Ooh, aah, just a little G.I.T.

        If Stretchy can put out fractional issues of OMR (14 and a half and
the like) then I'm going to claim this to be GIT issue e, being somewhere
between 2 and 3, rather closer to 3 than to 2. This is an emaciated version
being hastily typed on the grounds that my train home from Oxford to
Middlesbrough leaves in little over an hour now and I've still got a load of
Christmas cards to post (last posting date was yesterday, but apparently
the sorting office is near the train station, not that I've ever been there,
so I don't know where it is). I have to type like I have never typed before.
        Games will go out on flyers to the players, quite possibly flyers
enclosed with this issue of OMR. Quickly: The Dead Pool has three players,
Beffy Nose has three players, Choice + has NO players and so will be reined
in for the time being (perhaps you all want to play, but not to start
straight away... but you never told ME that!), and Fantasy Chef is up to
six players now, which is thoroughly gratifying. King of the Hill orders are
in and there weren't any conflicts on the first turn, though lots of pieces
are rather closer to the centre, obviously. You really need a map for that
one. It's possible that I may get a rushed version of GIT out somehow and
possibly even FAX it through to Stretchy at Shaw and co.'s - which apparently
will transform it to stereogramscript. Never mind.
        Have been having a torrid time of things since last issue. The heart
of the University term has come and gone, with a lot of work to do. Term
finished two weeks ago now; I'm in a room where I've paid for a full year of
accommodation (hmm - times like this when I wish I was using a wordy-process
with a spell-checker rather than MS-DOS EDIT) and so stayed up just because
it didn't cost me anything. The work this term was a real struggle. Maybe
there wasn't as much of it as in previous terms and maybe I didn't do as much
and what I did do wasn't as good... maybe not. I'm caring rather less and
less about the work as time goes by - maths is just something that I don't
want to be doing, and I don't have the will-power to make myself stick at
it. Worse luck, I don't know what I _do_ want to be doing instead. Time just
seems to be slipping further and further by, and a lot of it is getting
wasted. I'm not even enjoying myself as much as I used to when I try, with
the spectre of not-very-much work stretched out over a very long period of
time hanging over me when I try and relax.
        On the bright side, WANTED, which I mentioned last time, had a quite
superb series. James Hardy didn't like it (well, didn't like the first
episode of it... yes, I did get some letters this time, so I guess me telling
you what he said counts as a rudimentary lettercol, and I guess that not
having a proper one - unless I have managed to carrier-pigeon one to
Stretchy - probably does rather rule out me getting many letters next time)
but I thought it got better and better as the series went on, the last four
shows being extremely good (had I to pick between them, the fifth episode
was the best of the series of eight). So much did I enjoy the show that I
have been down to watch it live in the studio twice, for shows five and
seven. I've sort of fallen in with the production team in that associated
with the show is an extremely good World Wide Web site, with lots of
background information on the show, and particularly interestingly, a
discussion area. I contributed quite a lot to this over the eight weeks.
Possibly the reason why the area is such a success is that the Hewland
International (the firm who make the show, and who, by the way, employ an
immense number of attractive-looking ladies) take a great interest in what
people have to say about their show. They were pleased to meet a real live
fan and site user when I introduced myself as such after the show; it was
a wonderful surprise to know just how many people on the production team
recognised me by name. The crowning glory there is that one of them was
none other than WILLIAM G. STEWART himself - who's good conversation but has
perhaps seen better, thinner years. He even recognised me by face when we
bumped into each other when I was down to watch show seven. Oh yes!
        Enough self-congratulation. Apologies for reduced service (he said
hoping that he would find a way not requiring reduced service to be quite
necessary) and I hope that things have been much less depressing for you
than they have for me. I'm considering drastic actions like resitting the
year, if I'm allowed, or dropping out of University altogether, in favour of
doing something else. Problem is, I don't know what would make me happy at
the end of the day...

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all. Well, just Happy New Year.
GIT editor: Chris M. Dickson, Keble College, OXFORD OX1 3PG.