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

sword?!?!?!

There is a little man coming to fix my gas today. Ever since they changed the pipes, the boiler has failed miserably to provide hot water unless the water is only coming out at a trikle. After monthes of facing a daily choice between a cold shower and washing in between drips, something may actually be done. This is indeed a red letter day.

I never owned a car, but used to borrow my brother's when we still lived in the same city

Hitchhiking yes, I've done that a couple of times - longest trip was from Stockholm to Copenhagen and back again during Easter holidays (4 days)...

My Dad gave me seminars in Changing Tyres and the Oil. So I had a woman's gadget-for-leavering-knuts-off-wheels and a woman's extra-length-car-jack-handle in the car, and an extra can of oil. For all other mechanical problems I had the AA. I always felt I should have gotton a bit more savy about it, but there you go.

Morning all.

*still giving thanks at the reassuring thought that any move to a pretty Surrey village in later life is still within easy reach of civilisation i.e. 10 minutes by car)*

I can change tyres and do necessary toppings up, but nowadays tyre nuts are put on so tightly by those machines that it is near impossible to get them off. Sometimes works if you don't the jack car up first and jump up and down on the wheelbrace. Still, that's what break down insurance is for . My dear old car tends to guzzle oil prior to a service so I keep a litre of the stuff in the boot too. Except No2 son has just emptied it into his old banger, so had better get some more.

More wet and windy weather today, batten down the hatches!

The weather is just brilliant here. The sun is shining, everything is covered with he clean white snow, no wind, -6C.
Tomorrow we expect +4C, wind and rain. It's the last day in winter-paradise.

You need a longer handle for the whatchamacallit, Caer. More leaverage. That's what I mean by a woman's one.

Trivia: New Jersey is the only state where it is illegal to pump your own gas. But d'E, you already knew that.

My emergency kit? A AAA card and a cell phone. Oh, the hardware stuff is in the trunk, I just refuse to use it. It I can't pump gas, I'm not doing anything else, either.

[Amy]

I got very excited about my little old lovely mother driving around in her rather little old lovely charabanc and prepared a survival kit much along the lines of Marv, (minus the sword) including heliograph, and signal flares (She lives in Jersey UK, by teh way, an island 8 miles by 6!) but she said that all she needed was a lace handkerchief to flutter gently at passers by indicating a lady in distress! (and a can of mace incase the wrong sort of Knight turned up!) Bless her!

That service center must have zombies working there, Lil. I'm sorry. I would have to call the corporate office and rant, even though it may not do anything to rectify the situation.

I wonder if my sons will refer to me as a little lovely old mother?

More like that batty old lunatic who roars around corners on two wheels. Why change the habit of life time I say!

Not being able to pump your own gas in New Jersey is most inconvenient. It means every time I drive out of the state, I end up sitting for long periods of time at a gas station waiting for someone to fill my tank for me. They never do. And then I can't figure out how to work the pumps, or if I'm supposed to give my credit card first or pay later.

I must admit I have never quite managed the trick of filling up the car without letting at least a dribble of petrol leak all over the car/me/the floor.

That was the 2nd lunch I've eaten at Makky D's in a week. No wonder I'm ill. The champagne (somebody's birthday) didn't help either.

[Affy]

[Munchkin]
Just had a fun old morning on my hands and knees. A good old "follow the cables" problem. And then, naturally enough, all is solved by the application of brute force. Ain't the "high tech" industry grand.

Sorry to hear about the oil problem, Lil. Evil, impersonal people they be.

H had weekend like that, Munchkin, Dusseldorf couldn't talk to Tokyo and v v, they all said it was H's configs or the hubs, routes, firewalls etc etc. But no, it was a cable in London, nothing to do with H at all, but at least he diagnosed it and felt rather pleased with himself

No1 son's favourite method of repair is a good thump, if it works , if not then its a good excuse to buy a new one because it really it is broken when he has finished with it

[UH]

[Amy] It's so windy here it made my shopping bags sing on the way home .