Las night I realized it was the 4th anniversary of my Fathers death.. it’s funny how birthdays are easy to remember.. and death days are (generally) easy to forget. 

  i’m heading home now after a very short 2 day stay in Sydney. It’s such an interesting place to visit.. it’s so much like America.. until it isn’t. the people, scenery, food is very much like home.. but they drive on the other side of the road.. and tell weird jokes..  It’s like traveling 20 hours to  be the next state over.  well.. there are some things that are different.. like this   

my reason for the trip was to speak at our THINK event.. .and soem associated partner events. . it was a really nice conference . it was a great event.. good speakers, good demos.. great people.    the event was hosted by my old boss and good freind Harriet.. She did a great job as always geteting folks fired up .    the keynote of the event was Astronaut Chris Hadfield.. He’s famous for many things.. one including doign a great rendition of  David Bowie’s Space Odessy from the space station https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaOC9danxNo He gave a really wonderful talk about his life as an astronaut..nd his  a time on the  international space station,  It was funny, informative and inspiring. I got to spend a fair bit of time with him .. and really enjoyed getting to know him.    I particuallry liked Chris’s story of seeitn the Aurora Australius from the space station.. it was a beutiful movie !   my good freind CHeiko was there to speak as well.   great panel .    and a group of students were there ..  one of the hilights of the day was meeting Meow-Meow.. a bihacker who implanted not one but three subway tokens in his arm http://www.gizmodo.co.uk/2018/03/australian-biohacker-who-implanted-transit-pass-in-his-hand-was-convicted-for-not-using-valid-ticket/ we herd about him on ‘Wait, Wait, don’t tell me’.. the other day.. and here he was.. a very cool guy    I got to hang out wiht my freind Stefna’s group and learn more about their very wonderful Epilepsy challenge ..    lots of other cool folks there as well !   the absolute high point of the trip was gettign to hang out with my really close friend Glen and his wonderful family.. we wlaked over to his office at UTS (university of technical Sydney >)  he;s the Vice Chancellor for Research there     he walked me around the place. it was AWESOME>. gleaming new labs. maker spaces    and he introduced me to Ben and his fabulous Data space..    one demo included a very cool 3d flythrough of sydney.. here’s len’s house !   and the nearyby bay    we took a taxi to Glens house..   as we headed inside I managed to get a picture of the Southern Cross !   glenn has the most amazing smart house. He’s been workign on it from years. he can turn on any light by just flushing the toilet…  seruiously.. . he showed me every wire of it.. it really is a work of art !   even more beautiful is Glen’s lovely family. His wife Liesle, kids, Tom, Katie and Samantha  (aka Sam !) there also was Liesels aunt Patty her husband Chris, and tow of their kids, their daughter in law and grandson..  Patty is quite famous in Australia for having gotten the best of a Shark once https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/15/patricia-trumbull-austral_n_462598.html  crazy story..  it was a wonderful time  with Glen and family. ! It was so great catching up with everyone.. and hearing about their lives. .. by the time it was 10PM I was super sleepy and caught a ride howm with CHirs and Patty      I got back to the hotel by 11 and was asleep by 11:01 🙂   this mornign I caught a car to the airport at 6:30 AM. and am now somewhere over the blue pacific heading hoem to my family   crazy far for such a short trip.. but worth it   more tomorrow   nite all, nite sam -me