Last Night at the Lair
19/09/2006 11:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
izmeinaYessss. Izzie had plans to slink in the garden sniffing the orange blossoms and gazing at the stars. Oh and we must check what way the water turns when going down the sink. But it's been cloudy every evening since Sunday so no stars to be seen at all.
Finally put an end to the procrastination and packed the serpent case. Keeping the fingers crossed that it will come in at 20kg or less. Tried googling to find out the exact excess baggage rates for Malaysia Airlines but they are rather secretive. Must be a nice little earner for them.
The ma and pa will drop us off at the airport but we came up with the inspired idea of going to their place first and checking out our bags on the bathroom scales. Such abominable instruments of torture are not to be found in the Lair at all. Izzie also has an allergy to mirrors too.
Still cannot believe that we are finally going. Been 13 years since last setting foot in D'land and as for Amsterdam - that was way back in our flobberworm days on a school trip. 1981 we thinks.
For the last week or so, been wondering which tasty morsels to bring with us. Had a craving for Douglas Hofstadter's "Metamagical Themas" - one of our favorite books of all time. Got all nostalgic thinking about tesselations and transformations, the Person Paper on language purity, wickedly wonderful alphabets as well as the utterly evil adventures of Billy and his mother. Truly one of the wierdest stories ever written. But the bugger came in at 700g or so and had to be left off the list. But something almost as interesting popped up last week. Strange how the subconscious mind works. Ages ago had our eye out for "Against the Gods" but was not prepared to pay full price for it. Did see it at one of the annual Save the Children Fund charity booksales. But it was 12 silver sickles. Still too much for the Izzie - after all the alternative of getting it from the library for free is always there.
So, was pottering past the Good Samaritan charity shop when we spotted this very book in the window. Went for a peek. Now $$8 was a more acceptable price tag. And what could be more perfect than reading a book about the history of insurance when lounging about on a plane or planning to visit the Amsterdam Maritime Museum with all that stuff about one of the first and most infamous of corporations and the role of insurance in the viability of offshore adventures.
Turned out that they'd just put this book out only about five minutes previously. But what was so strange - we just happens to walk by and it just happens to be on a shelf visible from the window. And we were not actually looking for it but it caught our eye.
Also remembered the book we had packed for the Izzie sister "God's Call Girl" - an autobiography of a Dutch woman now living in Australia who left the nuns to become a prostitute.
Also needed something for reading in D'land. Preferably in the local language so as not to look too much like a tourist. So we tossed in a work from the wicked Elfriede Jelinek. Never did get to finish it so this should be the perfect opportunity.
So, along with our green spiral notebook and an assortment of fountain pens and His Royal Rattiness, we are set for our grand adventure. Is a pity though that Pipsqueak will be staying at home. The benefits of having our own stash of music and Radio National podcasts to while away those long hours on trains and planes is far outweighed by the risk of getting it lost or snatched - especially as we also use it as a storage device. Too much stuff there we would not want filthy mudblood fingers snooping and sneaking about - especially our collection of Leunigs and Lying Rodents.
So, next time the Iz will be online - will be in the port of Amsterdam with Windoze. Was going to visit chatland tonight but is just waaaay too snoozie.
Finally put an end to the procrastination and packed the serpent case. Keeping the fingers crossed that it will come in at 20kg or less. Tried googling to find out the exact excess baggage rates for Malaysia Airlines but they are rather secretive. Must be a nice little earner for them.
The ma and pa will drop us off at the airport but we came up with the inspired idea of going to their place first and checking out our bags on the bathroom scales. Such abominable instruments of torture are not to be found in the Lair at all. Izzie also has an allergy to mirrors too.
Still cannot believe that we are finally going. Been 13 years since last setting foot in D'land and as for Amsterdam - that was way back in our flobberworm days on a school trip. 1981 we thinks.
For the last week or so, been wondering which tasty morsels to bring with us. Had a craving for Douglas Hofstadter's "Metamagical Themas" - one of our favorite books of all time. Got all nostalgic thinking about tesselations and transformations, the Person Paper on language purity, wickedly wonderful alphabets as well as the utterly evil adventures of Billy and his mother. Truly one of the wierdest stories ever written. But the bugger came in at 700g or so and had to be left off the list. But something almost as interesting popped up last week. Strange how the subconscious mind works. Ages ago had our eye out for "Against the Gods" but was not prepared to pay full price for it. Did see it at one of the annual Save the Children Fund charity booksales. But it was 12 silver sickles. Still too much for the Izzie - after all the alternative of getting it from the library for free is always there.
So, was pottering past the Good Samaritan charity shop when we spotted this very book in the window. Went for a peek. Now $$8 was a more acceptable price tag. And what could be more perfect than reading a book about the history of insurance when lounging about on a plane or planning to visit the Amsterdam Maritime Museum with all that stuff about one of the first and most infamous of corporations and the role of insurance in the viability of offshore adventures.
Turned out that they'd just put this book out only about five minutes previously. But what was so strange - we just happens to walk by and it just happens to be on a shelf visible from the window. And we were not actually looking for it but it caught our eye.
Also remembered the book we had packed for the Izzie sister "God's Call Girl" - an autobiography of a Dutch woman now living in Australia who left the nuns to become a prostitute.
Also needed something for reading in D'land. Preferably in the local language so as not to look too much like a tourist. So we tossed in a work from the wicked Elfriede Jelinek. Never did get to finish it so this should be the perfect opportunity.
So, along with our green spiral notebook and an assortment of fountain pens and His Royal Rattiness, we are set for our grand adventure. Is a pity though that Pipsqueak will be staying at home. The benefits of having our own stash of music and Radio National podcasts to while away those long hours on trains and planes is far outweighed by the risk of getting it lost or snatched - especially as we also use it as a storage device. Too much stuff there we would not want filthy mudblood fingers snooping and sneaking about - especially our collection of Leunigs and Lying Rodents.
So, next time the Iz will be online - will be in the port of Amsterdam with Windoze. Was going to visit chatland tonight but is just waaaay too snoozie.
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no subject
Date: 2006-09-19 05:37 pm (UTC)Bummer
Date: 2006-09-22 10:28 am (UTC)Yessss. It sure felt like more than 20kg but checked it out at the ma's and came in at under 15 and got the same reading at the airport
Re: Bummer
Date: 2006-09-25 04:09 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-20 04:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-22 10:43 am (UTC)