As the coach pulled into San Francisco nobody could doubt that we were in free and easy California. From the window I saw pastel painted houses, rainbow flags, and hippies in the street.

I checked into the same hotel as TPR. However, I didn’t really want to be with him so I crossed the road to the Sheraton. Here I found some of my belongings scattered in an abandoned bedroom, and a bunch of my colleagues from HR in the bar.

My colleagues were excited that IBM was holding a corporate event nearby with a famous band as that evening’s entertainment.

‘That’s nothing’, I boasted, ‘TPR and I once saw the B-52s in Las Vegas’.

Then a message came through to me from the hotel reception. Could I pleased respond to a media request to give an interview on vaccination and herd immunity. I was happy to oblige, but first there was a game of Settlers of Catan to complete. I was doing well with eight orange cities and a new mega settlement on the board. Surely I would win, if only TPR and my nephew PMF would let me.