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

*Scandrea and Tracer wander in- Tracer takes his normal spot by the fire and takes a nap, while Scandrea waves to everyone and sits down with a foot-thick pile of papers on bedrock channel erosion.*

I swear- I'm going to have hypertension by the time I'm done with this thesis!

Lil, do you want me to scribe this thread? Life is stable enough for me to do it without too much bother.

Santra, I am not sure about being described as sane and trustworthy though.

Kelli - it's a great entry - my only comment is you have "happens" twice in the first sentence.

Ben

PS - I liked this remark from the BASC site:

"Shooting is one of Britain’s safest sports. In England and Wales twice as many people are hospitalised by mishaps with cotton buds than accidents with guns." - (The figures come from the Department of Trade and Industry!)

Ben

A scribe! A scribe! Ben, that would be wonderful. Yes please.

*wonders why david didn't perch on a wingback*

I thought that was funny too

Did I mention that we have a skip outside our house at the moment for the wall demolition rubble to go into? Well, when I got home from work yesterday it was obvious that someone had had a good rummage through it! They discovered there was nothing worth salvaging in there but left bits all over the drive

Does anyone have a polite solution to this office problem?

We have a employee that is the Office Idiot/*ss. Every place of employment has one; it's a fixed rule of the universe. She is, of course, oblivious of this fact. Among her many annoying traits is the fact she never brings anything for office holiday potluck days. She's more than happy taking big helpings of food her coworkers brought to share with everyone, but refuses outright (and has said so on more than one occasion) to contribute herself. She's not lacking for money or time more than anyone else. We don't have a problem with people who don't want to contribute for various reasons. But she never has, never will, and yet she has no problem taking advantage of her coworkers.

Here comes Valentine's Day. There's a sign up sheet posted in the break room. People are jotting down what they're bringing that day for the potluck. There are quite a few of us that would like to tell her it's time to share or it's time for her to leave her plate and fork at her desk. Maybe we're making the proverbial mountain out of the molehill, but it's seriously annoying. Is there a nice way of explaining our frustrations to her?

Sign her up to bring fillet mignion?

In all seriousness, she probably doesn't realize it. Maybe you can have a donations box for beverages for people who don't want to cook.

83Xth already?

Oh dear. I appear to have backlog to work through....

Oh, Frotz. Missed the FTTF again by an hour.

Someday, though...someday...

Yes, a few of these recliners are indeed from the Lazy Bastards Club - I've had them in storage somewhere in the ether that is Odradek's room, but I have let Ampton, Chloe and Matina all know in the past that if ever a chair emergency should arise they were more than welcome to my substantial backstock.

Thankfully I had already dispatched with some of the non-scotch guarded chairs and it looks like these have been hosed down, thus safe from any saliva stains or such. I would caution that they are very comfortable and I make no guarantees that you won't become lazier for sitting in them.

We had our final warranty inspection this morning. We took possession of the building a year ago. Time sure flies. It doesn't seem that long.

Congratulations Santra on your FTTF mug.

*can't find anyplace to sit, waves and wanders outside*

At least I made the 2nd LED. I'll go read the backlog now.

Is there a nice way of explaining our frustrations to her?

I say just be blunt, tell her if she wants to partake in the meal she needs to bring something. Even if it's a bag of cookies or a bottle of pop.

*the recliner unexpectedly reclines*
- on the floor just besides the recliner that just came to a stop against the wall, that is

*sits up and very much enjoys the Irish Coffee. First ever, if I'm not mistaken *

>Santra, I am not sure about being described as sane and trustworthy though.
Thought you'd notice that - I think you are at least as sane as I am (and trustworthy, I'm entirely sure I'd have back up for claiming...)

>I make no guarantees that you won't become lazier for sitting in them.
Oh, now I *know* where I want to sit

, Hyp.

Not much of ideas about the too-potlucky lady But being direct I can agree with - though it's always hard to find somebody to be it...

Kelli, you inspired me, and I am going to the WI meeting in the Village Hall on Thursday fortnight. Luckily they meet in the evenings.

I have got cat carriers and a litter tray and some food bowls, and I collect Tiger and Curly on Friday evening.

B

Cats are nice. I want to be a cat in a good family home in my next life!

kelli - could it be that she's just not very confident with cooking? Perhaps you could ask her to bring in something that requires no cooking 'OOh would you mind awfully brining the drinks'

I'd be tempted to say in a sort of 'taking the p**s way' - 'you're not having any of this - what have you brought' with a big smile on your face, before giving her a serving. That way then she know she's been clocked and will hopefully be embarrassed into bringing something the next time.

B:
Ooh Yorkshire WI! I've seen a film about what goes on in those places,

*clears space on desk for calender*

Grandparent news: doing much better, renal function improving slightly. Turns out this may all be his fault.

Me: Did you hear that Sister says your renal functions better

Him: Kidney's? I thought I was here because of pnemonia?

Me: that's caused your kidney's to get worse as well. (In fact renal function was the reason he ended up on ITU).

Him: Now you come to mention it, the Nurse at my last Warfarin test did tell me to tell my Doctor that my renal function's not as good as it used to be, I never did tell him.

Ahhh. So if he'd told his GP this, then his GP might have stopped prescribing ACE inhibitors which may well have stopped all of this.

Humm. I don't think I'll tell anyone in the family - I won't want him to be blaming himself, and to be fair it could have been his artherosclrosis that has caused the renal damage as well, or the hypertension he refused to get treated...

I am in a bookshop killing time. My buddy M went to the hospital today to have his gall bladder removed. Then I had lunch (breakfast for me) with some freinds. Now I am sitting in a B&N (only net access I could count on near me) killing time till I meet a friend after her classes.

It's been a surreal day or two. Not sure what to make of that other than things are just going to be weird for a while.

My usual take on people like that is if they haven't noticed they're an intrusion, then they won't get it with a simple hint.

Maybe ask her to bring something specific, that only she could bring? Maybe she lives by a bakery, and there's a particular kind of roll that is needed for the potluck. Or ask her to bring a bunch of plastic cups - and set it up so that *nobody else* has signed up to bring cups, and her help is urgently requested.

I dunno. If I knew how to deal with people like that, I'd be much wealthier and less stressed.

I've been wondering how you are, Marv, and how your family are too.

B