Things change fast, don't they? Yesterday was Julie's 40th, and also the day that my son Keili rang me to say he was in London, and hoping to get down to visit for the weekend. We haven't met in many years, as he was living in Australia, and more recently America.

So it's another of those big change moments - just when I thought life was drifting into dull and routine again.

And it means that I am not going to the British Juggling Convention, in Whitstable, even though Graham and Irene will be there. I wasn't going to go (indeed I am cat-sitting for the circus), but I could have made up for missing him in Hawaii. Priorities shift, and now I am definitely going to be here on homebase. I gather there is a video of the festival available now, which I will try to get hold of, and I was sent a list of people's contacts.

And so it goes.....

Oh - it's still grey and wet here, I am afraid. Tans fade fast.

And I am still very wary about doing things with the servers at work, as they play up a little when I am on my own [our technical whizz is on leave] - I am surviving, however, and providing a reasonable [if not perfect] service, so I must have learned a fair amount in the last year, since joining this department.

I did return to aches and pains though - after three weeks of feeling OK in Hawaii. Whether that is just rheumatic stuff from the climate, or stress from the work, or what, I have no idea. I wasn't exactly burning with energy while I was away, but I was jumping up in the mornings [tropical dawn]. Now I have that hibernating sloth about my mornings again...hey ho.

Julie is doing loads of work to the garden, [with the help of younger, stronger, cleverer men], setting out to build a verandah, as well as paving the 'sunning space' in the middle. Photos wil go up when my new PC is in place. I am having a blessed rest from computers at home right now - reading books and stuff - it's great!

I am not getting a lot of time on here at the moment. Still got erratic sleep patterns, and no direct access to the Net from home at the moment. I will try to get more interesting material into this at some point, but right now it is just a useful diary....

Aloha! to everyone who was in Hawaii - and a special big hug for Irene and Graham. Mahalo!

I am fairly sure that it was my CPU which burned out. No P.O.S.T. beeps, and the last message I saw from my hardware doctor was CPU fan overheating.

I could start playing around replacing parts, but it could be a rather expensive project, so I am going to bite the bullet and go into debt [that is cheerfully known as 'credit' to this generation] to buy a new PC. I might as well get up to speed - it doesn't stop me tinkering in my spare time....

Really, I am more inclined to get on with writing, and designing, than the hardware geek stuff [even though I find that more interesting than I did before]. Dull stuff, right now, I am afraid, but it's just diary notes to self, not publising as such. Blog has become such a phenomena that I feel I should be making more effort, but I just find it useful for quick diary notes to self....I could almost make this a private Blog with very little loss. It's only because I tagged this one to the website that I leave it open to view....

I have been stumbling through a week at work. Let me tell you - jet-lag when travelling West to East is a real effect! I thought I was good at late nights, and wayward bodyclock behaviour, but this turned me inside out. I arrived at work at what felt like midnight, and by the end of the working day it is like watching the dawn come up after an all-night rave....

So when people ask me if I enjoyed the break, I can't really remember, I feel so weird. Hey Ho.

And while I was gone the home computer developed strange noises and behaviour, and I started fiddling with it on my return, and now it is off-line, and semi-dismantled, as I try to decide which fan is making a noise, whether the CPU is overheating, whether my motherboard is burned out, etc. I suppose I shouldn't have started messing with it in the jet lag mode.....I was only gone three weeks, and the household machines started playing up. The video wouldn't work for those left behind [although I have reset that].

So don't expect many changes in the webpage, until I get myself back online. I can just about monitor my emails, and do these blogs, but that's about it.

[Just a wave to a face in the crowd] "Great news, Caroline!"

And now I am back. Jet-lagged. Stiff neck. Disorientated. Back to work in about 6 hours.

I am a little bit browner, (in spite of the tropical downpours which dominated the end of the festival); a bit older; only slightly wiser.

I don't regret having a trip instead of buying a new computer (when you're poor all choices are either/or). I met some great people, who put up with my wayward ways and funny attitiudes - and I learned a couple of new tricks (although I still didn't get into club passing, which seems to dominate the juggling sub-culture even now). And I don't have time to sort through the photos just yet, but I will post a few at some point.

I had a bit of time to think, and saw some very funny acts, and talked to some fascinating people. The journey was pretty tough in both directions (thanks to delays, American Security issues, etc) but was a price worth paying, I guess.

More soon.

Aloha to all friends (past, present and future) and family (wherever you are).

And I didn't get my standby in San Francisco, so I have pounded the streets around my old haunts in North Beach (1971?), found a nice (cheap) hotel, and this Internet Cafe. Went to City Lights, (good to find continuity in an ever-changing world)...didn't spend TOO much....

Back to UK tomorrow...........