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

Just thought I'd pop in and say 'hello' as I'm new to this game too and thought your nickname's cool as f**k.
Anyway, hopefully as we're both new we'll be able to give each other some pointers, eh?

All the best,

JT Rocketfellah

Hi Rocketfella [ or is that rockerfella' ya know rich guy ]. Nice of you to pop by and say hello. Dont think I can give you any pointers though, I'm the original blonde bimbo, well thats what I let the guys in work think. What do you do to keep you busy, apart from talk to bimbo's on the net? Speak soon.

Nah, it's definately Rocketfellah - not Rockerfellah, I don't buy into the skyscraper mentality.
What do I do apart from talk to 'bimbo's' on the net? Apart from the fact that I've never knowingly talked to one (ie. I'm sure you're no bimbo - you're on H2G2 arn't you?) , check out my Personal Page and you'll find out..,

very tired and rather p*shed, so speak soon,

Tata for now, take care, corsair,

JT Rocketfellah

Hi, have you sobered up yet JT? Clocked your page, your certainly a talented guy. Some things in common anyway, I share some of your favorite things, birds, walking barefoot, on sand though not grass.Lake Greely! whats that all about?. Have I ever read you, or heard your tunes? Your right I'm not really a bimbo,just my little joke. Speak soon,

Lake Greeley? I worked as a cook and then a barman a few years ago in Wallempaupack and then Greeley, Pennsylvania. I used to go out at dawn in a canoe on Lake Greeley to write letters home or fish or whatever before I started work. Eagles, mists, trout rising - bliss. One of the best times of my life.

Don't know if you'll have read anything I've done, it's mostly for magazines I've written (literary, medical, tourism etc etc, nothing very exciting - no Vanity Fair or Esquire I'm afraid) though I've had poetry, short stories and a couple of songs published - still trying to get a couple of novels published (not commercial enough I've been told so far).

Music-wise, again nothing mainstream - we're realeasing our own album in a few months but we're really trying to get a publishing deal for film or TV since we're not really 'performers'. We will have a web-site up and running soon though and stuff sold through CD Baby in the States but I doubt we'll ever be what you call famous but that's fine with me, just trying to earn a living doing what I enjoy.

What is it you do?

Hi JT, I was right you really are a talented guy. I dont read magazines very often, but I devour books on travel [non fiction]. I've just discovered a new author, a guy called Bill Bryson, he's very well travelled and relates his travel tales with such humour I cant put his books down. Lake Greely sounds amazing, just my kind of place. There are so many places in the states I want to visit, I've barely scratched the surface yet. To us english island dwellers its just so vast, where to start. The best place so far has to be the Arizona desert its awesome, I plan to explore some more next year. What do I do, nothing nearly as exciting and interesting as you. Bit of a wage slave I'm afraid, I work for an independant motor distibuter, car components, exhausts,etc. I'm a bit of a car nut, I like performance cars and my job enables me to gain entry into certain events that would otherwise be closed to me. Quite heavy responsibilities but I really enjoy work, its a means to an end, gets me the money to finance my travels. My only foray into writing has been childrens short stories, a real fantasy world. See told you my lifes not as interesting as yours. But I'm happy. Speak soon, bye for now, Corsair

Yeah Bill Bryson is quite good - he wrote a good book about the Appalachian Trail (can't remember what it was called though) and one about Ireland I've been meaning to read for some time but have never gotten round to. Have you read 'Holidays in Hell' by PJ O'Rourke? Much as I don't agree with his political stance I do think he is a very funny writer and an excellent journalist.
Where exactly are you from? At first I thought you were from the US, then the UK - now I'm not sure...are you from the UK but have travelled in the US too?
I never got to Arizona but a couple fo my friends did when I was there (I ran out of money and had to get casual (illegal) work as a cook in a bar). They said it was amazing - I just can never get my head around the size of the States. The thing that makes the USA so attractive to me is the fact that there is just so much wilderness left (practically) untouched compared to the UK - that's the trouble with staying on an island, there's only so far you can go before you reach the sea.
I've tried to write children's stories but can't get my head round it really, but if you write them you should keep it up - kids storties are a good money earner and easier to get published than adult fiction. It's not quite as interesting as it sounds though doing what I do - much of the fun is taken away from the fact that (at least when I'm working freelance) as soon as I've finished something I'm worried about where the next paycheck's going to come from (and there's sod all happening at the moment).
I've done a lot of different 'normal' jobs too though - cook, backpackers hostel manager, mac opertator, hotel porter, barman, designer, customer services operator (I really hated that one) and other stuff off and on - sometimes I've no option cos I've got the same bills to pay as everyone else. On the other hand, being a great believer in "variety is the spice...." does mean that my life's rarely boring ...but it's also rarely wealthy (I'd love to own a house but it's very difficult to get a mortgage if you work freelance) so I'm always stuck in the renting circle.
What car do you drive - for some reason I'm imagining you in an Imprezza - don't know why.

Hi JT, no I havent read PJ O'Rourke but I'll watch out for his writings. I absolutely love the US, have been there quite a few times, like you I cant take in the distance's between place's. I'm from the UK, Cheshire , do you know it, it's across the River Mersey from Liverpool.How about you.I thought you were from the states, but obviously not. I've got the mortgage thing, I so begrudged paying rent so I went for it [very suburban aren't I] At the moment I drive a Toyota MR2, not brand new, a year old, but I do love to drive. Before this one I had an RS Turbo [fiesta] bit of a speed freak I'm afraid, not dangerous, stick to the speed limits around town [mostly]. Drove Silverstone race track a year or so ago, what a terrific buzz. Dont get the wrong impression I'm not a boy racer or anything, in fact I suppose I'm quite conventional in lots of ways but we all need our vice's and mine are travel,cars and shopping in that order. Speak soon, take care,Corsair

Ah, an MR2, I've an old mate, a local radio DJ, who drives an MR2 - can't remember which model or year. She loves it like a baby though. Nice.
I'm afraid, being a poor freelancer (sob, sob) I drive a Hyundi - rather boring, (but it was cheap) no power steering even... but it gets me into the hills.
My cousin's drove Brands Hatch on a formula 3 (I think) course and still goes on about it 7 years later (he now doesn't even own a car)...but I'm only jealous - the closest I've been to a racetrack is drinking Guiness at Ingleston and go-cart racing.
Where else have you been in the US? It sounds as though you've been around the States a bit more than me.
I've never really been much out of New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania though I have been a few times. I just tended to get to know folk and stay in the same place for a while, though I have been to NYC for a few holidays on the cheap...seen a few sites there! I like travelling but I always end up in the same place for at least a month - don't know why, always mean to get out and see more of the country but it always just happens that way. It's nice though cos eventually you kind of feel almost at home there.
I'm afraid I've never been to the Liverpool area apart from a trip to Cream (which I (embarrased) can't remember at all - even the trip down. That was part of my (ahem) wilder youth. The only other time I've been close is on the train or motorway to yorkshire or London.
Away to grab a beer,

Later,

JTR

Hi-undi, so long as it gets u from a2b doesent matter what the wheels r. I'm not sure that I've been to more places in the states than u, and I've definately never been able to stay for more than a few weeks. I love the place, the people are so different, not nearly as insular as we brits. I've been to Chicago,Las Vegas, San Francisco, Florida and Miami [had to try it],New England and Hawaii but my very favorite place has to be NYC. I've been there a couple of times, its every shoppers dream come true, in case u havent guessed I'm a confirmed shopaholic. U havent said where u come from, I would guess at Scotland, am I right? Liverpool's a great city, a bit rough in parts but great for clubs. I live closer to Chester than Liverpool and dont get there nearly as often as I'd like.Wont be speaking for a week, off down to Lymington on the south coast for a well earned break. Speak when I get back, take care, Corsair

Hope you've enjoyed your week away. Glasgow was good although it rained the whole weekend and I was stuck with a hang-over in the middle of a train carriage full of very smelly Romanians (or somewhere like that) on the way back down. Very friendly - but very smelly.
I'm from Ayr, 40 miles south of Glasgow on the coast (where Robert Burns comes from - Alloway is a suburb/village in Ayr) which is thoroughly boring - full of small-town mentality. I've lived all over though, Edinburgh, Perth, Cannich, Inverness, Glasgow etc but ended back in my hometown after the job and business disasters of last year.
I used to be right into the clubbing life a few years ago (when the music was better and my body could stand the constant punishment). Used to go to 'Colours' and 'Inside Out' at the Arches in Glasgow a lot and Homelands and stuff but I guess I just kind of got bored with it, (and the money I'd get through in a weekend was ridiculous).
Do any good shopping in Lymington then? Can't say I do much shopping these days due to the money-flow problems at the moment but I do love a trip with a pocket-ful of cash every once in a while. Cd's, Vans (the sneakers) and jeans (I am 100% in love with my Levi's 'engineered') are my downfall .
Well, I'm starting recording the new album today so I've got to go and get Pro-tools and mic's set up and stuff. Got to get everything recorded and mixed in 2 - 3 weeks to be on time for the masterer so I'd better get started.

All the best - hope you had a good week away,

JTR

Well hello again. Had a great time down south[so much so that I extended my stay], did some heavy shopping [& lounging].Back to the grindstone now, got a mountain of work to catch up on, my lazy guys took full advantage of my absence [make them work twice as hard now].Nice to come back to a message. Good luck with the music[I'm sure you wont need it]. Later Corsair.