Enthusiasm for hobbies waxes and wanes over time. I mean - some days, I’m real keen to go curling, some days I can’t be arsed. Some days, I blog, most days I don’t. The things that ceaselessly continue to fascinate me, however, are the inner workings of computers and radios. Of course - I work in telecomms, so radios and networks kinda keep themselves on my periphery at all times and I get to have fascinating discussions about them, like,all the time.It’s cool. So, last time on hibby’s exciting blog of joy I said that I broke my nexus 7 into the real world of linux, not the java-sandboxed-happy-appy kinda-linux world that is android. Well, I’ve been living with it and I have mixed feelings. Here are some of them for you to peruse, traveller. Ubuntu on nexus 7 is fantastic. I love the idea, I love the capability that it offers, I love my hardware and I’ve been yearning for something similar for a while. Just so happened that Ubuntu were first past the post. …

So, I, Um, still have this blog thing kicking around. Shiny. I should use it more. So here I go. I did this thing today, where I installed Ubuntu on my dear Nexus 7. Why? Because reasons, okay!? A couple of reasons, really - I like experimenting. Experimenting with expensive toys is great fun. Warranties are overrated. I like doing things I shouldn’t do, according to normal conventions of technology use. All the way back to buying linux cds from the internet to play with and Rockbox on ipod classic, to buying extra hard drives to experiment with new linuxes (linuces? What’s plural. Ah, yes, Distributions). I also want to see if I can do my nerdy nerdy radio things with it - the ultimate TNC in a small, convenient format… I want to compile aprsmap on it as a starter for 10. …

Those are phrases I’ve seen floating about this year’s blogs quite a lot, and it’s all to do with how fantastic the Saltire experience has been because of the sunbathing on a beach, or the crazy people that you’ve met. I did the same. Ok, so there weren’t any beaches in Ohio, but remember that time I nearly died, or that other time I saw a dragon? Yeah – those were fantastic. I was living a dream. …

Since it last occurred to me to muse on my American expedition, an awful lot has happened. It’s been months since I was in Dayton at the Air Force Museum, and that scares me a bit. Life seems to move quickly. So as I sit here with a chilled Chenin Blanc, my favourite music warming my ears, I feel it might be nice for completeness if I continued my self-important ramblings about what I did when I went to America. …

It has to happen at one point in your life. As you spin off an American Interstate, completely helpless in the passenger seat, you get a chance to prioritise some things. Very quickly. Obviously, the first thing that goes through your head is how do I stop this. Once that’s out the way, things become much more organised and calm. Next up, you get a chance to focus on who you love and how you will remember them, and what they’ll think of you. But that bit doesn’t matter - it won’t affect you after all this. …