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

I'll pass on the I've never been a great fan. Thanks for the thought though.

The meeting went off OK. We sat down and went through my sickness record (which is pretty bad). The thing that came out of it was that when I am ill, I don't always get in touch with the office, and this worries them. Its not always easy for me to do this as the attacks usually happen late at night and I live alone so there is no one to ring in on my behalf the next day. There is apparently some history in thier concern as once about 10 years ago some one didn't show at the office for about a week and when they investigated they found that person dead at home from a brain haemorrhage.

As to the future, well they've got me on a fast track through Occupational Health. The results of that meeting decide whats going to happen to me in the long run. I don't really want to lose my job, as I enjoy most of it and I don't want to have to move away from the area, but if push comes to shove I guess I will have to go.

On a happier note the walk on the beach was lovely. A nice sunny day with a stiff sea breeze

Im glad that the meeting went OK yesterday and that they are getting you to see the Occupational health people. It would be good to get to the bottom of what is happening.

The not phoning in issue is a difficult one. I live alone as well and if you are really ill it is very difficult to be awake / in a fit state to call at the time those who are at work expect. On the other hand I have been the other end, as the person who phones people to see if they are OK.

I am gald that they are taking a concerned approach, hopefully they will do what is needed to make it possible for you to stay there.

I am glad the walk was good, I could use something like that right now!

...and I know how. Losing a friend like that is just about the most s**t thing that can happen to you.

I'm presuming that you are still going off to the Dutch meet. Well If you are, try to have yourself a good time as it really is a cool country full of wonderful people. When you get back, we'll take it from there

Thank you

Buttons was a real character, definitely his own cat and full of that wonderful unconditional love that is so hard to find inlife!

I am still going to the Dutch Meet, there seems little point in not going and I could use a good blast even more now! It should be great and I am looking forward to escaping over there!

If I dont catch you before I go, see you next week. Have a great weekend yourself



Light

Hi Sammy GD!

How was your weekend? Did you have fun? What did you do?

The Dutch Meet was great fun, excessive , insufficeint sleep, loads of chat! Great weekend!



Light

Posting at work. No time to hang around as TPTB will get me.

*waves to LHG*

Talk later when at home.

* waves as GD *

* waits for later *

*later comes crashing through the door, trips on the rug, falls over and bangs his head*

Hi LHG

I dislike posting at work. I'm always paranoid that TPTB will look a little deeper into the BBC URLs of my worktime surfing history, and that when they do, the s**t will well and truly hit the fan. The funny thing is the internet at the office seems to work faster when you're looking at a legit site, like the NHS or some other Government site. When you turn onto the Beeb or some such, it slows down to practically nothing.

I had a pretty good weekend. Staying with friends first in London and then on to Portsmouth. I think I might have recruited at least one of them to this dear place as I used their computers to pop in briefly. Seems you had a good time over at the Dutch meet. I really ought to go to one sometime.

All the best




BTW I don't like "Sammy"

* helps GD up of the floor *

Hows your head

Glad you had a fun weekend too

I know what you mean about work time surfing, sensibe call to keep it to a minimum. I will miss it when I am at my newe job, but hey what are weekends and evenings for

The Dutch meet was great fun, I have not laughed that much for that long in too long a time! I can highly recommend them. The one in London sounds like ti will be excellent and the Dutch gang are talking about doing it all again next year

Sorry Sam - wont do *that* again

So when exactly does the new job start?
Is it in the same area, more or less commuting?
And fundamentally does it come with more bunce?

I have a bit of a gap between jobs - I am going away for a few days then have about a week at home, to do all those things I just keep not getting to (or not doing them as the case may be )

The new job is also in HR. I terms of geography - at the moment I work 45 mins in one direction, and the new job is 1.5 hours in the opposite one.

Its a fantastic job with a great company and will be well worth the commute. The package includes a car (as does my current one) and is worth considerably more per annum - quite apart from the ability to get a really good name on my CV and to do a job I will be able to get my teeth into. I feel I have fallen on my feet somewhat, very lucky.

I have read bits of your journal about the fun and games of leaving your job. Its really good that you've found something that will both boost your career and that you think you will be happy doing. As you said its in the opposite direction from Heathrow I presume its in the Birmingham area (not a part of the world I know at all.)

I can't say I envy you on the commuting side, regardless of whose car you're driving. The one benefit of my current job is that its 20 minutes walk away, or 25 if I feel like going through the park (which of course I always do.) In my last job I had to drive about 40 minutes down the coast to Worthing and I have to say after 4 years it started to grate somewhat. In the end I used to try to find wierd little back routes through the streets of Brighton and on to make the journey more interesting.

Enjoy your days off. You could spend the time watching piles of washing up say. And did you know that if you watch it long and hard enough, it doesn't wash itself! The same apparently applies to gardens, what ever one of those is.

Hiya,

I had what turned out to be a fabulous day today. This afternoon I had a long meeting planned with the Deputy Director of Personnel to go through all sorts of financial issues that have hit their department and the hospital in the last month or so. Well we took one look at the glorious weather and decided to abandon his pokey little office and we skived off down the road to a beach bar and worked there instead.

If only every day could be like that

Sounds like my kind of meeting!

I have just got back from some wonderful days in Denmark and seem to have survived my grandmothers 90th Birthday party!

How has your weekend been?

In a word, dull. I've spent most of the weekend cleaning and tidying my house in preparation for my mother arriving later in the month.

We have rather different standards you see. I realise that the dust doesn't get any deeper after 7 month, and she considers cleaning behind the cooker after breakfast just to make sure.

So what's a 90th birthday party like? My grandma will be that age next March so I would appreciate a few pointers.

I hope my mother never decides to come and stay! A whole weekend of cleaning - you are a brave man. I long to be able to afford a cleaner - Oh that would be good. Your mother sounds like quite a lady!

90th Birthday party in my family turned into somewhat of a competative event! My Grandmother has two daughters, my mother and her sister. My Aunt is definitely the favoured daughter and gets all the credit. She and my mother had booked a hall and invited a total of 40 relatives. There seemed to be rather a lot of competative hostessing going on!

Next there was the competition for my Grandmothers attention. That was an interesting one. This was closely followed by the competition to impress relatives with how far we had all travelled and between the parents for whose children were doing best. Then there was the usual posturing between distant realatives who only meet at family 'dos' like this. I hate all this game playing!

I actually have some really interesting relatives so it was quite fun to sit and watch. I only played the game sufficiently that my mother did not feel I had let her down!

I hope your family have a more relaxed and fun time in March. what is your grandma like?

What is my Grandma like? My Grandma is one of the most wonderful people you could ever hope to meet. She's provided the steel, the brains and the drive in my family. My family being characterised by having tough hard working women and nice but rather ineffectual men.

Her big problem in life was being born into a poor unskilled working class family just before WW1. She achieved everything that her limited choices provided, but I know she feels disappointed that her daughter (my Mum) never got to the levels she though that she could have. I in turn feel somewhat guilty that I haven't achieved all that I could have and that I am letting the side down.

The problem now is that she is 89 and the wheels are coming off. Grandma is now practically blind and her hearing is at best dodgy. All this limits her horizons and is just shutting her in. I know that she is deeply bitter about her now, but there is nothing I can do to make it better, and that just rips me up inside. Its worse still for Mum, who is now practically commuting across the Atlantic to be with Grandma to try to do what ever she can for her.

I don't know how this will all pan out in the end. But I can't help feeling that we are entering the end game

I've just popped back and reread what I typed. I guess you hit me on a raw nerve there (plus half a bottle of wine in my guts.)

Life will be moderately cool in the morning. I will have another walk on the beach, I will throw more stones into the sea and will come home to carry on with the cleaning project in anticipation of my mother's arrival ()

Your Grandmother sounds like one amazing lady.

Mother and daughter relationships are often fraught and speaking as a daughter I think it is pretty common for us not to live up to our mothers expectations. Speaking very generally, mothers want whats best for their daughters and tend to assume that the things that will make their daughters happy are the things that they themselves aspired to. Society changes so much generation to generation now that this is often a highly unrealistic expectation. As daughters it can be hard to remember that our mothers expectations come from their love for us.

It saddens me to read that you feel that you have disappointed them. I am sure that they are proud of you, I know I dont know you that well, but it seems to me that they would have a lot to be proud of

What would you like to have achieved?

It is hard when grandparents and parents start to feel the effects of age. It is hard for them and hard for those of us who have to watch. Do you get to see her often? i am sure you do a lot more to make it better than you realise - just loving her may not seem to make it better but deep down inside she will appreciate it. The fact that she lets you see her frustrations suggests to me that she really cares for you and feel safe in letting down the outer walls to you. I am lucky enough to still have both my grandmothers - one lets me in the other would never dream of showing anyone her vulnerabilities and frailitys. In talking to you about it and in your listening you will be helping her. I can understand it is even harder for your mother, the distance cant help.

I know it will be hard for you but remember there are people here for you - you know where to find us right?

Bloomin' 'eck, and aren't you a fast typist

We've got a slow simulpost thing going on here. I'll read and respond in more detail tomorrow. I've given up on the serious s**t for the evening and I'm chilling out on a Guinness Export Strength and the cool sounds of Moby