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

[GDZ]

The thing is, if they can't find somewhere to drop a parcel off while in Lincoln, they have to drive quite a distance to re-attempt the delivery. And customers are pretty unanimous about wanting their stuff sooner rather than later! I think as a post awful employee I have special dispensation...

Our office was closed all day yesterday because of snow. Which was a good thing, since my transportation was totally stuck. I may have mentioned that I had a bit of trouble with my normal car when trying to drive S up here from Phoenix a few weeks ago. Well, the normal car is busted, and I've borrowed a pickup from my parents. Having been raised in Phoenix, I saw no problem with leaving my old car in its covered space while leaving the loaner truck parked on the street... until the next morning, when I saw the snow plow had kindly gone around the truck, creating a nice wall of snow. The truck itself is a Ford Ranger, a very light vehicle that has no traction whatsoever when there's no load in the bed -- which there wasn't. So off I walked to find a snow shovel.

Upon returning with the shovel, I began work, and quickly became discouraged, until I noticed that the sun was out. So I went upstairs, and waited. A few hours later I tried again, and sure enough was making more progress when, of course, my shovel broke. Again I got discouraged, and took a break. A few hours later, with a co-worker on her way to help take me to Target to get a new shovel, I decided to give it one more go, just trying to drive out. Eventually it worked, and I parked in another space in order to move my old car out, and put the truck where it should have been all along. But of course, the truck couldn't get out of the *new* space because of too much ice and no traction.

So we went to Target. They were out of shovels. We went to the Home Despot, and they, too, were out of snow shovels, but they did have a sidewalk ice-scraper that I purchased, and some potting soil I bought just to put weight in the back. I went home, scraped the ice out from behind my wheels, and this morning managed to get the truck out.

At which point I realized that I spent my entire day off yesterday trying to make sure I could get to work today!

Irv!

Irv, Pro Tip: Use either sandbags or rock salt for ballast in the bed of the Ranger. That way you can use it for traction/snow melting duties if needed. It's rather windy in SLC right now with snow en route. Can it be spring yet?

indeed. How...irritating.

Rather windy, Marv. You bucking for understatement of the year?

I also highly recommend cat litter, as, if you don't use it during the winter, you can use it for your cat (although I know you personally don't have a cat, Irv...but I'm sure friends do).

Indeed, I remember Majel Barrett being a strong role model for girls when I was younger. Of course, we were all serious girls, but hey!

I cannot quite believe it myself, but ALL of my laundry is done, and I cleaned out the car, including the trunk. Two things that haven't been accomplished for well nigh unto a year. It feels good.

Well, Faith had her school performance last night Unfortunately, I have no report, other than hers, of how it was, because I completely messed up the timing *hangs head* Someone had bought me a ticket to a dinner that was to start last night at 6pm. Faith's performance was at 6:30pm. Faith's performance was less than a dozen blocks that way *points* while my dinner was a couple miles that-a-way *points in the opposite direction* Because of this time conflict, Tom was going to go and view the performance, so Faith would at least have one parent there. Because his new-to-him truck won't smog (pass the California emissions test, without which you cannot legally drive a car manufactured later than either the '60s or '70s (can't remember which)) I needed to pick him up over there *points to shelter ministry is running, half a mile in a third direction* Since Faith was performing, she had to be at her school no later than 6:15, which is reasonable enough. The plan was that I would pick Tom up at 6, he'd drop me off at the dinner, and then come back and get Faith where she needed to be, and then find a seat. Then I decided to not only wear my brand new dress to the dinner, but actually put on nail polish and makeup (I polish my fingernails maybe 1-2 times a year, and put makeup on maybe every month or so...) Since I do neither very often, they took longer than I'd thought, though it was the makeup timing that really threw me, the nails having been finished before 5, before Faith or I changed clothes. Did I mention that my watch doesn't work. I can't find my cell phone, and have yet to figure out how to change the time in the car? So I picked Tom up, noted at the shelter that it was 6:10 and we'd better drop Faith off before I got dropped off (meanwhile bemoaning the fact that I'd dismissed the thought that maybe I should drop her off before getting Tom), and, after I was dropped off and Tom had pulled away, I realized my gift for the gift exchange was sitting atop a pile of book boxes where I had placed it to be at eye level so I wouldn't forget it So I borrowed a phone, called Tom, told him where the gift was, and he fetched it for me Shortly after, a lady whose daughter was in the same performance arrived, prompting me to say that if I'd known it was going to be that quick, I would've gone to both events, too. I didn't learn until later that, due to my forgetting the gift because of running late, Tom missed the whole thing At least Faith's grandparents made it.

Amy. That's a terrible to-do!

Thanks for the advice regarding sand bags, rock salt, and kitty litter. I've heard rock salt is bad for various reasons so I am skittish about it. I don't know what use I would have for sand bags at any other time of the year. Kitty litter I'm unsure on. I mean, obviously, S could use it... Anyway, that's why I settled on potting soil as it's something I can see myself using come spring.

Poor Amy. Poor Faith and Tom too.

I've officially broken up for the Hols - not back till the 5th Jan and then I'll be in Jockland for a week. We are setting up a documentation skunk works: we have So Much documentation to write that we are locking ourselves away for 5 days. No meetings, no phones and limited email. It will actually be rather fun.

Anyone fancy a mid-week Edinburgh mini-meet?

B

Amy, on days like that, it's time for a . Of course, with Notepad cooking, you might have to settle for ! But just think alcoholic thoughts?

We could of course also volunteer to help Amy by having on her behalf?

Probably slightly inspired by the fact that we started an attempt to clear out the last (?) 25 l barrel (do you call them that? the big heavy thingies draught beer comes in?) of the we had for the company Christmas do... OK, I didn't have much as I was going to drive home.

And absolutely no snow here - someone said today that they're talking +10°C for Christmas But I understand from my colleagues in Milwaukee that they had 10 inches overnight and 5 more to come today...

Santra, depending on what type of draught beer it is, it's either a cask (if it was drawn thru a hand pump) or a keg (if all you had to do was pull a tap handle).

Okay, am I being too much of a beer again?

just in from a friend: a Doctor Who tree: http://www.lostcarcosa.net/2008/12/19/christmas-tree-will-exterminate-you/

Keg was the word I was looking for And I have three 0.75 liter bottles of the stuff with me home (perk of being in the arranging comittee). It's a seriously nice dark ale

This just in:
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/12/2008_the_year_in_photographs_p.html

I haven't even seen them myself yet!

Amy...

That tree is fantastic!

Amy, does Faith's school film the performance?

Those pictures (all three set of them) a really rather , Santra. What a ed up planet we live on.

> I've heard rock salt is bad for various reasons

Basically, rock salt encourages rust, but it really won't hurt your car if you use it once and then wash out the wheel wells. It will help melt the ice, so it's worth it.

The Dalek tree is impressive.