h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

It's a mystery. I just started. Saw the picture in the book. I bought the book, about Billy. Why? I don't know. The book was a reprint of the Burns book, The Saga of Billy the Kid. Had a copy of the OLD copy of the tintype (complicated story) which was only known as a newsprint copy at the time) I looked at it and thought, this is wrong. Bought another book. Had a teeny copy of the newly-discovered tintype, which I scanned and began working on. And the story of finding a decent copy of the image to properly restore is just too long to recount here. But I had to go to New Mexico.

Maybe Billy saw that I was a picture restorer and badly wanted his picture restored. His face is in awful awful condition in the unrestored tintype, but he was a good-looking boy. Anyway, later when I looked back on my worklog, I found that I had started on 14 July, the anniversary of his death.

Have you been restoring pictures a long time, then, Lil? Do you ordinarily find so many lost intricacies in the restorations you do, or is this an unusual case?

About 5 years seriously, 2 years professionally, and a long time casually before that. My favourite early job is the three marines, which is in my gallery. Conway -- I had a sort of "Somewhere in Time" experience with him. Looked superficially like a roundshouldered bumpkin, but when I got him under magnification and found those cheekbones and deepset eyes ... Imagine what it was like to be in the Marines 100 years ago, what Parris Island must have been like. I intend to find out more about Conway, although it's prodigious enough even to know his name.

So the best projects are the ones that take you right out of yourself.

l really have to peruse that gallery more...it's quite incredible.
l hadn't the foggiest idea computers could -do- that.
ls this where your acquaintanceship with the Marines stems from?

*has just realized that Doctor Who is on, in RL...she didn't realize her local PBS station still aired it. lt's the color version -- something about the Concorde, and hypnosis. Also, coincidentally, a tooth...although it's playing in another room, and thus hard to follow*

Yeah, I found all my great uncle's papers mixed in with a pile of other stuff in a plastic bag in a chest-on-chest in the garage. He kept a journal and saved clippings while he was stationed in the Philippines, also saved a handful of pictures. And his aunt and uncles saved all the letters he wrote home, plus I have his discharge papers and his promotion to corporal, signed by Gen. Elliott, who became Commandant that same year.

So I have to go up to DC or Quantico and dig way down deep into their archives; I have promised the Marine Corps Museum the materials when I'm done with them, in exchange for time in their vaults. I expect to find my uncle's writing all over the place, because he was Company Clerk. And I intend to find out what happened to Conway! And what his first name was!

Your wisdom teeth must have been in bad places if they had to be cut up to be removed.

Which Who is it, Tom Baker?

Where's their museum located? l've been in the vicinity of Quantico, at least, the Naval Warfare Research labs, and l have some affiliations with NSA and their Cryptographic museum, and have been to the Naval Academy, toured and so forth, but that's about the extent of my history with the armed forces historical departments, unfortunately, even though l live close enough to take advantage of most of them, admittedly. lt's good to hear they're willing to provide you the information, though. They must keep incredibly thorough records, to go back to the beginning of this century, and doubtless before. How long have the Marines been around?

Well, two were cut in half (well, one was cut in half, one was cut into eighths, or so it appears), and two came out intact. All of 'em hurt, though...and the stitches are starting to get annoying. l'm half tempted to yank them out, except l could never open my mouth wide enough to do so...

l'm not sure which Who it is, unfortunately. l'd say it's whichever Who was the most recent of the Whos.

*gets the distinct feeling she's reliving an Abbott and Costello routine...or at the very least a Dr. Seuss book...*

The Marines currently have their museum and archives in a small building in the Washington Navy Yard, just down from the barracks at 8th & I, where the Commandant's house is (it's the oldest building in DC!). Have you been to the Navy Yard? Anyway, the USMC is breaking ground for a new museum at Quantico. They were founded by a letter from George Washington on 10 November 1775 and have served continuously ever since, unlike either the Navy or Army, which were disbanded after the Revolutionary War. And at the time my great-uncle served, there weren't quite 7,000 Marines altogether. It's only since WW II that there havecome to be so many of them, but they still regard themselves as a small elite within the Service. As you must well know up there in Annapolis.

Do, rather, yes. Of course, around here, much of everything is Navy Navy Navy, all the time, but with the heavy military influx we have a pretty good representation of all the ranks, and so l know, through friend's families, mostly, a quantity of ex-Marines, and enlisted people of all stripes. lt's definitely a strong culture -- interesting one, too. l think the Naval Acadamy mids, at least going by the way some of them have been behaving currently, could use some of that sense of discipline.
l really have to get to DC more, and explore some of the historical aspects. l haven't strayed much from the Mall areas, and most of my favorite museums -- for art, anyway -- are located in Baltimore, so l tend to see more of that city, as a rule. lt's tricky for me to get about, really, as l don't drive, but perhaps l can rally some friends into making a day of it, sometime.

I've decided not to drive next time. I got myself to a hotel in the southeast of town last year, and soon knew that DC is the wrong town to take an automobile. So I'm going to take Amtrak to Union Station and cab from there on. I want to go see the review at the Marine Barracks of course, but, after research, I have my eyes set on the Smithsonian. The portrait gallery will probably be a must, and the Asian Art (is that the Freer?)

Poor old Marines are getting the presidential finger shaken in their faces today, thanks to a few testosterone-diseased buddies. I find the Marines I have met to be clannish but touchingly pleased to be recognised and respected by a civilian, and quite happy to talk at length. I take pizza coupons to the local recruiting center on the Marines' birthday.

l think that's the Freer. The whole of the Smithsonian complex is great. l have lots of happy childhood field-trip memories of that place.
They used to have a big triceratops -- or maybe it was a stegosaurus -- statue outside of it, that l always used to climb on. l think it was taken down due to legal concerns -- sharp edges.
Ahh, childhood.

The DC metro system's also great, if you have the nerve for it. l've never had a problem using it myself, though l don't recommend it if you plan on being out late -- they close it down terribly early. Cabs are probably definitely the easiest way to go, though.
How long are you planning to stay?

Dunno. My next trip will be a big Amtrak excursion back to New Mexico at the end of September, hopefully with a displayable Billy. So DC would be the following Spring, if I want to be able to see the review.

It's a quarter to two. I reckon to go back to the atelier, meld as it were, then turn in.

*checks that IIEM is running smoothly and that Ook is safely asleep for the night*

And now for the tunnel.

Heh. Wow. lt is a quarter of two.

l have to try out this tunnel...

*straps on inlines, waits for Lil to safely enter Atelier, and then skates pell-mell through the tunnel, banking and flipping about all over the place*

Meanwhile at 6pm Sunday a dude with three recent notches in his belt (Scotland, Australia and South Africa) enters the cafe, turns on the TV and voila, its Doctor Who: The Chase. Journey Into Terror: The travellers are taken prisoner by the Mechanoids.

Green tea pleas IIEM

*wheels back up, exhausted, slips off skates and flops on sofa to catch some of the Doctor Who, for her edification. Falls asleep about three minutes into this edification -- no fault of the good Doctor Who, but rather of the indifferent Doctor Looney (no, not you, Loony -- my RL oral surgeon is named Looney...l found it disconcerting myself...) who has prescribed tonight's round of mind altering substances*

Amazing. I once knew a dental technician named Dorothy - sort of like Dolores

Meanwhile back to the TV. Daleks, schmaleks. I wasn't really a big fan of Dr Who in its day. I'd grown up watching really terrifying fare: One Step Beyond, The Twilight Zone, The Mickey Mouse Club. "Ex-ter-min-ate! Ex-ter-min-ate!" Yeah, right.

Still, I watched, even if I did find The Magic Roundabout more disturbing. "'Time for bed,' said Zebedee." Now that was scary.

Lil, O, could you to stop dominating the forum? Other people want to post here too, you know.

*comes in through tunnel in basement, wishing for woodland trail*
*sees YK's message*
*shrugs and goes back to atelier*

*ambles in, notices recent display of bad manners*

*runs downstairs and calls down tunnel*

Lil? Lil! Come on back. Don't pay any attention to ~him~!

*mutters to self*

Really, some entities!