wow - not sure what you did to get the photos here, but thanks!
As you can see, the mortar mix for the drain was a little too sloppy - but after soaking up the excess water with a few paper towels, it dried hard and solid.
and as I said before, the kerdi application is not a pretty one - but at least it did the job and no one but everyone who sees these photos, will ever know what lies beneath the tile!