From: Adrian.Waterworth@newcastle.ac.uk (Adrian Waterworth)
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: Martyr wakes up...!
Date: 21 Dec 92 15:20:23 GMT
Organization: University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, NE1 7RU

Yet another ordinary evening in Callahan's Place.  The usual patrons
are loitering around their usual tables and exchanging stories, puns,
conversations and the occasional hug or two.  Suddenly, in one of the
ever-increasing number of dark corners, a dusty figure creaks and
squeaks its way to life once again.  Like old machinery, badly in need
of a good Spring-clean and, probably, a little oil as well, a humanoid
shape, dressed in black and covered in dust and cobwebs, teeters and
totters to its feet.

"He...<cough> <cough> <rasp> <wheeze>"

"Er...<groan> <creak> <cough>"

"Ahem! <cough> <clears throat>"

"Hello everyone.  It's just me again.  I'm back in the land of the
(virtual) living once more.  After submitting my thesis back in
October, I was hoping that I would once again have time to make a
regular posting or two to this place.  But, you know how it is.  The
office gets busy in the run-up to the end of the year.  There's
reports and documents to be produced.  New equipment arrives and has
to be installed and set-up.  Life, in all its busy glory, steals some
of your own glory from you..."

"Anyway, why the (un?-)timely reappearance I hear you ask.  Well, I
wanted to wish everyone a Happy Christmas and a Peaceful and Joyous
New Year."

"More to the point, I wanted to tell you all about the events of last
week.  It was a week that did not start well.  On Tuesday morning, I
was involved in a rather nasty car accident and my car was written off.
 Fortunately, no-one was hurt (although I am _very_ glad that I drive -
sorry, _used_ to drive - a Volvo).  However, I am now in the unenviable
position of having to fork out some of my own money for a new car (the
insurance company will give me the current market value of the old one,
so I'm going to have to top it up with some of my own cash to get a
reasonable replacement).  Still, c'est la vie, n'est-ce pas?  I would
much rather not dwell on that particular incident!"

"Yes, well, the more important event of last week - and the one which
more-or-less makes up for the troubles on Tuesday - was that I
successfully defended my PhD thesis on Thursday afternoon and I am now
(to all practical intents and purposes) Dr. Martyr (so to speak)!!"

"It's been four years of general unpleasantness and the viva seemed
like two and a half hours of hell, but I have finally done it.  Just a
few minor corrections to the thesis and I can submit the final
copies."

"Er...Yippee is the correct term, I believe..."

"...and virtual drinks all round, I think!"

"On the balance of events anyway..."

So saying, Martyr heads for the bar, where he will probably get a
little tipsy and start singing songs with dubious lyrics about bus
shelters and rare musical instruments.

				Martyr.

P.S. I seem to be suffering some e-mail problems at the moment. If
anyone is in touch with either of the Sprites (Didi or Kyla) or the
Urban Spaceman, can they find out whether any of my recent e-mailings
got through. Thanks!

P.P.S. If anyone would be prepared to help me out in a little e-mail
testing later this week (to ascertain whether my off-site, outbound
mail really _is_ disappearing down a black hole somewhere) I might
just take them up on the offer.

	The test that I had in mind was that you e-mail a message to
me and I send a copy back to you.  If you don't get the message back
in a couple of days (or so), just let me know and I can then assume
that something, somewhere is going a little ga-ga.  So far as I know,
my incoming and on-site mail is getting delivered without any
problems, so I should see any messages that are sent to me.  I think!
(Strange things, these computers! And I should know - I've got a PhD
in the subject!!)

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		 |  Adrian.Waterworth@newcastle.ac.uk	|
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