Here's a little background on this. in 1999, a couple months before I was married, I was living in Cedar City, Utah. Star Wars Episode 1 was coming out. I heard all the stories about people camping out for months just to get tickets to this cheese-fest. As opening day drew nearer, I decided that these people would have a story to tell their children that made the time they spent pay off in full. So the night before the tickets went on sale, I got a few of my friends and we camped out among the Cedar City geeks, watching the trilogy and playing video games all night. It was swell. In fact, up to this point in my life, I think it was the nerdiest thing I'd ever done.
Well, I'm looking to break my record.
This morning I just reserved my plane tickets and my hotel rooms. On June 11-13, I will be in Bedford England at the Red Dwarf Dimension Jump. I'd describe it, but those of you who have seen the special features on the Season IV DVD know what I'm talking about, and if you haven't... I have no words for it.
If anyone knows anything about England and what to do while there, let me know. I'll have a couple non-Red Dwarf days there before the show. I'm going to spend a day or two in Lincoln seeing a friend, so if anyone on this board is from anywhere near Bedford or Lincoln, and would like to have lunch with us, we're game. If anyone is as nerdy as I am and would like to come along, there are still rooms available as of this morning.
We had to call the hotel to get reservations this morning. My wife got on the other line just to hear the accent. I could hear her snickering the whole time he was talking. I felt bad. I may have to strap her into one of those Clockwork Orange contraptions and show her a few days of Monty Python before we go. You'd think that someone who has spent 2/3 of her life in Europe and hadn't heard an American accent until she was 19 would be a little more jaded. Well, shows what you know.
While I'm there, my goal is to use my digital camera to get video footage of each of the members of the Red Dwarf cast calling me a smeghead. Then I will post them here, and the geeks of the forum will be forced to bow down and worship me as a god. Look upon my works, ye mighty, and despair.
[ June 15, 2004, 12:57 PM: Message edited by: Speed ]
Posted by celia60 (Member # 2039) on :
wow.
it sort of amazes me that someone who would make that a goal could attract a mate.
good work, geek.
Posted by Storm Saxon (Member # 3101) on :
Oh, Dr. Who, we hardly know ye!
Anyways, have fun. Posted by dawnmaria (Member # 4142) on :
Oh! I am so jealous! I have always wanted to go! Be sure to take lots of pics to show us when you get back you lucky schmeg! Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
name that song...
Okay, I was mentioning this to my son via IM, and he started off singing the song at the end of Red Dwarf
quote:its cold out side DA DA DA DA DA DA something something ship wrecked and comatose, drinking fresh mango juice, like to fly far away from here far FAR far, la la la la la
So help us out here! Give me a link to the real lyrics before he drives me crazy!
Farmgirl
Posted by Speed (Member # 5162) on :
Here's the best I can do from memory:
It's cold outside; there's no kind of atmosphere I'm all alone, more or less Let me fly far away from here It's fun, fun, fun in the sun, sun, sun
I want to lie, shipwrecked and comatose Drinking fresh mango juice Goldfish shoals nibbling at my toes It's fun, fun, fun in the sun, sun, sun
How's that?
Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
good enough! Thanks!
Any idea if that song has a name?
Farmgirl
Posted by T_Smith (Member # 3734) on :
Yeah, it's called "National Anthem of Loserville."
Just kidding.
Anyway, I have a new respect for Speed. Speed, you rock, dude.
Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
Speed: it's easy enough to get to London from Bedford for a day trip - and London is worth seeing, I can tell you (I was born and grew up there, though I live in Oxford now). If you are there on a weekend, then I can pop down and show you around, otherwise I'll be working.
Posted by cochick (Member # 6167) on :
Also Cambridge is not too far away - and would be worth a visit cambridge tourism
There's also Whipsnade Animal Park
Have a wonderful time - oh and "smoke me a kipper - I'll be back for breakfast"
[ March 02, 2004, 04:27 PM: Message edited by: cochick ]
Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :
Every time I hear it, the Arnold Rimmer Song gets stuck in my head for like a week.
Posted by Dan_raven (Member # 3383) on :
Smeghead
Posted by Speed (Member # 5162) on :
Hey, here's an update. I registered, bought the plane tickets and reserved the hotel room at the very hotel that will be hosting the convention. And a couple weeks ago, I got a letter. Check this out:
You'll have to enlarge it if you have image resizing on, and your screen should barely contain the horizontal dimension if you're at 1024x768. But it's good. Just wanted to do a little gloating.
By the way, any ideas on what we should dress up as for the fancy dress competition? Wow, I think that's the nerdiest sentence I've ever written. Posted by Alexa (Member # 6285) on :
No clothes, jut body paint of the galaxy. All black with a few Red dwarfs and stars. Judging from what I have seen on the DVD, that would no be considered inappropriate.
Here’s the deal Speed. IF you can get the cast to each call you a smeghead on your dilly thing, then I can pray to the unknown Geek God in YOUR name.
But if you want to become the known Geek God and get my direct worship, then you need to introduce at least one of the cast members to hatrack and get them to identify themselves and call you a smeghead here. Deal?
I trust the honor system.
Posted by Alexa (Member # 6285) on :
I may even be willing to throw in a PS2game.
Posted by odouls268 (Member # 2145) on :
what the hell is red dwarf?
Posted by Daniel Ward (Member # 6448) on :
My house is about ten miles from Bedford, but I'm currently living in Durham. Cambridge is definitely worth a visit, even though the university there rejected me
Also, Hitchin has the most amazing bookshop I've ever seen Posted by amira tharani (Member # 182) on :
WoooHooo, another Brit! How are you enjoying Durham?
Speed, make sure you e-mail when you're here and come up to Oxford. It's far nicer than Cambridge!
Posted by Daniel Ward (Member # 6448) on :
Durham rocks a very great deal ! The debating, the late-night pool, Klute ! I'm reading maths btw, how about you ?
Posted by Speed (Member # 5162) on :
I'll definately email when I get there. And I'd love to go to Oxford when I get there. I'm not sure I'd be able to fit it in, though. Right now it looks as though we're going to get to England the evening of Monday, June 7th. From there we're going to rent a car and probably stay the night in Sherwood or something. The next day we're going to Lincoln to see some friends for two days. On the 10th we've got hotel reservations in Bedford, but we're going to have to drop off the rental car that evening and be on foot. The convention starts on the 11th and lasts until the 13th, then the morning of the 14th we fly out. I'd love to meet a British Jatraquero, though. Perhaps we can tweak the schedule somehow. Allow me to think upon it. Too bad you can't come to Red Dwarf. Posted by Speed (Member # 5162) on :
Alexa:
That's a good idea for the nudity and the bodypaint. But I would like to post some picutres, and I don't want to be responsible for the medical consequences of someone seeing my naked body. Even so, I suggest you retract your offer for the PS2 game. You know how that usually turns out. For something like that, I may have to ask for DDR, peripherals included. Posted by Alexa (Member # 6285) on :
Speed,
Think you can get one or more of the cast to post on hatrack? Posted by Speed (Member # 5162) on :
Okay, I changed my plans a little. I'm getting to Bedford on Thursday the 10th sometime in the afternoon. But since the convention doesn't start until Friday the 11th, I decided to keep the rental car an extra day. I don't know what there is to do around Bedford. If anyone is close enough to come up, I'll be free to hang out Friday morning. I may even be able to meet someone if it's not too far away. Although it sounds utterly groovy, I don't know if I'd be able to get all the way to Oxford and back, for example, before I had to return the car. Anyway, I'm looking through the website that was helpfully posted earlier in the thread. If anyone has any personal recommendations for a good way to spend a morning in Bedford, please let me know. Thanks. Posted by Speed (Member # 5162) on :
Okay, here's another update, of the scary variety. My wife was trying to get us a trip to southern Albania while we were there, so we could go lay by the beach. But we'd have to take a taxi, and the roads are really bad, so it would have cost us $300-400 just for the trip, not counting hotels and all the other stuff. So she was looking for an alternative. She called her cousin, who is a travel agent, and then called me this morning with an offer I can't refuse.
We're going to Turkey. For a week. South Turkey, right on the beach, so not that close to Iraq, but still...
It's not that much more than south Albania, and I'll probably never get to go there again. I checked the government travel website ( http://travel.state.gov ), and there aren't any warnings going on right now. The fact sheet from the government talks about all the Al-Queda cells and suicide bombings, but the Turkish embassy says that it's really safe and fun.
Anyway, anyone know anything about what's going on down there? Any tips? Should I back out? If I go and make it back alive, I'll post lots of pictures.
Wish me luck.
Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
I have relatives that were stationed in one of our military bases in Turkey. They LOVE it there -- say it is great. And don't report any problems there (like other parts of the mid-east).
They talk about it so much it makes ME want to go to Turkey to see what it is like..
FG
Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
Speed --
From this Map where are you going to be? Toward the western edge of the south coastline, or toward the eastern edge?
FG
Posted by Dan_raven (Member # 3383) on :
For our adoption we are going to Astrakhan, only about 1000 to 1250 miles east by north east from Turkey. With a good translator, no problems there with terror.
Posted by Speed (Member # 5162) on :
I believe we'd be staying in the city of Antalya, on a hotel just across the street from the beach. The hotels are dirt cheap, and they just lowered the price of visas from $100 to $20 at the airport, so I think their tourism industry must be suffering. But it sounds like it's more from the perception of terrorism than real danger. Tell me what you think of that location, and thanks for the advice, both of you.
[edit: I guess the town I'm going to is Alanya, which looks to be about 70 miles east of Antalya, but still right along the coast in the same bay.]
[ May 21, 2004, 05:31 PM: Message edited by: Speed ]
Posted by Teshi (Member # 5024) on :
I seem to be dripping with jealously a lot lately.
Have fun at the gee- er, cool convention.
Posted by Speed (Member # 5162) on :
Hey y'all. I just rolled in from England late last night. Counting the bus to the airport, two planes and all the layovers, it took me about 23 hours to get from Bedford to home. So I'd have said hello last night, but I was a little tired.
Other than the actual traveling, which was hell on earth every step of the way, the vacation was great. I loved Albania. I loved Turkey. I loved Lincoln. And perhaps someday, if anyone's interested, I'll give a little travel logue. For now, though, I injured a finger and typing is a little slow and painful (but faster still than it was on this). I did, however, want to give you party-skipping suckers a little taste of what you missed out on. First off there's these:
*Just some background: during the Q&A someone asked Danny (Cat) to sing "Tongue Tied" and he said that he didn't remember the words because he didn't have a CD of it. So I went to my room and burned him one (under the circumstances, I feel justified with that bit of piracy). That explains his comments.
Anyway, that's all for now. I may come back and fill in some details later if anyone's interested. Meanwhile, I am now officially nerdier than the lot of you goits put together, so smeg off. Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
"So Mikey, what did you do over summer vacation?"
"Oh, not much. Flew to England for a Red Dwarf convention. Oh, and Albania."
"Really, Mikey, what have I told you about making up stories?"
"And Turkey! Turkey was great!"
Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
I LOVE the way cat says, "he's a complete and total smeghead!" in that lovely accent.
Great pics -- looks like you had a great time.
I'm sorry...but why, or why, does this remind me of the fan convention in Galaxy Quest??
FG
Posted by Jon Boy (Member # 4284) on :
That is so cool.
Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :
*jealous*
Posted by Speed (Member # 5162) on :
FG:
Yeah, it was a trip meeting Danny. I've never met an actor so completely unlike his character. Even Kryten, with all his makeup and faked Canadian accent, was totally recognizable out of character. But Cat was really mellow, dressed very casually, and had such a vastly different aura about him that I probably wouldn't even have recognized him if he sat next to me on a bus. Wicked cool guy, though.
[ June 16, 2004, 10:33 AM: Message edited by: Speed ]
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
Why is that show not on anymore???
That sounds fun, Speed!
Posted by pooka (Member # 5003) on :
Turkey is awesome, though those candies with roses on them really do taste like roses. Hope you didn't make that mistake.
Posted by Alexa (Member # 6285) on :
Welcome back! Can't wait to hear more about the trip. Glad you are safe.
Posted by Speed (Member # 5162) on :
Thanks, Alexa. I was going to call you last night, but I'm still on England time, and by the time you were off work I was asleep until about 2 in the morning.
Anyway, I have one other record with which to challenge the Jatraqueros. It is now doubtless that I'm the nerdiest person here. But I want to see if anyone else, in all of there travels, has been able to beat my other record, found:
That's right. I came home from my travels with five forms of currency. On the top row we have the Queen's own pound and the mighty dollar. Below that is the Turkish Lira and the Lek. And up the side is the new and controversial Euro. I suppose I could have thrown a travellers check in there, but I wanted to keep this all kosher.
So has anyone here ever gone on a trip and come home with more than five currencies? If so, I will bow before you. If not, I am, once again, master of my domain and king of all that I survey.
[ June 16, 2004, 11:07 AM: Message edited by: Speed ]
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
I came back from a 1991 trip with a pound, a lire, a franc, a mark, a shekel, and a dinar. So do I win?
Posted by Speed (Member # 5162) on :
Nice. Of course, I guess it was easier in the day before the EU. Still, though, an impressive feat and deserving of the promised .
Well done.
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
"So has anyone here ever gone on a trip and come home with more than five currencies?"
Speed, do not let Tom burst the bubble of your nerdaciousness. I bet HIS currency was not arranged in rainbow order!
[ June 16, 2004, 07:40 PM: Message edited by: Elizabeth ]
Posted by Alexa (Member # 6285) on :
Speed!
I am still waiting for you to post all your pictures. How is it going? I assume you are busy with catching up on work hours.
Posted by Bob_Scopatz (Member # 1227) on :
Hey Speed!
I'm still jealous.
Posted by Speed (Member # 5162) on :
You are correct. Just got done with another 13-hour shift last night. Anyway, my pictures are online, but I'm having trouble putting them in a format that will be possible to go through. Does anyone know how to format an index page that will list all the pictures I've posted? A page with thumbnails would be even better, but an index page would be good, just so I don't have to post each individual link here. I'm afraid I'm a bit of a dumbarse when it comes to web page design.
Anyway, I'll have it up before too much longer, I'm sure. I get Wednesday off, so I'll do some research then.
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