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

Hi again,

I think we just crossed in the mail.

That sounds so bleak, it must be a whole lot tougher to actually live with it. Is there a slight chance that things will turn around before you have to pull the plug? It's times like these that I feel pretty-well useless, can't do or say anything which is of any help. I know it sounds so bloody corny, especially in a context like this, but I have an unshakeable faith in the silver lining theory, or what I've taken to calling The Force, after Star Wars. It is irrational, illogical etc, but I believe it. So Moondancer, YOU FEEL THE FORCE.

Walter.

Sorry I didn't mean to get so BLAAAA.
Yes I believe we will survive, most times in life, you need to look at the journey, and this has been a journey, for sure. Don't feel bad for me.
As I said when we can best get out of this we will take to the road, If we still have a house we will rent it, if we don't there will be little to bring us back. We will probably call to visit one day on our way through

Hi Moondancer,

You were not BLAAH and I don't feel bad, just helpless, as everyone does when they would really like to do something constructive but can't. Anytime you are anywhere in this State, you be sure to call me and the beloved, and Bran the Explorer and his dearest too (me and the beloved and Bran go to the same uni, study history together, drink together etc, although you can only go so far with etceteras of course). In fact we have been promising ourselves a long weekend in Melbourne, although the promises seem to keep being put off. My daughter lives there, she and her man have just moved into their new (old) house.

You didn't reply to my bit about your article - perhaps you missed it, about four postings back just before we crossed in the email. Are you managing a little smile, and CAN YOU FEEL THE FORCE?

Walter.

I read your last message first, I'm still getting messed up by the change of page.
I studied history of western ideas last year as a VCE (year 12) subject as a adult student, and had a great time doing it. We started at the crusades and worked our way through the renaissance artists to the philosophers of the 18th century. I wrote it as a practice cat for the final exam. I liked the astronomers better than I liked the philosophers. As a group, we likened ourselves as modern day philosophers, sitting in the outdoor cafe's drinking latte and Chardonnay and discussing the issues of the world. The philosopher I focused was John Locke, who I had forgotten about until I re read my paper, that's how much I thought of him. But my astronomer was Johann Kepler. Him I was impressed with and I will submit my paper on him because there is nothing in here in him and he is a man who should be remembered.
Thank you I'm glad you liked it I was thinking it might have been too long and a bit over the top, but i suppose anyone who is not interested will stop after the first paragraph.
I wrote Running for a Japanese man I met on yahoo, he told me he did a 60k run one day, gives me the feeling he is running away from something, I didn't tell him that, he wrote a very good answering poem I should put it with it, they fit together well.


This is getting a bit heavy

Hey Moondancer,

Kepler and his laws of motion may be complex but they ain't heavy, and neither is this chatline. Galileo is one of my all-time favourites, in fact I am thinking of kick-starting a forum on 'which six people would you invite to dinner' and I think Galileo would be one of them, or da Vinci, it is really hard if you only have six spaces at the table. Maybe I'll make it eight.

What a great thing to do, and courageous I think, to take up VCE as an adult. You have probably realised that I am just dotty about history, always have been right from when I first went to school. But it wasn't until I enrolled at uni a few years ago as a mature age student that I had the opportunity to really soak in it. It was frightening to start with, though. I came out of my first tutorial, which was Classics, and said to the beloved 'I am out of here, I will never be able to cope with this.' She kept my backbone from turning to complete yellow, and there has since been no turning back. Going to uni was right up there with the best things I ever did. Maybe you will try it sometime.

Take care,

Walter.

PS It's funny, when I logged your post there were dozens of smileys and fishes, but now they have all disappeared. No wait, there is just a trace of yellow, more or less a dash. When I move the cursor over the 'reply' tag, some of the smileys return, but not the fishes.

Where I study and the girls I study with (aging from 20 to 80) and the fantastic teacher I have make it so much fun. I studied Ancient Greece a few years earlier with the same teacher, we studied Virgil and a number of their plays. What a goary bunch they were, ventured down into the underworld, it was fantastic. The year between we went to Greece as a school group. We visited Crete, Santareni and took a bus around the mainland of Greece, we had a very well informed tour guides all the way, visiting at least 2 museums or ruins a day and as made our own student cards and got in half price.
It was the most amazing trip. I took my mother (6 weeks overseas with my mum we didn't kill each other and we still talk ) it was amazing. If you were closer I would introduce you to my class, you would enjoy it and fit in really well.

Yes 8 at a table for dinner would be great, but you need to be careful some people didn't get along with others of their own time. Don't say I said it but some probably stole others ideas, who said that. .

I could not go with them this year but the group was going to Florence and Rome this year. I'm not worried there will be more trips.

I think you puter must have run out of yellow

Good morning Moondancer,

Hey, I tried out that eight guests to dinner bit and it has brought a heap of wrath down on me. I haven't checked the overnight stuff yet but if it follows the same general tenor I think I will have to find another way to have some fun.

You went to Crete - now get the Minoan bit. It's my dream to visit Florence. The geat Uffizi museim has two things I want to see. A helmet worn by John de Vere, thirteenth earl of Oxford who is one of the centrepieces of my last five years history study. And a bible, about nine hundred years old, that was painstakingly made by some monks in a little village in England near to where I was born, and which was intended as a gift for the pope. The monk whose job it was to deliver this gift travelled by donkey, although much of the time he walked and the donkey carried the bible, which weighs some thirty kilos. The labour proved to much for the monk, and he died just short of Florence. The city apparently had no sense of the occasion, because the bible never made it to Rome and has been in Florence from that day. Plus everyone tells me Florence is just beautiful.

Walter

Hi Walter,
I seem to have just missed you this morning.

On the same trip we spent the last three weeks wandering about England and Ireland. While in Dublin I saw two pages of the Book of Kells, just looking at it through the glass made me shiver, I was profoundly moved. We had also looked at some of the work at the Meteors in Greece, we were really in to Christian art.
The art piece I studied in Florence last year was the "Baptistery Doors". Shame on me I have forgotten the artists name. I would love to go to Florence to see the doors.


May be we could go there
Moondancer

Hi Moondancer,

I wish. Having to concentrate on work today and it is a real bugger what with the Olympics on, and people getting into my ear about Florence and the Book of Kells.

Have you thought about entering your 'eight for dinner' list and whacking it on the forum? Eight is obviously never going to be enough, but the line must be drawn somewhere. So, how has your day been so far?

Walter.

Hi walter

It has taken me hours to do it between working also, but I have just put it in



go check

Moondancer

Hi Moondancer,

A lovely selection. I've done a reply. You mentioning Adams and Jefferson reminds me that the great Benjamin Franklin just missed out on getting a place at my table, by a whisker. And Augustine, now there is a name that I reckon won't figure on too many lists and yet he was BIG. I liked the way that you explained the reasons for your choices, which I think makes for a much more entertaining and informative read than just banging in a list of names. I have learned quite a bit already from the lists so far because I hadn't heard of some of the names so looked them up.

Walter.

Hi Moondancer,

I guess you must have been quite busy today. I saw that great picture of you, and the poem that you wrote of the picture maker. Wow!! And you have started a chat line on favourite words, which as I write no-one has replied to, so must pop over there and kick it along.

Walter

Hi Walter,

How are you, I have spent all day trying to work out how to do this front page. I have got my Picture on but I can't seem to get any words on. I think I will go and have dinner and watch the Olympics instead.
Do you want to come over for the soccer I have a spare ticket

Moondancer.

Hi Moondancer,

Just got back in the office and flicked up h2g2 and thought, funny, there's been very little traffic today. And then, right on cue, up bobbed your message.

I'd love top be at the soccer, but it wouldn't want to be on tomorrow, I am up to the maker's nameplate in work. Wish I could have some real dinner and/or go and watch the Olympics, I haven't even caught up with what we did yesterday. Truly. Except the front page tells me that Susie didn't win and an archer did. Stop by and chat some more if you don't go home, I will be here for hours.

Walter

PS I can't draw, or do anything artistic or creative at all, so I can't offer a trade, but what would it take to get your poem pen working on me?

just your charming self.

the ticket is for sat night 1/4 final
got to go to dinner now be back soon

Moondancer

Hi again,

Charming?!! I don't think that description would spring readily from any of the people I spent most of today with. Did you make dinner or was someone doing it for you?

Walter

I waited, a long time, but you never showed. It is eerie in this building; the lifts keep going up and down, stopping at each floor but no-one is either in the lifts or the floors, except for me, and I'm not pushing the lift button. The wind is making the windows creak. I am about four hours away from completing my submission and we are on again at 8.30 tomorrow morning. I hope you enjoyed dinner and putting your feet up to watch the Olympics, or something similarly relaxing. A friend rang me tonight to tell me that she has just thrown away her walking frame and taken to using crutches. She thinks that is the bestest thing that has happened to her in weeks - that she can shuffle/hobble a few yards on crutches. And I'm complaining about a tough day? Get a sense of perspective, Walter.

Hi Walter (shamefaced),

Sorry I didn't get back earlier, Yes thank you I had a very nice Dinner, the generous half cooked it for me, while I was still chatting to you. We had someone look at the business yesterday and we had to get them some figures tonight and it took longer than I expected. And I have been wrestling with my front page I have some writing on it now as well as the painting. I just have not worked out how to position it. I am very proud of my self for having got as far as I have. Now i want to work on movement and colour.

I wish you well for your 'morrow's work, and all the success with your submission.

Good night
\
Moondancer

I spent most of yesterday and most of this morning obfuscating. Those who know me through work reckon I could obfuscate for Australia but I just do it for the money. Do you have Alice in Wonderland/Through the Looking Glass? There is the most wonderful passage in there about words, and their meanings and so forth. Lewis Carroll supposedly wrote it is as nonsense to amuse children, but it really makes sense only to some grown ups.

I wrote a poem for you (see how energetic I become after a day in the lists), but am not sure about it or its reception - how's you frame of mind today?

Walter.