Around The World In 80 Waves

After a fantastic few days with Kathleen in Sydney, her responsibilities mean that she needs to get back home to Lismore, so I escort her back to the airport grabbing this picture on the way. It has been nearly 25 years since we last saw one another, but we have had a great time together and will be seeing each other again when I go north to surf the beaches close to Byron Bay later in my stay in Australia.

On my way back to Adam and Rosanna’s place I buy the new laptop and mobile phone which I have been using to catch up on this blog since my old hardware finally threw in the towel in Tahiti. I don’t want to labour this point too much because nobody cares about anybody else’s IT woes but ever since that time to when I write this, which is nearly a month, I have been turning the air blue with expletives and tearing my hair out.

Adam and Rosanna (who I seem to have failed to take a picture of to this point, so here is their wedding photo instead) have been incredibly patient since then as I rant and rave from their spare room.

It turned out that the first Windows 8 computer I had been given was actually defective, but the second one I was given after wasting a week on that was really little better and given that I am a Microsoft certified technician with the skills to rebuild computers entirely I should be able to run with this far easier than most.

I am staggered at how bad the product is that Bill Gates’ successors have brought to the market. If you are thinking of buying one may I recommend highly that you dont until the updates and service packs mean it is much more stable.

Another buddy Neil who has since spent time with me has said that he wouldn’t believe the number of problems that I have had if he hadn’t seen them for himself.

I am thinking of recommending Windows 8 to the CIA as a replacement technique for water-boarding to elicit information from terrorists and such like. However it would be such a cruel and barbaric treatment that I’m not sure I could sanction such brutality.

The weather here has also been appaling. By all accounts I have arrived during the wettest month in 6 years and I am reminded about being without my waterproof jacket almost daily. Generally this in the form of another drenching so I am not overly keen to go out much.

The upshot of all this is that I don’t do a great deal upon arriving in Sydney. However it hasn’t been the least bit relaxing. The only way is up from here!