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

Have you ever had one of those weeks when almost everything one touches either breaks, falls apart, fails to work or just plain explodes and hibernating seems like a brilliant idea???

Our TV blew up in a cloud of smoke and flames last Wednesday and I immediately ordered replacement telly from my mail order catalogue who were making me an offer I couldn't refuse to tempt me to spend my dosh with them. They helpfully informed me that someone would phone me during the following two days to arrange a delivery time for my lubberly new telly but after staying by the phone for four days in vain, I called them to find that the item I ordered in not currently in stock and won't be for another ten days! Customer relations! Bah! They could have at least phoned me to let me know!

Our almost new DVD player won't work properly with our temporary telly, borrowed from my son's bedroom, even after hours spent swapping cables and tuning TV channels, so I am harbouring suspicions that the exploding telly might have deviously taken the DVD player with it as a final act of revenge.

My daughter's 'new' second-hand laptop didn't want to play today but after several hours (mainly due to my inexperience with XP) the issue was resolved. I hope!

A couple of hours ago our VCR broke and took with it with one of my son's tapes on which he had several recorded episodes of his favourite anime series and a tantrum ensued from my son, equally matched by one from yours truly.

Three of our s have chucked up several times and some of it over my daughter's bedding but compared to everything else, cleaning cat sick up was an absolute breeze...

Now I have just tried to post this and auntie beeb has given me a 502 service unavailable message!

Has another vodka and walks away...

So just another balmy day in England then...

Don't tell me....

Yu-gi-oh?

Barmy more like!

for Gwennie

Things like that invariably happen to me just before Crimble when there isn't a hope in hell of getting things sorted before the long holiday.

Are you familiar with the acronym, SNAFU, Gwennie?

Here, have a from Crossed Purposes as a cheer-er upper.... When we first started dealing with Windows XP we immediately dubbed it Xtra Problems. We seem to have beaten it into submission now. (fingers firmly crossed)

When did you move into my house...!

Lady J's car got stolen while I was over the water in Pan-land at a conference. I got back home to a list of light circuits and globes that don't work and such silly electrical stuff. We went on a walking weekend and I pulled a muscle in my back, putting a disc out and pinching nerves in my leg. The car was recovered in two days, (but it took the Police 8 days to let us know!) door + ignition locks damaged, radio stolen. R2 000 excess to be paid and my no-claim bonus gone...! Candy's starter motor has a dead circuit and I have rallies to go to.

Work piled up from three weeks away...

I NEED A HOLIDAY...!

SNAFU? You'd have to spell it out Mari!

It *was* the dreaded Dragonball on Chris's tape Tefkat - you know, the series with lots of shouting and fighting. Mind you, they all seem to be like that nowadays. In my day, all I had was Dr Who, Star Trek, The Magic Roundabout, Wacky Races, Top Cat and the old Batman series with Adam West in. Now I think back, my Grandparents and parents hated all my favourite telly programmes too! What goes around, comes around and all that...

Sorry to hear about Lady J's car, your back and Candy's starter motor WR. John had his Honda XL500S stolen from our garage last month. Speaking of the old chap reminds me that he too is broken, more so than usual. Last Thursday night he feinted after climbing our stairs to say goodnight to Chris and managed to twist his ankle as he fell. His ankle inarf swollen and bruised! I offered to kick John's other ankle to even things up a bit, (Aren't I the considerate and sympathetic little wife? ) but he declined as he already has a broken little toe on the other foot.

The only good thing I have to say about XP so far Mari, is that it is very pretty to look at!

I know! Let's all go on a holiday together! I bagz we all go and visit Pan to make her feel better!

Situation Normal - All F...ed Up!
Are you suffering from CRAFT* syndrome???
Yer not THAT bleeding old, y'know...
*realises she was pretending to be as usual*

Ouch on J's Honda - they're nars barks in Sowth Efrica too!
I had a chance to talk to Pan by phone during my last visit to US of A. She was worried about me meeting up with a certain 'isolated thunderstorm' named Ivan during my flight in. All I saw was a trickle of rain at the airport and wall to wall cotton wool up there..!
I hoped that I managed to give her a bit of a cheer-up...she's in need of it, I think.
Lets all go Trick-or-Treat Pan...!

*=Can't Remember A F....ing Thing!

Are you suffering from senile dementia, mad cow disease or merely experiencing another senior moment/episode WR?

Butter-in-the-mouth? Moi? I'm a vegan, remember?

in WR's defence, it's been a long time since we saw you

Better?

Turn over onto your tum, WR and I'll give you a very gentle back massage. fingers!

Gwennie, would J like to borrow my cane?? Seriously, why did the Dr. say that he fainted?

No2 son passed out a couple of weeks ago too . The Doctor said it was stress, without so much as X-rays or an ECG. Mind you the day and previous night before, he had spent at a LAN party, probably drinking too much.

When he isn't doing that he has band practice and as he is in the same online game as me, I know what time he goes to bed! So if he is stressed, I'm pretty sure it ain't work related!

That's much better, thank you WR!

John hasn't been to see a about his feinting because he is worried that his medication, which he is addicted to might be reduced or withdrawn. I did offer to take him to our local outpatients for an x-ray on his ankle, but by Sunday the swelling had gone down a bit and he could put some weight on the foot, so John decided to leave it to get better on its own. Naturally, having an always ill and depressed man about the house is hard work but now he is lame too...

I hope that your son is alright now Caer. Do you think that his passing out was due to burning his candle at both ends?

You may not know, but recent legislation in SA has recognised 'traditional healers' for the first time - with the intention of regulating them.
I happened to read a medical certificate issued to (name tipexxed out) an employee in our provincial government recently. The period of illness was 32 working days, the symptoms were described as "stress" and cause of the malaise was: "He is thinking too much"!

they must employ different types of people for govt jobs in SA than in Oz WR!

I disagree...it's just that when one of the new generation of public servants here thinks at all, they can get a medical certificate booking them off for a month for the stress it caused!


(PS: I happen to be an older generation version - I've actually been thinking during 17 years of public service...!)

Ahh! But *what* have you been thinking about WR?

My thinking seems to stuck in some sort of loop

Alternative therapies are regulated here in the UK but I think it depends on which therapy and there are still a few that aren't covered. The NHS trains its physiotherapists in acupuncture and I benefit from that, or rather my arthritic knees do... (Too much running and step aerobics apparently - I guess I should have stuck to squats and leg presses down t'gym!).

Yes, Gwennie, I think he was burning the candle at both ends. Also I suspect he isn't eating terribly well. The g/f has her weight watchers stuff during the week and he has what ever he can be bothered to cook.

He always looks pale and tired these days too.

I will have all this to worry about when Mair goes to University next year...

Caer, you could do what John's Mum does when she visits us and inundate your son with gifts of fresh & dried fruit every time you see him. I don't take Joyce's gifts as an insult as John's diet is terrible and his mum realises that it is not due to me not buying good food or my inability in the kitchen, but because he snacks on Chris's sweets all day.