In keeping with my usual paranoia about assorted criminals figuring out that I'm away by reading my blog, I've waited until now to post about my recent trip(s). Foiled you again, bad guys!

Last week I went to Hobart for the Linux conference, which is kind of funny considering that I'm now working for Microsoft. But it was interesting and at least somewhat useful. In the conference program they had a list of participants, and I noticed the name Linus Torvalds among them. He's basically the inventor of this Linux operating system that many people believe can kill Windows, although he's largely relinquished control. I didn't think he would actually show, but during the Q&A after one session by a guy from Google (talking about svn), the speaker handed the microphone over to a guy sitting off to the sides -- and I didn't realize until I was told afterwards that it was Linus. They held a banquet dinner the first night I was there, which finished with an auction to benefit an association fighting Tasmanian devil facial cancer. I left before the end, but one of the things offered up was that Linus would shave another Linux bigwig if the bid got over a certain amount, and it did. Nutty!

Immediately after I got back Marjorie and I headed out to meet some friends camping, pretty much right here. The campsite for some reason is the center for cockatoo activity, with scores of them gadding about during all daylight hours, and they are LOUD. But it was really good fun. Marjorie and I rented a surfboard and I gave her (or tried to give her) her first surfing lesson. After pushing her into too big of a wave, she did a face plant into the sand, and announced she was done. But instead she came back out ten minutes later, sans encumbering wetsuit, and gave it another go, managing to catch a few more reasonably sized waves and making it to her knees at least.

On the way back we took a detour to the Otway Fly tree canopy walk, which was pretty impressive, I thought. Good to be home now though.