Pupdate

The weather has been so nice that some days we’ve had to keep the boys to shady routes so that they don’t get too hot. But they’ve also been able to enjoy some extra long walks and running about off the lead.

Back to the Big Apple

Speaking at QCon NY gave me the opportunity to return to the city for the first time since (well) before the pandemic. It had been over 5y since my last trip, which seems a little weird given that I used to be there many times a year.

Much had changed, and much has stayed the same. It was cool to use the Subway with contactless payment, but a shame that it doesn’t work on the JFK AirTrain :/ It was also nice to return to old haunts like Barcade, but also check out places I’d not seen before in Brooklyn.

One of the visual highlights was the InfoQ staff dinner after the conference, which was at a rooftop area in the conference hotel.

Flight report: Virgin Upper Class

I used some points to book my flights (though the taxes still hit nearly £1000, eating most of my speaker travel stipend). When I first looked it was possible to get Premium Economy out, and a day flight home, but by the time I was confirmed to speak there were slim pickings left, so I had to splurge extra points for Upper Class both ways.

Out – VS9 I took the train and Elizabeth Line to the airport for the first time, which worked OK (despite some delays). Virgin’s dedicated Upper Class security line was quiet, and I was swiftly in the lounge. Somehow it seemed less hip than before, and the power outlet at my seat didn’t work. The service was great though, and I got a light lunch to tide me over until flight service. The flight itself was on a 787, and I’m afraid to say that the ‘hard product’ is every bit as bad as the reviews say – mostly for being hard. It didn’t matter much on a day flight, but I’ll be avoiding Virgin’s 787s in Upper until they do a refurb[1]. The service from Tom was amazing, and I was really pleased to see English wines on the menu[2]. The really good news was a super early arrival (and actually getting to a gate). I’d hoped to be at the hotel between 7-8, and I was there just after 6 :)

Back – VS138 Given a free choice I’d not have picked the 11pm flight. But it was a chance to try out Virgin’s new A350 Upper Class suite, and I spent the dead time enjoying dinner, a few cocktails, and the final episodes of The Peripheral in the lounge. Things got off to a bad start, with an hour delay caused by a broken Delta flight, which meant we also had to be bussed to the aircraft. Once on board though everything was good. The ergonomics of the new ‘suite'[3] are great – probably the best business class offering I’ve experienced so far. I got a good comfortable night’s sleep, and woke just in time for one of the best breakfasts I’ve had when flying. Sadly the late arrival meant a pitstop in the arrivals lounge to freshen up was off the menu, but it was good to be home.

Solar diary

With the summer solstice June is obviously the best month for solar, but we’ve also been blessed with amazing weather, so it’s been a bumper solar harvest.

Quite a few days there with 32kWh of generation, and in amongst that I did see a peak of 4.2kW, which is the nominal output of my system.

SEG

EDF have finally got back to confirm that I’m set up for Smart Export Guarantee (SEG), though I won’t see any money until September, as that’s when the next quarterly reading is dues. So it will just about be at the anniversary of my application :/

Part of the issue there seems to be that they can’t get data from my ‘smart’ meter, which sadly is one of the first generation ones. Weirdly though, they seem to have my gas meter readings, which are sent through the electricity meter.

Beating Beat Saber

There’s a Queen music pack :)

I’ve not done all the tracks yet, and I thought I was on for a first time full combo with One Vision – right up until the last four blocks :(

‘Stone Cold Crazy’ was a new one for me, as it doesn’t feature on either of the Greatest Hits compilations, and I’ve never properly explored their back catalogue. It’s a great Beat Saber track though, and does exactly what it says on the tin.

Notes

[1] I’d also note that the economy seats in Virgin’s 787s are awful. A few years back I bought an inflatable cushion for when I found myself in those seats after suffering them on a trip to Seattle. Premium Economy is definitely the pick for these aircraft.
[2] The Hambledon Classic Cuvee sparkling, and a still Bacchus.
[3] It might be a bit of a cheek to call it a ‘suite’ as the door doesn’t close – it moves a few inches, reducing the gap by about a third.