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

Hello Catharina

I just noticed that you are online so thought I'd send you a message. It's been awfully quiet over in the coffee bar today but I must admit that I've been out for a lot of the day so shouldn't complain!

Hope you are well. I'm not really looking forward to the weekend as my husband is off to Vancouver on Saturday until next Friday on business so I'm on my own. I don't usually mind too much but for some reason I'm really down at the thought of him being away.

I had lunch with a friend today which I enjoyed I then had a little retail therapy!

Do you garden? I saw some lovely hanging baskets and tubs. I usually do my own but these looked so pretty i was tempted to just buy them all made up. I think I'll grow some lettuce and herbs in tubs ths year just by the kitchen door so they are handy for cutting a few leaves at a time. I did that a couple of years ago and had salads all the summer.

Hope you have a nice weekend if I don't speak to you before. Have you heard from BDG, I haven't noticed her around much.



Helen

Hi Helen,

It's always worse being on your own during a Bank Holiday week-end. You imagine everybody else having a lot of fun. But think: theyl'' all be in some traffic-jam or at the garden-centre, or worse, at the D.I.Y shop.
Come and stay with me for a few days!!

What kind of lettuce do you grow in your tubs, so that you can have a few leaves at the time? I'm not much of a gardener, I just do what I have to really, but, even me will get carried away seeing all the plants in the garden-centre.

Last night I visited the CB several times and there was nobody there. It occurred to me that there might be lots of us doing the same thing. I was tempted to leave a message and then didn't, because I was afraid nobody would answer. Oh dear!!

BDG has been having a tricky time. First of all, her daughter Lucy had a bad cough and kept BDG and husband awake at night. She is better now but now BDG is depressed about her work. I somehow feel that if she joined in at the CB it might cheer her up, but I realise that once you are depressed the last thing you need is a lot of inane chat. Wish I could help her.
Maybe see you to-night, look out for me. I'm wearing an orange jumper!!

XX



Catharina

Hello Catharina,

Sorry I didn't make it back to the CB last night but I was exhausted after sorting him out! He's off on his way to Heathrow now and then to Vancouver. It's a lovely sunny afternoon up here so I think I'll get out my lounger and have a couple of hours with my book or the papers. I'd love to come and stay!

I've just sowed some Lollo Rosso (frilly edge),red oak leaf, and some butterhead lettuce and some radicchio. I didn't have much luck with the latter the last time but I don't think there was much sun where I planted them out. I just put them in creme fraiche pots and put a plastic sandwich bag round each with a rubber band. I'll put them on a piece of card on the top of a radiator until they germinate then just let them get to potting out size. You could put them straight in a pot outside where you are I would think. They come on a bit faster inside though. The ones you thin out you can just put them in with other salad you have. I'll plant some Rocket and some Basil next week. I hope at least some will grow. I just buy the iceberg and add some colour with the ones that I've grown.

I hope BDG will be okay. There is nothing worse than tiredness and depression. If I can't get enough sleep it depresses me something rotten. We all used to have such a laugh in the CB but I think we have become lurkers. I looked in the same night as you said and I didn't post either! Next time I'll post something even if it's utter nonsense!

Well I'm going to get a little bit of sun before it's too late.

See you later in the CB perhaps.



Helen

Hi Helen,

Oh dear, You are a SERIOUS gardener, aren't you? I must admit, I get very impatient. And gardeners have to have patience, don't they? I don't know if I can go through all that to grow a lettuce. Too lazy, I suppose.

Hope you are having a nice, peaceful afternoon. Me, I can't get settled, feel so restless.
Had a very bad night and feel quite dozy, I've phoned a few friends but nobody seems to be around. I feel unloved and unwanted.
Do you ever feel like that?
I can get very depressed and feel so low, and then, somebody phones and my whole mood changes immediately. Very volatile.
I always imagine you as very calm, are you?

Have you made any plans for the time you are on your own?
I had decided to get the suitcase out with my summer-clothes and have a look what I've got. I always find it mildly exciting because things turn up that I've forgotten about. But the suitcase hasn't been opened yet, I can't get going.

What a miserable old cow, you're thinking, and I don't blame you, I even agree.

I'll go and have a look at the CB and see whose life I can make miserable on there.
Things have never got really going, have they? I sometimes think it needs Perks to put in more of an appearance, somehow he seems to get things together, he has a real talent, hasn't he?
I was thinking how little we know about him, his job or anything, really. Or perhaps other people do, but he's a mystery to me.

Weak sun coming out now. I've got a gardening question for you.
I have ahalf-circle bed in the front-garden, it is around 2 walls, if you know what I mean. Last year I had a very expensive, new plant there, it was South African, so maybe it was far too cold there in winter. Anyway, it died. Now I want to replace it with a shrub, it will be in full sun all day, but it's a windy corner in winter. Have you any suggestions? Maybe a rhododendron? What do you think? I have to have something that doessn't need too much watering as I have to wade through a large area of large pebbles to get to it.

Hope to see you later in the CB.
I know we have all become lurkers, but it's so miserable if you start a new message and nobody answers.
This morning I had an answer from the Host (on CB) when I was idly wondering why my posts went from 600 to 616 and then back to 611 and then 622 and then 612 again. I don't know if her(or his) explanation explains it.

See you soon,

Love

Catharina

Hello Catharina,

Oh dear have you ever wished that you hadn't posted something on the MB's? I think I may have started a bit of a war with my posting about SC. I'm sure it's him or someone with a weird sense of humour to use that name. Oh well tomorrow is another day!

Hope I didn't put you off with all that detail re the lettuce. I thought later on you could always buy some lettuce plants. I once bought a tray of about 8. They aren't that easy to get (or perhaps I go at the wrong time to the garden centre!). I was thinking about your flower bed problem. A rhododendron would be alright if your soil is the right type. I can never remember which type you need for them! If there are any growing in other gardens around you, it will be okay. Next door to us have one in a large pot in the front, and it survives the winter in a pretty windy position. Hope that helps!

I often feel low but I put on some music that I like and it usually cheers me up.

I'd also planned to get out some summery clothes and have a bit of a sort out. I made a start today but didn't like what I found so a few things went into the charity bag! I'm hoping to meet a friend either Tues or Wed for a meal and I may go shopping on another day.

I'm being lazy with food and trying to use up some oddments from the freezer. I had a lovely lamb steak today, not sure what I'll find for tomorrow!

The weather is not supposed to be so good tomorrow - typical I suppose for the holiday!

Well it's late so I'll say goodnight. See you in the CB tomorrow?



Helen

Morning Helen,

Bank Holiday Monday,
10-30 and still in my dressing-gown after having read the paper. That's how slummocky I get now and again. Took a sleeping tablet last night and didn't wake up till 9-00.
Weelll......

What do you think? Just as I typed weeelll, the doorbell rang and it was a friend from down the road. Bringing me a magazine,but wouldn't come in because she feels she wants to go home and lie down.

Perhaps it's one of those days.

Helen, I was so glad you brought up the Scott Clout thing, because I was so fed-up with it all. Before he was banned I never joined in with anyhthing he appeared in and just hoped everybody would do the same. The after 9 thing with Shellay made me feel sick and all his rantings...the man must be seriously disturbed.
So, when you posted that message yesterday I was glad to put my twopennorth in. So, now we know:"Banned doesn't mean a thing." But if nobody answers his messages, at least he doesnt get the satisfaction of upsetting everybody. What kind of a sick person is it who isn't happy unless he can argue?
Fancy working with him, it must be awful.

So, good for you!!

Yes, music does make you feel better, doesn't it? You've got to choose the right stuff though, otherwise it makes you worse.

Friend of mine and I a year or so ago went off in her car. We had decided to go out and look at nature, as we were both very depressed. She had a Jim Reeves tape on and we enjoyed his singing, but you know how he is, it's seldom cheerful and at one point she had to stop the car in a lay-by because we were both in tears!!! Actually, that made us laugh, so it helped after all.

I shall look out for lettuce-plants. I have a "Village Nursery" within walking distance and shall have a look at the rhododendrons as well. I know they@ll grow here. My husband was over the moon when we came to live here because it was the first time we had the right soil for growing them. He planted quite a few of the more common, fast-growing variety and they became enormous and were eventually the cause I had all the garden dug up and re-landscaped. So I have to be careful and choose a slow-growing one.

I was disappointed that my summer-clothes looked so awful, I've got a large bag for the jumble-sale and another for the Charity shop.

Maybe see you in the CB later, I haven't looked in yet.
Where is JYY, do you know?

Love

Catharina

Hi Catharina

It's been a funny old day. I'll be glad when thngs are back to normal tomorrow!

Just had a look on the R2 board and I fear something weird going on. You can call me Miss Marple but I think Dr who is impersonating SC! I pressed the complaint button but no luck. I think S is reading, then sending his response to someone else who is posting on his behalf, hence his being able to fool the mods. I wish there was a way of emailing the Host directly as I've no wish to say anything on the boards. I'd hate to meet him as I think he could be dangerous!

My husband rang me from Vancouver this afternoon. Seems the weather is not too good there so I'm glad I decided not to go with him. He's at a convention and they have been putting up a stand but got delayed because the hotel had put the boxes in separate places so they were chasing around trying to find everything. He was just thankful that it all got there!

I laughed when I read about you still in your dressing gown! It's fatal to come on here supposedly for a few minutes. I do and before I know it half an hour has gone by!

I hope you get the Rhododendron. What colour have you got in mind? The one next door to us is lemon and a bit pale but I think there are so many lovely shades. I keep looking at the tubs of seeds and am willing them on! I get a bit impatient with plants. I must go and buy 3 Marguerite plants to put in a large container. They grow together and it's just a mass of flowers all summer long. They are usually only about £2.50 so it's a real bargain.

A friend of ours who lives in Amsterdam phoned yesterday and I was surprised when he said it wasn't a holiday there today. I thought it was a European thing but he said it was the Queen's day(?) on April 30 so they have that instead. He works for KLM at the airport.

I don't know why but I couldn't sleep last night so got up for something to eat. I turned on the radio and listened to Janice Long who was very good. I hadn't realised that they do 'pause for thought' in the middle of the night either! I've heard Postie Phil talk about her but I'm not usually awake so couldn't comment. He doesn't seem to pop in very often these days either.

Well I was going to do some ironing tonight but it's too late now. I was copying a CD for the car and the darn thing wouldn't print a label. It kept saying it had performed an illegal operation.... I won't put my CD's in the car as it keeps jumping and marking the CD. It's been replaced but I'm not convinced. That was another hour wasted! Never mind.

See you in the CB tomorrow?

good night.

Helen.

Good morning, Helen.

You won't believe this, but it's actually 03.41 in the morning!!!!

I've been awake for an hour or so, read a bit and was so restless, I got up. WIDE awake.

Yes, there is something weird going on on R2, but Scott isn't even trying to disguise the fact that he's there. Did you see PG's posting on Sunday when she said that it was easy to have several e-mail addresses, she herself has three and nobody would know if Scott didthe same.
Isn't it a pity? I don't think it'll ever be the same again.
I don't know about Dr Who either.
Have you had a look at Rewind? I think it's very boring, of course, that's why SC keeps coming back, because it IS boring.

When is your husband coming back? End of the week?
What is he demonstrating?

Although I'm wide awake, brain isn't functioning well. I think I'd better go back to bed and write to you again tomorrow.

Good night, Helen

>love>