with any luck I'll spot David Tennant in a burn or on a bannock, or something

[freckles_and_doubt]

I am coming to Scotland in August! To give a conference paper on Neil Gaiman and Tanith Lee and weird inverted vampire Snow Whites, which I have still to write, but pshaw, details! This is all being paid for by the faculty, who are thus currently high on my list of Favourite People, at least until they dream up another set of horrible jobs for me. But the important thing is, I'm coming through Heathrow and have booked my tickets to stay two nights in London before heading Up North. I'll arrive on the morning of the 9th August, and leave for Glasgow on the morning of the 11th. Far-flung exiled London crowd, who's around then? Can we Gather in a Pub or adequate substitute in the usual ritual fashion? There are too many of you I don't see often enough, or at all (bumpycat, I'm looking at you here!). Also, I've had offers of accommodation from starmadeshadow and Scroob - whose doorstep will it be most convenient for me to turn up on? do you want to arm-wrestle for it?

Gosh, I'm all excited about this. *fans self*.

I am on leave today and tomorrow, allowing the lingering vestiges of glandular wossname to exit my system by means of determined lounging about. Despite this I have managed to re-watch Iron Man 2 (still grin-inducing second time round), have the car serviced (clutch much smoother! it's like magic, I can take off without ripping involuntary wheelies), and read an awful lot of hot cyber elf-sex (Justina Robson, who is kinda fun and not nearly as schlocky as it sounds, and who I shall probably review in detail sometime). And, of course, entirely ignore the World Cup (other than about 10 mins of amazing Bafana butterfootedness in between episodes last night) in favour of watching large amounts of STNG while knitting, which means I'm onto the stripy bit of this scarf, which is kinda cool.

And which leads me to the next vital question. Do they let you take rosewood knitting needles on planes these days?? Because it's SAA, and the inflight movies are non-personalised and always unbelievably bad, and I have to do something to prevent myself from losing it completely and feasting on the flesh of the living somewhere over Tamanrasset. Last time it was Rush Hour 2 and an earnest, syrupy, American rugby film which I followed with involuntary horror and perfect comprehension despite refusing to wear the headphones. Honestly, we should get danger pay.

Comments

[strawberryfrog.livejournal.com]

On SAA, the in-flight movies are on occasion unbelievably totally absent. I mean, what century do they think this is?

an earnest, syrupy, American rugby film ... involuntary horror

Hey, Morgan Freeman does a good Full Nelson.

[extemporanea.livejournal.com]

No, no, of course they didn't show Invictus. That I might actually want to see, owing to it having an actual cast and stuff. No, they showed something called (after a quick google on "america rugby film" pulls up the name I have clearly blanked in sheer trauma) Forever Strong. Boy redeems self after reform school by playing rugby. Based on several true stories, apparently. Truly, truly an awful and appalling thing. Includes Sean Astin. Just goes to show.

Loch Lomond to Linlithgow

[(Anonymous)]

Whereabouts in Scotland are you giving your conference paper? Hope it's not anywhere near the hordes of midges that manifest in the highlands in summer. :-) The Hebrides are really nice though. Good whiskey too.

Re: Loch Lomond to Linlithgow

[grumpyolddog.livejournal.com]

Good whiskey too

Lies. There is no "whiskey" in the Hebrides.

Re: Loch Lomond to Linlithgow

[extemporanea.livejournal.com]

Alas, I'm in Glasgow. No-where near anywhere scenic, really, and with not much time or money to gad about.

I am still a neophyte whisky-drinker, most of it tastes like aviation fuel to me. I am cautiously, and for no adequately defined reason, developing a liking for Laphroaig.

Re: Loch Lomond to Linlithgow

[(Anonymous)]

Cool. Glasgow has some nice architecture, and is a surprisingly nicer city than you might think. :-)

Try some of the Islay stuff then...

[(Anonymous)]

Large hurrahs and much splendidness! I am so pleased. Well done on arranging the London stopover, too. I shall confer with SMS as to which of us will have the honour.

Re knitting needles: hm. Officially they're okay at BAA airports, but that doesn't mean they'll be okay at the CT end, and - more importantly - "officially" doesn't carry any weight at all in practice; it depends entirely on the orneriness of the security staff you happen to encounter. I've never risked my wooden straights, personally, but wooden crochet hooks, double-pointed needles or even circulars are usually safe.

Course, I don't think you actually *do* crochet or circular knitting. If you feel bound to try, in the name of research, at least you'll be coming to the right place to replace them should the need arise. Still though... now might be a good time to try socks.

scroob

[extemporanea.livejournal.com]

Sockssssss! *hisses and cowers away from the light* they burns us, preciousssss! nasty sockses...

I'll stick with my 2x2 rib for now, thank you. I'm beginning to feel I have something resembling a grasp on that. Except for the bit where I add the new colour for the stripe, where it's all tending to get a bit wibbly at the edges.

Thank you kindly for your enthused hospitality and undertaking of organising. I am muchly grateful and also very much looking forward to seeing everyone again.

Straight on circular

[first-fallen.livejournal.com]

You can knit a straight thing on a circular needle. I'll show you :)

[scrumisscrum.wordpress.com (from livejournal.com)]

my suggestion would be to borrow (buy) an ipod or laptop for personal entertainment purposes.

Also, hit up your doctor for 'real' sleeping pills and make use of the limited quantity of in-flight alcohol.

Knitting needles should be used only as a last resort; place in nostrils and slam head into seatback / tray table.

Knitting needles

[tngr-spacecadet.livejournal.com]

Best to send SAA and ACSA an email about this, if they answer favourably, print it out and take it with you.

Re: Knitting needles

[extemporanea.livejournal.com]

Ooh, cunning plan! shall do so forthwith.

Re: Knitting needles

[(Anonymous)]

I'm afraid Reports from the Field are that having a printout of the official ruling is pretty much no help whatsoever in arguing with security peeps...

scroob

[rumint.livejournal.com]

Good news that you've managed to pass through London.

We can certainly meet up in a pub on the 10th. And/or optionally if you're not too jetlagged on the 9th, you're very welcome to visit my monday cthulhu game, where bumpycat, pinkthulu et al will be.

[kadekraan.livejournal.com]

You're making London sound like a bowel ;-) Which is probably what it will feel like in the August heat. On the plus side, it shouldn't be as dark as a bowel. Except maybe at night.

[bumpycat.livejournal.com]

We must meet! I will make sure I'm available. Do you have dates yet?

[extemporanea.livejournal.com]

Silly bumpy, the dates are in the post. Reading, the new skill! I'm in London the evenings of the 9th and 10th August.

[bumpycat.livejournal.com]

This reading comprehension thing is wholly overrated! I demand direct information in tiny snippets! :D

[egadfly.livejournal.com]

*fans self*

Don't be silly. You should let your fans do that for you when you're here.

Your timing is Good, btw. I get back from holiday on the 9th of August. I'll have spent a week in a Hungarian* field bouncing to trance music so may be somewhat zombified, but will at least try to discuss "braaaaanes" in an interesting fashion.

* I originally typed "Jungarian". Freudian slip? :P

[(Anonymous)]

I can answer only for the US and the TSA, but knitting needs were the FIRST previously banned things to be allowed on planes after 9/11. Tiny circular thread cutters without exposed blades were being confiscated (on the theory that you could take them apart and then have a...small sharp blade you were more likely to nick yourself with, but knitting needles? Bring 'em on! I think it was only because knitting is such a huge trend here.

I would check online for the official ruling, and bring a printout with you.

Cheers, Dayle

[veratiny.livejournal.com]

I got a beading needle confiscated about a year ago...in Australia. I think somebody was being officious because it is just like a normal sewing needle but twice as long. They take my tweezers every time and I has hairses on my chin--so that's just cruel!

I-pod...is the best on planes. Especially if you get a talkative German with a funny moustache sitting next you—actually you may not even need the i-pod jus the ear buds—most people take the hint!

[veratiny.livejournal.com]

Also...wear slip on shoes...and don't even consider a bobby pin (I got stuck in a glass holding pen in LAX for an hour for the sheer audacity of bobby pins. The lady was kind enough to ask if I would like a private room in which to be felt up and then subsequently informed me that she would "touch my special areas with the back of her hands"--it was alarming...I wonder what she would have suggested if I had opted for the private room!)

Muscle relaxants work better with alcohol and you feel less woolly when you arrive!

[schedule5.livejournal.com]

Good heavens. That sounds extremely alarming. For a hair clip! What are you going to do with it? Threaten to make the head air steward look like a girl?

[veratiny.livejournal.com]

One wonders...although to be fair I had more than one and they were "concealed" inside my bun. I think the true threat was what McGuyver Bin Lauden could have done with them!

I am sure that customs and immigration are smugly satisfied in yet again having spared the western world the fate of being brought to its knees by public servants with bobby pins and nice ladies who knit!

The bonnie Doctor

[pinkthulhu.livejournal.com]

Forgot to mention that one of the great things about Scotland is all the blue Dr Who-style police boxes you can see, which you don't get down in London, like this classic one in Glasgow:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/photo.php?pid=7491188&id=763350281