And now for something completely different ...

I got my itinerary for the voyage and the 3 of the 4 long hauls are Star Alliance ... yippee 'cause we do all like air miles. I fly to Entebbe through La Guardia, Brussels, and Kigali (Rwanda). I fly to Lisbon through Addis Abeba and Frankfurt, then home from Portugal again via Frankfurt. I will be home at 3:50PM On Wednesday September 8, erev Rosh Hashana at that :). So I will celebrate the 48th anniversary of my Bar Mitzvah in transit.

I know next to nothing about Uganda and Portugal but am going to find out shortly. I am thinking of picking up an iPad before I go to keep up with my son Ben :). I got some information from the client and the RAC install will be 11gR2 which is HUGE. I am lining up documents from MetaLink to assist and plan on contacting at least 2 colleagues ... one D. Norris type the other a B. Bizarro type. I already know the plethora of assistants and checks about the RAC infrastructure are part of the RAC install starting with this release of Oracle. I will also get to hone my skills on ASM ... automatic storage management.

My wife's little girl returns from Israel today. She is in Toronto pending the excitement of the touchdown of the jet bearing her Jess. Unfortunately Jess is landing at Newark and leaving NYC via JFK, though she does have a long layover. This reminds me of something that happened to me in NYC a number of years ago.

I checked out of a hotel in the AM, and asked the front desk person to reserve me a ride to LGA for 5PM. I get back to the hotel, hop in the waiting vehicle, and start the trundle to LGA. On the way, I am amazed by the scenery; it's so brand new and a veritable exploration of new surroundings of Queens. As we approach the port, I see a JFK parkway and think how sweet it is that there is a parkway that goes from LGA to the other major Queens airport ... JFK. As we approach the terminal, I do not recognize the buildings, especially the old-style United hangar one sees entering LGA; oh well, must be another approach route. I get dropped off at terminal 7, after having told the driver "Air Canada", and proceed to the lower level ... no Air Canada and no partner United desks. Say what? I look around in disbelief then ask a suited attendant for assistance. She asks "where are you going" and I respond "Ottawa from La Guardia". She exclaims ... "you are at JFK". No wonder this all seemed so strange to me. I cab it to LGA with lots of time, and learn yet another lesson (listening Bakes?):

Never get into a pre-arranged limo, especially in NYC, without confirming one's destination with the driver.

Uganda you say, click here ...
Portugal you say, click here ...

I will be in Kampala for the first week, then Linda-a-Velha in Oerias, a neighbourhood in Lisbon, for the second, some 20 kilometres from the middle of the city.

This is going to be a work-work-work stay in both places, working Saturday and Sunday as well.