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

Juneau, huh? That sounds absolutely wonderful... really!!! Hope you had a great time. I always wanted to go to Alaska. How was it, really?

I've been quite absent from H2G2 myself. School started last week, and before that was the getting ready for school... before that was the getting ready for the tests to take to get into school... Of course too, you were gone, and that just made the whole H2G2 experience less than stellar. Glad you're back!

Anyway... hope you're all thawed out. Would love to hear about your trip. Keep in touch.


~PG~

Alaska was really great. I went there to finish the last course requirements for graduation, Geologists need to do a Summer Field mapping course. We spent just under two months on the Juneau Icefield, mostly skiing across a 150 mile transect across the glaciers from Juneau to Atlin, British Columbia. I did my research on a nunatak (mountain sticking out of the glacier) bounded on the east by the Llewellyn Glacier, just north of the Alaska/Canada border. If you keep checking www.paulillsley.com you can see pictures from our time up there, he hasn't posted them yet but the pictures he has up there from other projects of his own are great. Paul was very busy taking pictures of us during the program, and I can't wait to see them all. I know there's a great shot of me repelling(no jokes!) down a crevasse(big crack in the ice). Anyway

Well, it looks like I am going to go to Alaska sometime next summer! It means cutting Italy short, or maybe I can manage Alaska in the spring. I don't really know where in Alaska; My aunt tells me she lives on a big rock! I'm sure that's helpful to you, huh? I'll leave the mapping of icefields to you though. I wouldn't want to step on anyone's toes.


Anyway, sorry for the delay. School started a few weeks ago, and I am still trying to get my feet under me. Man it has been a long time! It's fun though, and I think I am better prepared now than I would have been when I was younger. Maybe I shouldn't have waited quite so long though.

Hey, next semester I am taking geology... did you want to tutor me? I really don't like science much, but I love rocks. I thought geology might be of some interest. Please, steer me straight if I'm heading down the wrong path!

Okay, I have homework, and some studying to do. I'm going to get out of here, and be the good little student I know I can be. Keep in touch.


~PG~

Do you know what you want to major in or are you searching for something that interests you still? I would encourage anyone to switch majors to Geology, naturally, especially if they already like rocks. It is, however, very definitely a science major; so I guess it depends on how much you dislike science. I'd be happy to help with any questions you had concerning that class.

I wanna go to Alaska too! Are you just going up for kicks?
Anyway have fun studying.

Alaska is just for kicks, yes. I have an aunt who works up there during the tourist season... like April or May through September, or something like that.

I love rocks, but as I said, I am not much on science. If I were to change my major, I think I would go in for something in the arts, so I could say, "you want fries with that?" I am majoring in paralegal studies (actually it is my pre-law intention). I don't want to switch my major to rocks, but if I have to take science, it may as well be a science I am already interested in, right? It's cool that you love geology so much; I may take you up on that offer!!!

When I go to Alaska, I'll be sure you know, and you can come too.


~PG~

Gee that would be swell. When you're up there you should try to get on top of a glacier, not to tough to do for the Mendenhal or the Herbert.

There's lots of awesome hiking around there.

I just want to see a glacier, catch a really big fish, and avoid being eaten by a bear!!! Did you get to do all that while you were there?


~PG~

Except for catching a fish and avoiding being eaten, bear got me just as I was about to get a fish at this )----------------------( big! He spit me up later though, what a magical journey it was.

By the way, I saw a book that you should probably purchase. "How to be an Evil Villain: Evil Laughs, Secret Lairs: Master Plans and More!!! by Neil Zawacki (his last name sounds like "the wacky", ooo!).

Hmm... Is my lack of villainy that obvious? Is it apparent that I've little experience in planning masterfully? Is my secret lair so easily found? Is my evil laugh so easily discerned as a sweet cachinnation? And here I thought I was a good villain. (Is that an oxy-moron?) Well, I thought I knew everything, and all this time I wasn't being a good villain at all; I was simply fooling myself. Now the question, do I buy the book and learn to be good at my career of choice, or do I search for another more suitable calling?


~PG~

Oh, by the way, www.paulillsley.com isn't working. I still want to see pictures!!!


~PG~

I think saying that one is an effective or proficient villain more accuratley conveys your sentiments.

Do you mean that you cannot access pictures on paul's website? I actually haven't tried since he hasn't posted the pictures of our trip yet.....Hmmmmm.

Well, since I am the Benevolent Tyrant of Hebetude and Vivacity, perhaps I can get away with being a "good villian" as well?

I mean I could not access Paul's website. It's working this morning, but I didn't see any pictures of an Alaska trip, so I assume you aren't anywhere to be found either.

Well, I am off to do the things I do when I am not being benevolent, or a tyrant.


~PG~

Yeah, I don't know why he hasn't put up the pictures he took from the trip yet. I think I'll email him soon and ask when he plans to.

The things we do to support our hobbies, whether they be benevolnet tyrany or making a giant bellybutton lint ball, are invariably less engaging than our hobbies themselves.
, xero

Your reference to the giant bellybutton lint ball had an air of experience to it. Your diversity continues to amaze me. Now I yearn to know more about your hobbies. Please do tell!


~PG~

Ah, you guess all to near. The giant ball of bellybutton lint has consumed all my free time for the past 4 years, ever since I stumbled onto Lint Speed Theory. Think about it...Remove all lint from the pockets of a pair of pants, wash them and place them into the drier, then (in the Dark!!!) remove them from the drier and feel inside the pockets. What do you find?...LINT! The Speed of Lint is as yet unknown, but that's what I'm working on now, also a way to harness the speed of lint. Once the lint ball reaches critical mass the reaction should takes place under normal atmospheric temperature and pressure (STP).

So that's my only hobby now. I used to play hockey (roller 'cause we ain't gots no ice 'round here), by ice I mean frozen water, not the street vernacular refering to showy jewelry, that just wouldn't make any sense when looking at the structure of the sentence as a whole; it should be obvious that in context with the topic of steet hockey the reference to ice is to the solid sate of the polar molecule H2O, besides why would the lack of showy jewelry necessitate the playing of a sport on roller blades and asphault versus ice skates and ice, it just would be silly to make such a reference...I'm sorry, did I waste your time just then? Other hobbies included soaring(in gliders: long winged engineless planes that depend on lift, rising air, to gain altitude), excessive reading (lots of SF here, including our own intrepid Douglas Adams), camping, hiking, and fishing. And pickling. , xero.

Paul has posted some of the pictures he took of our trip. They're really good. I'm in a few(guy with red hair, the green army hat and black jacket), but most easily spotted in those labled: 'Exploring the underside of a glacier during one of the training hikes near Juneau'(pic2) and 'Emergency medical training being conducted at Camp 18'(pic52). In others I'm hiding.

I am sooooo glad you explained the ice thing because I wondered why a lack of showy jewelry necessitated the playing of a sport on roller blades and asphalt. You can not imagine the relief I feel, having finally had an explanation of the whole ice situation. It has had me quite stressed for some time. No, you did not waste my time.

Speaking of ice (the solid state of H2O that is) I had a gander at the pictures on Paul's site. AMAZING!!!!! I remembered why blue used to be my favorite color, when I saw "Deep crystal clear water filled crevasse on the floor of the Gilkey Glacier" (picture #61). It amazes me how a land so full of white, can express so many colors in the clouds (sunsets and northern lights). What an amazing experience! What do you do to top that?



~PG~

I was thinking that you were puzzled by the whole ice thing, glad it I could help.

The blue colors amazed me too. That's 'blue ice', a polycrystalline mono-mineralic rock, with a hardness of 4 at 0 degrees C (which you've been dying to know I'm sure).

The things you tell me. I'll bet you say that to all the girls

So, now that you're out of school, what are your plans? You don't look like the mad scientist type, so I guess taking over and becoming Master of the Universe is out of the question. Hmmmm or is it? Perhaps the sweet innocent look is part of the plot? Oh, you are good!!!


~PG~