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

How are you getting on?

I'm ok thanks, how are you?

Not bad. I am coming to terms with things about health and life, such as depression, it gets better sometimes, but never seems to go away. I am keeping going though, and walking more and my back is getting better and my voice is getting even better as well! Just getting over a cold, but before that, I was amazed at how much volume my singing had. It started at the lower notes and then each practise session it was reaching higher notes.

This singing is better then the anti-depressant I went on for a while. I am happy that I finally gave it a try and found something I love doing so much and also am actually quite good at, which is a bonus.

I am still writing as well, but thats only when inspiration hits, which is often at 2am, so I scribble madly until the inspiration is all gone. I am finding that inspiration often hits when I am depressed or anxious, so I feel I am transmuting something negative into something creative. That thought helps me when the depression is bad, that something good can still come out of it sometimes, and maybe its just a way I have to be sometimes.

How are you coping with life and of course your parents. Hows your as well?

We used to chat a lot more than we do now, so I was trying to get that back. Don't worry though, so long as I know you have good friends to chat to and don't get lonely.

Sorry, I've just got back from the Child Development Centre from Andrew's annual checkup and trying to wade through the backlog before I get stuck into Peer Review again like I did yesterday

He's doing alright, has put on 7lbs since last year and grown 4cms.

My parents come home from Nottingham today they've been staying with my brother and his wife, who wanted to take them away on holiday somewhere but Dad refused, he's way too embarrased by his condition to cope with anything public. I'm surprised he agreed to go to Nottingham, really. It's rare he leaves the house nowadays. Crap weather they've had but that'll suit my dad, an excuse to stay in
It's Mum that'll be fed up,

I rarely get past my MP page of postings these days especially as I'm having to share the pc with Andrew who is off school until Sept 7th (he's on the playstation at the moment) but now he's whinging for his lunch so I'll have to

Andrew sounds like hes doing that growing thing, I hope he doesn't get through too many clothes, as he continues growing!

I am glad to hear your Dad got to stay somewhere different, it shows what a fighter he is. As for your Mum being fed-up, I saw my Mum in law go through the same thing, she made up for it later and it helped her deal with things as well. On a lessor note, when I was bed-bound, George suddenly had to work full-time, do everything the shopping, housework etc, and it was quite a shock to him. He still has to help with shopping, as I cannot carry what I used to be able to, but he is very pleased that he can get out and about more. I don't want to upset you, but maybe thinking of some trips you could do with your Mum later, will help turn a very difficult time, into something slightly less painful.

I know how busy you are, I am happy just letting you know I am thinking of you and sending you positive thoughts, don't feel you need to reply if you are too busy. Now you have to share the computer, I do appreciate the time you manage to spend sending me a message!

Take care, no pressure and I hope you have a good weekend.

Thanks
I do take my Mum out as often as I can, but I can't during the school holidays as it means either leaving Andrew alone, which I won't do, or dragging him along somewhere he doesn't want to go (if it's my mother's choice, it won't be Andrew's) so we usually just drop by their house for a ten-minute visit (before Andrew starts to get antsy).
But last week before they went to Nottingham I explained to him that I wanted to spend a bit of time with my Dad and after half-an-hour he still hadn't complained so we ended up being there about an hourduring which Andrew had a game of dominoes with him

He's definitely on a growth spurt, I don't care about the clothes, his jeans and tracksuit bottoms are cheap enough, there's a Tescos across the main road and a Primark in Grimsby and I've already kitted him out for the new school term, except for gym wear which he hasn't made his mind up yet

I do appreciate you thinking about me and my family and sending us good thoughtsI feel the same about you and MC and I love to read of the progress you are making
I still want that CD!

Have a good weekend yourself

Well its the end of big brother, did you watch it this year?

Hi got a bit more time today. Good stuff that Andrew played cards with your Dad. I remember much as I loved my Grandparents as a child, I often didn't know what to say to them or do with them.

Moonglum is off in Preston tonight, so I have time to catch up on reading and hope to do some sorting out. 10 years ago when I first moved in here it was very neat and tidy, but now we have piles of stuff on the floor that we trip up over. Not a lot we can do in one room, we don't have the space, but an attempt to magic up some new space is in order.

We found a huge stick yesterday, I called Moonglum Rover as he got excited. He dragged it back and hacksawed it when we got in, as its well over the height of our ceilings. We'll let it dry and then we both have huge staffs now to decorate and make our own. We are always bringing stuff like that back, it sure doesn't help in trying to make space!

Hope you and Andrew are well

That sounds exciting!
My home is like that too, as fast as I tidy up more stuff appears. I'm past caring what it looks like!
I think it's great that you're getting out and about, although the weather is not encouraging us at all, it's like monsoon season here!!

No, I didn't watch Big Brother at all, I like the nature and geology documentaries on National Geographic and the History channel (it was Alan Titchmarsh all weekend)

I'd much rather learn something from a TV programme

I only asked about BB because we chatted about it before. I don't get nature and geographic, but I do get BBC4 and watch a lot of docus on there. I find though they are usually old news, reading New Scientist and various science websites is where I get my news from, by the time the bbc do a docu on it, its usually years old. Also they really dumb stuff down. Even Michio Kakus' latest docu was incomplete and incorrect in one obvious instance, I really expected better from him. So whilst I enjoy historical docus and nature ones, I expect little from science ones, I still watch them, but usually end up ranting at the tv whenever they turn yet another hypothesis into fact. Its quite infuriating.

I used to read Geographical as well, thats a great source of info and the list of decent websites goes on and on. When I did get the geographical channel, I found it very dumbed down and incomplete. But then it is largely connected with National Geographic which is dumbed down just the same, thats why I always get Geographical if I can afford it.

Its funny how no one respects sociology, which is what I watch BB for. It can be quite fascinating watching people react in such obvious ways, even the unexpectd becomes clear once you apply some sociological rules to it.

My mum studied science to HND level, but now she is getting into new age therapies. She thinks magnetised water and ionised water are the same thing and wants to buy remedies based on them. I find it absolutely tragic that she has forgotten what she was taught at college. I try to remind her, but she doesn't believe me. She would rather trust a fraudulent advert in a newspaper than me, because she believes all newspapers print the truth. She seems to have forgotten that I did a science degree and pride myself on keeping up-to-date with new advancements and not forgetting everything I learnt.

She also believes the tv always tells her the truth, try explaining to her that they dumb down, present hypothesis as fact etc and she refuses to believe it. Its very tragic and very insulting that she does not trust my knowledge at all. Even about things she hasn't done and I have. She also believes she is better than me because I watch BB and she doesn't.

I find though there is time in life for docus and sociological study, just don't depend on getting the full truth from your tv, for that you must search deeper, New Scientist always comes before tv, if you want real knowledge and to be up-to-date. They even cover things like BB sometimes because they realise there is great value in studying people and learning from situations like that. So you get sociology and theoretical quantum physics all in the same magazine, real knowledge and far better than dumbed down tv.

My older daughter watches BB for the same reason as you, she is a Counsellor and just about to start her 3rd year of a degree.
She dropped her son off about an hour or so ago, and instead of rushing straight off, stayed and chatted for a while

For some time now I've been driving my parents around (since my Dad's last accident, when he almost killed a motorcyclist) and he still looks left and says "Wait!" when I'm at a crossroads or Give Way - like I'd pull out without looking
I know he doesn't trust my driving so I can understand your frustration. Parents have a hard time imagining their children capable of anything I think.
When I was just talking to my daughter I asked her opinion on something h2g2-related and she looked at me and said "one of the best things about you is that you respect my opinion"
Don't get me wrong I loved my children when they were little but I love them much more now they're adults - I can't imagine disrespecting them or expecting them to act a certain way.

Thats so good that you respect their opinion!

Sorry I was a bit ranty yesterday, going through some stuff, which is making me very anxious.

You know tv programmes maybe inaccurate a lot of the time, but being able to see it is useful, so I don't knock it completely. To have things explained visually instead of always in flat diagrams, can really help you understand things. Also sod accuracy when its nature, I just want to see it.

As for Dads when driving, I don't think they could ever shut up when being a passenger, it would be impossible for them.

I am however glad that BB has ended, it was dragging on a bit. Now I have the proms on bbc4 instead, which is a nice change. Bet your counsellor daughter is going through an interesting time with her degree, does she go into counsellor mode with you, without realising?

I shall deal with my anxiety elsewhere now and endeaver to make this a rant-free zone. Thanks for not being scared away.

Ahhhhh, that was me replying!

I do Moonglums celebdaq and when I came into h2g2, it said welcome Kaz, so I presumed I had signed out and back in okay. Sorry about that.

Hehehe

Sorry.

Easy done.

It's just that when I saw his name, I thought he had joined the conversation!

You spent his celebdaq dosh?!!!! Does he know??? Have you been buying the ex-Lady McCartney for weeks? I have and making a pile of dosh

Pity it's not real eh?

If you want a tip, buy as much Prince Philip as you can, while he's bottom $

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Yes, but I don't mind.
She drives her husband up the wall though, and he often complains to me about it. Which I don't mind, 'cos it gets out of his system then he's ok with her