Vincent's blog

Thanks for the clothes guys, I love them.

Saturday morning. I met Donncha quickly last night, he seemed nice but obviously jetlagged and wondering who was showing up in his house at 10PM asking for Maya. She hadn’t arrived yet. 9AM on Saturday the vans are delivered for the group and I ask Anton if Maya could come sign the rental papers I get the answer I expected: She got here late, spoke about the planning for the week for awhile and will sign papers later.

I wish I had pictures of that Saturday. The leaves were still mostly in the trees but raining down and it was slightly overcast. A little later I met with Maya, I had read everyone’s bio on the Automattic website and from hers I was expecting an imposing mother, my fears had me picturing her with impatient eyes and a serious suit. Not at all. Tiny, pretty Maya with tired eyes, a cool jacket and a colorful scarf asked a few questions and if we could visit the houses. Donncha and Nicolai followed us around at a much slower pace, taking pictures of everything with massive cameras. Here are Donncha’s great pictures of Quebec. The international group seemed to like the houses and Maya seemed to be computing the best possible lodging combination while the two guys were enjoying the dead leaves.

Later: Making fires for Toni, the incredible stew and… the network dies!

I would have started this blog with Day 1 of my encounter with the Automattic crew but too many things happened on day one. This will be a story played in rewind, you know the protagonist lives, you know the super geeks like it enough to make it to day 7 and if you have rightly deduced that these posts are made from the Chalets-Village/ZAP network you know it is still functioning.

Today I woke early, my internal clock now works that way. I could feel three pints of heavy beer had been enough to fill my stomach with yeasts, Michelle went out the door to meet Anton and prepare breakfast, got in the shower, phone rings. I know it is Michelle, I know she is calling me because the pilot light is out in the oven again, finish my shower, call her back, pilot is out. Thirty seconds later I am out the door and the air freezes the moisture in my hair, it feels good, the sun is warm, the breeze fresh.

At 1806 the clients stop me and we talk about goose hunting, he has been renting here for a few years, we exchange a few stories but I have to get the oven on. At Anton’s it already smells like bacon an eggs, empty beer glasses and cleaning products. Light the oven, joke around with Anton. How does he look so awake? I know he went to bed late.

OK this blogging thing is entertaining but I am pretty sure no one wants to hear about my meeting with Gilles the godfather or the fact that we are probably loosing Dominique to a government job. More when I am inspired and when the Christmas lights are changed at 1817.