Wednesday - equinexit and a looooong walk

content/blog/wk5day3.md

@@ -1,7 +1,99 @@
 ---
-title: "Week 5, Wednesday:"
+title: "Week 5, Wednesday: Equinexit: kthxbyeeee"
 date: 2024-08-28T21:55:00+02:00
-draft: true
 ---
 
-{{< image frame="true" width="17em" float="right" src="/img/headline/todo.png" alt="Credit: " >}}
+{{< image frame="true" width="17em" float="right" src="/img/headline/melodicairwave.png" alt="Credit: Melodical Airwave, Youtube" >}}
+
+I'm quite excited for today. My buddy Fred, who owns and runs [[IP-Max](https://ip-max.net/)] is
+moving out of all Equinix facilities, as there are better alternatives out there. I'll leave the
+details for another time, but let's just say that every one of the alternatives have less billing
+mistakes, and I'll leave it at that.
+
+Today I'm doing Fred a favor and exiting AS25091 from Equinix ZH4. As long as I've known IP-Max,
+which is about 18 years now, they have been at Equinix in Zurich. First they were at ZH2, the office
+building across the road, then as well ZH4, since maybe 2008 or so? and finally they had a big
+presence in ZH5 in Oberengstringen, which Fred and I ceremoniously exited a few months ago.
+
+Ludo and Fred have been absolute champions in this project: they have facilitated moves of every
+customer, all international links, all domestic links, and all dark fibers in the Zurich metro. The
+very last link (with Colt, once called Lumen, once called Level3, once called Centurylink) was
+supposed to be delivered between Lugano and R&uuml;lang  yesterday, but after much ado there was
+only light on one side. It doesn't matter though, that link is a second 10G link to Lugano, and
+there's another one from Geneva; so no customers will really notice those few days of slightly
+higher latency LUG->GVA->ZRH reroute, so we agree that I can proceed.
+
+Becaue ZH4 has terrible parking, as it's right in the middle of the city at Hardbr&uuml;cke, I
+decide to do the first half of the decomm by bike; I go over there, and disconnect / decommission
+the links and power off the routers and switches; there are two ASR9001 routers here, and some
+ancillary equipment which I unscrew and put at the bottom of the rack. All the fibers and power
+cables will go in a big bag which I'll bike back home. Then, when it's not the middle of the day and
+parking is constrained, I'll go back by car with a trolly to  pick up the 19" equipment and the
+PDUs. Sounds like a plan, let's go!
+
+My bike ride to and from the Josefstrasse 225 is delicious. It's not too warm, the air is crisp and
+dry, and the Sun is out. One of the reasons why I like helping IP-Max like this with their presence
+in Zurich, is that I get to enjoy a bike ride to the datacenters -- which is often _faster_ than by
+car, because of the absurd traffic situation around Zurich City. My bike ride is about 20min or so,
+and when I come back, a treat awaits me.
+
+Marina and Nicole have made flat bread with sloppy-joe-esque meatballs and saut&eacute;ed onions.
+They are absolutely fabulous, although I omnomm my meatballs with a B&uuml;rli instead. After the
+belly is full, I feel it's time for me to maybe do a bit of sportsing. I (very easily) convince
+Jean-Paul to take a walk with me. It's a loop around Bassersdorf, and I know of a cute hiking trail
+through the forest on a ridge just a few kilometers west of here. We really enjoy the walk together,
+even though some of it is a bit more of a _Pim-pad_ (which is Marina's way of saying "not a trail"
+although I just march through the thicket just as if it _is_ a trail).
+
+We start off by visitng the _Floof chickens_, a common evening stroll. They are actually here for
+once! Which is probably because we are here at 2pm rather than at 8pm, which for them at least,
+makes all the difference. From there, we catch the trail on the ridge in Baltenswil and walk North
+through the _Langentannen_ forest and all the way around the north side of Bassersdorf (two hilltops
+here are _M&uuml;lberg_ at 524m, followed by _Homberg_ at 527m), until we can see the Kloten
+international airport. It's really nice because it's all at relatively high elevation, on the rim of
+the valley where our villages lie, with beautiful views. From a vantage point over Bassersdorf, we
+look to the other side of this valley, some 10km due West of where we are, and plot a path through
+the valley to the other wise, where the _Hardwald_ forest is. 
+
+I should get up here more. It's so peaceful and serene, looking over the valley from up here. We
+plot a path through Bassersdorf and aim for _Hardturm_, a wooden lookout tower over there in
+_Hardwald_ forest in Dietlikon, and make our way over there. Along the way we hear the kids playing
+at the municipal pool, then we visit the local highschool before we make our way over to the other
+wide of the valley and up the hills towards Dietlikon. Here, we end up not going to the tower, as
+it's still a few kilometers away, and instead I aim for the local radio tower in Dietlikon, and from
+there it's a very known walk (for me at least), back down over _Klimm_ which has a nice set of ponds
+and family gardens, and through Dietlikon back home. In total we did 13km or so, and it was
+wonderful, albeit my feet were a bit more sore than I would've hope. I would not have lasted 400km
+like my buddy Brad (who is hiking _Kungsleden_ in Sweden, which is some 480km long trail!). I think
+of Brad, and send him a message on Signal asking him how his mental and physical health is, as he is
+almost done and Cristina is joining him for the last 80km or so. He's in great spirits, and I'm part
+jealous part grateful for him to be able to get to do such a trip. I will join you next time, Brad!
+
+In the evening we made a reservation at the local eatery _R&ouml;ssli_, and we sit outside in the
+residual heat of the day; we order some nice grub, notably the local favorite _Tartar_, which is
+hand sliced (raw) beef filet on toast. I eat a _Schnipo_ which is a veal schnitzel with fries. After
+the dinner, Jean Paul and I enjoy a glass of Grappa, and manage to kill the bottle.
+
+It's been a good day. The Swiss Equinexit is now a fact.
+
+
+## Pictures of the Day
+
+{{< gallery-category >}}
+  {{< gallery-photo fn="2024-08-28/IMG_0865.JPG" caption="I am using my badge to this datacenter for the ~last time." >}}
+  {{< gallery-photo fn="2024-08-28/IMG_0871.JPG" caption="The bikeride home from the datacenter is through the fields and alongside a little river; it's a beautiful bikeride. " >}}
+  {{< gallery-photo fn="2024-08-28/IMG_0872.JPG" caption="The lunch of the day is meatballs, with tomato and sauteed onions, on B&uuml;rrli" >}}
+  {{< gallery-photo fn="2024-08-28/IMG_0873.JPG" caption="JP and I visit the floof chickens at the beginning of our hike around Bassersdorf." >}}
+  {{< gallery-photo fn="2024-08-28/IMG_0874.JPG" caption="JP marches through the forest in search of the trailhead on the ridge between Bassersdorf and Tagelswangen" >}}
+  {{< gallery-photo fn="2024-08-28/IMG_0878.JPG" caption="A selfie at the top of the hill, overlooking our valley with Bassersdorf below us and Dietlikon on the far side of the valley." >}}
+  {{< gallery-photo fn="2024-08-28/IMG_0879.JPG" caption="We found a kitty! And we petted it :)" >}}
+  {{< gallery-photo fn="2024-08-28/IMG_0881.JPG" caption="After hiking 9km or so, my hands fill with fluid, maybe also because it's 33C out; I can't really close my fist right now, but I'm sure it'll pass." >}}
+  {{< gallery-photo fn="2024-08-28/walk.png" caption="Our ring around Bassersdorf, 13km or so in total." >}}
+  {{< gallery-photo fn="2024-08-28/IMG_0886.JPG" caption="Apero: nicely made Aperol Spritz" >}}
+  {{< gallery-photo fn="2024-08-28/IMG_0890.JPG" caption="Dinner - buffalo mozarella with beefy tomatoes, much like yesterday." >}}
+  {{< gallery-photo fn="2024-08-28/IMG_0892.JPG" caption="Dinner - Beef Tartar, with toast, egg and red onion." >}}
+  {{< gallery-photo fn="2024-08-28/IMG_0893.JPG" caption="I click a few trillion cookies for Quinn." >}}
+{{< /gallery-category >}}
+
+{{< gallery-modal >}}
+{{< gallery-script >}}

content/gallery.md

@@ -312,6 +312,19 @@ menu:
   {{< gallery-photo fn="2024-08-27/IMG_0860.JPG" caption="Our local Landesheim turns 150 years old this month. So much culture in such a tiny village!" >}}
   {{< gallery-photo fn="2024-08-27/IMG_0862.JPG" caption="The kitty wants to be petted, except she does not want you to pet her." >}}
   {{< gallery-photo fn="2024-08-27/IMG_0863.JPG" caption="Cole Sprouse also has a kitty (a stowaway just like him)" >}}
+  {{< gallery-photo fn="2024-08-28/IMG_0865.JPG" caption="I am using my badge to this datacenter for the ~last time." >}}
+  {{< gallery-photo fn="2024-08-28/IMG_0871.JPG" caption="The bikeride home from the datacenter is through the fields and alongside a little river; it's a beautiful bikeride. " >}}
+  {{< gallery-photo fn="2024-08-28/IMG_0872.JPG" caption="The lunch of the day is meatballs, with tomato and sauteed onions, on B&uuml;rrli" >}}
+  {{< gallery-photo fn="2024-08-28/IMG_0873.JPG" caption="JP and I visit the floof chickens at the beginning of our hike around Bassersdorf." >}}
+  {{< gallery-photo fn="2024-08-28/IMG_0874.JPG" caption="JP marches through the forest in search of the trailhead on the ridge between Bassersdorf and Tagelswangen" >}}
+  {{< gallery-photo fn="2024-08-28/IMG_0878.JPG" caption="A selfie at the top of the hill, overlooking our valley with Bassersdorf below us and Dietlikon on the far side of the valley." >}} 
+  {{< gallery-photo fn="2024-08-28/IMG_0879.JPG" caption="We found a kitty! And we petted it :)" >}}
+  {{< gallery-photo fn="2024-08-28/IMG_0881.JPG" caption="After hiking 9km or so, my hands fill with fluid, maybe also because it's 33C out; I can't really close my fist right now, but I'm sure it'll pass." >}}
+  {{< gallery-photo fn="2024-08-28/walk.png" caption="Our ring around Bassersdorf, 13km or so in total." >}}
+  {{< gallery-photo fn="2024-08-28/IMG_0886.JPG" caption="Apero: nicely made Aperol Spritz" >}}
+  {{< gallery-photo fn="2024-08-28/IMG_0890.JPG" caption="Dinner - buffalo mozarella with beefy tomatoes, much like yesterday." >}}
+  {{< gallery-photo fn="2024-08-28/IMG_0892.JPG" caption="Dinner - Beef Tartar, with toast, egg and red onion." >}}
+  {{< gallery-photo fn="2024-08-28/IMG_0893.JPG" caption="I click a few trillion cookies for Quinn." >}}
 {{< /gallery-category >}}
 
 ### Playing with OBS sound (August 8th)