#3019 HIGH Trial-3: PATCH: Optimize get_activities by making it async

[Zarro Boogs per Child]

#3019: PATCH: Optimize get_activities by making it async
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 Reporter:  J5            |       Owner:  dcbw   
     Type:  defect        |      Status:  new    
 Priority:  high          |   Milestone:  Trial-3
Component:  sugar         |     Version:         
 Keywords:  optimization  |    Verified:  0      
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 This patch makes get_activities in registry.py async which shave some
 seconds off startup time. You will need git head to see the increase.
 With this patch plus the other optimizations now in git startup time from
 when matchbox starts to when you see the XO man in the UI has gone from
 around 7.5 seconds to about 4.5 with no noticeable degradation in
 interactivity on startup.  Another approximately 1.5 seconds can be gained
 by doing the same to get_buddies which I will work on next.

 This of course precludes the 7-9 seconds it still takes from the start of
 X to the end of importing modules which also seems to have some places
 where we can optimize.

 I am submitting this patch for review because it is unclear how we should
 handle error cases.  Right now I just log them with the logger but we may
 wish to throw the errors.  Older code wasn't handling errors.

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Ticket URL: <https://dev.laptop.org/ticket/3019>
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