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

Hellloooo - are you around? Thought I'd come by and say hiya, how's things?

Blast! You had to stop by today...

And the place is a mess too - even the journal is out of date!

I was taking a day-off today to play with the girls. The boss was out of the office, so I figured why not me too?

We went on the local excursion railroad (guide entry to follow) to the local commercial limestone cave where we had a brief tour and then took the train back home.

Lovely time! And since it was over 100F today, the cave's temperature of 52F was perfect!

Thanks for swinging by!

I was just over at your place the other day reading about Dom's latest adventures, but I had to get offline before I could leave a message.

Give everybody my best! I'll be back online Wednesday and Friday. We're all off on Thursday to celebrate our freedom from the opressive yoke of you awful British folks!

I love those sorts of days off. I'm thinking about one of those too - the summer's perfect for them. Am planning one soon on the day my friend's baby is having a birthday tea party, swings and slides beforehand and cake and sandwiches for the main event. I can't think of a better way to spend the day

Of course 4th of July. I'm never sure what the etiquette for us Brits is with joining in the festivities. My sister-in-law is American and she always makes a huge celebration of it - you would do, wouldn't you if you were living in the UK, surrounded by the likes of us

We really don't have to many nationalist holidays like your Guy Fawkes Day so we try to go full bore when we get one...

I love that scene in 'The Great Escape' when Steve McQueen makes homemade vodka for the Fourth of July. Classic stuff!

Really, for our family, the Fourth is just an excuse to get together and have a gut-busting picnic and then laze around and watch the fireworks.

The kids get excited because they get to go outside in their pajamas that night (since they fall asleep as soon as the fireworks end)...

Aw - how sweet! The Great Escape is one of my favourite films. Any scene with Steve McQueen is a bit of a highlight for me Though Charles Bronson comes a close joint second with James Garner. I'm trying to think of some especially good-looking Brits in that film, but they're all character actors in that one. Have you ever seen Escape to Victory, the football one with Sylvester Stallone?



Anna

I watch The Great Escape whenever it comes on late-night TV. Plays havoc with my getting up at 5 for work, but it's worth it.

And did you know that Charles Bronson is a native of Pennsylvania?

We were talking about that Sly Stallone film in the PR thread for the Pele entry. The general consensus was 'worst film ever'.

I couldn't agree more. Pele's the best thing in it. Doesn't he claim in it that he learnt football on the streets of Jaimaica? He couldn't be more Brazilian. I can't help watching it though - seeing at least some English people win at football is too good an opportunity to miss!

You get up at 5 for work? How come? I was woken up at 5 this morning, but it wasn't through choice

When school is in session, we've got to get to work before the kids do to plot how to ruin their days.

We keep those unholy hours during the summer break because it means we're out of work by 3:30.

*shrugs*

You get used to it after a while...

Oh I see. An ulterior motive - that makes complete sense That's why I get in early too. Just about to dash off in fact. Enjoy the fireworks

Ulterior motive? Moi?

Could it be that the biggest fringe benefit of my job is working in the same school system that my daughter attends? And the fact that I *get paid* to go to her classroom and help out with projects while taking publicity photos?

Nah, couldn't be...

Dom's 'class' is having a day at Brighton (on the coast). I'm definitely going. Another opportunity too good to miss. (I think we're planning one of those for the h2g2 office, too )

Why does the prospect of the h2g2 office spending a day at the seaside fill me with a strange sense of panic?

*visions of Ashley and Sam throwing Abi into the surf*

I'll let you know what happens. I do fear for Abi, I really do!

But that's part of her charm isn't it? That cuddly, vunerable all-around nice gal thing that she does...

Abi is totally super I agree Which reminds me, with the Researcher meetup happening very soon, you've seen pictures of all of us, but we've never seen a picture of you. And since our discussion on '80s clothes, I now have a rather unfortunate image of you!

But you said you would have 'fancied' me - what's so unfortunate about that?

Oh, you mean the other one - the ugly pre-grunge look with the pony tail and bad attitude.

I'm afraid the only photo of me online is with the lovely wife and kids from a X-mas two years ago. Being an old journo, I end up *taking* all the photos at family gatherings so actual images of me are few and far between.

I think it adds to my mystique.

So I did! I think I might have meant I would have fancied you at the time. You're definitely a mystique sort of a person!

Oh sure, *at the time*!

It's all the same with you italics women, lead us along and then break our hearts!

It adds to our mystique! Abi, Mina and I are truly the femmes fatales of h2g2. Especially Mina!

What about Ashley?

*knows better than to take that name in vain, but just couldn't help it*