Archive - Originally posted on "The Horse's Mouth" - 2007-09-08 16:03:50 - Graham Ellis
Warwick, 11 a.m., Saturday, for later posting. I left Maastricht yesterday evening at quarter past four, was at my overnight stop in Kent from 11 p.m. to 5:30 a.m., and should have reached Birmingham at around 08:00 ready for the Python Conference - Pycon.
So want went wrong? Debris on the motorway! The feeling that the road's a bit rough, followed by a distinct pulling to one side. Roughness on the inside lane too; me thinks I have lost pressure in a tyre and indeed that's proven to be the case when I stop and check. But I have a spare - so no issue? Right, until I discover that the locking nuts are on too tight for me and I have to call in the AA ... who seem to take a remarkably long time even at this quiet stage in the morning. But quick enough once the guy turns up with his tool; only 90 minutes of delay.
A brief stop at the service area north of Banbury to clean up (appearing at Pycon covered in tyre black didn't seem appropriate - a handshake that would have left my mark) and I notice that the other front tyre is looking low. A fill up from the free air, and I notice a hissing sound that tells me that it's coming out almost as quick as it's going in. So let's see ... no good spare any more, no ability to hold air for more than a few miles, and the service area has none of those emergency "squirt it in" cans for sale. "We used to sell them" they tell me helpfully. "They used to be THERE" pointing at a gap in the shelves.
So I put in enough air to limp into Warwick. I got directions to a tyre place, and here I sit at the modern equivalent of the Blacksmith's, having my horse re-shod. Bit of an effort to locate the right tyres / parts, but as I'm writing this a transfer seems to have come in from another store. Best estimate is that I could be away - if lucky - between four and five hours after I intended to pass the road end.
A management decision. To carry on, or to skip Pycon? I'll have missed, and well missed, the early sessions; the meat of Saturday morning, the lunch, and part of the time into the afternoon. I would be in time, for sure, for the "lightening talks", and for the evening meal. And of course for the gentler Sunday agenda - but even there I'm on a timescale as I've got to set up for Monday's Python Course that I'm presenting - which includes being in Melksham in time to greet people off the Sunday evening train.
It's been finely balanced, but I have "bought" myself the time - from Warwick I'll, eventually, head down the Fosse Way and home. I am not committed to giving any talks at Pycon (that would have changed the decision), and I probably wouldn't get the best out of it the way I feel at the moment. Nor would I come across giving the best impression. The wasted spend is regrettable, but isn't great. And - I confess - it will be lovely to be back in my own bed tonight.
Addendum .... I'm here - home - and running, 4 p.m.; so I might have made - just - the lightening talks today, and I'm sure my disshevled, rushedin, state would have been worthy of comment!
So want went wrong? Debris on the motorway! The feeling that the road's a bit rough, followed by a distinct pulling to one side. Roughness on the inside lane too; me thinks I have lost pressure in a tyre and indeed that's proven to be the case when I stop and check. But I have a spare - so no issue? Right, until I discover that the locking nuts are on too tight for me and I have to call in the AA ... who seem to take a remarkably long time even at this quiet stage in the morning. But quick enough once the guy turns up with his tool; only 90 minutes of delay.