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

Hope you have a great holiday and that you really put your time off to good use - drinking, partying, and generally destroying brain cells.

It's been great having you around as an italic to beat up for the last few months. You've done a great job and you can pat yourself on the back for a job well done.

Is this your first X-mas in the new house?
If so, enjoy it. There's nothing like the first one - expect for the first one with your children (not that I'm encouraging you to spawn!).

Anyway, have a merry and a happy and we'll catch you in 11 days...

- X

Hi Jimi,

Thanks for your kind and merry words, and here's wishing you an unrestrainedly superlative New Year!

Had a superb Christmas with Mine and Karen's parents (in turn), and there was much overeating and overdrinking (if there is such a thing) and much jollity was had all round. It's actually the second Christmas we've had in the new house, but the first with furniture in it, which makes quite a difference!

I had a bit of an epiphany (as you'll see from my Floor42 posting) and am consequently very excited about the coming months making music, which is what I *should* be doing.

I heard you had a chat with Peta over the phone - she said she was suprised you were so mild-mannered and meek, which made me laugh a lot!

It still looks like I'll be working a day a week or so (from home), so I'll still be about to chat, and will of course be around the Floor, and AIM if I can be arsed to download it again for the sparkly new computer. I've been showing Anna the ropes (and chains and electrodes, etc.) but she certainly won't have any trouble with the system or the Volunteers, I'm sure.

Hope you had a groovy one - give my best to the wife and kids, and watch the puzzlement spread around their faces...

Meek and mild-mannered?

I *was* at the office and couldn't shout to the heavens that I was by-god talking to Peta.

Yeah, I read all about it. Some good stuff or some good *stuff* , either way, exciting times.

Checked out the new web-thingie and tested your new email link.

I was a good boy this year apparently and got a new set of golf clubs. So in 2002 I can almost guarantee that I'll finish the History of Golf in Hershey project for the university. Well, maybe.

Oo - clubs! Nice one. When I'm over in that part of the world (possibly this year, as my best mates are moving to Vancouver and Toronto, and I might as well take in the whole continent) I'll drop by for a game?

Yes, certainly nice *stuff*, but the reassuring thing is that it's still all true after the fact. Still wonderfully, obviously true. Not that I haven't thought the same thing, and aren't also a little scared, naturally. Still, scared is good. Better than bored...

Bored?
Can't say I'm familiar with that concept...

If you *do* make it across that ocean, I'd even let you use my new clubs and I'll use my old ones (and I do mean old - they were my father's in college). Of course, I'll need to borrow the 5-iron every once in a while. (Drinking, trees and golf clubs don't always go together - especially when you forget to take into account your follow-through and the trunk of a nice big pine.)

Anyway, there's lots of fine courses in the area aside from the ones I'm not writing about...

There's this really nice 9-hole course that is across the street from the chocolate factory that you might enjoy.
Or perhaps the 18-hole course next to Three Mile Island that is also in the flight path of the local international airport? It's always interesting to watch a high lofting shot get caught in radioactive jetwash.

LOL - I'll bring my Nike HAZMAT suit - "For the bioradioactive-waste-aware man about town and country."

Weirdly, the only club I've ever broken was a five iron, but it wasn't beer - no I wouldn't be that irresponsible. It was wine. But we were in France, where it's de rigeur.

My lovely bride is convinced that there's some weird psychic (psycho?) bond between us.

We break the same golf clubs, go to the same movies on the same day, ...

Ah - is it you that's been borrowing my CDs then?

Not that you know...

*hides the stack of weird acoustic-techno-jazz-fusion CDs under some papers*

Mnaha! There are my papers!

*prepares to shuffle them officiously*

Not too much more time for that officious nonsense!

Oh boy, I can hardly sit still!

Spending the weekend painting and resetting the furniture in my studio/office, and trying to work out the environment that will give me the most efficiency and happiness while working. As I've never 'worked' before, it's quite a challenge. I guess it'll be experimentation city for a few weeks until I get into some kind of pattern.

I get special dispensation from Karen to trail some *temporary* microphone cables into the bedroom for recording instruments and voices because that's the room with the most acoustic damping in it (clothes, bed, wall-hangings, carpets, etc.). I think she fears the equipment will 'turn bad' and devour us in the night...

Last day is Monday.

Perhaps she's afraid what *else* you might want to do with microphones in the bedroom?

You know, like recording yourself snoring or something...

Well, I mean, what else is there?

Actually I probably talk much more sense when I'm asleep - you know the kind of thing: "Ssssnnneeeruffnglumpyness all around... I can't tell it from an iceberg.... Margot Fontaine is never around the cages anymore... haddock! HADDOCK!!! DON'T YOU SEE?!"

Hmmm - that gives me an idea for a song, actually.

I'm going to say it here so it's copyrighted:

'Just what we need - F-ing Gene Shalat (the movie critic) walking around at 3 in the morning asking for lemonade.'

Apparently in college, my only episode of sleep walking ended with that statement before I went back to bed. I walked out of my dorm room for 30-45 minutes wearing only my shorts and there was 4-inches of snow on the ground.

We've never been able to figure out where I went or able to explain the pile of bodies in the study lounge...

*rolls around on the floor laughing*

For the most part, that is a true story.