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

*looks askance at school closings for a foot of snow*

I could have sworn that once, several months ago, we were discussing something and an Italic dropped in to add his or her two cents.

At the risk of sounding like an Old Fart, back in 1996 we had a six foot snowfall on Christmas Eve. I awoke Christmas morning to find that my car was missing and in it's place was a seven foot snowdrift parked in front of the garage. Now *that's* closure worthy!

[H ]

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[runs for the Salon's front door, dashes through, slips on the parquet flooring / slush-foot combination, spins once in mid-air, and lands flat on his back]

Oooommmfff! Now I know what Charlie Brown feels like.
Matina? Hot cocoa, please?

B4iskidagain

*sits on the sofa, where he has been for the last four hours. wonders who in the etch ee double hockey sticks B4 threw the snow at*

Already giving up, B4? *raises eyebrow*

*joins the others on the terrace, starts making snowballs as fast as she can*

*starts building a snow lantern, patiently placing the snowballs neatly in a ring, slowly forming a cone*

One for the lantern, one for Ripley, one for the lantern, one for Ripley...

*the unau starts enthusiastically hurling snowballs with amazing rapidity, in all directions*

[slurps the last of the steamy warm and creamy cup of cocoa]

Aaaaaaaah...

[then bolts for the door of the terrace, races through intending to join the fray, only to slip on the soft white covering of snow, skids to the railing and slams into it at waist level, topples forward and down into the flowerbed below]

Ouch! ...ummm... Okay... I'm alright...

[mutters almost inaudibly]

When will I get the hang of this inertia versus available friction thing?

[comes up over the steps flinging snowballs]

Ah-ha! Thought I was dow---

[manages to ungraciously catch one of Ripley's snowballs right in the forhead; it sprays every which-way and drizzles into his eyes]

This gets to be more fun by the moment...!

[hurls several more snowballs at the vague shapes he can barely make out through snow-drenched eyelids]

B4igetclobberedagain

*ducks into her studio to finish her painting homework for class tonight IRL*

*looks up, only to have her oddly familiar-looking earflapped travelling cap knocked off her head*

Psst! Ripley!

*exchanges odd eye signals with unau*

*a joint attack sends B4 sprawling into a heap of snow*

[MTexhaustedG]

/* plunges head first into the snow, then tries to catch every snowball thrown, and to steal gloves if hands are lowered (just like in IRL). d'E stays warmly inside (unlike IRL) */

You have to take into account that this is the first 6 inches of snow we have had in New Jersey this year. By February, it will take at least 8 inches before we close schools. And of course, we are not quite as bad as Texas or Georgia, who will close schools for a flurry.

*throws a snowball for Zeppo to catch*

The rumours have it that this year we shall get snow, but I'm not holding my breath.

*Shakes the unau launched snowball out of her hair and giggles.*

Ripley has a good arm! That's it for me, I'm going back in.

*Heads back into the salon, where Matina is offering mugs of hot chocolate on a tray. Witty takes one and settles in front of the hearth.*

IRL, while it snowed all day, we only have an inch of slush on the ground. There was 3-4 inches around my husband's office, which is more inland. Being on the coast can really make a difference.

*wakes up in corner with a snort, promptly falls off chair due to stiff back and legs that have fallen asleep*

OOF!

hey everyone, had a few free minutes and thought i'd drop by. i've been missing everyone, and thinking about you always, and fortunately the semester is over soon, so i'll have time to catch up with you all! HURRAH!

Today's newspaper had an ad from a local merchant for an item called the "Hot Cocoa Maker". For $29.99 this machine comprised largely of a bowl will mix your cocoa if you provide the water or milk and the cocoa mix.

Gullible does not even begin to describe some people. Anyone ever heard of a spoon?

[there's a scrabbling noise and the mound of snow shudders, sending little avalanches rolling down; a small plastic shovel (like the kind you'd see a kid use at the beach) pops out of the heap, followed by a hand, an arm, then the upper torso of B4, who's grinning from ear to ear]

WoooHooooo! That's cold!

[whips his head around from side to side, scanning the participants of the melee, trying to ascertain who was resopnsible for the stuffing and chilling]

Ahem! Those long hairy arms that wrapped around my knees and caused me to topple could only belong to one Ripley the Unau... And where Ripley is, Titania's not far afield...

[spots the culprits trying to beat a hasty retreat and launches an uncoordinated salvo in there direction, hitting everything and everybody except the intended targets]

Wham! Pow! *Dang it! Missed again...* Zip! Ping! *Yeesh, that Unau moves quick for a sloth... * Whap! Splat! *Aw, darn, Titania! Ducking ain't allowed...!* Whizz! Spang! *Oh, we're havin' fun NOW!*

[seems to be getting more snow on himself than anyone else by flailing about rather than actually aiming a shot]

B4iturnin2a

[adopting his best Mexicale accent]

Cocoa? We don' neeed no stinkin' cocoa!



Actually I got my fill earlier from Matina, and you're right, FG, all it took was a bot with a spoon to prepare it...

B4igoStirCrazy

[{Courtesy}]

*resolutely remains indoors*

It's in the 60's here for a high during the day...but the mornings are chilly due to the humidity. I don't think I will ever get the hang of humidity...I remember my grandmother telling us it was only 85, so why turn on the air conditioning? In Missouri, in August. My mother and I nearly assaulted her...we were dying.

FG, I remember that snow. My car at the time, a Honda Hatchback, was buried. We couldn't get it out for almost a week. That was some snow. Christmas Eve, wasn't it?

*comes into the salon and helps herself to cocoa* Iwas nearly run over by an elk on the way home from art class this evening. I had just glanced down to check my gas tank meter because I was coming abreast of the last gas station before the long drive over the mesa. And when I looked back up this elk had already burst out from the woods and was well out of my way even as I was braking. Still gave me a start.

And then I saw 4 more elk at the side of the road near Fort Stanton, and then a ginormous raccoon watched me go by, and then just outside of Lincoln I met up with a mule deer, a 4-point buck, standing at the side of the road, looking irresolute. That's often a sign that he has friends hiding behind bushes, so I stopped. We just looked at each other for a while, and then finally I headed onward.

Always satisfying to see the megafauna.