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

Yes, I did finally get some sleep but it was from noon to 5:00 pm.
I hope that doesn't mean I won't get any sleep tonight. *sigh* I have lots to keep me busy. Labs used to put me to sleep also. Why else are you sleepy? Are you stayng up too late? Ah, youth! Did you know that Mark Twain was called "youth" by his wife. It was her pet name for him.

st broe, did you know that St. Louis was the world's largest exporter of used brick? Also the move "Escape From New York" was filmed in St Louis and East St. Louis?

Such trivia. I wish I were paid for knowing odd facts. Instead I get paid to lecture (which I love) and grade exams (which I hate). I should be grading exams now: only 20 to do so won't take more than 8 hours or so. But oh my poor Mole eyes.

Have a good week both of you. Did either of you get the huge thunderstorms last night? Lots of fun. I love thunder and lightening storms.

G'night, MJM ACE

no, they missed us... we got a short period of really heavy rain (like 5 minutes or less), enough to wash out the river roads and it was clear (and chilly) the rest of the day and overnight. it's beautiful out today tho.

used brick, huh? i didn't know that, or about the movie. but i did know that 'white palace' was filmed here, and on h2g2 i learned that st. louis is the leading u.s. city for stopsigns per square mile (and i believe it!)

cristiana, i'm sorry i didn't get the chance to add you to the central u.s group last week, monday turned out to be much busier than i expected. i'll get it up there today

I have no doubt about the stop signs. Last I remember, which was a number of years ago, I did notice a lot of stop signs. I also noted that St. Louis drivers have the worst manners in the world! Guys in the pick-up in front of me spat (ugh) on my window then had the nerve to ask for a cigarette at the next stop sign.

You are one busy person st. broelan (go cardinals) Cristiana, you can learn a lot from her. Say, do they still light up the Edes Bridge during the summer? Beautiful site.

to all

MJM ACE

Hello to you both. I apologize for not responding promptly to posts in the recent past; lots of tests, presentations, and finals coming up soon....Ughhhh. In very late response to your question, Micheal, yes, we did get some storms here; we actually had a tornado warning. I was out getting dinner with some friends when the sirens went off, didn't hear them in the restaurant, and so proceeded to walk home--in the midst of the warning--in the pouring rain. Then we couldn't figure out where everyone from our floor had gone...turns out they were all in the basement. Things were pretty muddy here for a few days. Have you been sleeping better at all? Were you able to get all your exams graded?

No problem about the midwest thing, Broelan. Thanks for putting me up there! Did you enjoy your days off?

I'm really excited. Today is my roommate's birthday and I'm throwing her a surprise party. I'm not generally very good at putting things like this together, since I'm a bad liar (I giggle and blush) and have had to make things up to get her out of the room so I can decorate, but so far everything seems to be going perfectly. I hope that you both have a wonderful day and a nice relaxing weekend. Take care!

Hello to you both. I apologize for not responding promptly to posts in the recent past; lots of tests, presentations, and finals coming up soon....Ughhhh. In very late response to your question, Micheal, yes, we did get some storms here; we actually had a tornado warning. I was out getting dinner with some friends when the sirens went off, didn't hear them in the restaurant, and so proceeded to walk home--in the midst of the warning--in the pouring rain. Then we couldn't figure out where everyone from our floor had gone...turns out they were all in the basement. Things were pretty muddy here for a few days. Have you been sleeping better at all? Were you able to get all your exams graded?

No problem about the midwest thing, Broelan. Thanks for putting me up there! Did you enjoy your days off?

I'm really excited. Today is my roommate's birthday and I'm throwing her a surprise party. I'm not generally very good at putting things like this together, since I'm a bad liar (I giggle and blush) and have had to make things up to get her out of the room so I can decorate, but so far everything seems to be going perfectly. I hope that you both have a wonderful day and a nice relaxing weekend. Take care!

Hmmm, sorry about the multiple postings. Can't figure out why it does that...

i don't know about st. louis drivers... have you ever ridden in a cab in chicago? and of course we do have to put up with illinois drivers, which cause much of our frustration, but they do seem to have gotten better over the years.

i the interest of not monopolizing your personal space, cristiana, i started a new conversation on micheal's space about st. louis. you're welcome to join if you like; you can find it here: F45746?thread=180416 . i just didn't want you to feel we were cutting you out of the conversation on your own page

looking back at your space again (i was going to ask you what you were studying) i noticed you're studying linguistics. sometime you might like to visit my friend king cthulhu U145910 who is studying linguistics as well. i think his focus is finnish, but he may be taking latin now. he's in melbourne. have you always been in iowa, or did you just choose to take your education there?

and did you know that james t. kirk is from iowa? i don't know if william shatner is tho

micheal, while i was surfing the site for other stuff this morning, i came across this, A293942 , i didn't know if it would be of any help to you or if you were even still having a problem. but i was thinking of you.

how did you both find h2g2? did you know that today is h2g2's third birthday?

no problem, i certainly understand about being busy! and i guess we simulposted... it took me so long to finish my post that you posted in the middle

my days off weren't really off i worked both days at my other job and was back at my full-time yesterday for overtime. i think my next day off is next thursday or friday. but i wanted to get some overtime in this month so it comes out on a check before we go on vacation next month

Thanks, Broelan, for recomending the linguistics page...I love languages and anything having to do with them. If it was possible, I'd spend all my time learning them to the exclusion of nearly everything else. (That's probably not such a good thing...)

In answer to your question, I've lived most of my life in Iowa, so choosing to do my education here was a pretty easy decision. I knew I didn't want to go to school in my "hometown," but at the same time realized I didn't want to be too far away from my family either; thus, picking an in-state school made the most sense to me. That and the school I attend has pretty good programs in the areas I'm interested in (lots of class options). How long have you been in the St. Louis area? I used to have relatives that lived there---it's a great city.

I also didn't know that Capt. Kirk was from Iowa---that's pretty cool. I'm more of a Next Generation fan, but still...

I actually initially heard of H2G2 from a friend. She started a page on here about a year ago (I don't know how much she does with it these days, unfortunately), and it looked like a fun site. Then this year my roommate put together her own website and right after deciding that it might be fun to have one of my own, I remembered the guide and thought how much more fun it would be if my "page" was part of a larger discussion. And here I am. I feel bad that I don't have more time to spend putting things up here, but hopefully that'll change in the future.

Where are you going on vacation?

i had meant to reply to this yesterday and got caught up in other things.

i've been in the st. louis area all my life, 31 years. i love living here, even tho i've had many friends who couldn't wait to leave, i think there are so many great things to do, and quite a bit of history here. i can't say that i will never leave... i've fallen in love with san antonio, and i've always felt drawn to new england, but for now i'm perfectly content. my family ties are too strong to leave now anyway.

i've never been to iowa... altho i do have a shotglass from there. a friend brought it back from a visit there, because i collect them. i was a next-gen fan too, but probably only because the original series ended before i was born. every once in awhile i'll catch an old one on sci-fi, invariably it'll be one i've already seen, they never seem to run the ones i've missed. but there's another movie coming out this fall (yay)!

for our vacation we're driving to myrtle beach, south carolina for a few days. i'm really looking forward to the trip i've never been there, or anywhere else in sc, and it's been ages since we've gone on a long road trip.

Hi you two! I have spent lots of time in Iowa and I suspect, Christiana, where you are going to school. I once applied to the Creative Writers' Workshop but back then the enrollment proceedure was wierd. You would sign up for 6 courses, one being the Workshop, the other 5 a regular linp. Then you submitted a portfolio. If your portfolio was accepted, and you did not find out until you arrived, you would withdraw from the 5 other courses. Seemed silly to me. I still have the enrollment papers if you doubt me! My brother, who took his PhD from St. Louis University, told me I wrote fine and didn't need any more help. He stressed reading to broaden my exposure to what kinds of poetry was being written. I have discovered he was correct (for me at least).

I enjoy all the Star Trek series except for Deep Space Nine, and even it is not too bad; they just never went anywhere, just sat there in space. A new movie this fall? All right!

Vacation? Pass me a dictionary. I have no idea what you mean. I haven't been on a trip, road or otherwise, in much too long. I knew William Shatner was from Iowa, but I did not know Sherryl Crow almost named Leaving Las Vegas, Leaving St. Louis. Hhmm... Some of my friends hate Miss Crow, but I like her and as long as she keeps her band (has she?) I think she will go strong for a while. Too many bands fall apart when the lead singer gets a big ego and breaks away: Natalie Merchant (will anyone remember 10,000 Maniacs?) Or Edie Brikel (Mrs. Paul Simon): will anyone remember The New Bohemeians?

I have been to most parts of the country except the extreme North East part of New England, and the Deep South. Eventually I'll get to both places. I have only one deep root here and once it is broken I am free to wander, and so I shall!

Oh, Christiana, did you get a bunch of bad weather in the last few days? Lots of lightening and thunder and rain here. It is going to be an overcast Sunday. st broelan, I am sure you are familiar with the humid summers there, especially since St. Louis is onthe confluence of the Missisippi and the Missouri. God, I remember hot, humid summers before my folks could afford air conditioning (plus window units were heavy and expensive).

Nice to visit with both of you . Get ready, summer is almost here! Rats, I have to teach 13 weeks without a break, Oh well, I like the job and need the money.

Bye 'ya all!

MJM ACE

Sorry about not having been here for such a long time. School's been keeping me hopping (we have finals coming up, and in addition to that, I have martial arts belt testing this Thursday...should be wild). How have both of you been?

Yes, we did get some rather rough weather here over the weekend. Nothing too violent, just a lot of gray skies and downpouring rain. (Normally I love rain, just not when I'm supposed to be giving a tour of the campus to someone else. )

I'm sorry your experience with the Writer's Workshop wasn't so hot, Micheal. I thought about getting involved in it myself and then decided to go the foreign language route instead. That's one thing I find frustrating about college life--there's not enough time to take all the classes (or be part of all the programs) that sound interesting and fun. Sigh...

Well, homework calls. I hope things are going well for you both, and have a wonderful day!

Sorry I have been gone so long. Your page is certainly looking good. Perhaps I should give another try to rebuild my page. I was afraid I had lost you; I have so many conversations going. I give final exams this week and then begin teaching summer school 13 May. Some summer vacation huh? We have continued grey skies and damp weather with a day or two of sunshine inbetween. I have been lazy when I should be finding a job before the college crowd (you, ha ha) floods the market. I have been visiting a lote of coffee houses and used book stores. While I love cofee, I cannot drink too much as it makes me tremble and I refuse to drink decafe; thats like drinking nearbeer.

There is a sad event about to happen in my family I hope doesn't bring you down. My Mom of 80 years is dying slowly and peacefully. She has lifed a long and good (if not hard) life and is ready to join Dad in heaven. I am selfish: I will mourn more that I am going to be an orphan rather than Mom's death. I have no family of my own, no wife or children. When Mom goes we will probably fly directly over you because we will take Mom to lie next to Dad in central Illinois. So, if you see a jet fly over you in a month or so think of me. That is about how long the doctors give Mom unless she can keep solid food down. Mom >will not< go to a nursing home. She wants to die at home in the bed her grandmother was born in. While my Dad's side of the family came to the US in 1868, Mom's side came 1797 or before.

Martial arts? What belt? I used to know a thing or two but now my body, while solid and in fair shape, just cannot do what it used to. I still try to keep up on Tai Chi.

Hope I didn't make you blue. Actually, its a blessing. No more suffering for Mom and she gets to be with Dad whom she loved so very much.

Say in touch! You will do well on your finals I'm sure.

Slan leat,
MJM ACE

Hello Micheal--
My sincerest apologies on my extremely long absence. Finals week was extraordinarily taxing, and after all the tests were over, I began moving some friends and myself out of my schoolyear residence into our summer habitations. Then I found myself at home, missing my faster school internet connection, which brings me to where I am now. How have you been? (And you too, Broelan, if you're reading this..)

I'm terribly sorry to hear about your mother's decline, Micheal. I will pray that you find peace in this difficult time. You said you don't have a family of your own...does that mean no extended family like aunts, uncles, or cousins?

How have your summer classes been going? Do you have a lot of students? My summer plans are going to involve a lot of traveling, which means that my entries may be somewhat sketchy since I may or may not have regular computer access. I'll try to update at least semi-regularly throughout the summer, and will definitely be more regular in the fall.

Have a wonderful week, and take care!