I expected to write this entry on Friday, while waiting for my flight home from Chicago. But ETP was down, so I did other things.

This week’s trip (which, I hope, will be the last one for a month or so) was to Montreal for the IBM Academy of Technology Annual Meeting, followed immediately by my first Official Meeting as a member of the Academy’s Technology Council (a three-year gig, with three-day in-person meetings six times a year, and early morning phone calls another six times a year). The trip was busy and productive and busy — if I weren’t a rebel, I wouldn’t have been outside the hotel at all from Monday at 1pm until the TC dinner on Thursday night.

But I was. On Monday, I took a quick morning walk, then joined friends from Israel for lunch at an Indian restaurant (apparently, there aren’t any Indian restaurants in Israel). Then I spent the next 34 hours in the fray, finally going out for air (and coffee) late Tuesday evening (instead of going to the Birds of a Feather sessions which were happening at the same time). On Wednesday night, I decided I couldn’t stand another big hotel meal, and convinced a colleague to go out for a walk with me; we wound up at a Lebanese fast-food place (where I had falafel, spending $5 Canadian in the process). Thursday night, the TC went to an Italian restaurant in Old Montreal…everyone chose to walk. Then on Friday, it was a quick dash to the airport when our meeting ended, a brief stop in duty-free (icewine is interesting stuff), and then home!

For some reason, I had no desire to turn on the computer yesterday.

Bar Mitzvah planning is continuing; we went tallit- and invitation-shopping today, with what looks like success.

Now to watch Game 7, which should not have been necessary.

I admire people who can keep up a steady blogging habit, come hell, high water, or work. I’m clearly not one of those people. Not unless you define steady as “a few times a month”.

This week has been busy, both at home and at work. The home stuff is marginally more interesting — our decorator visited us again and we’ve ordered (as in “made a deposit on”) window treatments in five rooms, a new sleeper sofa, new chairs, and probably some other things I’ve managed to forget. We also had a floor refinisher give us a bid on refinishing the living room and dining room, and someone will be by soon to bid on door work.

Our living room is looking bare; all of the books are elsewhere (some at the library, some in the office, and a few old textbooks in the landfill, since hardbacks aren’t recyclable). And most of the furniture is gone; New Start Furniture took a sofa, bookcase, typing table, and lamp, but they wouldn’t take the old sleeper sofa because it needed too much repair, so we dragged it out to the curb last night, and it should be gone by the time we get home. I was hoping someone would scavenge it overnight, but no such luck; we’ll have to pay for disposal.

We have to completely empty the living room and dining room before the refinisher starts, so I guess we’ll have a one- or no-car garage for a while.

But next week, I’ll be away from the scene, at the IBM Academy of Technology meeting in Montreal. I will not have a chance to go ice-skating this time, though.

Shabbat Shalom!