Wit, wisdom and whacky humor, announcements, pronouncements
and denouncements...all these and more are rampant in that lively section
of the HPHandheld Forum called the Fireside.
I came to lurk and stayed to play. Over time I noticed
the variety of adventures that were being documented by the Palmtoppers,
who were either transmitting messages to the Forum, via their LX and
AcCis, directly from exotic places around the world, or keeping little
journals and sending them when they returned. I suggested one day that
it would be fun to collect the more unusual accounts and honor them
in some form, perhaps in a poem. And so, the MUPs (Most Unusual Places)
File was born. From all over the globe have come wonderful messages,
documenting the wonders and the woes of travel: alone, with families,
friends and strangers, laments and laughs and lyrical flights of fancy,
all captured on the faithful LX's of these peripatetic Palmtoppers.
I am proud to share these gems with you, herewith:
From Daniel Legendre (CIS: 100572,3340), in Paris: "I am typing on my HP100LX...supported by a photo book, Lee Miller,
Photographs et Correspondante de Guerre...And I am "Chez Les Filles",
a recent tea-room, 64 rue du Cherche-Midi, near the corner of rue de
Albbe Gregroire, 6th. I found the book couriously by Galigani, rue de
Rivoli, the first English bookshop to be open on the Continent in the
18th Century... I am tasting a strudel..."
From Karim Kabbabe (CIS:100013,505): "Hi Guys, well
I'm right over Moscow, on a 747-400 back to Paris. Who said long trip
flights were dull? I just downloaded my mail before taking the plane
and I'm reading it now...And you know that on many planes there are
screens that show the flight plan and the currant location of the plane.
Thanks to Buddy and Worldtime I displayed on the HP the same screen
that was shown on the plane's monitors. My friend sitting next to me
was astonished : )...OK! Breakfast is coming. See you..."
From Ron Vieceli (CIS: 73310,3663) Linda, this is from
the intermission at a George Winston concert. It is in a lovingly restored
1920's movie theater, complete with balcony. Lots of moldings and gilt
and velvet tapestries..."
From Andreas Garzotto (CIS: 73064,1657), traveling in
the US, something a little risky: "Greetings from the Half Dome in Yosemite,
where I type this message on my HP200LX. Unfortunately not from the
very top of Half Dome since they removed the cables to the top two days
ago and : ( and without them it is pretty unsafe to climb up there without
the proper climbing gear...:
From Avi Meshar (CIS: 75561,633), a very painful message: "Linda, here is a MUP candidate: I am in the Emergency Room of Kaiser
Hospital in Woodland Hills, trying to forget my pain by reading/writing
messages and replies...I am passing a kidney stone..." [With constant
support from many Forum friends and with unfailing courage and humor,
Avi passed "Roxanne" in due time, to great cheers from all.]
From Tom Glen Leo (CIS: 76360,2533), a message of joy
and celebration, received with a mixture of delight and awe by all who
read it: "Tom and Susie Leo joyously announce the birth of their children:
Matthew Thomas: 3 pounds, 11 ounces, 16-1/8 inches, 5:29 pm Megan Christine:
4 pounds, 11 ounces, 17-1/2 inches, 5:29 pm Melissa Kathryn: 3 pounds,
12 ounces, 17-1/4 inches, 5:30 pm"
From Vic Roberts (CIS:70413,1423) ( retroactively): "So does it count that I was reading and replying to HPHand messages
while riding on a bus from Fonyod, Hungary to Budapest, after their
biggest snow storm in 10 years? (This was three weeks ago.)" [It
counts!]
From Ron Vieceli, this time traveling with his family: "I am writing this to you from about halfway between England and France
_under_ the Channel. We are on le Shuttle, the car train that lets you
drive the car onto the train and then drive off at the other end. Very
slick...the entire trip under the Channel takes about 15 minutes..."
From Francisco Bricio (CIS: 74174,1442), a spectacular
coffee break! Hey Linda! Today was supposed to be another normal day
at my office in Mexico City. ... We decided to cut the day by half and
rushed to 'Teotihuacan' an Aztec city about 50 miles north from Mexico
City. I am writing this EMail from the top of the 'Sun Piramid' (The
highest piramid in the world with 365 steps. Cheers!
From Rob Mitchell (CIS: 72764,3061), travelling solo: "Here's a postcard from Cumberland Island, Georgia where I am sitting
on the beach at sunrise! MUP anyone?...I was planning to spend more
time here on the island but the weather got in the way, so I went to
Saint Augustine, Florida instead! There I found a friendly hostel with
many internationals and a few Americans... The historic town consists
mostly of renovated and restored, stuccoed, shell rock block buildings.
The oldest date to the eighteenth century. This is contrasted with the
grandiose Spanish-revival hotels built in the nineteenth century to
anchor St. A. as a Newport of the south...After two days in Augustine
the weather became nice ... warm and sunny. So I had the itch to go
camping! During the winter months the ferry to Cumberland does not run
on Tues and Wed. So it had to wait. Instead I drove down to Ocala Natnl
Forest! There I found a wilderness bisected by the Florida Natnl Trail
and much hiking! Over two days I explored trails to pristine quiet lakes
and ponds. Only birds and deer disturbed the peace......So now I'm finally
on the beach at Cumberland and typing this message to all through a
freezer baggie. Can't let the sand blast my Palmtop! The great thing
about this site is that it is one-quarter mile from the beach.The dunes
are covered with bushes and grasses so it is a wonderful wilderness.
From Frank Bull (CIS: 75270,1166): "Linda, another
entry for your MUP. I'm setting outside the "Land Barge" on a lawn chair
in 70 degree weather relaxing after pre-riding a mountain bike course
in preparation for a race on Sat morning. Oh, & I'll be using a cell
phone & modem to post this."
From Dave Fisher (CIS:102711,3602): "Hi, Linda, Avi
suggested I contact you regarding MUP. I have used my 200LX while flying
on a Kansas Air National Guard KC-135 Tanker at about 30,000 feet. I
have also used it, as I am now, while in a van, traveling back to Kansas
from Walt Disney World..."
From Fred Kaufman (CIS: 75162,2616) (who was definitely
not in Kansas!), an account of several days: "I and my HP have just
returned from the Canadian Rockies...The snow is HARD to enjoy! (g)
it has not snowed in over two weeks and what is here is what is called
wind-packed or sun-crusted making it hard to ski. But on the other hand
the sun is out and it is splendid that way. Had drinks at Chateau Lake
Louise today Monday after a rough and tumble day of attempting to ski.
My friends sitting here with me think I'm crazy using a palmtop - I
explained the MUP and they grudgingly acquiesced...Aha, the dataphone
works - the acoustic coupler will not be employed...Skied up to the
Plain of Six Glaciers today by skiing across Lake Louise. Clear and
nice when we started but visibility quickly disappeared in cloud...Today
we did downhill/telemarking at Sunshine just outside of Banff. A long
gondola ride up over sparse snow led to immense snow fields generally
above treeline. Problem - no visibility! Can't have it all...So while
you were writing of daffodils and snow patches, we re-entered the world
dominated by perpetual WINTER. A wonderful, white world of whipped cream
beauty. It will be missed. But my own bed instead of a bunk bed in a
room with six guys and damp gear strewn about will be welcome tonight!!!!"
From Stan Dobrowski (CIS:76711,2302), with paternal
pride: "I am sitting on the pitcher's mound in the middle of the school
yard at my daughter's school. My son Eric (age 4-1/2) and daughter Jeanette
(age 7 next month) are riding their bikes all around me. We are so proud
of Jeanette because as of this week, she does not need the training
wheels any more..."
From "lexu", Alexandre Gutfeldt (CIS:100527,2461), on
the heights: "Salü Linda, ...from the top of Champagna da Diavolezza,
above the Col Bernina in the Grissons (South-Eastern Switzerland). I
am sitting in the mountain top restaurant, relaxing my tired legs and
sipping a cup of coffee. Around me are hundreds of tourists. German,
Swiss, Italian, Austrian, British, French, Spanish just to name the
languages I recognized. They are all enjoying the skiing and snowboarding
fun high up in the mountains (almost 3000m 10'000ft) despite the clouds
and cold which the weak spring sun is fighting in vain."
From Drew Guttadore (CIS:73201,3016), in Fantasy Land!: "L., Okay here is a MUP hopeful. I'm sitting in the Mercedes Benz dealer
waiting to pick up my car! I'm ensconced in the butttersoft leather
of a $75000 MB passenger seat! This is indeed the car, mine pales in
comparison! I can smell the leather, it makes me heady and ready to
swoon, I calmly stroke the burlwood gearshift knob resisting the effort
to switch seats and take off from the dealer's showroom floor thru the
plate glass window!
And from Frank Louwers (CIS:72361,2161), in Belgium,
a lovely and lyrical little memory: "Hi Linda and All: I am writing
this, still gasping for some air after a wonderful in-line skate ride
under the bright stars and Hyakutake-2's fuzzy head and eerie tail.
It just was magnificent! It was freezing lightly, a crisp and clear
sky, just the sound of my skates on the deserted country-side roads,
and then all the stars, Orion and its nebula, Venus very bright, Arcturus
where I saw the comet for the first time early last week, the moon in
its glorious first quarter... and of course the comet, very visible
with the naked eye, its tail faint but long...A perfect night -wanted
to share with you and others here."
I have also received several messages from Joseph McSwain
(CIS: 74032,1616), who often writes on his LX while soaking in the bath
tub. This is possibly the most hedonistic and unusual *habitual* use
of an LX in our files...but that may be open to debate!
I hope that you have enjoyed our MUPs. Editing them
is torture! I want to quote every word; some of the long ones, such
as those from Rob and Fred, are wonderful and far more detailed than
apparent here, but I thought that a taste of each would be better than
having Richard at the PTP cut them even more! Keep traveling, folks,
and keep writing! If you never have sent an entry, please join us and
submit your own. The "rules" are very loose, vague and forgiving...just
record your adventures - do not risk your life! - and send it to the
Fireside section, under the title of MUP Entry. Perhaps Hal will let
me write another article using yours next time.
