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

mikerhike, when Caerwynn adopted Cassie she had to go through quite a screening process to make sure she would provide a suitable home. The same thing happened when Kelli wanted to adopt a dog. And Ben had to make weekly visits to her cats before she could take them home. I'm sure there have been others in the salon, but those arfe the ones I remember right now. And there was mention that a family with no one home during the day wasn't "allowed" to adopt a dog.

Maybe this only seems like a hassle to me because we don't have this sort of thing in my area. If I wanted to adopt a pet from a shelter, I could walk in, pay the fee and leave 30 minutes later with my or .

Really?

Well, I've never tried, but I'm sure it always used to be much more the way you describe.

I can't see a reason for it to be otherwise, because you can wander along to anyone with an advert in the paper, hand over some money and take home a new or

My local animal shelter puts potential "new parents" through a detailed application process. My best friend adopted a from there three years ago. First her family had to fill out paperwork containing questions about past pet ownership, what happened to those pets (if deceased), the family's daily habits, how often people were home, and financial ability to afford regular veternarian appointments. Then someone from the shelter came out to their house to make sure it was cat-friendly. After two weeks, the family was allowed to take its new member home. I can understand why a animal shelter would want to make sure abandoned, abused and unloved animals find a secure and loving home, but I also worry that the rigorous (and somewhat invasive) screening process prevents animals from doing just that.

Right now I'm roasting a head of garlic for making hummus later today. My home smells wonderful.

Garlic - my favourite perfume

Hello everyone. We're away at the In-Laws for the Easter Weekend. Tonight is 'quiet night', all other parts of all other days are filled to the gunwales with relatives to visit/ feed/ talk to/ listen to/ be shouted 'what? What? Speak up!' at by.

So hello.

FG, I have never tasted hummus, but with roasted garlic in it, it must be good!

GDZ, sorry about your hang over. We drink bourbon and coke and I have never been hung over............Lord C. has been a few times though and it was usually when he drank several different kinds of liquor.
We had a wonderful drink today at one of the chains. It was the best marguerita I ever tasted. I would like to tell you how they made it, but don't know how to do it without mentioning name brands.

Went to the in-laws for Easter gettogether today - felt quite saintly as my brother-in-law and I bicycled up there, something like 15-17 km / 10 miles. First trip of the season and I survived without anything sore. Not that we went very fast, mind you, but we did manage to average on the right side of 20 km/h, though...

'night all

I used to be able to drink a fifth of rum in a night with no ill effects, life is not fair!

Good luck with your , GDZ. In spite of the unfair hang over.

Lady C. I find smokers more often get hang overs than non smokers.

And to mix different types of alcoholic beverages are an almost certain to land you with .

You must try hummus.

Tomorrow a family gathering at my mother's.

is it wrong to eavesdrop when people are speaking a langauge you don't speak much?

I think my neighbours are arguing in French. They may just be talking excitedly.

mikerhike, if you don't understand the language, how is it eavesdropping? Besides if they are so loud you can hear them at your place, I would say it's their problem.............

Call it creative language study!

And I suspect it's the problem of me for choosing somewhere with walls that are not, but have the qualities of being, made out of paper

Happy Easter Holiday to those in the salon who celebrate it! And Happy Ban Collie Day to the others.

Always thought it was an anti-vegetable day,

Ban Caulie Day.

Nonetheless. Enjoy it.

Off to bed

[GDZ]

[Affy]

Woot! Six weeks sans webcomics is practically over. It's already after midnight....but I think I'll wait until tomorrow afternoon.

Just to be sure.

Happy Easter, all. (or indeed, as Lil said, happy -eating day, or ban collie day, or just plain happy Sunday...)

Had a very satisfying rummage around shops yesterday with Best Friend and today I'm going to attenpt to cook lamb again (I don't think I'm a lamb person).

Food porn. That's Nigella alright. Looks good, sounds fantastic, not meant to be eaten, p'raps? I mean, I don't have this much trouble with recipes from other books...

Saw a painting I really wanted while I was out and jolly nearly bought it. It was on this street art market. What put me off was that the price was so much less than I thought that I forgot to haggle and agreed it. And then the guy spoilt it by offering to throw in another picture 'if you paid the whole price', which essentially means I should have haggled. So then I was forced to wave vauguely in the direction of the bank and scuttle off leaving confusion about whether I was comming back behind me. Blast. I shall have to die my hair a different colour and wear dark glasses and then go back and see if the artist and the painting are there next week and start again.

I am dying to get some pictures on the walls. We have various icons in strategic places, two watercolours of icon-like scenes of a funeral (I liked the colours and the stlye was interesting), a pencil sketch of the poor box inside St Alban's abbey, a painting of Cambridge which B found in the rubbish, and a boxed plastic Action Jesus figure (now with gliding motion) which is just the weirdest thing I've ever seen on sale anywhere. None of these are really the right size, colour or shape for the rooms they are in though. B won't countenance copies, posters or prints and I refuse to buy or contemplate these canvases wich have been washed with a few different colours purely as an interior decoration exercise.

But despite the urgency I was rather looking forward to having a good rummage through lots of places looking for the Perfect Picture. I am a great believer in the anticipation of pleasure. So it was mildly disappointing to find something I liked so much so quickly. It was a sort of abstract paint drip oil thing in mostly green. Except it wasn't particularly abstract as it was clearly a view through lush greenery into a clearing full of sunshine.

Oh dear, I've just written three paragraphs about it. I must be in love too...

Glad you had a good time last night GDZ! Despite the hangover! Is this the fellow student you were helping with her homework?

And Art has completely driven all other thoughts out of my head now too apart from:

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter! Or Happy Spring Celebration or other celebration of choice.

Yes, the RSPCA and all reputable animal charities do pre and post adoption visits. The RSPCA will refuse adoption if the pre-adoption visit reveals a home or a commitment not suitable for taking on the responsibility of caring for an animal. They will certainly not allow people in full time occupation to adopt kittens and puppies and the animals have to go to a home that will be suitable for them. Cassie is a tortoiseshell, renowned for their 'sensitiveness' (read sheer bolishiness) so she had to go to a home where she would be the only cat. In spite of the fact that they already had me on record for adopting cats before, especially one quite difficult cat that had already been returned twice (Sadie, another tortie), I still had to go through the process.

Aaah languages. Yesterday I downloaded from iTunes Rapid Italian Volume 1, by Earworms. This is a new method of learning languages, words and phrases are repeated to the rhythm of music. It starts by advising you to sit back, close your eyes and listen. It was so relaxing, it wasn't long before I was nodding off to sleep. Still, I reckon I can now order the fundamentals, coffee and wine.