2007 — 31 December: Monday, and nearly no more 2007!

Time now is 01:16 or so and I am back1 from a delicious supper and from watching Stardust again, this time on a nine-foot screen. And I got the car back into the garage without hitting anything, and only folding back one wing mirror. Plus, it was sufficiently far over to the left that I could get out without rupturing any internal organs. This is progress!

What else?

We shall have to wait and see — I'm drooping here.

Well, it's now just after 09:00 and Big Bro has sent me his "Happy New Year" wishes, a bit early, even for someone on the other side of the planet and the International Date Line, but very welcome nevertheless. Thank you, John.

In a few minutes, it's off to jolly Portsmouth (and "Novatech") and in half a day it's Cathy's "eight til late" so I mustn't malinger too long in diary/therapy land this morning. Tomorrow there's a walk in the Forest plus an evening meal down in Verwood with me as a taxi. To quote from the delicious Calvin & Hobbes strip: "The days are just packed!" which is a lot easier to bear than the alternative. I'm just so sorry Christa is no longer here to share them with me2 in quite the same way as before.

People are kind... department

This morning my friendly local plumber had just arrived as I returned with Mike from our "New Technical" expotition. For a cup of tea (his first that day) he happily tightened further that which my friendly local driving instructor had fitted yesterday. No more drips, Dennis! Thank you, Brian! Expect a full report on your combined Blu-Ray/HD DVD drive soon, Mike! Meanwhile, I suspect Peter opposite has caved in and got himself a Garmin after I extolled a list of its virtues — I'll know he didn't if he gets lost, of course. Oh well, time to refuel the inner man.

Software is software... department

I use Cyberduck on the Mac for secure access to my web server. Or, I did, until its most recent upgrade. I noted the warning about the Cyberduck bug that requires you to delete all the saved passwords for the server you're using (with the Keychain application). What I didn't reckon with is my inability3 to see how to do that using this Apple utility. The relevant Cyberduck forum is full of whingers all burned in the same way, but I find myself recalling the wise words of Tom G as he welcomed me to the bizarro world of the Mac: "You will find a range of different problems that all look much prettier than their Windows equivalents." Meanwhile I live in continued hope that Cathy's iPod is trickle charging, but it's showing little sign of electrical life despite the overnight USB connection. And, yes, I'm using one of the sockets on the back of the iMac in case my external USB box lacks electrons with sufficient "umph" (Christa's word).

  

Footnotes

1  Have I mentioned how deliciously traffic-free the local motorway is at this sort of time? I think I shall have to remain a night owl.
2  Does the phrase "dull ache" ring any bells?
3  Hah! If you recover the "old" Cyberduck from the Trash can all seems to be (nearly) well. I've just chucked away the upgrade. Shades of similar simplicity back in the days of my beloved Acorn machines.