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

Don't know about that Farmer's Wife. She seems to have disappeared into the crisper, do you think?

With her cooking, one can only hope she's gone to the Cordon Bleu...

First day of summer camp for the small person. Last night I had a burst of cleaning energy and did the bathroom and separated the laundry. Now I'm just waiting for the rainclouds to clear a bit so I can get on with it. I refuse to do laundry in the rain, since I have to drag it down to the other end of the building. So if that doesn't happen, I will return books and straighten the living room. Oh, and clean the porch.

(Can you tell my parents are coming?!)

The Queen Ant is threatening to visit The Nest at the end of next month and I'm already worried about the cleaning. Could you send some of that cleaning energy over here, MR? I seem to be right out of it.

I decided to have a go at making some baguettes today, doing the intially mixing and proving in the bread machine. I have just taken them out of the oven and first impression is that I could have a nice little side line in producing police truncheons I will try cutting one once they have cooled and see if they are any softer on the inside.

Okay, okay, you cleaners have guilted me into cleaning out my filing cabinet. I should be done by Friday if I do nothing else this week.

Baguettes are *supposed* to be hard on the outside and soft in the middle. Did you put a pan of boiling water in the oven with them? that helps. If you have a copy of the Joy of Cooking, their recipe is terrific. If not, let me know, and I will post it here. I made that one when I was ten, and it is still the best bread I ever baked.

The baguettes are most definitely hard on the outside, I have a turbo fan oven and it does crusty very well I will let you know how the inside is.

I'd wondered why the 5BXth conversation had dropped out of sight on my My Conversations list. Now I understand

I've no plans on reading the current HP offering any time soon. In fact seem to be the only one who's not read all of earlier ones - I know I've read a couple of them but I can't remember which they were

As for my geekiness -- 5.12821% Which I guess implies that I have a real life. Now if I could just remember where I put it....

[fg, with nothing to say about HP]

[Ben]

*busy researching London maps for the meet-up(s) coming weekend, having thought she'd be staying in a hotel overlooking Hyde Park with the meeting place (Band Stand) just across the road, but having discovered that her hotel is overlooking the Kensington Gardens end instead*

[:x] - reading anything other than HP

If they try to give you a basement room, ask them if you will be able to hear the noise from the Underground, Titania. The line runs underneath all the hotels on the North side of Hyde Park.

Since they're charging me three times the staff rate due to 'high demand' they'd better not put me in the basement! If they do, then I'm afraid it'll be Kristina rather than Titania attending the meet-up!

*comes up the stairs balancing several cartons of Joanna's Doughnuts*

Tea, anybody? *goes into the kitchen*

I'm also trying to decide what to do during my vacation, since the Falun Folk Music Festival that I usually go to every year isn't offering a very interesting programme this year (they've had financial trouble for so many years that I get the impression they're trying to reach a 'wider' audience meaning that the artists will be playing more 'popular' music and less of the very rare and unusual or even odd)

I've been thinking about going to the Seinäjoki Tango Festival in Finland instead - provided I can get tickets for the big song final where the King and Queen of Finnish Tango will be chosen - that is a *very* big event in Finland...

...and while listening to samples of the songs, I realize that the penchant I have for sentimental songs is in fact part of my Finnish heritage... try this, and you'll see what I mean (sorry, I think the samples are only available in the Finnish version of the site):

http://www.tangomarkkinat.fi/kh/etusivu.htm#

The songs are listed below a dotted line below the photo to the right - I recommend the third one for a typical example of Finnish tango (titled 'Jos minut vielä kohtaat') - clicking on the will open either a wav or a mp3 file

I don't blame you. And definitely throw a fit if they give you any lip!

A fit? Oh no - I couldn't afford to allow myself that luxury - it'd take me hours to calm down afterwards, and I'd be no fun to be around at the meet-up - it's been years and years ago since I last unleashed 'the beast' within me, probably thanks to my Flamenco dance that allows me to take the 'beastie' for a walk every now and then, so to speak - or to let off steam a bit at the time rather than allowing it to build up a disastrous pressure...

Today is the seventh week aniversary for my diet. Pounds lost are now 41 with ::mumble mumble:: pounds to go.

My current obsession is canned zucchini packed in tomato sauce...

Last night as I was driving home after dropping Bryce off at work, the check engine light came on in my car... Now I get to replace an EGR valve .

I have cleaning to do today. Mostly laundry. I also should start cleaning the place if I am having a fellow Salonista over next month. Yes, it will take nearly that long to get everything habitable.

How was it you were all able to post today? All I got when trying to get to any dna site was a blank white screen.