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

You better Lil, wouldn't want everyone to start being punctuationally correct!

Aaaand there's still a couple of flood-warnings around here, due to just the rain that's going on at the moment.

I'm not in any flood-zones, so I'm not concerned for my own safety. But *jeeeeeez.*

'Swedish Torpedo'
Sets Alcatraz swim record
Without use of legs

'...they had actually laughed at me when I came here to compete...'
Laughs best who laughs last. I for one am very impressed.

http://www.thelocal.se/35960/20110905/

*Puts v/_\3 on without use of legs, but with use of hands and water*

<BB<

Afternoon All

Windy with showers, Autumn est arrive.

Been in court this morning supporting a pal, long wait, then five minutes and back in four weeks.

A week ago, I wasn't sure I was going to complete my World History 1400-Present course on time. I've just completed the pre-test and scored 80%, well above passing. I will be taking the actual test this weekend.

Well done GDZ.

And while some parts of the US are under water, Texas is burning.

I talked to Gw7en today. Apparently one of the fires got within a couple of miles of her house, but it is mostly contained now. Summer in hot places is a rough time for fires.

GDZ

Good news on using the semi colon. Tod...

[Bel]

"while some parts of the US are under water, Texas is burning."

That sounds like it should be a song lyric...

Thinking of Midnight Oil by any chance, and 'when our beds are burning'?

Or Texas Flood - Stevie Ray Vaughan

While I'm sure it's quite scary for those involved (didn't you have to be ready for potential evacuation earlier this year Lil?). The Kingston Trio many years ago in the Merry Minuet pointed out that 'Texas needs rain'.

evening all

*looks*

A salonista on premod?

This can't be right...

*rubs eyes*

[Nick - curious]

My fright this weekend was that I did something very silly on a mountain.

I am training for the Oxfam Trail Trekker event, (60 miles non-stop, donate at https://netbel.oxfamireland.org/netcommunity/8legs if I haven't spammed you already..), so I set out on Ben Lawlers, just north of Loch Tay.

I managed 3 Munros quicker than I thought I would. So I sat down to look at the map and decide what to do next: I saw a path on the map which was an alternative way back to the car. It looked very pretty, it looked fairly flat, It looked like a path (it said 'path' on the OS). With the exception of the last 1/2 mile which was over a moor with no path, but I had a compass and knew how to use it. The route was only 5 miles, and I had 2.5 hours before I really had to get back to the car to take Ben to a party.

There was only one problem, as I found out as I was doing it. It wasn't a path, it was a bog. I couldn't go a 2-3 miles an hour, I was struggling to go at one mile an hour. And it wasn't a popular route, so I was totally on my own. And I was out of mobile phone contact and dusk was beginning to fall. It was at this point I realised that I hadn't told any one about this change to my planned route, in fact I'd only told Ben which range of mountains I was going on, and at least I'd sent her a picture message from one of the summits.

About half way along I realised that I wasn't going to get Ben to this party, and I hoped she wouldn't panic and call the mountain rescue team. As it was getting dark, I began to realise that if I didn't make it to the road fairly soon I was going to need her to call the mountain rescue. Fortunately I made it back to a road just 20 minutes before it got dark. A mile along the road I got mobile phone contact back, and I could ring home.

Which was engaged as Ben was calling Mountain Rescue. SO I texted that I was fine, and she put the phone down.

In many ways it was totally amazing, there were some wonderful wildlife, including a huge heard of deer. It very felt different from being in the mountains during the day, when they are a place that belongs to people. Now they were a a place that belonged to the deer and the birds, and the strange alpine plants.

Hey Z I'm free at weekends for hiking up hills if you ever want some company.

boggy terrain can be interesting to traverse, hope the bog wasn't *too* deep

Last time I was hillwalking we found some peat bog, it hadn't rained for weeks so most of it was fairly dry and oddly bouncy. there was the odd puddley swampy section, but they were easily spotted and avoided.

mini