Solving a few problems

We were two hours into the flight when something shot beneath my seat.  I glimpsed a slim white body, a long tail with a puff-ball of fur at the tip.  A cat?

A short spectacled woman rushed past, trailed by a grim stewardess grumbling about keeping track of comfort animals.  There was a yelp across the aisle as the cat doubled back to hide beneath the center row.  The Canadian seated next to me fretted about her allergies to pet hair.

A crowd gathered, helpful suggestions multiplied.  The pet’s owner tried to lure it from beneath the seats into the cage with a cat treat. Already vulnerable, this wasn’t making her tripp any easier.  Someone tried to take photos, the flight attendants tried to get him to delete the pictures.  The cat ran, and everyone lost track of where it went.

It took the better part of an hour to catch it, cornered by an organized pincer of people crawling between the forward rows.  On landing, the airline escorted owner and pet off for a conversation.

‘lively start to the Christmas holiday.

I spent part of the flight catching up with essays for the blog: the connection between Windows Live Writer and Blogger stopped working about a week ago.  Google has been changing their login security, and Microssoft wasn’t keepig up.  Again (first time was last May)

The good news is that Microsoft has divested the Live Writer project to the Open Source community, rebranded as Open Live Writer.  Within a couple of days, a fix was implemented and the new utility was working.

I’m excited aobut the transition, it likely means that the editor gains new features, reliability, and platforms.  ‘Still the best publishing utiklity avaiklable: highly recommended in it’s new, evolving form.

I wasn’t so lucky with my favorite long-distance telecom uutility, OperatorOne.  Their Connect International service gave me a one-to-one local UK phone number connected to a US phone number.  It was cheap, direct-dial per-use calling.

Two weeks ago, the service stopped connecting.  The account had funds, the numbers were right.  It turns out that the business has failed, as happens with young tech companies.  I haven’t been able to find a replacement yet, so have fallen back to using Skype from my desktop PC (when, infrequntly, I’m at my desk).

10 hours in the air: too early to sleep, so I watched Inside Out, Foodies, and Mr. Robot.  Finally on the ground, there was one last hurdle to go.

I presented my passport, goods inventory, and screening printout to the Customs Officer. 

How long have you been away?  I’m resident overseas.

Doing what?  Starting a new business, medical devices.

How long are yous taying? ‘just for the holiday.

You know, you can stay as long as you like?    ‘so I’m told…