(Some of this material appeared in a PTP article .)
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 current 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?<g> (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.
Text © Linda Worthington
Last updated Wed Mar 20 22:15:13 PST 2002