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

Oh, Ivan... perspective is good, but feeling concern for yourself and your own issues isn't a bad thing.

I hope your colleague will be all right.

Hopefully you're getting enough rest too?

I kind of lost my train of thought when you mentioned icy roads. If you all could keep mentioning things like ice and snow, I'd be very grateful- we're having a HOT AS HELL snap here and will be for at least the next week or so. Some ice and snow would suit me just fine.

A Message from Ivan:

He is currently offline and cannot reply just now. Please note, Ivan is expecting visitors this weeks and will not be online until Sunday.

He doesn't want anyone wondering where he's hiding


PC... I send you some to cool you down

lil x

Thanks for letting us know, Lil. I would have worried for sure.

Also... thanks for the !!

You're welcome, it's currently freezing in the UK

So much for summer

It's 38°C at 7:30pm. And it's 27° in the house. With the a/c running non-stop. Sending some extra warmth on to the UK and to Ivan. I can do without some of it.

12° and raining heavily with force 6-7 wind here - and we're in the northern hemisphere!

It's supposed to cool down by Sunday- as low as 30°C!!

Bear in mind that in six months, most people in Chicago (not me!) will be moaning that it's Too Cold.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/07/18/earlyshow/main20080300.shtml

and for us in Brit'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/weather/forecast/10209

sunny and warm here

but why is it that vital stuff like tv from le Tour and Wimbledon always coincide with that

... and I'm back.

I've been quite well over the last few days while playing tourguide to my guests, but last night I had an alarming little episode. I was on the couch, chatting away, and quite suddenly I lost the ability to move. It wasn't that I lost control of my limbs or anything, it was just that I lacked the energy to move them. Bizarre. As it was in front of witnesses, I now know that when this happens I turn sheet-white and it's obvious that I'm not well.

The episode lasted about 10 minutes, with fluctuating severity, and I spent the rest of the evening on low power. Today I feel OK again but I'm lazing about having a rest, just to be on the safe side.

On balance, I think it's a good thing that I don't drive. What if I'd been behind the wheel...

Oh dear

Friend of mine suffered from sudden attacks of vertigo due to a viral infection in his ear. Once he was driving on the motorway at high speed with his wife sleeping in the passenger seat when he had to yell at her: "Grab the wheel, grab the wheel" since he suddenly didn't know what was up and what was down - even if his eyes were wide open

Luckily she managed to grab the wheel and steer them to safety on the shoulder while he managed to slow the car down and brake



PS: Congrats on Cadel Evans of Oz winning le Tour de France. He is the first from the southern hemisphere to accomplish this

Yes, we're rather happy for Cadel. He's a nice chap and he's been after this for so long... I might even stay up all night so I can watch the final stage. Or maybe not.

Vertigo - I'm glad I don't have that. I lost my sense of direction once while swimming and that was frightening enough until I worked out that if I stopped swimming I'd float safely to the surface.

From the few and short interviews I have seen, Cadel comes across as a very nice chap indeed

I am doing a bit of cycling myself. Once i rode my bike for 230 kilometres on one day (this year the longest tour-stage was 226.5 km) so I have some idea how hard it must be to carry through just one of the stages, let alone a whole tour

Mind you, I have never climbed a mountain like Cadel and the others had to, and they usually drive more than twice my speed, but still, it gives me a perspective and increases my joy of following the tour on tv

I haven't been on a bike for years. I can't imagine riding that distance, let alone at that speed.

You have a fairly good excuse for not starting to do it right now

It's time for first lunch here now. I'll drink to your health. May it improve rapidly

I'll drink to that!

And then I'll have a nice lie down...

our commentators on the race yesterday, said that they think the Aus' government was looking at making a public holiday if he wins the tour

>>>our commentators on the race yesterday, said that they think the Aus' government was looking at making a public holiday if he wins the tour smiley<<<

unfortunately, this turned out to not be true

he'll still be an heroand he deserves it, for his achievements in bike racing

Whoever made that comment about a possible public holiday is a certifiable idiot.

Yes, I'm tired and unwell and in a bad mood. How did you guess?