Let's start with the trip over. Nice enough time in Toronto, they've now got iPads to play with while you wait and you can use them to order food with. Neato.
I've had a bit of a cough lately, and someone on the transatlantic flight wasn't too happy about that. Rather than move her entire family away, they figured it would be best to throw us into first class instead. Loving those lie-down pods, score for us.
After a long delay with the luggage, we get to the hotel. Met up with Tanya Thompson on the bus, apparently she was on the same flight and we just walked right by her. While waiting for a room to be ready, we bumped into Scott Elliot and Carl Hoff discussing the latest Bubbloids (funny shapes!) and the Real 5x5s. A bit of deliberation, then Scott and I decided to head off to the CL market in search of a puzzle shop. Took us a while to find it, and on the way we found a hidden little booth that sold Japanese Puzzle Boxes. I picked up my first two Karakuris, which is really nice. Finally found the puzzle shop and grabbed a trick lock and a Case Cube, found Otis Cheng there too. Really nice to meet him in real life.
Problem with the London Tube is, there's no air circulation. I tolerated the ride to the market (an hour and a half) but nearly passed out on the way back. Had to stop twice for water (a little juice the first time, a Gatorade and a 2L of water the second time).
Got back to the hotel and fell asleep for a while, then headed to the restaurant for dinner with Roxanne, George Miller, and the van Deventers. Oskar and George were in the midst of a lively debate about a mechanism for a Cooksey-type puzzle, Oskar showing off his Scram-balls (on the forum under a different name, designed by Bram Cohen), and I barely solved my first Berrocal before my head started to spin. No photos because I forgot.
I've had a bit of a cough lately, and someone on the transatlantic flight wasn't too happy about that. Rather than move her entire family away, they figured it would be best to throw us into first class instead. Loving those lie-down pods, score for us.
After a long delay with the luggage, we get to the hotel. Met up with Tanya Thompson on the bus, apparently she was on the same flight and we just walked right by her. While waiting for a room to be ready, we bumped into Scott Elliot and Carl Hoff discussing the latest Bubbloids (funny shapes!) and the Real 5x5s. A bit of deliberation, then Scott and I decided to head off to the CL market in search of a puzzle shop. Took us a while to find it, and on the way we found a hidden little booth that sold Japanese Puzzle Boxes. I picked up my first two Karakuris, which is really nice. Finally found the puzzle shop and grabbed a trick lock and a Case Cube, found Otis Cheng there too. Really nice to meet him in real life.
Problem with the London Tube is, there's no air circulation. I tolerated the ride to the market (an hour and a half) but nearly passed out on the way back. Had to stop twice for water (a little juice the first time, a Gatorade and a 2L of water the second time).
Got back to the hotel and fell asleep for a while, then headed to the restaurant for dinner with Roxanne, George Miller, and the van Deventers. Oskar and George were in the midst of a lively debate about a mechanism for a Cooksey-type puzzle, Oskar showing off his Scram-balls (on the forum under a different name, designed by Bram Cohen), and I barely solved my first Berrocal before my head started to spin. No photos because I forgot.
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