Well *that* was an interesting 24 hours (for me at least - it might not seem so interesting once I write it down …)
After a whole two hours sleep, I had to get ready for my taxi to the airport. The trip itself was largely uneventful but the flights were so short (with a couple of hours wait in Copenhagen airport in the middle) that I didn’t manage to catch up on any sleep, as I’d planned. Still, the train from Arlanda to Stockholm was fast and easy to find and a short taxi trip found me at the cruise terminal. (I’m glad I took the point-at-piece-of-paper approach with a taxi driver, though, because it sounds like Mark Rittman conducted a solo walking tour of Stockholm’s harbours!)
I was the last person to arrive so fortunately Patrik Norlander was waiting for me with my room key, breakfast tickets, bag and T-shirt. (Some nice goodies in the bag, too.) Amazingly, I managed to find my way on to the boat and into the dedicated conference area. I knew I’d found the right place when I saw Jonathan Lewis and Julian Dyke having a coffee and a chat so after catching up with them, I thought I’d better find my room and get changed. Rooms with a window are at a premium but this particular vessel has rooms with a view not just on the traditional outside of the boat, but on the inside, too, overlooking the central promenade of shops, bars and restaraunts. I’m sure most would prefer the sea view, but I can think of at least two stowaways who would much rather spend the three days people-watching. It was very decent of Patrik to think of that.
I only managed to see one presentation - Jonathan Lewis’ "Optimising Through Understanding" which was an updated version of the web seminar he did for Oracle. I couldn’t possibly do it justice via a blog entry so I suggest you go and look it up on his website, but I suppose one of the main themes was the use of Query Block identifiers when writing queries for 10g and above to help document your work and aid analysis of the subsequent execution plans.
During the next slot I had one more run through the outline of my presentation, checked the demos looked ok and then it was my turn.
Departure from Stockholm coincided with the start time so there I was, slightly frazzled due to lack of sleep, ready to start talking and I could feel the boat start to move. Hardly bobbing along, but unsettling nonetheless. Based on the audience reaction and a few later comments, I think it went fairly well but I must admit it’s one of those presentations that I know I’m going to get just right one day and I haven’t yet. There’s so much I could show and I don’t think I’ve made the right choices yet to make the most of an hour. When I finished presenting, Patrik presented me with an unexpected speaker gift of an iPod shuffle, which was a lovely gesture and much appreciated. The Boys have been after one for *ages* but I’m not sure how they’re going to share it around 28 of them! Maybe they can take turns or something.
By now it was after 6 so I went for ‘just one pint’ with Mark Rittman and Michael Moller. Which, of course, turned into more than one drink and reached the stage where I no longer had time for a quick nap. You can imagine the state I was in by now! I *almost* bailed out of the evening dinner but I thought that would be pretty rude so I made it through that on the last dregs of adrenalin, a nice dinner, some alcoholic fuel and some fascinating chat with a couple of guys who are over from Estonia. One of them suggested I should try to speak at an Estonian event because he’d enjoyed the presentation. Better still, maybe Oracle will schedule the full two day seminar there? Just an idea 
In the end, with extra assistance in finishing a couple of the courses (thanks M2) I made it through to my head hitting the pillow at 11. Which meant I woke up at 4am because 5 hours sleep is about as much as I manage most of the time 
It’s probably the first time I can recall waking up with a wallet full of free drinks vouchers which I’d found no use for the previous night. I’ll do my best to make up for it this evening, though.
There were some interesting sights on the boat between 4am and breakfast to keep me entertained. I realised that some people were still awake and drinking and very, very drunk! People obviously have a great time on these trips In fact a few hours later I went to the bathroom (bear with me, there’s a point to this) and someone’s jacket was lying on the floor, which seemed a bit weird. Not quite as weird as the sight when I turned the corner and an older gentlemen was propped up against one of the sinks, half sitting in it, fast asleep! I thought I’d try to make a quiet exit and leave him to it, but I think I might have made too much noise because I saw him open his eyes as I left. He looked pretty confused. With hindsight, I wish I’d taken a photo!
Then when I went towards the buffet restaurant for breakfast there were two main categories of people. The older generation who were up too early and keen to make a determined assault on the buffet before the crowds arrived (that’ll be me then) and the younger generation who were dressed in a manner that suggested there’d been no sleep at all or at least not until *after* they’d had their breakfast. The boat’s an fascinating experience with an interesting crowd. I feel more at home here than at most conferences - it’s like a Saturday night out in provincial Britain but without the violence.
Anyway, I’ve been up for 4 or 5 hours, so it’s 9:30 local time (switched time-zones again). We’ll arrive in Helsinki soon but I might go back to bed for 40 winks. I’m tired again already I didn’t have my wireless access sorted out yesterday but, now I have, expect more later. So far so good, though!