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

ROFL! It IS nice to have you back, Looney.
Would you like some green tea?
*watches bot*
If I paint her, will the Italics suspend me for a week?

By the way, I must remember to hide the July 24 New Yorker. It has an article about two restaurants in Guangdong Province that specialise in rat cuisine. Rat is so popular in their town that a pound of rat meat is twice as expensive as a pound of beef. They only eat country rats, ras raised on fruit.
*looks over at melon on floor next to bowl*
Mindspring, would you like some melon?
*Springie looks interested but can't be bothered to go over to the kitchen*
Oh very well, I'll bring it over. I should have you nominated as a mascot for the Lazy B******s.

A concerned man who has just finished eating last night's left-over Chinese take-aways for lunch, sips the proferred green tea.

Thinks he may need a bit of a lie-down after reading Lil's post.

Closest I've ever come is prarie dog. Not only do the little buggers cause heaps of problems for farmers out here, they are way too greasy also. Blah! I think I'll stick with the normal meats from now on - at least for a while.

Here's a chunk of cantaloupe for Mindspring. No seeds so its easier to eat.

G7

Watermelon for breakfast on the verandah, what a marvelous idea.

I'll just sit here and wait to see if anyone else come along.

Good morning Phil! I see Styx is still out.
*comes in leading Ook, who is very pleased to see Mindspring but also entranced by the veranda*

Do you smell that faint whiff of old smoke? Fifteen hectares of Magic Forest was burned down last night by a fireworks party at the cafe. And then soebody put up a billboard at the back with forest painted on it.

All the balsam trees I planted along the trail between here and there are gone.

Minoova, would you bring me some tea please, and bring some mbougatses, too. And melons and greens for the animals.

Minoova: Oui, madame.

So. I've put a message in with CLI and with Irv. Maybe I should get in touch with Bluebottle and see if he has any more acorns. *sighs ad leans back in chaise lounge* I didn't know what to do so I just came home and brought Ook with me.

Hi Lil!

*sympathy for Lil, as I understand she has put a great deal of effort in to being summer caretaker*

Just wanted to tell you that ox is standing outside the porch of the cafè with a backpack full of seeds, ready to replant some of the forest.

You just sit here'n'relax, and I'll go help her.

FLAP-FLAPPP!

*washes face and hands and fett to get off soot*
*takes long drink of water*
Hey Food Lady! I'm HUNGRY! Been reading and reading and reading all night, lots of threads, lots of lore!

Smoke, feh.

*comes in off veranda*
Good morning Styx. mbougatses? pork pie, that's a good idea. You can help me work through these.
*puts down food for rat*
So what did you learn last night?

*eats and washes face and hands*
That was good.
I learned a lot last night. History. About this place. h2g2. And I'm tired now.
*goes to nest and settles down with gnawing stick calendar*

*notices acorn lying by Styx's food bowl*
Oh!
*rushes down the stairs and up the pathto the cafe*

Hello Lil, Styx and everyone else.
Summer has finally arrived in London. This week (probably all there will be ) has been hot and sunny all week, just hope it can last over the weekend.
The whole idea of sitting on a verandah in a rocking chair or swing chair does appeal right now.

*service lift hums and opens*
*Lil returns to veranda*

Wow. No more path till the Boffin Boys help me clear a new shortcut. We just grew a whole new forest. Amazing sight. What shall we have for lunch?

*A low-pitched, grinding roar can be heard coming from downstairs. It changes to a lower pitch and the ground starts to vibrate. The sound slowly recedes in the direction of the cafe.*

*GL runs up the stairs.*

Lil, the service elevator will be out of service for a little while.

*Disappears down the stairs again. Jackhammer sounds can be hear echoing up the elevator shaft. Then some clunking and grinding sounds. GL appears again, running up the stairs.*

Almost done. Just have to change the cable.

*GL disappears up the ladder to the roof.*

All this running about in the middle of the day, can't be good for you.

*Decides that he feels like some music, so goes and sees if he can find an old gramaphone to bring some life to almost round bits of thick black plastic*

Minoova, some Pimms and Lemonade please - just cucumber, llime and mint please - make a jug. Thanks.

*GL comes down the ladder*

Hi Phil, how are you today? I can't stay to talk right now, I'm just finishing up a project here. I'm almost done, though. Just need to reconnect a few things downstairs, then it will be ready to test.

*GL heads for the stairs and calls over his shoulder:*
Did you see the new woods? No paths at all ...

I'm not doing too badly. I think everyone here is feeling rather apathetic due to the heat and the fact it's friday afternoon

I couldn't see the woods for all the trees in the way
(told you it was a slow day)
I am sitting here in the office, the fire escape doors are open, not much air is moving and I can get the faint waft from a BBQ going on somewhere nearby and it's making me hungry.

*Comes back out to find a jug of pimms on the table.*
GL I found this old gramaphone downstairs. Is it ok to use?
well I'll try anyway.

*Places large black disk onto the gramaphone plate, takes a new needle from the gramaphone plate and caefully places it into it's holder and turns switch to on*

*Slowly the sound of Louis and Ella fills the air*

Summertime and the living is easy...

*The service lift gives a groan, then begins to rise. GL opens the cage and walks out.*

Well, Phil, it's all ready. I can't wait to show Lil. Wanna see?

Go on then, what have you done this time, built a replica moxon wood in minature?

*Eyes light up*

Say, that wouldn't be a bad idea.

*Looks wistful for a moment. Then shakes head.*

No, come on over to the service lift and I'll show you.

*Pulls Phil along to the lift and points at the floor selector panel.*

See, remember how it used to have just 1st floor and 2nd floor. See what I added? And you know what it is for?


pssssspspspsppsssss


*Stands back proudly.*