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

Ooh. There's a strange knocking sound that appears to be coming from downstairs. I live above a funeral parlour. Eeek!

Creepy, Amy.

Speaking of power outages, I just had one. Just for a few minutes. We are also having a thunder storm at the moment. The snow drifts are melting and the puddles are huge. I'm glad I dug out the storm drain in front of my house.

Might I suggest that you go downstairs and knock on the door to find out if they're doing any refurbishing, Amy?

*hurries off to the kitchen to get the self-refillable champagne bottle*

*returns and promptly refills all glasses*

Congratulations Hati!

*helps herself to a slice of *

Wonders if what Amy is hearing is a break-in or a break-out

Well... if it's a break-out Amy might find someone already knocking on the door - from the inside... ...in which case the person in question would probably be very happy to be spared the experience of spending the night in...

I'm not going into the alley at the back of the house now. It's dark!

Lil, does your post office have income tax forms to distribute? I'm in the middle of an argument with another library director over whether or not we should have them. I do...she doesn't. Anyway, our post office stopped distributing them several years ago, when the IRS started using UPS instead of the postal service.

My friend's argument is that I'm making things easier for the government and I should make them distribute their own forms. I think the ones I'm making it easier for are my taxpayers...who pay my salary. And since the post office no longer has them, I'm the only game in town. This year I've had several hundred people so far come in and pick up forms - and many of them live in her library district, not mine.

B4, thanks for the haikus. Have you ever submitted any of them to the Post?

Amy, do you have a dog...hopefully a large one?

I now have proof that California sees the world slightly differently than the rest of the world. They put out their own "likely targets" list, and put LAX and Disneyland ABOVE the naval base in San Diego.

Somehow, I just don't think the government here gets it....

Hypatia, the best thing H and I ever did was find a reliable accountant. When self-assessment tax forms where introduced here by HM's illustrious(?) Inland Revenue, we thanked the gods for having someone who could electronically find the things and save us money as well as hassle.

Just watched the 6th episode of Taken, whilst it is a good enough yarn, I can't see how it is going to have a plausible ending. I wish Dark Skies had never been dropped.

Do Californians really have earthquake kits, MR and sea, if so what's in them?

Blech. Today has been torturous at w*rk. I wish it would end!

[spk]

Well done, Hati! Great news!

I didn't sleep well last night

Did the noise from downstairs eventually stop, Amy?

There were strange noises all night but they've stopped now.

After watching Taken last night I dreamt about ! Not helped by Cassie going at about 3 am, I hope 24 doesn't have the same effect tonight.

Could the funeral directors be having heating problems, Amy? Their pipes might be knocking.

It could be my pipes! Well, not mine, the central heating's pipes... although come to think of it...

The central heating boiler has been on the blink for ages.

Amy, I suppopse you're tired of hearing this question, but how did you wind up above a funeral parlor? In this area the morticians often live upstairs or next door. Does a relative own the business?

Our snow hasn't started yet, but the chance for it has increased to 80% and the accumulation amounts have gone up from 2-4" to 4-8". Still nothing compared to the great eastern whiteout. The largest snowfall we've had recently was 14" on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

It's a clear morning in Lincoln, at 40° and with a blustery wind that hasn't stopped since yesterday. I had a lovely meal with friends in Capitan last night and I have an important client coming later this morning. She's an artist who has been nominated for the Award for Excellence, an artist whose work sells for high dollars, and if I can produce good giclées for her (it's an emergency) it will be excellent for business.

The weak link will be scanning 4x5 transparencies. I have a high quality 35mm scanner, but the 4x5s will have to be done on the flatbed. Wish me luck, guys, cos this could be a big break!

And inquiring minds want to know, how did Amy wind up living atop a funeral parlor?

*goes off to clean the house*

[MTG]