iCloud - migration – two days and counting

It’s only a matter of minutes to transfer to iCloud! It’s so easy.
Or is it? I migrated all yesterday.
I have three Macs (27" iMac, 15" MacBook Pro, 13" MacBook Air), an iPad2 and iPhone 4S.
I’ve been on to AppleCare for over 4 hours yesterday and a couple today, gone from level one to level two (a very helpful Polish gentleman from Cork, Ireland) and has now been upgraded to level three: given a temporary password so that they can monitor progress and behaviour.
Firstly, iCal worked fine with everything entered on every machine (except the iPad) uploading to iCloud and then to each other machine within seconds/minutes.
Secondly, AddressBook data entered on iPhone and iPad uploaded instantly to iCloud and thence to the other, but not to any of the three computers.
Nothing entered on any computer uploaded at all.
After 4 hours round and deeper into the iMac system, we packed up at 7.30pm, very tired and hungry.
Today around 2.30 - 3 we started again.
This time, we first experimented by creating an admin account then copying the Archived Addressbook onto Address book. Didn’t upload either.
Next, back on normal identity,  exited iCloud, deleting the data so that both Address book and iCal on computer blank. Then logged back into iCloud and both Address Book and iCal downloaded.
Next, created new iCal item on the computer calendar – uploaded immediately.
Next, created new Address Book item on computer address book. Took up to 15 mins to upload – though it did now upload eventually. Having uploaded it then spread very quickly to other devices.

So awaiting the monitoring to see why the uploading of Address book data takes so long (and slows computer down ridiculously).

Then we have to discover why the iPad won’t upload data on iCal and why all computers takes so long to upload data from Address books.
THe original situation of no communication between the 3 computers and iCloud either way has gone but its cause remains a mystery (to me at least).

Of smelling salts and other re-agents…

After three winters treading my lonely path in the wilderness, acting as author, illustrator, designer,  publisher, publicist, promoter and salesman and 8,000 Curd the Lion and nearly 3,000 Flight of Birds later…

A pleasant surprise to usher in this Spring: I have somehow acquired me a literary agent, it seems.
(hence the need for smelling salts)


For which I have to thank Ian Drury of Sheil Land Associates…

For agreeing to represent me – and even being “happy to” – what a nice chap!

Sheil Land Associates also happen to represent some of my own favourite authors
(who deserve at least a line each):

Peter Ackroyd


Susan Hill

Rose Tremain

and

Barry Unsworth.


[It’s called making oneself feel better by association]

Mark this day with a White Stone.

A ‘Limericked’ look at rude reviewers and venting one’s spleen.

When someone is inordinately rude, I find it healing to vent my spleen in a Limerick.
So here’s:

A review, for all that it’s worth.
Of reviewers, from the Bight to the Firth,
Who ‘peruse’ but prefer
To condemn and concur
That the ‘Vine’ is for strangling at birth.



Thus, to a Triad of anonymous reviewers:

In Edinburgh there was an old Dearie,
Whose obsession with Carroll and Leary,†
So coloured her view
She couldn’t see through
Her own specs, the leery old Dearie.

A fewocious old Wolf-man called ‘Wuss’
So kow-towed to that Edin-Bag Puss.
Not to “twead on her toes,”
He pwaised her in pwose,
So sycophantic she died of the fuss.

There once was a frumpy Welsh Kitten,
By Carrollian tales so smitten,
She, on finding my ‘Curd’,
Pronounced: “Quite absurd
Such nonsense could ever be written!”
..................................

† as she called them.
The second person wrote a creepy letter to the first
before doing a ‘demolition’ as he saw it of my illustrations.

(The sheer vindictiveness of some people does flabbergast me, though.)

And my verdict?

What better place than the loo
For reading a book review?
So pungent and trite,
Just like my sh***,
And as quickly flushed away too.

[In case you are wondering, the ‘Vine’ is a jungle mechanism quite suited to the abilities of apes.]