Real Time View

Sometimes, timing is everything. At other times, you just cannot rule out luck. Over the past couple of weeks Margo and I have really run up the miles. We drove from the Florida panhandle back to Colorado and then on to Monterey. After which, we drove the reverse route. All up, I seem to recall, we did more than five thousand miles over the course of four weeks or thereabouts. Regular readers will understand that this isn’t a one-time road trip, as we normally drive to wherever conferences and events might be held. One regular trip we have done many times has been the Colorado to Mississauga, Ontario, loop just so we can spend a day with the Canadian Tandem User Group. For many, sitting in a car for this amount of time is inconceivable and yet, for Margo and me it’s the time when we get to talk about what we can expect to hear at a conference followed by a further discussion on what we did hear. This time, however, external events played a larger-than-life part – it was the height ...

The photo may not be as clear as we both hoped. However, it’s still quite readable and serves a purpose. Snapped on the drive between Cedar City and St George in Utah as we continued on our drive down to Las Vegas for HPE Discover, 2024. Where the posted speed limit is 80 mph and where at that speed it is still hard to keep up with the trucks even as they travel just a little above the posted speed limit, it is a sign we have passed many times without paying it too much attention. Perhaps it can be a case of being unperturbed by distractions while driving at speed but this time, knowing the sign was there, we waited and prepared for the shot even as we did come off the gas to ensure we weren’t stuck behind the tanker. Heading for HPE Discover 2024, we were equally as patient as we were looking for signs. The NonStop platform looks to be preparing for a major overhaul this coming fall and our anxiousness was a case of anticipation. What comes next for NonStop? This isn’t the only si...

It has been only a matter of days since this year’s big tent user conference ended. The NonStop TBC2023 Conference drew attendees from all over the world, with every continent represented as best as I could tell. I am sure there will be those who remind me that as yet, no attendee has made it from Antarctica. Nevertheless, it was a clear demonstration of the value proposition this annual gathering of the NonStop community provides – did you make it this time? Right from the start we were able to enjoy the networking opportunities these conferences always seem to create. Whether you were attracted to the downstairs bar as escalators passed you by, or to the vendor pavilion where if you asked TCM nicely, a wee dram of Scotch could be sampled. And then there was the hospitality provided by the Presidential Suite sponsored by NTI and TANDsoft that managed to attract a crowd each night that fostered conversations that went past midnight and closer to the witching hour. For Margo and me ...

Well done, BITUG committee! Edinburgh, Scotland didn’t disappoint and the level of participation was tremendous with all keynote sessions very well attended … We left for Edinburgh, Scotland, as planned. We had dinner at the airport, caught a flight to London where we enjoyed lunch at Euston Station before taking the train to Edinburgh. All rather straight forward with the only hitch being that we should have caught the train from Kings Cross as our Virgin “express” stopped almost everywhere on its swing through the west of England and we arrived at our hotel some six hours later. Saw plenty of green hills and lots of sheep, mind you, and the weather was way warmer than we had anticipated. Yes, last Wednesday Scotland enjoyed warmer days than residents in Spain and even LA experienced. There will be much more coverage of the social side of the event and the experiences we enjoyed in the company of other attendees will be covered in an upcoming post to our social blog, Buckle...

Reengaging with the NonStop community as changes to NonStop keep on coming may still be a challenge and yet, they’re hold promise for those with the skills learnt on NonStop! Woke up the other day to an eerie glow emanating from a frozen landscape as winter reminded us all that while the calendar said spring, it wasn’t done with us, just yet! Living alongside Colorado’s famous Rocky Mountains there is always something going on and as much as I shivered and pulled on warmer clothes, in its own way winter was providing a beautiful spectacle. It didn’t last long. It never really does around here. As the temperature climbed into the high 40s, the snow quickly melted away and perhaps it will be eight or nine months before we see anything similar again. On the other hand, maybe we are speaking too soon.   Having returned from our trip to Munich, Germany, it’s now time to plan for Edinburgh, Scotland. The premier user event for the European community is only a few short wee...