I've had a particularly odd day...

For a start, it began with waking up at 4:00 a.m. when the Cat came to bed, and I woke up. This time, because I needed to...

There was a conference in Chiba (way out east, near Disneyland, and beyond IKEA; see a previous post), which — thanks to the way things have been going recently at work — I was in NO way ready for. So I got up to do some "quick analysis", so I'd have at least something of interest to present.

Ended up not being very focused, and ran right up to the wire in terms of when I had to leave. The job I did on shaving my chin was not what one might call exemplary...

The journey was uneventful, but slightly bizarre because I got my laptop out on the Keiyō Line from Tokyo to work on the presentation. On the plus side, I've now mastered getting my slides remarkably swish, I must say :o)

The talk was uneventful, as befitted the content. But Satoshi was there, and it's always fun to have a chat with him, because he never goes for the small-talk angle. DHB, myself, Cristina, Loraine-san, Hiroaki, Satoshi and SK all went for lunch in the nearby restaurant complex -- a Chinese place with very nice set menus -- and then I had a head-stagger about checking the instrument commanding, cos we have a visitor in charge.

So, I had this moment where I was sitting on the steps in the lobby, with my shiny laptop, accessing the commanding of a spacecraft on the other side of the city, in Tokyo.

I could not have predicted this life. But I'm quite amazed that it's mine. Even if I find out tomorrow that I've somehow ballsed it up, I still had that moment.

In other news, I've put in an application, with TW's help, to rent a flat in McHida, close to the train station. I'm quite excited about it, but prepared for it to not work. Things which require applications in Japan often fall flat on a technicality or a whim, so I have to not get my hopes up. He says, with a window open on Ikea's website....

And I just found out from pandagirl that its DB's birthday tomorrow. In the midst of all that's going on at work (not listed, cos I don't want to depress myself), I had to suggest a postponement and then a massive birthday blow-out.

Standing up for myself in a way, I suppose. But I do feel a bit bad. But I think it's in his interests as well.

Either way, what a day. Oh, and I came straight back to the Cat's place after the conference, did a load of laundry, then went to sleep. For three hours!

Cool :oD