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.

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.

[(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

[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.

[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.

[bumpycat.livejournal.com]

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

[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!

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