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

*monitor crackles to life in the corner of the library: Lil is seen wearing black*

Sorry to be away, everybody. I had to have my Gretta put down, something I was suspecting would happen, so I was pre-occupied about it yesterday. She had more time in her, physiologically, but the activity of house selling, my increasingly erratic schedule and that whole psychic awareness of impending change that dogs have, well, I could see it wearing at her condition. She had already been abandoned once, technically speaking, when Dad died, so she doesn't handle change well. Didn't.

Anyway, the SPCA (RSPCA) was out of the question because she had such special needs for diet and all, and I couldn't pitch her into the unknown. We all cried, me, the kennal maids, and the vet. Over at ezboard there's a link to a web page in her honour.

Please don't let me destroy your mood for the day. She's rejoined her first owner and this morning I've discovered that my sinuses have cleared up a lot, so it's possible I've been allergic to her all these years. Silly old dog.

*Lil looks around foor a minute as if she had expected someone to come into the room, as the monitor fades to dark*

Aw! Lil, you have my greatest sympathies!!

*Can't a monitor...*

I'm sure she's happy now, though I doubt she was ever unhappy in your ownership...

Thanks Chris.

The Kentucky Derby is running this afternoon, where is Looneytunes?

PP Horse Jockey Odds
-- ----- ------ ----
1 Songandaprayer Aaron Gryder 20-1
2 Millennium Wind Laffit Pincay, Jr. 6-1
3 Balto Star Mark Guidry 8-1
4 Thunder Blitz Edgar Prado 30-1
5 Fifty Stars Donnie Meche 50-1
6 Express Tour David Flores 15-1
7 Arctic Boy Alex Solis 50-1
8 Congaree Victor Espinoza 5-1
9 A P Valentine Corey Nakatani 15-1
10 Dollar Bill Pat Day 10-1
11 Talk Is Money Jerry Bailey 50-1
12 Startac Alex Solis 50-1
13 Invisible Ink John Velazquez 30-1
14 Keats Larry Melancon 30-1
15 Jamaican Rum Eddie Delahoussaye 50-1
16 Monarchos Jorge Chavez 6-1
17 Point Given Gary Stevens 9-5

(PP = post position) I'm going to back Monarchos.

Ooh, I don't know the first thing about betting. I won't place anything on anyone.

Lil

Sorry to here about Greta, I'm sure it's going to be a bit quiet around the house without her.

As I know nothing about horse racing, my selection for the Kentucky Derby will be No 2 Millennium Wind on the grounds that what I ate last night seems to be causing it today.

It's a bit like that scene from Blazing Sadles with me today

* Lil*

Kentucky Derby choice: Dollar Bill because the statement came for my dollar account this morning and, due the fact that I am not using the account at the moment, the account contains just over one dollar.

*hugs for lil*

*sea notices her keepers starting to awaken, she runs across the forum, sits down between them, and puts handcuffs & shackles back on*

I can take care of that Sea. Watch this....

*Affy flips through his Book O' Tricks*

Espnis.

*The two guards fall back into a deep sleep*

They'll probably be out for around five hours.

[sea] WHOOPIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*sea removes handcuffs and shackles and runs around room, whooping happily. she pauses to hug affy, then goes to find some celebratory chocolate milk*

Mmmmm....chocolate milk....

You're welcome.

Guess what everyone? I've now managed to get 128 of the 130 emblems in Sonic Adventure! I'm almost done! I've almost totally mastered the game! Now, if I can only figure out how to get through the Lost World and Red Mountain levels in less than four minutes and thirty seconds....

Incidentally, I've gotta be going now. Ol' Leatherhead's got his hands on some Moderation Software, and is trying to take over the globe again, or something. Later!

*Affy trots down the stairs*

Being on call this weekend was my choice. It's so I don't end up on call for my birthday

Sorry to hear about Gretta, Lil.

and Go affy go! I'm sure you'll get that perfect score on Sonic Adventure.

*comes in the room with racing newspaper and a scratch pad*

Matina, dig out the tostado chips and salsa please, and I'll have beer with it. Amy, your Dollar Bill has a lady jockey, Pat Day, and the horse is a lovely bright bay. If these sorts of factors matter.

Millenium Wind is a distance goer, another bay and well-built, stocky neck.

What time is the race Lil

I'm just trying to find out if its on TV in the UK (Might be on the cable channels somewhere)

I'm going for Balto Star Mark Guidry...

*dips into the tostados*

Correction -- Pat Day is a boy, not a girl

Actually, I'm not sure of the exact time: check kentuckyderby. You know. The website. I've been watching the lead-up races. It's an extremely fast track and records are being broken.

Hi Sporky! Balto Star, noted.

I'll go for one of the 50/1 outsiders, Arctic Boy. Even if it's only because I like the name

Tried the website Lil but I think its losing the numbers game.

403.9 Access Forbidden: Too many users are connected

Still I found one of the Kentucky newspaper websites it said the off is at 6:07 Pm but what time zone is that?
I'm guessing that it will be either 23:07 or 00:07 BST which means either I'll be in the pub or just staggering home at the time, either way I'm virtualy certain to miss it even if it is on the TV.

Looks like the big race isn't till 6 East Coast US time... *writes down Arctic Boy for OP*

Meanwhile the swimming pool still hasn't come right since the pressure spray guy turned it into a thin slurry. And I'm finding chaff in the pump now, from what the lawn guy did, and the system is spitting bubbles and I don't know where the air is coming from. What a disaster. With all that organic matter in it, I'll be very lucky if the dang pool doesn't turn green while I'm in New Mexico.

Hell with it. Let's watch the races.

Sits back with a beer and waits for the racing.