Hello again! It's been a while between posts - I've been snowed in with work, health check-ups and other commitments, so I've been a little quiet as of late. By now, you're probably already aware of what this post is about ... so I'm a bit late to the party, but I've got a good reason for this.
All of this started with a question - "What is your T-shirt size?"
The Parcel
So, why has it taken me this long to post this blog? Turns out, I've been rather busy - just recently, I was sent to London as a representative for one of the top five teams as part of the Longitude Prize on Dementia. While our team did not win, I was there to support demonstrations, being the "hardware guy", and in return I got some time do some sightseeing in London. Coming from Australia, that made the whole trip worthwhile, as the flights (including interchanges, but not delays) takes close to 30 hours each way! It's not something I'd want to do over and over again ...
I only arrived home a few weeks ago, but I had no idea the toll this trip would have on me - the jetlag was horrible as I watched my REM sleep disappear for a whole week, my immune system took a hit, so I suffered several bouts of flu and cold sores, and I just felt completely run-down. It took a fortnight before I started feeling human again.
But now that I'm alive again, I can definitely say that it was absolutely hilarious to me that I received the shipment information for this surprise parcel while I was in the UK. To imagine that element14 was dispatching a parcel to my address half-way across the world, while I'm the closest I've ever been to their UK headquarters, just seemed poetically ironic. But that being said, London and Leeds is a bit away from one another and I certainly didn't have the time to make it up and down ... so I didn't bother hassling anyone from element14 for a visit.
Nevertheless, thankfully my Dad was still home at the address to receive the parcel, which was waiting for me for a long while for me to be ready to examine it ..
The trip half-way across the world to Australia was not all that kind to the package ... it managed to split open. But then again, I'm not complaining, as my trip across the world managed to hit delays both ways, totalling about 10 hours and a lot of stress with changed flight itineraries due to the developing war situation at the time. It's perhaps a curse - whenever I travel solo, something bad usually happens ...
Its Contents
Thankfully, nothing seemed to be out of place inside.
I've got to say, I do like the humour of being a "magic smoke installer", but at the same point in time, I hope the magic smoke I install is "delayed release". That being said, the "dark mode" canvas bag, T-shirt and hat suggests to me that there might be some kind of new colour scheme on the way. Or is that simply what element14 looks like after the magic smoke gets released? While others might like the "light mode" colours as being familiar, I think there's a kind of coolness to the high-contrast dark-mode colours - on a plus, a black shirt won't reflect much in shiny surfaces when taking photos which is an added plus.
The trucker cap and stickers mostly follow the magic smoke theme ... to be honest, I'm actually afraid of magic smoke as someone who's suffered from asthma but I'm okay with magic smoke as long as it's not in my room. There's pens and a notebook - always handy to have too. The socks were an unexpected one ... perhaps a Christmas sweater will be next?
Perhaps the nicest thing was to be awarded a "limited edition" chip-themed enamel badge. These things are cool, but also something you don't often get ... it's so nice that I'm afraid to wear it for fear of losing it!
It's always nice to have some recognition - indeed, I hope there are further opportunities to contribute, assuming the RoadTest or Design Challenge comes around and I've got enough time and energy to make it a success. I'd rather not let the community down ... but I'm always thankful for all the opportunities that element14's Community has unlocked for me.
I Didn't Forget You ...
But wait, there's more!
I didn't forget you - my fans (some assembly required). Actually, there's just one fan ... so perhaps, my only fan(s)?
But seriously - thanks to you all for making a comfortable and welcoming community for all - those who are around here all the time, to those who fly in and out on a seasonal basis. It's always been nice to be around an environment of knowledgeable, encouraging and inquisitive bunch of enthusiasts. Thanks for reading and reacting to my content - it really makes it worthwhile.
Conclusion
As always, such things are never taken for granted and are never expected - but getting a surprise parcel in recognition of contributions to the community was a nice touch that reminds me that my contributions are being noticed and valued. For that, I am very grateful ... so next time you're being asked about your T-shirt size, perhaps you might get a knock on the door too, with a serving of magic-smoke-infused humour.
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