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

We begin by announcing the arrival of the latest salonista, Elspeth Claire EatsMice, born 29 December 2002.

The atelier had a very populous Christmas: salonistas dropped in and out all through the holidays, and I quite forgot to keep track of all the things we talked about. We missed those who went away. You know who you are. Some excellent haiku have been composed.

Notable among Christmas presents is a mega-photon fountain from Professor Tonks. We set it up in a corner of the hot tub toom and Chloe set up a mobile which not only moves under the pressure of the flow but diverts the stream of megaphoton so that it flows around the ceiling in interesting ways.

Well, while the discussion ranges on the subject of jam, preserves and marmalade, Lil has annexed yet another part of the upper floor space; it takes a bit of studio space to design a planet.

And of course, the major diversion of the moment is the pantomime, the Mother of All Gooses. This Atelier Graphic Ants (AGA) production is taking place at the Hootoo Theatre, sited in the newer part of the village. The production is going on at http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/classic/A904961 -- audience members are welcome!

So are you new here? Do read the main atelier page: we're big on netiquette here and you wouldn't want other people frowning at your bookmarks.

Then let Matina serve you some refreshments and join us on the red velvet sofas.

It couldn't be could it? There must be a simulpost waiting for me. I've never been first to the forum. I can never be first to the forum. No. Not me.

You beat me by 120 seconds d'E

By the way, Lil. There was an article in the NY Times today about a newly discovered planet, the furthest so far from Earth. Apparently it is quite hot and may have frequent downpours of molten iron.

Oh there's the simulpost. I knew it was coming.

Usually at this time of night I would have no problem following Lil to post in a conversation- the atelier is certainly getting busier it seems!

Congrats to the whole Eats family.

*raises for EatsMice family*

Congrats to the Eatsmice family on their latest addition!

[{Courtesy}]

Congrats to Eatsmice, et al. And now I am off to .

Congratulations to Mr and Mrs Eatsmice!

Hello Elspeth Claire (a Merrythought bear)

http://www.merrythought.co.uk/

You can build your own bear in the virtual factory.

Cassie is going mad because she can't go outside. We have a vets appointment in an hour and I can't risk her going off to explore again.

No more snow over night, the temperature dropped behind the shed to -6.6C overnight and has risen to -4.5C. Snow showers are forecasted for today I know Hati and many Statesiders can top the temp easily, but it is pretty dashed cold for Surrey.

Just had a brief snow flurry here Caer. As I was outside pouring hot water into the birdbath (I have been meaning to do it for the several days it's been frozen solid). I'll probably have to do it again tomorrow as it'll once more freeze overnight.

Today is a good day as I'm about to go off and see my parents who have just returned from a two month holiday down under. It seems all the family emailed them to let them know about the weather here - well they ave phoned/emailed/sent postcards telling us all how hot and sunny it's been

All the best to Eats and co

Congratulations to Mr and Mrs Eatsmice, and welcome to Eatslots!

It was cold in the flat today because for some reason the central heating control unit decided to go into a sulk. To be fair, I had reprogrammed it before going away to Australia, and had been controlling it manually ever since I got back. But in order to reprogramme it I had to find the instructions book.

I am acutally very orderly - a place for everything and everything in its place, and all that. Which presupposes that there is a place for everything in the first place! Not yet so! I am beginning to wonder if I will ever finish moving into this flat. And I admit the mess is beginning to get to me.

B

I have a question about the word 'porch' - I've always pictured is as stairs or a sort platform outside the front door of a house, sometimes with a roof above it - but can the word also be used for an entire room, even if it's small?

I'm looking at the plan of a castle, and it seems to have something labelled 'porch' with quite solid walls, no windows, and two pairs of doors - one pair leading into the porch from outside, one pair leading from the porch into the castle itself

In this case, would a person be standing 'on' the porch, or 'in' the porch?

Congratulations Eats.
I shall refrain from whinging and just mention that it does indeed feel cold in the snow this morning, especially when your train is almost an hour late and then, just as I think to get on it, it announces that it will not be stopping at my destination, to try and make up time. I can just about feel my feet now.

Congratulations to Eatsmice and family!

That coldspell has broken, it's only -1C instead of the nosebiting -10C.
I'm stuck with a problem at w*rk, so I'm going out for a walk.
Thanks for looking after for me. Hope he has behaved himself...
*carefully wakes up the sleeping bag and drags him out to the fresh air.*
"Come on, you need the excercise!"
"Grr!"

Just back from the vets. Cassie had a flea jab and much to her fury 1.5 worming tablets down her throat! Like Sadie, she too is in the big cat class, in spite of the fact that she appears to eat little. I suspect she is snacking in the garden despite the tinkly bell on her collar.

It started to snow before I left and has been falling for at least an hour, large fluffy flakes that are settling thickly . I am about to let Cassie out and it will be interesting to watch her reaction

Blimey - I have never thought about the word 'porch' before. It is certainly a space between the inside and the outside, and I have always thought of porches as having roofs, but not necesarily walls or steps.

The technical terms for castles are so specific that a castle could well have a porch which would be quite different from the porch for a normal house. As I remember the curtain in a castle is a bloody great wall!

Ben

I think the word porch applies to the bit between the outside and the inside. Sometimes it is only a little bit of roof to keep the rain off while you find your keys, sometimes it can be an entire little annex with its own lockable door to the outside world where you store damp umbrellas and wellingtons. So the bit of the castle mentioned would fit, it being two doors before the castle proper. If you are in a posh, upmarket house you might call it a portico and have columns holding up the roof but it is all the same idea.