I spent today with two friends: well, two in the morning.  Only one this afternoon.  And I have had the loveliest, albeit tiring day.  And they both made allowances for my crabby morning.  Honestly, a 7 am wakeup phone-call-and-argument is not a good way to start a day.  Particularly when The Boy accidentally phoned at 1am Chicago time.  I do not function well on interrupted sleep.  Grump.

Aaaaaanyway.  Sara and I went out, and had our photos taken for the 1,000 knitters project.  Almost entirely outstaying our welcome at the-panopticon's, we fell into a terribly geeky outpouring of generalised Anglophilia and book adoration, such that you only find when you have met something of a kindred spirit.  There was morris dancing viewing, I nearly sang that song about Chicago, but managed to restrain myself, possibly because the general ambience was far too refined, and we knitted socks.  En masse.  As one should.  Even if one's jaywalker's do look like stripey dalmatians.  This is Sara's contribution to the blog.  She is too tired and lazy to write, and has some new yarn, and is playing with it.  As do I (I am not playing with it.  I ought to pack).

We then went off, had a ridiculous amount of food, got a bit lost, and went up the Sears Tower.  I rather liked being at helicopter height.  Some excellent yarn shopping, at the Loopy Yarns shop followed.  I have been unashamedly inspired.  There is a pair of Primavera socks in my future as well, and, yup.  I am a copy cat.  However, the blue is such a gorgeous blue, I hope I am forgiven?  I am also the proud posessor of one skein of Lorna's Laces in a Christmassy sort of shade and some truly edible laceweight for a Peacock shawl.  I really should pack.

We ended up in Macy's via Barnes and Noble (let us draw a veil over Barnes and Noble.  There was book buying), and, rather surprisingly, having located DozyDormouse's jeans (in the wrong size - we are trying to be clever), I came all-over-girly, and visited the Prom Dress department.  There are photos, but the dress I liked best didn't come in my size.  It didn't go small enough, or so the woman claimed.  Such a shame.

Then back to the billet, and I really must pack, having spent far too long sorting out the Inter-Club website, and it's tomorrow morning at home already.

xxx

(this entry brought to you courtesy of too many Skittles).

Mr Still Attached (phones, and wakes me, and hangs up): Come home, I miss you!

Me: No.  You woke me!  Please leave me be.

Mr Still Attached: Can I come over and cuddle you?

Me: No!

Mr Still Attached: Is 'no' American for "I'll see you Wednesday"?  Great!

Me: No!  Please leave me alone.  Stop trying.  You'll never get anywhere.  Give in gracefully.

Mr Still Attached: As you wish. 

It's taken me thousands of miles to be able to actually come out and say that.  I meant to say it last time I saw him for lunch, but I was having far too nice a time and I only managed to come out with "it's really not a sensible idea for me to see you".

Bloody men.  Grrrr.  Anyhow.  I can move on here.  Amazing what can be achieved in an early morning temper tantrum.

xxx

I caught a cold, and am now full of cold medecine.  I'm also suffering from DEC brainfreeze.

But, it's been great.  I've participated in a workshop to help decide what's going to happen in AD in the future (I have Directory in my job title, I don't really use the product, but, anyhow, it was cool being there.  The room was freezing).  I've got some stuff to try for my ILM installation, I've met lots of helpful new people, and, yesterday, when ILM had a major sulking fit at work, I was surrounded by people who understood.  I've got tips to tune, tips to reference objects, I've learnt about ADFS, I've got ideas about Federation, I've been blinded by the unix types and I've had a nosebleed in a ridiculously amazing ballroom.  I wish it weren't over.

And that made all the difference in the world.  In fact, next year, whether there is budget or no, I'm coming.  Yup.  Even if I'm self-funding.  It's so worthwhile.

My room looks out (well, if I crane a little) onto lake Michigan, and I can see bits of the University and a Park.  Very pretty.  I took a picture of the sunrise.

And now, before Sara arrives, I'm off to hit the shops on Michigan Avenue.  I've got this vague list, and I'm considering a pair of Levi's for me.  The dollar price is pretty much the same figures as the sterling price, and I'm getting to the point where my jeans are beginning to disintegrate, or, they have got a bit big for me (leastwise, my fantastic, bargain, secondhand, pairs have).

Tomorrow, I'm hoping to

• have my photo taken
• go to the Frank Lloyd Wright Home,
• go to the Hemingway Museum,
• go up the Sears Tower,
• go to The Science Museum.
• Go to a yarn shop.
• and not get up at 6.30am.

xxx

I have been shopping. I am now the proud owner of a pair of Levis in a Size 2 (I did like the optimism of the assistant when she brought me a size 0, but I couldn't get them over my thighs) - they are curvy boot cut, before anyone gets their panties bunched.  Designed for women with Butts.  I also have heaps of moisturiser (wouldn't you, if you usually spent £12 per bottle in the UK if you found it in Walgreen's at $9.99), some more anti-cold stuff, so I shan't run out, vitamin C, hair doodads and I have decided I love Walgreen's. I have Clinque (cheaper than the airport in Sephora, for future reference), and books, and underwear from Victoria's Secret.  This was a bit of an accident.  I went in to nose.  I found the sale section.  I picked up a superbly slutty sort of balcony-bra-vest in red satin, tried it on, and nearly fell over in surprise because, my dears, for the first time in as long as I can remember (and disregarding the night when I was wearing a pvc corset for a Rocky Horror night) I had cleavage.  So I asked them to help find me a bra.  And I got so entirely distracted by my cleavage when they asked me if I was OK, I bought a set of underwear in addition to the super slutty item.  This was totally unintentional, and makes me feel rather bad that I had a failure on the pair of jeans that Heather wants.  Oh.  I forgot to buy Bust magazine in Borders.  That is a job for tomorrow.

A job for tonight (it is gone 9pm) is to have supper.  Must check plane arrival times.

xxx

Well, I discovered that water in the hotel shop is twice the size & half the price of the stuff in my room - but didn't buy any.  I have no snacks, no idea what the view from the room is, and am trying to manage the distribution of letters to the other Guiders for Pack Holiday from the US.  It isn't working too well....

But we're due some snow today, so that's OK.

<geek alert>

So far, I've met a chap from the University of Auckland, and they're in the process of moving their entire environment to Virtual Servers, with SQL2005 and Exchange2007 about to be the last step - we rather want to do this.  I was blinded by EMC and dying clustered servers last night over coffee, and I might (or might not) go to the American Girl store today.

Oh, and I think I found a solution to one of our problems (temporary Internet access) in ILM 2.  However, ILM 2 is in Beta 2 and about to move to Beta 3, so, I need a VM server to play on.  I think my boss acquiesed in his incredibly jetlagged state.  Bless him.  I spent most of yesterday learning what I could do with ILM 2, and it's really nifty.  Today I'm going to learn about codeless provisioning, which should make life easier ongoing, particularly since we still get to keep our excellent yet complicated code (who'd have thought that approximately 20 different MAs was a lot?!)

</geek alert>

I wasn't outside for more than about five minutes yesterday.  It is a bizarre experience doing the toner bit without having gone outside.  The cotton pad doesn't go grey.  This must be terribly good for my complexion!  Less helpful are the sudden, random, nosebleeds.  I think it may be to do with being on the 9th floor.

Is it really Monday already?

xxx

Ooooh.  Much goodness. ADFS - this may solve another problem.  It is so cool just being in a geeky environment and talking to people and getting new perspectives.  Oh, and I now have a yellow legal pad to write things on.  This is very excellent.

At nearly 1.30pm, it hasn't snowed yet... and I have stuff to go and learn.

xxx

Well.  I forgot stuff.

• Organise ice packs for next week's Rugby match
• Find out scores for this week's
• Spare hair ties
• Big bottle of water not at hotel rates...
• Snacks ditto (why yes, I can put things on expenses, but let's not go wild here).  There's a 7-11 round the corner, which I found while I was walking in totally the wrong direction for 2 blocks
• Work out what the view from my window is
• See if I can get hold of a cable for the camera, or I'll be sharing photos when I get home.
• Find out if I can take guests into my reciprocal clubs.
• Meet up with boss and big boss tonight.
• Take a photo of the sock on the snow (a la Yarn Harlot - n.b. accent on that is to follow, along with the link, when I'm not supposed to be elsewhere)

Laters - breakfast is in like -1 minute and I'm not dressed.  In the next hour, I need breakfast and to register.  This is exciting (hope they give me something to make notes on once I'm registered, or I'll be trying to find that tonight too).

xxx

This is terrifically exciting.  However, it is also silly-o'clock in the morning, and I've been travelling an awfully long time.  My brain quite simply is not in a fit state to do anything useful.

On the plus side.  Free wireless.  Can I hear a W00t?  Thought so...

Sara, I'm really stupid.  When they said 'two double beds' I said 'gosh, that's a lot for one person'.  We have a kingsize now.  And something really ridiculous, like 7 pillows.

Need food.  Need sleep.  Up at 6am for 7am registration and breakfast and 8am workshop name of which escapes me, but which is to do with ILM2007, and smartcards, so phenomenally exciting.

xxx

I'm avoiding that Department Store. (link not suitable for minors).

See you on the other side of the Atlantic.  There will, I predict, be much whinging about how cold it is, and, possibly, earache.

Flatmate has evacuated bathroom.  Huzzah.  I need to leave in half an hour...

xxx