h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

[tartaronne ] about to begin to think of Xmas.


My daughter 31 does the honours this year. We will be 15 in a three room flat on the 4th floor in the middle of Copenhagen. Sig. S. likes to go someplace quiet once in a while during a crowded day and evening, but his knees play up. He has reumatoid artritis in both of them.

So how to construct a gadget that will hoist him down and up again a few times during xmas eve

Sig. S has done 75 cards - me nil.

I think I have a plan for presents... and a couple of w*rk deadlines right after xmas.

Happy Birthday, Titania!

*puts all the blame on beeb for being late with *

I got a bit hacked off about the money I've shelled out for seeing live gigs at about the point where I realised that the reason why such and such a band wasn't very good live was because, well, as musicians, in terms of being able to play instruments and play them together, they were, let's say, underrehersed. This is what you get from watching obscure indie bands raised above their level of venue by thousands of teenagers with cash.

Still, a lot of the experiences were great fun, and a lot of the bands were very good too, so. I think my favourite venue would be a place called the Ritz in Manchester, just because a) it had a bouncy dance floor, which gives a whole new meaning to the word 'mosh' and b) balconies, which gives a whole new meaning to the word 'stage dive'.

Now I think about it though, I'm not sure how much of the bands I've been to see, I've ever actually, well, seen.

Get the bracelet, Santra. I did like Lentilla's idea of saving it for another special occassion though.

Happy beleated birthday, Ti! This dictionary doesn't do rhymes, but it does have all (and only) the translations for words that your regular dictionary can't deal with.

Drat! And I meant to say for Hati. May you grit your teeth and push on through, and 2006 will be downhill all the way.

[Mr. D ]

Happy belated birthday, Titania!

Am I the only one who's forgotten what's going on in the story? I'm mainly having problems remembering which characters are still alive.

Morning all. Christmas. Ick. Have written some cards.

Christmas, have cards, will write them

Some gigs are better than others. Same with venues. In London some of the better venues I've seen bands in were The Academy in Brixton, The Forum in Kentish Town and The Astoria in the West End. These are all old theatres with propper sloping floors so everyone can see the band. I don't like big stadium venues. Get the right seats and it's OK but you usually end up a long way back from the stage and the performers are best seen on the screens (why bother, just buy the DVD ). Still the kind of people I've seen in arenas do put on a very good show (Kiss, Alice Cooper, Jean Michel Jarre). For the last year or two my main live music consumption has been during various festivals. Good vibes, choice of bands to see interesting catering and retail opportunities - or at least there are at the festivals I'd choose to go to.

Happy Birthday for yesterday T

The best gig I've been to was Napalm Death at the Bristol Academy in 2002... *peeks under shirt* in fact I'm wearing the tour t-shirt right now! The best thing was that everyone else in the venue ran up to the stage leaving me and my mate with the whole bar to ourselves and we *still* had a good view of the stage.

Incredible cloud formations, Lil. And stunning photos of them.

for Hati.

Santra - what Lentilla said about the bracelet. Keep it as a spare for Valentines day - makes it look like you've thought about it. Which, indeed, you have!

Kelli, that sounds like the sort of gig I actually rather enjoy - sweaty, hot, noisy: a full body experience! Mind you - the Ally Pally *is* a s**t venue - went to hear the Dalai Lama speak about 10 years ago, and the echo-cho-cho made-ade-ade it imposi-osi-osible to hear-ear-ear him. Or maybe it was an aural metaphor for reincarnation.

Ag, have a chat with Rainbow about people who look baffled at your jokes. She has Experiences she might share.

for Titania!

I have a living room I can live in! With a day bed to cuddle up on, and a TV and a phone line and a Christmas Tree and everything!

Oddly, though I swear we have at least opened all the relevant cardboard boxes, I still seem to be missing at least two table lamps and a couple of wool throws as well. I wonder if the removal men hid a box in the wardrobe and then boxed it in with other boxy boxes in a boxy way so I can't find them. On the other hand, we found the Christmas decorations and my sewing box! *happy Ben*

I have decided to be very minimalist this Christmas - I am simply ignoring the tradition of Christmas Cards altogether and more-or-less ignoring the tradition of presents. I'm pants at that sort of thing at the best of times. I am feeling fondly reminiscent of the years when I spent Christmas hanging out with Buddhists.

B
*wonders about lpt too*

Latest storylines available here A7151078

Hippo Bathday for yesterday Ti <- this contains calorie removal powder - just enough for the festive season so you can enjoy yourself guilt-free.

One of the things that bothered me about the concert was the fact that J and I had vastly different experiences of it despite standing next to each other. I didn't want to complain too much to him because he had such a good time, and the sterophonics were indeed mighty. The mobile phone thing was really weird though.

Have finally written some christmas cards still haven't bought any presents

I have recently read a very lovely book about traditional Scandinavian knitting, which had the picture of the most gorgeous mittens with raindeer on them. So, Titania, Happy Birthday and of Raindeer mittens, with eight-pointed star borders.

And and quiet sympathy for anyone reminiscing wistfully.

Well, lunch with the incompatibles was not so bad. Their toddler has just got to the very very cute age of nearly two and already talks and sings and practically everything she did was entertaining. She was also tractable and good-humoured, which is a nice relief after my very own little niece, who is adorable and funny and pretty as a bird but stubborn as a mule that has been super-glued to the floor and with a wonderful line in heart-rending screams.

Thanks to Teuchter and Hypatia for supportive and sweet remarks. Was anyone else ever told that funny women are unattractive? In my family it was a sort of gospel, very odd as most of the women are very witty. But they do tend to save it for girl-only gatherings. It seemed wrong even then. But then, I couldn't be properly indoctrinated because they sent me to boarding school and I met Other People with Other Ideas. And eventually S, who tells his work-mates proudly that I'm funny (and then I have to BE funny or they'll think he has been imbecilled by Cupid). But my first few boyfriends, now that I think about it, were often funny themselves but didn't laugh at my jokes much. I remember one date in particular who would politely wait for me to stop talking so he could get on with dazzling me with his wit again. Yes, well. One date is quite telling.

But I babble.

We have finished the Christmas cards, so I am feeling slightly virtuous. But not smug, as I now have to go out and buy a dozen-or-so presents. If anyone sees a mad-eyed woman (with pretty hair - thanks Hyp! ) wearing a very stripy scarf and NO presents yet babbling incoherently into her coffee somewhere along the Kings Road, it may well be me. What on earth does one get for elderly grandparents with dementia now spending their first Christmas in a nursing home and who have no idea at all who you are any more and are quite likely to hit you with a walking stick? I feel I am getting a gift not for grandparent at all but so other people can see I am getting grandparent a gift. And I haven't finished my uncle's camouflage socks. And I really ought to post them today. So, a mad stripy-scarf woman with hair, babbling, mainlining coffee and knitting. Feed her chocolate.

"What on earth does one get for elderly grandparents with dementia now spending their first Christmas in a nursing home and who have no idea at all who you are any more and are quite likely to hit you with a walking stick?"

Foam rubber padding?

*hands a pre-emptive to Ag*

I think everyone is going to get plants from me this year, or stuff I can buy in the food hall of my local garden centre. I love wandering around in there and can't face any kind of high street-related shopping activity.

Ooooh - really enjoyed the cotton cloud pics that Lil posted a link to!

Gevalia has a Swedish Christmas coffee? How come Hyp knows and I don't? Or maybe it's an 'only for export' thingie?

Don't feel insecure about trying to be funny Ag - you *are* funny! Every now and then I'll find myself chuckling aloud when reading your postings…

Thanks all! Ag, these mittens are lovely! *has a quick look in the magic rhyming dictionary first, and is soon deeply emerged in it*

>bangle...
But, we're not really big on Valentine's day in Denmark in general and in our little family in particular. In fact, Mrs SG V has denounced it vehemently a number of times as a plot by chocoltae and flower dealers. So I think I'll avoid that

I'll think of hiding it for another occasion - could be in January when we've held hands for 21 years... ( the date is not in my calendar - it's the 19th? 26th?... must sneak a look in Mrs SG V's calendar, where it certainly is!) Actually, we're going to a big local party on the 27th - so it could be a good date-combo

(See? You've made me think! Nice job )

Chrstmas Cards ... cards .. .. ehhh, writing cards? Well, we're a little behing on that score...

>stubborn as a mule that has been super-glued to the floor
Do babble on... Funny woman are definitively not unattractive! Other traits might make them more or less attracitve - but humour is always attractive in my optics

Was that overdoing smilies a bit? ...

If my mother had thought that being funny would make me unattractive she'd have encouraged it.

No, I've never heard that funny is unattractive. On the other hand, I do sometimes try not to be *cleverer* than the guy I am with., though that's only worth it if all I wants a quick bonk. I find intelligence and humour really sexy, which is one of the reasons I don't like drunks.

The Internet. Just hit 'buy now' for Christmas.

"I find intelligence and humour really sexy, which is one of the reasons I don't like drunks."

Oops. *hides empties*