie into the DVD player, and was instantly transported back to the early '90s. God I love that movie. I also remembered having a friend called David – a 6'6" gorilla of a man. He had this tiny little girlfriend – Jenny. Jenny was just gorgeous. Jenny was also the only girl I've even known that really got Ford Fairlane. She loved the way that he rips off the other detective movies, and amplifies their chauvenism to parody it. Most other girls just think it's a chauvenist movie, and leave it at that…
That got me thinking. I miss David – I wonder what happened to him). I miss Richard (although we still talk often, and see each other every chance we get – as often as living on different continents allows).
Most of all, though – I miss Me. The Me that discovered that movie in the early '90s. The me that was a fun guy, before he became a boring 30-something businessman…
Starting today, I'm going to try and find me again – Un-be-fucking-lievable!
Nandos Advertising
May 15, 2006 at 5:36 pm | In Random musings | Leave a CommentHaving left South Africa a fair while ago, one thing I really do miss is Nandos' advertising. Admittedly it's frequently in poor taste, and openly courts controversy, but it's just brilliant in the way that it gets the message out there.
I got this mailed to me this morning, and it had me smiling….
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