Never rely on alarm clocks

So my presentation was at 8:00am this morning, which is insane enough already. I set the hotel alarm clock for 6:30, enough time to shower, shit and shave and get some breakfast. I'm happily asleep when the telephone goes, with one of my colleagues shouting "where are you?". It's 7:45. PANIC Very quick shower to wash my hair and clean mt face, bundle laptop into bag, jump up and down waiting for the lift/elevator, dash through to the seminar room, and make it for 7:55. The room is full, there are people standing. I counted 250 people, all waiting for a very disorganised geek. Still it gave me a good introduction.

The talk paced well, I ended right on the hour. The question and answer session was fun, some intelligent questions, and a queue of people to talk to me after.

New Riders offered me a book deal to write "something" on .NET. This is shaping to be a good day.

Now I just need breakfast...

16:30

I spent the afternoon with Jim Gray, winner of a Turing Award, head of Microsoft's Bay Area research centre. My god. I have never seen so many ideas pour from one person. Even if you're on the anti-Microsoft jihad, just read some of his papers. http://research.microsoft.com/~Gray/

I've seen .net used in anger. I got to grope with C#. And whilst you may not like me using Microsoft OSes or programs, sod you, I'm taking up the book offer that was made.