Three weeks on the road
Category Travel ILUG
After three weeks on the road, it's good to be back home temporarily. While my flight from Boston last night was delayed and we arrived home (again) at 2 am, it was nonetheless nice to drive my own ridiculously large car (read: hit the $100 pump limit before the tank was full) home to my ridiculously large TV. Only problem was, it's been 90 deg F here in Kansas and our air con has been on the fritz since late fall. So today a new AC fan pump was installed, and it's slowly cooling down - so Liz tells me.
June 1-7 were in Dublin as you know, at ILUG 2008, a brilliant conference of 400+ that has amazed me as a participant for the third year of four. Just astounding how such a small group of people can pull off a conference if this size and quality. June 8-11 were in the home of Warren and Kitty Elsmore in Edinburgh where, in addition to castle-touring, bus-riding and whisky-experiencing, we were treated to all three Bourne movies on a big screen and a delightful semi-formal traditional Scottish dinner on our last night:
Treated like Scottish royalty by the brilliant Hostess Mrs Kitty Elsmore
Then a quick trip to London to see the Collaboration University venue and to ensure we have enough seating capacity - which could be an issue this year - and lunch with Mike Smith, our London co-producer from The Turtle Partnership. While walking back from IBM South Bank past the Royal Festival Hall, this sign caught my eye - a little too coincidental perhaps:
I would WEAR red heeled shoes if I could click them and avoid Heathrow
After a brief couple half-days home, the last four days were spent in Westford, MA at the IBM offices with a meeting of the Penumbra Group, a rag-tag fleet of ships on the journey for...wait no that's BSG - the original one at that. Right. So we were briefed on things happening now, in the future, and with many paragraphs of legal disclaimer on some things that are in the incubation stage. I also had the opportunity to meet with the product management teams for Quickr and Sametime separately to discuss Collaboration University and potential demos and announcements there, and let's just say that there's so much new since last July that we have a lot of demo and presentation work ahead of us.
Troy meantime had his last Kansas hurrahs and packed his home for a move 2,000 miles northeast of his current location. Relocating to the southernmost possible town in British Columbia, Canada, he's trucking his way across the great plains, Rockies, Pacific northwest, and more for the next four days or so. Not to worry, he is still full time with SNAPPS - let's just say we'll be using Sametime, Skype video, and Voip more than usual. That and, poor guy, when we have conference calls with our clients on Central European Time, he'll be getting up with the chickens.
In the meantime and during all this travel, SNAPPS has been steaming right along. We are staring down the barrel of 9 projects at the moment in different stages of development or proposal - much more than in past summers. As we finish each project, we seem to have deadlines approaching for three more. I can only throw up my hands and apologize to some of these folks who have to wait for us for proposals or to start projects...we are into October with booked and certain work efforts.
Did I mention I was hiring?
After three weeks on the road, it's good to be back home temporarily. While my flight from Boston last night was delayed and we arrived home (again) at 2 am, it was nonetheless nice to drive my own ridiculously large car (read: hit the $100 pump limit before the tank was full) home to my ridiculously large TV. Only problem was, it's been 90 deg F here in Kansas and our air con has been on the fritz since late fall. So today a new AC fan pump was installed, and it's slowly cooling down - so Liz tells me.
June 1-7 were in Dublin as you know, at ILUG 2008, a brilliant conference of 400+ that has amazed me as a participant for the third year of four. Just astounding how such a small group of people can pull off a conference if this size and quality. June 8-11 were in the home of Warren and Kitty Elsmore in Edinburgh where, in addition to castle-touring, bus-riding and whisky-experiencing, we were treated to all three Bourne movies on a big screen and a delightful semi-formal traditional Scottish dinner on our last night:
Treated like Scottish royalty by the brilliant Hostess Mrs Kitty Elsmore
Then a quick trip to London to see the Collaboration University venue and to ensure we have enough seating capacity - which could be an issue this year - and lunch with Mike Smith, our London co-producer from The Turtle Partnership. While walking back from IBM South Bank past the Royal Festival Hall, this sign caught my eye - a little too coincidental perhaps:
I would WEAR red heeled shoes if I could click them and avoid Heathrow
After a brief couple half-days home, the last four days were spent in Westford, MA at the IBM offices with a meeting of the Penumbra Group, a rag-tag fleet of ships on the journey for...wait no that's BSG - the original one at that. Right. So we were briefed on things happening now, in the future, and with many paragraphs of legal disclaimer on some things that are in the incubation stage. I also had the opportunity to meet with the product management teams for Quickr and Sametime separately to discuss Collaboration University and potential demos and announcements there, and let's just say that there's so much new since last July that we have a lot of demo and presentation work ahead of us.
Troy meantime had his last Kansas hurrahs and packed his home for a move 2,000 miles northeast of his current location. Relocating to the southernmost possible town in British Columbia, Canada, he's trucking his way across the great plains, Rockies, Pacific northwest, and more for the next four days or so. Not to worry, he is still full time with SNAPPS - let's just say we'll be using Sametime, Skype video, and Voip more than usual. That and, poor guy, when we have conference calls with our clients on Central European Time, he'll be getting up with the chickens.
In the meantime and during all this travel, SNAPPS has been steaming right along. We are staring down the barrel of 9 projects at the moment in different stages of development or proposal - much more than in past summers. As we finish each project, we seem to have deadlines approaching for three more. I can only throw up my hands and apologize to some of these folks who have to wait for us for proposals or to start projects...we are into October with booked and certain work efforts.
Did I mention I was hiring?
Comments
Was great to have you guys over though. You're always welcome!
Posted by Warren Elsmore At 07:52:14 AM On 06/24/2008 | - Website - |
Posted by Rob Novak At 10:28:40 AM On 06/24/2008 | - Website - |
Posted by Kitty Elsmore At 06:26:28 AM On 06/25/2008 | - Website - |