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

Oh, your poor knee! I hope the doctor can do something for you, and the one who said you're lucky not to break any bones, well, I suppose that *is* lucky - but luckier would have been not to have had any injuries at all!
My daughter-in-law has a doctor's appointment on Monday, and she and I hope so much that all will be well! (She's had an on-going problem that is causing her heaps of pain.) So, I wish you *both* well.

Re missing women, there were three missing, and the bodies of two have been found. One, the schoolteacher in the South Island, no information has been released about - but another - the 49 year old businesswoman, was definitely murdered, as a police enquiry is proceeding. It is so sad! The 3rd woman, the youngest, is still missing, and possibly "no news is good news" as my mother's generation used to say. I am so sad about Margaret Hassan as well - the death of Ken Bigley was so awful, I hope she is all right - released unharmed, as the two Italian aid workers were back a few weeks ago...

Well, both my knee and back are much better now. I've been doing Pilates exercises at home, which has helped my back a lot.

Didn't end up seeing a doctor (yet) as the two appointments I made with a GP here got cancelled. It turns out that she mostly sees patients in the afternoon/evening, which is when I am working, so now I need to look for another GP I can get to see in the mornings.

So, have you recovered from the US election? After my initial response (sadness, disappointment, fear, dread) I think perhaps it might be a case of 'better the devil you know . . .'


az

Ah, doctors... I don't like them very much - I am glad to hear your knee and back are a bit better...
<< think perhaps it might be a case of 'better the devil you know>>

That is a good way of looking at it, and probably quite correct! I am getting over it, though yesterday, I was deeply depressed about it...
Right now, I am obsessing about Jim and his University future - to me, he's not getting things done fast enough (applications etc) but as he rightly points out, he can't do anything until after his exams. He's gone to school today to study (though he's officially on study leave and could stay home.) I think he likes to study (gossip?) with his friends, but that's okay...

Just caught the banter between you and Hoo on the thread. Good for you! I see you are developing a good sense of humour about dealing with Hoo and not just taking the bait, as it were.

Well, Jim may be right that there isn't much he can get done about applications, etc until his exams are over, but I reckon it doesn't hurt for you to be reminding him of what still needs to be done. After all, that's what mums are for!

Still not sure about weekend plans. We were going to go to Gibraltar for the day tomorrow, then stop overnight at a little nearby beach village called Bolonia that has fabulous Roman ruins that go straight down to the beach. We wanted to visit those on Sunday morning then continue along the coast and have lunch in another lovely beach village I know of before coming home again. BUT, today it is totally p*ssing down and although the forecast says it will clear by midday tomorrow . . . well, what if it doesn't?

What to do, what to do . . .


az

Roman ruins, wow! What a wonderful place you live, well, was it is p*ssing down, or did you get to go? How frustrating! We have blazing sunshine here, which is just so awesome!
Jim is studying chemistry, which is his first exam... He's doing all science subjects, and he's on a StudyIt website, where he chats to his friends, especially a girl called Elizabeth (she's a lovely girl). He wants me to get off, so he can do that. Sigh. I should let him...

I can't write it all again, if you'd like to know about my 'fun weekend' away you can check out my journal entry:

F119314?thread=521385


az

Wll do, thanks!

Saw this in a bookshop today and thought you might find it funny.

http://www.orionbooks.co.uk/HB-31464/The-Sellamillion.htm


How's things? We finally got the router set up here so that Noggin and I can both be online at the same time. Which is nice.


az

Just had a look! Interesting... (I'm one of the three people who's read past page 40, but I'd read the Sellamillion!

Jim's brother wants to do the same thing with a router, but we don't have enough room in this stinking house.

Not enough room?


az

Oh, the house seemed large enough when we moved here from a poky flat, but it's actually quite small, and currently hella cluttered... (Jim just gave you a nice cuppa.)

Thanks for the hot - am just between classes and it's a bit in the flat.

I'm still confused about the space problem relating to installing a router. Do you mean you don't have space for two computers? The router is just a tiny box that connects two or more computers to the internet at the same time.

Anyhow, it's been quite fun 'dual hootooing' here, with me on the normal computer and Noggin sitting at the table with his laptop. Someone joked that we were going to end up communicating by sending each other messages on our chat thread even though we are sitting about six feet away from each other . . .


az

Yes, that's exactly the problem - there isn't space near enough to power outlets etc for two computers, though oddly, garth's computer, which we gave to his ex-girlfriend, she has just given back to us! Gerard wants to set them up together, and it's possible he'll know a way to do it, but it doesn't look possible yet.

<>

Yes, that does sound fun!

Have you two had a look at the pics of my granddaughter @ http://alji-family.buzznet.com/user/?id=666262


alji

hi Alji,

Lovely photos! I think I have seen them previously - did you also post them on Noggin's page?


Della,

With a router one computer has to have an 'ethernet' connection (I had to install an ethernet card in mine) to be the main computer that is connected to the router and telephone line.

Then you also get a remote thingy-whatsit (in the router package) that has a USB connection for the other computer. This creates a wireless connection to the router.

Surely a second computer only needs one power outlet? Or a multi-plug extension cord to plug in the second computer and monitor, etc.

One thing. I think you need to have an ADSL connection in order to run the router - at least you do in Spain. What sort of connection do you have now?

If you are on dial-up or have some other internet connection based on the normal internal modem you can still connect both computers via your server, though you would have to be online at separate times.

Anyhow, no doubt one of your sons knows far more about all this than I do, so best of luck with it.


az

She's lovely, alji! What a nice name as well... In the main photo, she looks more puzzled than anything else. You are *so* lucky to have grandkids, I am still waiting.

Congratulations!

We're on dial-up but I'll wait til Gerard comes in about 3 weeks, so he can blind me with science, which will be fun!
(His wife is considering living in a tent in our back yard - yeah right! We've had rain every day for six months - or so it seems...)

hi there,

Just popping by to place my personal vote for the new name - so far my favourite has been Apple. I liked that one a lot. Fresh and crunchy! Seems to suit you somehow.

So how are things going? I'm well, just trying to get a bit more work these days, but otherwise surviving. Did you hear (or read) about my birthday trip? Noggin took me to Granada and it was lovely. Here are some photos:

http://public.fotki.com/azahar/granada/


az

Hola, az!
Yes, Apple is on my shortlist... I got it from a Chinese student of mine. Back in 2003, I had a job peer-tutoring, and the appointment was booked in by one of three students under his Chinese name. When they arrived, they were 2 guys in their early 20s, and a woman of about 18. The first guy said "Hi, I am Ken, she's Apple and this is Brad."
I asked about the phenomenon of Chinese students choosing 'English' names - they do it, and Koreans don't - the Koreans think it's demeaning, but the Chinese enjoy it. In the case of these three, the guys had chosen the girl's name for her, because of her round face and rosy red cheeks!
One peer tutoring student asked me to choose an 'English' name for her, so I chose Nina, because it was very close to her Chinese name. Ken and Brad had chosen their names from popular culture, Ken is a common name in NZ (tho' for men in their 50s!) and Brad had been got from some movie or TV programme (American, no doubt.)
The current name, Freemans Bay, is a suburb in Auckland, which is the city where we live.
Gerard and Jim discovered when G., was here, that the innards of Garth's computer were partly fried, which is probably why Therese gave it back to us - maybe one of her kids had broken it. Still, they cannibalised usable parts and so this one now has a phenomenal memory taken from the other one.
I just had a look at the photos, what an interesting place! I am glad you had such a wonderful trip. Generalife Palace looks great. I have heard of Alhambra, back when I was young. There was a TV channel (British) called Grenada, and they had a subsidiary called Alhambra, this was back in the '60s - they might have been a production company rather than a channel...

Just letting you know that I have added you to my friends list. Didn't do it before because I wasn't sure if you considered me a friend and I didn't want to be presumptuous.




az