Yesterday, I learned a few Linux tricks I didn’t already know followed by everything about ZFS and the nitty-gritty of how Dattos work that I didn’t know, not one bit. Today, I learned about bare-metal restores and some troubleshooting tips, then I took a test.

I feel sorry for the guy who has to grade mine, because many of the questions required written answers. Have you seen my handwriting? It’s abominable. For some reason my motor control goes completely out the window when I’m holding a writing implement. The longer I write, the jitterier my hand gets. I was hoping for some kind of web-based testing interface, I truly was. Ah, well. If they can interpret my test sheets correctly then I’ve probably passed… which is good considering the ridiculous amounts of my employers’ money and trouble involved in getting me here for that purpose.

Tomorrow I get up at 3:30am… Eastern time. That’s half past midnight on what is still my internal clock’s time, mind you.

This weekend I’ll see about doing something with all the pictures on my phone, but don’t expect a post from me tomorrow… 10 hours of travel await me. Yee and/or haw.

I woke up at 3:00 yesterday. I woke up at 3:30 today. Well, 6:30 today, but my body clock says 3:30.

It’s all very disorienting.

The flights weren’t so bad. Getting through security at PDX went normally, the flights were early, there was only one bit of confusion as gates were scrambled around last-minute for the puddle-jumper leg of the trip, and I experienced almost no ill effect from being in aisle seats the entire six or so hours I spent in airplanes.

Now, the cab ride to the hotel was more entertaining. First, when the guy calls and says “I’m in a black Lincoln Continental,” that’s not really much help because every cab was a black Lincoln! Then, the dispatcher had given him the wrong destinations, so we spent a few harried minutes getting that squared away. Finally, we drove right past the hotel without realizing we’d gone right past the hotel.

He was a nice Jamaican fellow, though, and we passed the time amiably once we worked around the various issues.

The hotel is nice, but a bit quirky. I’ll see about putting together an image post after classes are done so I can explain that a bit better. Also, dining amenities are… interesting. Let’s just say I’m currently located along one of those roads populated mostly with run-down mini-strip-malls, which means it’s either hole-in-the-wall diners or fast food chains. Well, chain. McD’s. Which… only if I’m truly desperate, folks. Ugh.

And now… off to the first day of classes. Wish me luck?

I like seeing other parts of the country. I like the idea of seeing other parts of the country.

I’m not so keen on using air travel to get there.

Tuesday morning I board a plane bound for Connecticut (well, Chicago… where I’ll catch one for White Plains NY… you get the idea) so I can take a two-day training & certification process for one of our vendors. I’m the right guy to send; I wish I wasn’t. I’ve been losing sleep, worse each night I get closer to the trip, over every thing I can think of that might go awry.

So… what will I forget? The boarding pass? My laptop? A phone charger? The possibilities are staggering and endless! Wheee!