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

Oh and Chris, well done on becoming a Linux user. There is now loads of stuff you can do (if you want ) that would have been harder/much more expensive under other systems

It's warmer now. Only -23C... I hate to be single with this kind of weather. Now I have to go out to fetch the heating wood...

When I got up this morning the outside temp was -0.2C, not much to shout about compared to -25C, but fairly nippy all the same. It was quite foggy too, but we dragged ourselves out for a walk and felt better for the fresh air, especially as the sun broke through.

Having had lunch and cleared a way, its time to settle down with the newspaper.

Later on one of my favourite prgrammes returns, Time Team, which I shall watch with and xmas .

The decorations are all down now and about to go in the attic for another year.

As about the weather I guess it all depends on what you are used to.
I read from the news this week that people were dying of cold in Pakistan and India as temperature fell down to +5C. It was +5C in my *office* at that very moment. It's so relative.

X-mas decorations are all gone here by now. I was very eager to get rid of those this year. Usually I procrastinate with those until the end of January or so.

I've sorted out the files on my computer, reclaimed 2GB of hard disk space , updated all the free apps and plugins and downloaded the latest virus descriptions.

Well done, Amy! I need to update my virus descriptions, too.

We seem to be having a chunk of spring thaw; it was up to 65 Fahrenheit yesterday and promises to do the same today.

After my stint at the post office I drove to Ruidoso and took a little digital camera with me that I got from eBay. It's a Nikon Coolpix 800 and, with the right filters, you can do infrared and near infrared with it. I got one good picture. After that the automatic flash kicked in and I didn't know enough about how to work the camera to stop it. The manual is on CD. So I shall try again today.

Hati, where do you live? I know Ti is in Sweden. When we lived in Texas I got so sick of the heat that I said I'd like to live at the North Pole. Then when we moved back to Missouri I nearly froze to death the first winter. Now I'm used to it again and actually enjoy the winters. It's the only time when I don't have a long list of chores to do in the yard and garden. I love gardening, but I've had everything to do by myself the past couple of years, and it was getting a bit overwhelming.

Good luck Marv. And I really shouldn't complain about MOREnet. For the most part they do a great job. We could never afford to provide our patrons the level of service we do without them. They provide us with a T-1 and lots of expensive online databases, better than average support and free staff training for $750 a year. They just took a major funding hit from the state legislature so it looks like we may lose some of our databases next year.

MR, did you make the mint jelly or inherit it? I have lots of mint in my herb garden but have never tried to make jelly. My sister makes it, and it tastes dreadful. I need a different recipe than hers to try. But she makes wonderful peppermint candy.

Lil, do you read the mysteries set in the Four Corners region? I love Hillerman. I recently discovered the Ella Clah novels by Aimee and David Thurlo. They've been around a while, but I missed them for some reason. Anyway, I'm enjoying them very much. I'm on the next to the last one.

Estonia. Do you know that place?

Oh my, no wonder you're cold...and have SAD. Brrr.

Matina, I think Hati needs a large mug of cocoa.

Hillerman? As in Tony Hillerman and the Navajo cops? I love those books! Exactly the kind of mix I like - a sort of combination of novel and history book...

Caer

Ta for the TT reminder I'd forgotten the new series started this week

[BB]

Is Time Team on now?

Amy

17:30 GMT C4

Hootoo seems to have had a bit of an upset for the last 20 minutes

I'm back but it looks horribly like the modern equivilant of being Alabaster'd

You're welcome BB

Here's a mint jelly recipe, I haven't tried it, but it is similar to the one my Mum used to make.:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/appleandmintjelly_9674.shtml

I have only ever had mint jelly as an accompaniment to lamb.

*curls up on the sofa and sips at some peppermint *

I just got sent home from work because of my cold.

OK the idea that I have today is to clean my house like I failed to do last weekend. No traipsing off to build a fantastic lego fleet (Gw7en had a hand in that as well BTW). No going to the cinema to see TTT. Got to get the joint cleaned.

Legos good....

Arrrg! Backlog!

[Ben]

[c]

*applying for scholarships is a horrible business. all of the ones that will make a dent in my college costs either require stellar grades or physical fitness and the sale of 4 years of my life. nonetheless, i have no choice, as i've exhausted my short list of family friends and relatives that will co-sign for loans with me. so it's to the gym i go, and it's looking like i'll be spending 4 years after college as a beat cop in georgia... *