Technology

I've just been talking to a very nice computer. I called the airline to confirm my flights, and a very polite and friendly simulated voice looked up my details and read the flights back to me. I was especially impressed by the bit where 'she' listened to me say my name, British accent and all, and spelled it out flawlessly in response. The signing-off bit was a little awkward -- the illusion of talking to a person was too strong for me to just hang up, but not quite strong enough for it not to feel strange saying 'thank you' to a computer.

Hot and cold

It's been hot here for the last week and more, with highs hovering close to 100 degrees. A fire started in the forests atop the Catalinas today -- small so far, but expected to grow in the bone-dry conditions.

The forecast for Copenhagen next week, on the other hand, is for temperatures in the fifties, if that, and rain. It may be better there by the following week, but it looks as though I'll be packing for this trip much as I did for Monterey in February -- long pants, sweaters, and probably my old winter raincoat, which I had occasion to wear maybe twice this last winter. That means taking the big suitcase, which I think will manage one more trans-oceanic trip but might not stand up to the three I'm planning this summer.

At least my allergies seem to be calming down a bit; this is just as well, as the grocery store doesn't carry large-size Kleenex in the summer months.

On the other hand, I'm not making much progress on tweaking my sleep cycle in an eastward direction -- if anything, it's drifting west, and it's already an hour or three west of local norms.