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

So there actually *is* a Gilbert O'Sullivan then? Phew! I thought I might have dreamed him up myself and was talking even more nonsense than I usually do!

Heee heee!!!

I've been away again - up to Leicester for a wedding.

It was a hoot! The tables at the reception were all named after cartoon characters (You could be a Simpson, a Muppet, a Scooby Doo or anything like that), and the wedding cake was upside down!

And I mean *literally* upside down.

Great stuff.

That's terribly cool!!!

It certainly was. The Groom had a cartoon version of himself drawn on the back of his shirt. We only saw it at the evening party when he'd taken the waistcoat off.

The whole thing was underlined by humour, and we all had a good laugh throughout the day.

I felt particularly honoured, having been asked to be part of a small ensemble providing music for the service. I was beginning to run out of different ways of fielding the compliments afterwards without sounding either boring or stand-offish. It was nice to be so appreciated!

How very very awesome!!

Yeah - the only downer was that it clashed with the London Meet, so I couldn't go to that!

Ah... well, next time!!! I couldn't go to it either, cause I have school!!!!

Definitely (she hopes). The London Meet always, always, always seems to clash with something else!

On a completely different subject (just out of interest), what's the weather doing where you are?

Oh, she's so British, isn't she? Asking about the weather. Typical...

Sunny and clear skies here, my dearest!!!

Same here (at the moment) but it's the old British 'Sunshine and Showers' routine, so you never know what it's going to be doing next.

Still, I have a lovely view from my desk of the Cupola of Cardiff University Main Building - with it's lovely dragon weather vane surrounded by blue skies and just a hint of cloud in the far background. Better still, there's some trees in the front which have been turned a lovely green by the sun shining through the leaves.

Poetic, what?

Well, more poetic than Tourist Board financial forecasts, anyway...

OOooo... that was quite poetic!!! I see all branches and leaves from my window, but I like it. I often see little birdies, too!!! Sometimes a squirrel comes around. I don't mind.

Sunny and clear skies again.

Tourist Board Financial Forecasts!?? Ewww...

Never mind - I've got two holiday-like thingies to enjoy over the coming months.

We're off to London in September to visit the Elizabeth I exhibition in Greenwich - which is a posh organised tour version with a private viewing of the exhibition and a lecture by the Curator, Dr. David Starkey. Lots of fab things to see, lots of fabulous things to do.

Then we're off to Salzburg for Christmas - our first ever 'Christmas' trip away. No messing about with turkeys or making puddings this year. Mum doesn't have to get up at 5.00 in the morning to make sure the oven's switched itself on - and I don't have to wash the Christmas Dinner dishes!

Can't wait!

C-mases away are the only way to have them!!!

Mind you, I *will* miss the Christmas Pudding and Brandy Sauce.

Never mind. Snowy Austria and a trundle around the Christmas Markets on Christmas Eve is bound to make up for it!

Yeah!??? Herrmmm.... traditions, eh!??

It'd be nice not to have to answer the door to a couple of scruffily dressed teenage boys mumbling the following:

"We wish you a merry Christmas
We Wish you a merry Christmas
We wish you a merry Christmas
And a happy New Year."

And then expecting financial reward so they can fund their planned cider binge. (I have left out s because you can't call what they're doing 'singing').

Actually, we don't normally bother opening the door - and I imagine no one else bothers either. But it's a real pain going out into the hall when the doorbell rings to hear that and know that you've had a wasted journey from your nice warm armchair.

Proper Carol Singers, on the other hand, who are doing it for charity, would get a donation. Unfortunately, we never see any of those. This is a real shame, because - if they *do* sing 'We Wish you a Merry Christmas', they sing it all.

Bring back the Town Waits, I say. Not only did they have musical instruments to accompany them, they knew the songs all the way through.



Blimey - it's only August and I'm blathering about Christmas. Never mind. I'm only following Harrods' lead. They opened their Christmas shop ages ago...

Harrods!!!! Oh boy!!!

My mom likes to volunteer me for little things with her piano students and related peoples. And yet at the same time she is mad at me for having my room in a bit of a mess.

So on the one hand, I'm being too lazy, and on the other hand, she wants to volunteer me to do more and more things that I don't want to do. I want to take care of school, muddle through work, maintain my friendships, and that's enough right now!!!

I AM SPOILED!!!!

As I live at home (with property prices as they are, I'll probably still be living at home when I'm forty at this rate) and have to store the contents of a small flat in my room, I can so completely relate to that - though I get fed up with it myself from time to time and have a bit of a blitz.

That's another reason why I'm glad I'm going away for Christmas this year. As the trip itself is my present, I'm not going to have to try to find somewhere in my room to put it!

Mind you, given that we plan to redecorate and basically redesign the whole room next year, the next one's going to be a blitz to end all blitzes. It'll be worth it though if I get to design a room of my own. That'll be fun. I think we'll need a skip, though.

OOO.. design a room of your own!!! Sounds GREAT!!!

Yes. Living at home. It has its pros and cons. You don't get to get away with living like a slob, but with Mommy doing your laundry, it kinda happens that way...



A skip!??