* * * * *
Off the road
Oy.
It's 7:00 am.
We're here.
Where to begin.
When we last left off [1], I had just uploaded a picture of the local fauna
found in Daytona, Florida [2]. Around Jacksonville [3], the connection was
fast enough to download the Gimp [4] and necessary files to install it on
Smirk's laptop (as we were travelling 80mph (miles per hour)—the bits where
slamming into us), get the pictures off the camera (which involved some
extreme contortions on my part to get the cable out of my laptop bag in the
back) and upload said pictures to my home computer. By the time that
finished, the connection had slacked off (the bits were now having to catch
up with us) but I was still able to get the picture of the local fauna
uploaded.
About halfway through Georgia we lost the connection at about the same time
we almost lost the SUV (Sport Utility Vehicle)—it suddenly dropped speed and
all sorts of engine lights flared up and klaxtons went off.
It wasn't a pretty sight.
Thinking we overtaxed the battery (laptop, iPod) we shut the electrical
equipment and pulled off at the next exit, stopped the car, let it rest for a
few moments. When started, only one warning light remained lit, so we drove
it, hoping to make it to Charlotte (about 3½ hours away). The laptop remained
off (partly explaining the lack of posts).
Once into South Carolina, I took over driving (further explaining the lack of
posts) and at the next refueling stop (first exit in South Carolina) all the
warning lights remained off. Smirk then took this opportunity to use the
laptop, but a solid connection remained elusive.
The plan: Arrive at the data center. Unload the servers into our cabinet
(just dump them there), hit the hotel. Sleep. Drive around the area and in
the early evening, set the servers up. Hit the hotel. Sleep. Hit the data
center one last time to get my access to the data center set up. Drive home.
At 4:30 am we arrived at the data center. Mayhem ensues as we try to gain
entry. Smirk realized the PIN (Personal Identification Number) contains an
extra zero. Gain entry. Forgets which finger to give the next set of doors.
Finally gain entry. Forget combination to the cabinet. I stand there trying
each combination while Smirk calls to get the combination. Help finally
arrives and we find out we were doing it wrong. Servers dropped off.
At 5:30 we arrive at the hotel. Get our keys. Go to car. Nearly get accosted
by a drunk trying to scam some money from us. Dump stuff in room. Both of us
are hungry and tired. Hunger wins. We walk next door to the IHOP
(International House of Pancakes) [5]. No signal for the laptop there (more
reason for the lack of posts).
At 6:30 head back to our room. The A/C (Air Conditioning) barely works, and
the wireless access barely exists. Now it's the start of musical rooms. This
one too wireless. This one too hot. This one just right.
At 7:15 I crash.
[1]
gopher://gopher.conman.org/0Phlog:2006/08/19.4
[2]
http://www.ci.daytona-beach.fl.us/
[3]
http://www.coj.net/
[4]
http://www.gimp.org/
[5]
http://www.ihop.com/
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