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

*opens closet and lets out the cleaning bot then sits down wearily*

I give in. I'll go back to the doctor today. I'm terrified of having that pneumonia come back again. If I don't get a decent night's sleep soon, I shall fall to pieces. < HEALTH RANT />

Somebody make some tea.

Enters, moves straight over and puts the kettle on to make a fresh pot of tea for Lil.

Sounds like you're not having too good a time of it right now Lil

Everybody has had this one symptom at one time or another -- the dry itchy cough that won't leave you alone. At one point earlier this morning, I found I had fallen asleep sitting up with my head resting in my hands -- it was the only position that didn't set the cough going. I'm on the robitussin now. Seems to help.

*accepts mug of tea*

Hopefully it's just the weather causing you to go to the extreme again, rather than the pneumonia coming back.

Here have some hot OJ, or vimto (see the article on Manchester which used a lot of my stuff in it - ok so me and Joanna did write a lot in the forums for it )

Hot OJ? *disbelievingly*

I'm actually having a company come in next Monday to completely clean out all the air/heat ducting and vents. In theis subtropical climate, the air delivery system is prone to moulds and suchlike nastiness, and that kind of filth may well be hurting me too. And there's smoke in the air, because of a number of brush fires.

All my life I've taken breathing for granted.

Hot OJ and honey, supposed to work wonders releaving colds and such like I guess it probably works best if you're not using the stuff with pulp in it...

Hopefully it should be better when the a/c has been cleaned. Are you going to be out while the cleaning is being done?


I think everybody takes breathing for granted till it becomes something you have to work at.

The salesman assured me that it' safe to be in the house, but I'll spend the day in my office, put the dog in the kennel. After the ducts are done, I'll be having all the carpets professionally cleaned. THEN we'll see. I was caregiver for my dad and watched him go down with emphysema, and yet I still take the art of breathing for granted. I may be frightened into practising yoga.

Over here we heat lemonade with honey -- the acidity of the lemons is thought to be good.

So you'll wait till the a/c engineers come round and ask them if you can stay inside

Yoga, you'll be wanting to sit the the zen garden then.

I highly recommend yoga. I did it for years, until I pulled a hamstring somehow and found that the yoga agravated it. I missed the yoga so much that I took up Tai Chi. I have been doing that for about 8 months now and really enjoy it. It's not as good as yoga, but it's something.

Red - don't worry about giving away your identity. I already know it

Well, it took 4 hours but it was worth it. Would you believe it, my own doctor is on holiday all week! So I wound up at the walk-in, which should really be called the walk-in-and-sit-for-a-long-time clinic. When the doctor saw me, she investigated, heard noises in my chest and sent me down to radiology for a chest x-ray. Radiology is a self-contained unit so I had to fill out a complete set of forms and wait another 40 minutes.

Guys, I was really frightened. Because if the pneumonia had come back, I would be looking at hospital confinement. Happily, however, the x-rays are clear, so the noises are "merely" bronchial crap giving me that short-breath feeling and stealing my sleep.

Dr. Jones gave me a prescription, which I kissed for joy, and then took on up to WalMart where I discovered that there was a one-and-a-half hour wait. Being tired of showing off my waiting skills, I just left it with them and will go back later.

So. I have bronchitis and a sinus infection (still). But I DO NOT have pneumonia.

HUUURRRRRAAAAYYYY!!!!!!

Now you just have to get rid of the illness you do have. Hope that happens fast.

*Affy runs in, with a large lazer blaster*

Okay, I know that you've seen me. Which way did I go the last time I was here?

*Watches everyone's eyes. Senses that no one is looking at the sofa, and rolls it over. The other Affy is pointing a similar lazer at this one*

AFFY1-Don't shoot me. Suicide is against the law.
AFFY2-Oh, don't make jokes! Now, get back to your universe! Back to whatever sick, twisted version of H2G2 you hail from!
AFFY1-Hey, wait, you get back to *your* world! I'm the one who brought you here!

Cool stuff here.

Lil - will email on the morrow.

I have news...may not be of interest, but to me it's kinda freaky, unexpected...

Walks between affies, ignores them both and gets some more OJ and goes and sits down.

Good to hear it's no pneumonia Lil, still bronchitis is a bit of bummer after all you've been through. Hope the new drugs do their thing.

Simulpost? Happened to me in my journal just now...

More news: I have manged to get 750 posts in 25 conversations! Though since I've posted in my journal, this will have gone down to 700+-odd

I think I'm ripe to have drugs do things to me. I won't be on long tonight, because the lack of sleep has caught up with me, plus I think that I am much more relaxed, not worrying about being REALLY sick. You may wait upon me

Is there any more OJ?

Now as for you two Affies, I've been listening to you two quarrel and bicker, and it just won't do, what with me in this delicate condition. *considers holding wrist against forehead but thinks better of it*

I think the only way to decide who the real Affi is, is for the two of you to submit to testing by us. We will ask you questions that only the real Affi could know, thus unmasking the real impostor.
*reveals snowzar which she has kept hidden under throw*

Why don't you both have a seat, and try some of this punch. What is the recipe?

simulpost again. Didn't mean to ignore you, dear. Do email me.

Passes some OJ to Lil. Glad to hear that at least you're more relaxed about it all now.

What if they're *both* the real affy? Could be some weird continuity loop they're in that needs to be broken, but I thought that he (points to both as he's unsre who to point at) put up some sheilds round here so it wouldn't happen up here in the studio.

Well, *gestures* that wormhole under the sofa ... must get Garius to patch that. As for the shields, it was my understanding that they were intended to repel monsters. Which Affi is not, at least not the real one. Phil, as soon as there were two Affis, their experience content egan to differ. I am counting on the prospect that the doppelganger will be less stable.

*keeps muzzle of snowzar trained toward both Affis*
*sips OJ watchfully* Thank you Phil. That my nephew had to see this!

As a person with some experience in being connected to a machine which did the breathing for me for a couple of weeks I am pleased to hear your diagnosis was reassuring Lil.

Talking about air ducts etc, in Melbourne Aus, a lot of people came down with legionaire's disease which they caught just by walking past a new aquarium that had the bug lurking in its air conditioners.