The Cactus Trip Diaries

Sunday Chez Paul

Again, there will not be any presentations here, due to System Maintenance.

The good news is that the new laptop arrived on Monday, a couple of days early! BUT I was far too optimistic when I thought that it should be ready for its first Zoom outing today.

The New laptop is the one I had selected: a Microsoft Surface Pro X SQ2. I had underestimated the problems currently caused by the chip set used by this computer. After I bought it and unwrapped it they have added a warning to its sales page : Surface Pro X app compatibility – Surface | Microsoft Docs

Also, for the last month my car has been off the road with a flat battery. Of course I contacted the breakdown service (Green Flag) connected to my car insurance (Direct Line). The mechanic they sent round turned white when he discovered that I have a Japanese Hybrid Import (Toyota Estima). All garages in Amesbury (my home town) and in nearby Salisbury crossed themselves when they heard what my sick car was. Then came up with all sort of excuses why they could not touch a import hybrid (wrong diagnostic equipment, no training (cancelled due to coronavirus, too difficult, specialist staff off ill) Anyway, a mobile specialists who deals with such cars was able to drop by (from Exeter, in Devon, c. 100 miles away) but practically lives on the A303 (main road London – Cornwall, passes by Stonehenge 5 miles after driving from London) and passes a few miles from my front door at least once a week. He dropped by on Monday night at c. 7 p.m. in the pitch dark and pouring rain, ran the diagnostics on my car that recognised the battery he had expected from what I told him, confirmed that it was by its ‘best buy date’ and replaced it with a brand new spare that he had brought along ‘just in case’. Wednesday we came out of lock down (we’re in Zone 2). So I’m mobile! and slowly working my way through uploading software (or trying out alternatives) and standing in the queue at PC World in Salisbury.

Some of you have said that during these strange and quirky days you quite enjoy to meet up for a chat, so I thought that it would be nice to open up my Zoom meeting to anyone who wants to drop in for a chat.

I’d like to check that the new laptop can run a zoom meeting, so propose to do that on Sunday but it will be more chat than a formal presentation unless Alain has managed to finish his Columbia presentation.

5 & 6 December are Sinterklaas feest in the Netherlands and Belgium so I have my beers ready and we’ll see who else turns up. Those of you in the lowlands can lead the singing of Sintnicolaasliedjes! (the clean versions please!)

Topic: Paul Klaassen’s Zoom Meeting
Time: Dec 6, 2020 07:30 PM London
Join
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89996759045?pwd=dGNZam4vZGpoeTl1T1B3ZGc4WWJlZz09
Meeting ID: 899 9675 9045
Passcode: NewLapTop