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

... especially if I have as good a time as I did this past weekend!

We flew into Columbus on Thing, and we took it easy since we didn't get much sleep the night before. Nothing like having to fly in the morning after working late that night! Room service!

Poets was a miserable day weather-wise. We were planning on going to the Homecoming parade, but it was raining much too hard. We decided to walk to the upscale shopping center across the street from our hotel. Once we exhausted browsing indoors, we decided to brave the weather and see what was outside. I spotted an Ann Taylors and a Talbots and just wanted to look, since we really can't afford to shop at places like that. Lucky day! They were both having sales, and I got some terrific work clothes for 70% off! A pre-birthday shopping spree! When we got back to our room, TJ surprised me with some Godiva macaroons (to die for!) and a mushy birthday card. That night, we went to visit some friends' friends who had made a "haunted castle" in their barn. It was very creepy, they did too good a job!

The next day was the OSU football game, and TJ surprised me with some Godiva raspberry truffles (my favorites) and a funny card. Luckily, the rain stopped early, but it was cold! I had brought thermal underwear, and had a hoody, a jersey, double-layer gloves and a winter coat. It was cold, but I was bundled up enough and it wasn't too bad. Add hot chocolate, and we were fine! We went to the "Skull Session" before the game (along with 10,000 of our closest friends), where the Ohio State University Marching Band has a concert/pep rally http://tbdbitl.osu.edu/?action=a075 and they were also rehearsing a special tribute for halftime. It seems that Jack Nicklaus is an OSU alumni, and he was being asked to dot the "i" http://tbdbitl.osu.edu/?action=a074 in "Script Ohio" http://tbdbitl.osu.edu/?action=a072 during halftime. Usually a sousaphone player does it, but Jack Nicklaus was asked as a special honor. The marching band from his old high school was also there, and it was a lot of fun! We made our way to the "Horseshoe" and got a couple of bratwurst and hot chocolates, and settled in for the game. We were in a section that seemed to have quite a few Golden Gopher fans, but TJ was a good ambassador, and welcomed those around us to OSU. It was easy to be gracious, since we won 44-0!

When we got back to our hotel, I found a box of long-stemmed red from my honey! Another surprise! We went out to dinner at a restaurant that was rated "Most romantic" and the food was wonderful! Even the salad was the best I ever had.

TJ had told me that two of his sisters were driving down to Columbus, and we were going to be having dinner with them the next day. We had some time to kill before that, so headed back to the mall across the way. It was a lovely day, and we wandered a bit outside, visiting a few stores. I was able to get a birthday gift for my sister, and a Christmas gift for my Mom at Macys (another sale, yay!). I also dragged TJ into the Apple store to show him which iPod I really, really wanted for Christmas. To add to the Godiva-ness of the weekend, we had Chocolixirs http://www.godiva.com/boutique/chocolixir.aspx by the fountain before driving to the hotel to meet his sisters.

Turns out that TJ had been planning a surprise birthday party for me! I never had a surprise party before! Most of his family was there, as well as a friend. I was totally surprised! It's a little worrying, because he fooled me so completely! Makes me wonder what else he has up his sleeve! At the party, he gave me my last birthday present ... the iPod I had just so carefully pointed out to him! Seems he bought it last week! It was so nice to know that my in-laws like me enough to do all that work for me! They cooked food, drove 2 hours and decorated the suite just to have that party. I was very touched.

We got home last night, safe and sound. It was one of the best vacations we've ever been on! I'm going to have to see if I can call OSU and arrange for a football game on my birthday every year! The massive amount of guilt generated by it makes for a lovely time!

good to know hes doing his job right

> Room service!

http://ml.42.org/nick-fun/msg00092.html

** We flew into Columbus on Thing **

even the Adams Family was involved. hope wer dressed warmly!

Room service was funny! Thanks, sunny! Sometimes I think TJ has that hard a time understanding me!

Thing travelled under Cousin Itt, so was plenty warm!

You have Thing, and you have some Poets, apparently .

Wasn't Lucille Ball in "Room service?"

Yes, apparently she was:

http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0030696/fullcredits

OMG! Someone had ACTUAL fun in Ohio.

*faints*

It was probably accidental, Avenging Washcloth. Probably if they tried to do it again, it wouldn't work for them.

Well, as long as it is understood that we have laws against that sort of stuff around here.

Keep your nose to the grindstone, we always say... from beneath our worn-off bandaged noses.

STAY IN NEW YORK WHERE THERE IS LIFE, SHEA! DON'T THROW IT ALL AWAY BY MOVING HERE!

Hey, if I got all *that* from the guilt of one football game, imagine what I can get from a move to Ohio!

The guilt should come in handy should you ever need a kidney.

We're different blood types ... don't think we can swap organs. Pity, as it's so convenient!

You two have been swapping organs for some time now, have you not?

Leonard Bernstein wrote "Wonderful Town back in the fifties (about two sisters from Ohio who moved to Noo Yawk). The biggest (okay, make that *onkly*) hit from the show was:



Why, oh, why, oh, why-oh,
Why did I ever leave Ohio?

Hopeless! Babbity! Stuffy! Provincial!

Thank heavens we're free!

Why, oh, why, oh, why-oh,
Why did I ever leave Ohio?



... Maybe we'd better go home.

Now, listen, Eileen, Ohio was stifling.
We just couldn't wait to be rid of the place.....

Yep, AW, you certainly know that song.

When Lewis and Clark were sailing down the Ohio River, they noticed thousands of squirrels fleeing from Ohio and swimming across the river to get to the other side. I've often wondered if those squirrels knew something we humans didn't know?

September 11, 1803
Journal entry by Lewis:

"We embarked at sunrise. We passed about five islands. I observed a number of black squirrels swimming the Ohio, swimming very light and at a very good speed. I assume they are moving south for the weather. Many were fat and when fried a very good food. My dog, a Newfoundland breed, enjoyed killing them and swim them back to me. Tonight we lay below the fifth island, having come 26 miles."

---



Note that the date Lewis recorded the mass squirrel exodus was on September 11th... no small coincidence. It is believed that just prior to the arrival of Lewis and Clark, the area had been invaded from Canada by thousands upon thousands of monarch butterfly terrorists, equipped with tiny explosive jackets, who were bent on the destruction of their enemy by detonating themselves in hapless tree squirrel leaf nests -- thus causing widespread panic, loss of innocent life, and the subsequent complete evacuation of the area... not to mention the mess they made.

This event marked the end of the mighty squirrel civilization of Walnutpotamia. It is a little known fact that the squirrel empire of Ohio rivaled that of ancient Egypt at its height, but it was as technologically advanced as ... ummm ... Lithuania. It is possible that the great squirrel king, Nibblesonutzzer might have survived to carry on his kingdom's legacy in lands south of the river, but unfortunately, as he attempted to escape from the carnage behind him -- he was captured by Lewis' dog, then Clark fried him in a light corn batter and ate him. Then Clark turned to Lewis and said, "Pull my finger.", with a wry twinkle in his eye.

wonders if Shea found the Columbus' egg even tho it is not Easter yet!

Well, I had an omelette, and some scrambled eggs when I was in Ohio ... does that count?