Lazy Saturday

It is weekend, finally! I do like to travel, but it can be tiring - especially if it is travel for work. So waking up on Saturday with that sweet awareness that you don't have to rush anywhere is so sweet...
And the weather is fully cooperating: maximal temperature today will be in the seventies Fahrenheit (lower twenties Celsius), which is my favorite range.
As I type this, my bedroom MP3 player serves me "Equinox" by Jean-Michel Jarre, so what's not to like about this morning?

Netbook update

I have just installed Crucial 2GB memory module in my Dell Mini 9 netbook and Windows XP seems work faster already. I'm still waiting for Runcore 64GB solid state drive: once it is installed, I will create Ubuntu partition in addition to Windows, creating my very first dual boot machine that (almost) fits in my pocket!

DVCon

I'm back in San Jose, California - this time for DVCon, which stands for Design Verification Convention. I was lucky upon check-in yesterday: DoubleTree bumped me up to the executive level, so I had free WiFi, breakfast and snacks. I also had to swipe my room key in the elevator to get access to the 9th floor.
I'm doing the exhibitor duty at the conference, so not much time to to attend tutorials and sessions. I heard that they are prettu good this year, which probably explains why not too many attendees show up at the exhibit floor.
The weather is nice, we went to a nice Indian restaurant last evening, so we can sum up: life is good!

Rodizio

Yesterday a couple of friends (hi Paul and Jeff!) were visiting Las Vegas, so we went together to check out Yolie's Brazilian Steakhouse. It was pretty interesting experience. Quite pricey at $35 per head, but food quality was very good, and obligatory caipirinhas made it taste even better...
For those of you who never have been to a Brazilian restaurant, especially rodizio-style churrascaria (all-you-can-eat barbecue/steakhouse with servers bringing food to your table on skewers), you definitely should try it! Just remember to go on really empty stomach.
Have fun!

Netbook Craze

Well, I finally succumbed to the 'netbook mania' - last week I got myself Dell Inspiron Mini 9. The official justification was that I was going to San Diego for a weekend, wanted to have computer with me, but didn't want to schlep the big notebook with me.
So far I like it: it is small, light, boots quickly and connects to WiFi without problems. The version I bought at BestBuy has Windows XP and 8GB solid state drive. I have added 8GB SD card to the configuration immediately, but in long term I would rather have more storage in one device. That's why I have already ordered 64GB SSD and 2GB RAM module to round up the configuration. It's going to be one sleek machine after all those upgrades...

To switch or not to switch...

Today it was supposed to be 'digital switch day' - when all TV stations in the USA cease to transmit analog signals and move on to digital. Of course the cut-off date was moved to June at the last moment, causing total confusion: some stations (mainly those less wealthy) decided to drop analog now to cut costs, while the others continue analog till June.
I hate Cox, but I'm glad I do have cable TV and don't have to worry about that entire commotion...
Happy watching (if you can)!

My Private Mekkahs

I'm typing this entry while in San Diego, CA on my weekend getaway. San Diego is one of my 'private Mekkahs' - places where I feel obliged to be from time to time, because I love them so much.
My long-term love affair with San Diego started when I have discovered Balboa Park treasures, improved when I visited Point Loma/Cabrillo monument and things are getting better from there with every visit. The most recent addition to my visit ritual is ferry ride to Coronado, to see the famous Hotel Del Coronado. Of course I did it yesterday, right after checking into the very nice Holiday Inn on the Bay hotel, where I frequently cash my points for the weekend stay.
BTW, since I was flying in on Southwest on Valentine's day, I got free Finlandia vodka with cranberry juice drink - nice treat to start your trip...
Have fun!

Bravo!!!

Regarding my earlier post (look here) - very good news came in today via AP:
"In a high-profile reversal of the Bush administration, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said Wednesday the government is scrapping the lease of 77 parcels of federal land for oil and gas drilling in Utah's redrock country."
Poor oilhead friends of Bush administration -- fat morsel was stolen from their mouths...

Invasion of Robots?

Today we had the 'account call' day of the East Coast trip. We have visited General Dynamics Robotic Systems near Baltimore, MD and almost run into one of their creations while approaching the facility. It looked like bigger version of Wall-E on four wheels - quite stunning image.
The weather was very unstable recently - warmth, then snow, then rain, then sun, then snow again. On the way back to the hotel in the afternoon you could see blue sky with some clouds, but the snow was falling from somewhere anyway.
Boy, I hope spring comes soon!

East coast

Oh, well -- I'm on the east coast! Last Sunday I had to leave nice and cozy spring-like weather in Vegas and head for Long Island... Monday weather was pretty nice for New York winter, but today (New Jersey day of the trip) snow and cold is back. Of course it had to happen precisely on the day when we have to drive from NJ to Baltimore...
At least the first of the series of the seminars was pretty decent. Guess I have to concentrate my will to repel bad weather. Boy, am I going to enjoy return to Vegas!