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

...a cat.

Found one via the net in one of the many Cat Rescue Organisations in East Kent, rang up on the off chance she was still availiable, and lo and behold, she is.

And they're quite happy to hold on to her till early April when I should be pretty much settled.

She's small and plump and black and white, about 10 years old; she's known as Bessie. According to the Rescuer, she's a bossy, independent Matriarch of a moggy, can be affectionate when she feels like it, but likes things on her own terms.



I reckon we'll get along really well

Get along well Sounds to me more like you have met your match

Hope things are going smoothly for you.

Websailor

I reckon you're right! I'll prolly be out-matriarched!



Things are going Alright, ... Mr Credit Onion didn't completely roll around the floor laughing - and they're sending me a loan application, which sort of augers well.

Carpet and Vinyl for the kitchen and bathroom works out cheaper than laminate, so I'll have to knock the laminate idea on the head, I think, and invest in a hoover.

In a word... poot

I've come to a halt with the packing - I can't do any more until I know *when I'm supposed to be moving, really. If I don't hear anything by tomorrow, then I shall phone them and chase.

Landlady comes tomorrow with Youngest's Tenancy Agreement and a list of "Forbiddens" for him to take on board. Eldest finishes work on Friday and will be orf to Australlia in the next few weeks - he's just hanging around to help me move in, bless him, and is going to take whatever Agency Work he can get in the interim.

I'm really going to miss that boy. Its not that we see each other a lot *anyway, but I know he's about. The other side of the world isn't exactly local - but it'll be the making of him I think.

June the School Marm is going to help me choose plants and shrubs and complicated things like always having something pretty and blooming to look at on my 2 patches of earth, and Wendy is going to help me choose lampshades and curtain tracks and domestic stuff I've never been very good at.

And I've had my hair cut very short and very layered today.

How were your visitors on Monday Webbie? Did it go alright?

Life sounds very interesting for you at the moment Ev. Glad you have lots to concentrate on.

You are brave about your eldest going to Australia. Is he going for long, backpacking, or settling in one place? Not being nosey just interested. I have friends scattered around Oz.

I will keep my fingers crossed for the CU. I hope they come good. Carpet and vinyl sounds good, you can always get your fancy flooring at a later date.

My visitors were fine, and very pleased to see birds they hadn't encountered in the wild It is so nice when 'my' wildlife obliges At least having early visitors meant I was up early and had done most things by the time they arrived apart from getting coal in and lighting the fire which I don't do till lunch time anyway. Of course my bird food order had to arrive in the middle of their visit but at least I got some help carrying the 10kg bags through to the back

Today has been gorgeous. Cleaned all the badger dishes and bird feeders. Just have to stock up the food tubs tomorrow, after my blood pressure check not before!! I don't think humping 10kg bags will do much for it!!

Going off to see what 'im indoors' is up to now. Catch you soon. Your hair sounds nice

Websailor

10kg??? Crikey -that LOTS to carry I'm impressed...and rather envious on the quiet, actually

Eldest is going... not back packing exactly, but with a view to spending 2 years at least in Oz - he's a qualified plumber and carpenter, and works in a 2 Michalin Star Restraunt as Commis chef, so he's got enough skills to find work.

He's staying with his friend Bear's parents to begin with,(Bear is 6foot 7, and a broard lad, hence his nickname. I've never known him as anything other than Bear) and have a bit of a break; he deserves it, bless him, he does about 70 hours a week on average, and he really does need a bit of a relax. He's too thin, too pale and too grumpy lately.

Once he's found his feet, he'll work to fund himself to do a bit of travelling... travel... then work some more. He's not cetain yet... but I strongly suspect he'll not come back to GB; he'll put roots down in Oz I think - from the little I know of it, it's a place he'll be good in - he's too upfront and open to enjoy living "here"

To be honest, I think a little bit of my heart will break when he goes; he's one of my best friends as well as a son. I know there's Youngest around, of course, and I love him no less...

But.

My oldest is flying the nest and thank god we're all so incrediably busy none of us really have time to dwell on it (yet) I'll no doubt have a bit of a weep when he *does go.

It'll probably hit me properly when it's his 23rd birthday in July - no-one to bake a cake for in July.

It's going to feel really weird, I think.

I'm glad it was a good visit, and they saw proper wildlife - you must have an immense pride - and well justified,too - in what you've achieved.

Oh, Ev, I do feel for you. We never stop being mothers do we I am sure he will have a wonderful time in Australia, and as you say his work skills should come in mighty handy.

With mobile phones and email etc. he probably won't feel as far away as he once would, and people seem to travel back and forth to the UK quite frequently. He may well do a few years out there, but homesickness and roots are funny things and he may well come back.

You can hardly blame anyone these days for leaving the country, the state it is in, but I better not get on that subject or I will blow a gasket, not good before a BP test.

Videos are loaded on pooter so I must away and get ready to go.

Catch you later, take care.

Websailor

>>homesickness and roots are funny things<<

You never said a truer word

When I first went over to live in Eire, I vowed I'd never come back to Britain (for much the same reasens you allude to, and for very VERY similar reasons that Eldest feels so strongly about)

12 years later, although it wasn't exactly a conscious choice to return, I must admit, it felt quite good to be back "home"

It's tatty, badly organised, overcrowded and all the rest,sure, metaphorically speaking.

But it's home

And e mail, and skype and even stuff like Facebook *will make the world feel smaller. I may even get over to Oz for a nice long holiday and have a good old Look See around.

Good luck with the BP check.

Think and you'll be fine

M'off to pack some more boxes...and fill in yet MORE bits of paper

BP 'perfect' she said Cholesterol 5.6 which used to be good but is now above recommended level! Have to stay off the comfort food Yeah, right!! In this weather?!

About this country, if all the good people leave instead of staying to change things we shall be in a worse pickle. Rats deserting the sinking ship? I hope not, I can't swim

Websailor

Glad to hear the BP is textbook As for the chlolestrol level... honestly, to me, it sounds a bit like dieting...every time you attain "acceptable" the buggers move the goal posts a bit. 5.6 is only a *leetle bit above what I thought was the norm - 5.5, isn't it?

And the chances of wanting to get off comfort food in this weather is... idealistically naive!

(Not that I've ever *attained ideal weight - tho I was there, once upon a time, lon long ago, in a far away country

If there's going to be "change" within this mess of a country it's got to come from within.... or, in my particular case, *undermining some of the more pompous local rules and regs. I've found if I take the mickey enough they eventually employ that rare commodity a bit of common sense just to shut me up, I think...sometimes

Not often enough though!

I think when I'm settled I shall go in a bit more wholeheartedly for reform within the Health Care System ....but don't get me started on that or I'll be here all day - and the land lady is due in 45 minutes!

Hope Son #2 is not frightened by the rules & regs. or the landlady.

NHS guidelines <>

As you say they move the goalposts! Getting off the comfort food is even harder when other half likes traditional winter food and has cholesterol 2.5 !!!! So either I cook what he likes and eat less, or do what I like and he picks at it!! Roll on Summer and salads I say!I

I shall look forward to hearing your progress when you take up the cudgels against the NHS

Websailor

He just opened his big brown eyes, turned on the charm with our landlady (who I really like - and we get on really well as people, so I'm sorry to be going) and I think she took a liking to him.

(She's mainly dealt with wither me or his big bruvver, so youngest was a bit of an unknown quantity) It was all very friendly, and comprehensively business like. It augers really well for both of them.

And I'm really glad he's got a nice home to stay in.


Naw... neither son is afraid of rules and regs - they might get frustrated with the stupidity of 'em and always try and figure out how to short cut the stupid things though

I can't *imagine* where they've learnt that from... must be something from their father's side You and Lil reckon I'm respectable, after all Can't be from me

I know what you mean about cooking for folk who like (and can eat) all the sorts of stuff we shouldn't eat - neither of my 2 understand the concept of "fattening foodstuffs", whilst my metabolism does. For all 3 of us

Like you say, roll on summer, and the salad season.

Or in my case, roll on the moving date!

Glad it went well Ev. He must be quite excited. Of course he couldn't possibly have picked all that up from his Mum

Off to find some healthy lettuce leaves to munch I think I would rather eat badger food at the moment

Websailor

You eat dried worms????

No, but it has been suggested I give my other half a mealworm sandwich when he is being particularly obnoxious Actually people eat mealworms in lots of countries. Very nutritious!!

The badgers get what is similar to my home made muesli and would be quite edible if it wasn't for the way the food is stored at source. I think it might have occasional contact with vermin, since it carries a warning 'not for human consumption'

There are two types of earthworms and badgers are picky, eating only the one species They sniffed and ignored mealworms when I tried them out on them!

Websailor

Your starter


http://www.hcmealworm.com/mealworms_recipe.php

Websailor

EEEEEOw!Ooocha!

And there was I thinking I was hard done by virtuously nibbling rice cakes or quorn "chicken" pieces

Mind you, when I had my first flat away from home, there was always far too much week left over for the money, and I did share the cat's food when I was desparate; Felix is marginally better than Whiskas, imo.

But only just.

You're a fund of fascinating information, you are, you know that?

You too Felix better than Whiskas? I never knew that I know my aged and long gone aunt was found eating worms in the garden when she was little I don't *think* it did her any harm, but she was a funny curmudgeon! She gave me my interest in wildlife so I owe her that at least and I seem to have inherited a lot from her

Websailor