This is a truly profound one.
I come back from holiday, having been absent from the b3tan enclaves for nearly two weeks, see the new QOTW topic, and rub my hands with glee, thinking "aha! I will have many tales of hilarity and sadness with which to regale my comrades. I will be able to entertain them for a few precious minutes, making my life all the more bearable." Or something like that.

Except that since I've just come back from a lovely holiday, I'm really happy and relaxed (bar the 150-odd new emails to deal with), and when I try to think of a relevent answer to this week's topic, I come up with bugger all.

Seriously. I mean, I've suffered some crushing blows in the past (realising that David Bowie isn't really a Goblin King, and won't really transport me to a magical fairy land, or the time when I met a real life General, and cried because he didn't look like General Tapioca from Tintin), but when I try to think of really profound ones, that had an affect on the course of my life, I can't think of any. My mind is blank.

So that's my greatest disappointment: not being able to remember anything significant to tell you all.

Arse.
(The Empress it seems you CAN polish a turd!, Mon 30 Jun 2008, 11:36, 20 replies)

what do you mean,
"David Bowie isn't really a Goblin King"?

*cries*
(happylittletulip helpless and delicious, Mon 30 Jun 2008, 11:38, closed)

Fossil!
welcome back twinkle!
( spimf ™ is whoever you want him to be, Mon 30 Jun 2008, 11:51, closed)

^
hello lovely. how's Dubai?
(The Empress it seems you CAN polish a turd!, Mon 30 Jun 2008, 12:02, closed)

Morning Bob!
Good holiday?
( Davros' Granddad a voice of calm reason in a world of spastics., Mon 30 Jun 2008, 12:04, closed)

not there just yet
2 weeks to go till i become a trainee camel jockey

YAY!
( spimf ™ is whoever you want him to be, Mon 30 Jun 2008, 12:07, closed)

hey DG!
Was tops, thanks. I was actually up in Bamburgh, made a few trips to Alnwick, Seahouses, Chillingham, Holy Island etc.
(The Empress it seems you CAN polish a turd!, Mon 30 Jun 2008, 12:31, closed)

Well now.
I was in Alnwick one night last week too. The chippy's not bad!
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Mon 30 Jun 2008, 12:34, closed)

'Lo Bob!
Welcome back, and thanks for making me remember Tintin!

*gets books*

Glad you had a good holiday... :)
( Devil_In_Tights the *real* DiT!, Mon 30 Jun 2008, 12:36, closed)

^Hullo!
We were only there during the day (went to the Alnwich Gardens and Barter Books), and had an awful meal in a place called the Drunken Lemon, or something. Had the best fish and chips ever in Seahouses though. Completely fresh. woot.
(The Empress it seems you CAN polish a turd!, Mon 30 Jun 2008, 12:38, closed)

Barter books
God I could spend hours browsing in there...

Alnwick pubs are not generally known for their quality, as this reviews page demonstrates:

www.alnwick.org.uk/pubs.htm

Have a look, it's a bit of a giggle.
( Davros' Granddad a voice of calm reason in a world of spastics., Mon 30 Jun 2008, 13:18, closed)

@DG
heh, that's quite a good site. I did wonder about the pub with the bottles in the window. Looked through the window, didn't fancy eating there...
(The Empress it seems you CAN polish a turd!, Mon 30 Jun 2008, 13:29, closed)

I learned an interesting fact about Alnwick
There's a pub in Alnwick proclaiming to be the oldest in the town (I forget the name - any ideas, DG?). Up the side runs a lane called White Hart Lane, which is of course the name of Tottenham Hotspur's ground.

The name Hotspur came from Sir Henry Percy (known as Harry Hotspur), who was the son of the 1st Earl of Northumberland and was born in Alnwick. He lived subsequently in the Tottenham area, and this is from where the team later took their name.

I don't know if the White Hart Lane is significant though, or just coincidental.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Mon 30 Jun 2008, 13:45, closed)

Ooh, that's quite interesting
No idea about the pub though! I try and avoid Alnwick as far as possible. Nice town, seriously weird people...
( Davros' Granddad a voice of calm reason in a world of spastics., Mon 30 Jun 2008, 14:07, closed)

right, that's it then
I've got Wednesday off. I'm going to Alnwick!
(happylittletulip helpless and delicious, Mon 30 Jun 2008, 14:24, closed)

^ooh yay!
Go to the Alnwick Gardens. They're cool. And you *have* to go to Barter Books: the UK's largest 2nd hand book shop, I think. In the old train station.
(The Empress it seems you CAN polish a turd!, Mon 30 Jun 2008, 14:37, closed)

I'm probably being a bit harsh about Alnwick
it is a lovely town, the gardens are great, the castle's pretty impressive and Barter Books smells like how bookshops used to smell...

But I worked in Alnwick for nearly 3 years and it nearly destroyed my soul. Some people would classify the clients I had as 'eccentric'. I'd classify them as lazy, feckless wastes of skin with a personality bypass...

Not all of them, obviously
( Davros' Granddad a voice of calm reason in a world of spastics., Mon 30 Jun 2008, 15:18, closed)

Alnwick Gardens are beautiful
And I will explore the bookshop!

Anyone care to join?
(happylittletulip helpless and delicious, Mon 30 Jun 2008, 15:26, closed)

i'm with you on the david bowie thing
watching him in that film makes me think of many, many sexy things.
( Smash Monkey lowering the tone of the whole internet, Mon 30 Jun 2008, 16:33, closed)

^^^
15 year old Jennifer Connelly!

yes i am a bad man and i will burn
( spimf ™ is whoever you want him to be, Mon 30 Jun 2008, 17:03, closed)

^^this
But she was a LOT hotter in "The Rocketeer".
( The Resident Loon Not a demographic. Do not measure., Mon 30 Jun 2008, 18:02, closed)