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

Hi Galaxy Babe,

I still have a photo of you and Little Fish with his arm in plaster, in (I think) the cafe of the British Museum - was that where we first met?

I have a question for you. How do I get badges for being a former Scout and former Sub-Editor?

Hope all is well with you. You're now an editor, I see (bow).

Hello ZSF! Good to see you about

I remember that meeting, but I can't confirm that was our first meeting, due to rapidly-deflating brain cells thanks for asking, I'm still caring for my Mum who is almost 98... it's hard work especially as I am feeling like I should be retired myself

Well, as a Guide Editor I can deliver badges and I do remember you being a Scout and sub-ed, (and I still link to your subbed entries, you have a quite distinctive name) so I have granted your wish

As I am still using the original Classic Goo, I can't see your badges but I have checked your user page in Pliny http://h2g2.com/user/U182827
and I can see the badges.

I do hope Little Fish's arm mended alright and you are both well

and thanks for the memory-poke, I did enjoy the meet-ups in London although I fear I lack the energy for such a jaunt now. I did just entertain Amp P (Paper Lady) and Wandrin' Star in my hometown then had a mini-meet in Lincoln with them, Mu Beta, Rosemary & her hubby & her little ones.

GB

Amy P (Paper Lady) sorry!

You may be right - it may or may not have been our first meeting. My memory's like that these days too.

Yes, Little Fish's bone mended well. He's now almost 22 - went to university, found it didn't suit him and is now doing an apprenticeship.

I use Brunel, which was my favourite skin, but notice that my home page doesn't display well at all in other skins, so I've taken some stuff off it. I really need to update it, and I'll do that after I've refreshed myself on GuideML and on what's currently on offer to do.

Another quick question. I want to pinch a quote from Coelacanth's page (I did ask her). I seem to remember there was a way of looking at the codes of a page, so I can copy and paste, but can't remember how to do it. Can we still do that, or will I have to work it out for myself now?

Thank you for adding those badges for me. I was also an Ace in my very early days, but found that wasn't my best talent.

I've just had a look at Amy P's photos of her London visit.

I can imagine how tiring looking after your mum must be. I decided to retire early and didn't regret it. I lost both of my parents recently, mum aged 90 and dad last year aged 97, whilst I was visiting him on the Isle of Wight and on crutches, following a broken leg. Your mum has outlived both of them. I hope she's in good health - and that you are too!!




PS: I remember you as AGB - and can't completely remember what the A stood for. Was it 'Amazing'?

Ooh, I love questions I can help with. You mean the test user page facility, so here is coelacanth's homepage diagnostics: http://h2g2.com/dna/h2g2/classic/testuserpage107357
you should be able to copy & paste the quote you require from that.

Good to hear about Little Fish - same thing happened to my #1 grandson - he went to Sheffield Uni for a year & is now back home looking for work.

I am so sorry to hear about your parents, but they are grand old ages, aren't they? My Mum is the longest-lived in our entire family as far as I know, her mother was 95 when she passed and I thought that was a record that wouldn't be broken! Yes it's hard work, she isn't, but looking after her large semi-detached house is, and doing all the shopping, organising carers, doctor's appointments, district nurses, chiropodist, visits from family, kinda takes it out of me some days

I will have a looksee if there's an ex-ACE badge, and give you one if there is.

AGB stood for Archangel Galaxy Babe but I like 'Amazing' much better

"You mean the test user page facility" – yes, that was exactly it. My memory wasn't failing me. THANKS!! You found me an ex-ACE badge too!

Was there an outage on h2g2 last night and earlier this morning. Or is there a problem with signing on using the default skin, which I think is Pliny. Having followed links which took me out of Brunel (my favourite skin), when I tried to continue with using the site this morning, I found I had been signed out and couldn't sign in again, despite trying twice to reset my password, in case it was something to do with that. I hadn't forgotten it, though. Then I tried to check on an entry that I knew existed, without being signed in, and got a "we can't find the page you're looking for" page. Having said that, I can't sign in to my account in Pliny and I've no idea why not. Any ideas?

As far as Little Fish is concerned, I think it was possibly fortunate in the long run that he dropped out. He did a year, repeated it part-time, as he'd lost a data stick with three of his projects on it, and then struggled with one part of his last assignments. He was in a very competitive field, so may have struggled to get employment at the end of it. Now he has a smaller debt and a job with prospects. If your grandson isn't looking for apprenticeships, it's a good avenue to pursue. Even if he's been to uni, as long as he hasn't a degree, he can still get an apprenticeship (although some employers are looking for 16 year olds, as they have to fund some of the apprenticeships for older people).

Archangel Galaxy Babe - - that was it. Amazing's good too.


I was fortunate that dad was able to manage on his own and doing his own housework till the end. I was on a visit to him to sort out finding someone to help him with housework when he took ill and died. I imagine your job is much harder and more stressful.

These outrages happen sometimes, but I admit I have no clue about the techy side of things

I usually do something else until my homepage reloads, I was trying to login from 6am to do some subbing, just getting the 503 - service temporarily unavailable page. I don't login using Pliny, only Classic Goo so I can't help you there either, sorry!

You're welcome to the badges, I'm only sorry I can't see them, or my solo badge, in Goo

My grandson seems to have lost the need for a relationship with me, and even his mother is exasperated with him! Sometimes it's best to leave well alone and allow them to make their own mistakes, but as you say my life is stressful enough caring for my mother without anything else. I just lost my partner too, but you can find my journal about that

Who's best to talk about the techy side of things? I've found I can log in in Brunel - and Goo (but you're right, the badges dont' show there - and I found some changes I made on my profile aren't that easily viewable in Goo because of the font colour).

I'll go look at your journal. You seem to have been going through a hard time and losing your partner must be awful. My condolences.

You're right about people needing to sort themselves out if they're not in the right space to listen to well-intended advice, though it's hard sometimes, sitting on your hands, isn't it? (Is it me, or does that smiley look like a fart? )

It's probably Milla, here's an info page: A85834173

Yes I agree about that smiley, and grateful we don't have smell-o-access

I wonder if the sudden appearance of adverts at the top of each page is anything to do with the downtime this morning?

Thank you, it's been a harrowing year all told, finding out he was terminally ill in January, then going through all the radiotherapy, stents, picc line flushes, x-rays and scans, doctor's appointments, even getting to and from the cancer support group was sometimes a hassle, and now, nothing. I am still adjusting. It's a bitch that I took all that time to find my Mr Right only for him to die, but we did have 4 happy years. We had a nice holiday in Devon just before his original diagnosis. We had plans for more holidays which turned to dust. He had even got me a 10-year passport

The only balm is he is no longer suffering

I have asked Milla - she advised me to contact [email protected] or [email protected], but as Brunel is working for me, I may not need to. It doesn't have adverts at the top, though.

Oh, you only had four years together. These last couple of years have been really difficult for such a lot of people. I wish you well in the grieving process. I heard an analogy that I liked, although it was in the context of child distress. It was that it was like a tunnel, that you had to get through, but that you can get through. I don't know if it will be helpful. I am finding it helpful at present.

The mods sorted out my login to Pliny. Not quite sure what happened, but I'm continuing on Ripley without having to put in my new Pliny login details. Odd.

I'm glad your login problems appear to have subsided, I am constantly switching between GB and the h2g2 Eds because there's stuff I need to do like categorising and preparing entries for the Front Page which I can't do under my own account. Therefore I can't stay logged in.

I'm alright, thanks. Getting used to the "not doing" after 11 months of cancer taking over our lives is something else. I find keeping busy helps fill the void. Thank goodness for h2g2. There's always something to be done. I also enjoy jigsaw puzzles and I login to Facebook most days, I have lots of friends there. Mum keeps me busy too. She is giving cause for concern at the moment but there's not a lot we can do. This week coming up there's a new washer being delivered at her house between 7am-7pm I can be there for 7.30 & hope I haven't missed them but I really hope they're there by lunchtime

I also have a breakfast date with some of Ian's friends (old workmates he kept in touch with) on Wednesday and an afternoon tea booked on Tuesday with a very good friend who is widowed, she couldn't attend Ian's funeral due to a chest infection so we're going to have a major catch-up session

I hate appointments that are so wide. That's about the widest time limit I've heard of. It's normally something like 8am-6pm, which is bad enough. I'm always anxious about being on the loo or something - and it did happen once a couple of weeks ago. Awkward! Luckily, I shouted downstairs to say I was in and he heard.

It's a blessing to have good friends, isn't it? I had someone who looked after me for three weeks while I was waiting for my third operation on my leg, because the care package for me was going to be only once a day, and I couldn't get to the kitchen, or the bathroom, although another neighbour had lent me a bed and rearranged my lounge, which I was more or less confined to.

Not sure if I told you, but the friend who took me to my dad just before he died phoned me the day after the death to tell me that her dad died the day following my dad's death. Even so, she came to the island to fetch me home. Other friends brought me meals from time to time too.

I hope you enjoy the breakfast date.

Are you looking after yourself too? Maybe book yourself a massage or some pampering.

Well, well. Just as I attempted to reply to you, I got a massage to log in, went back and forwards and replied without relogging in. Then on my next look at my home page, I was required to login using the updated details, so I'm now no longer a split personality!

Ah you mean the "greeting unknown hiker" informing you you have been kicked out (having tried to post). The trick is to copy what you have typed, then click "post message" and if it has kicked you out, then you can backspace or login, but at least you've saved what you tried to reply

Some friends really are outstanding, aren't they? But I find helping others helps me too, takes my mind off stuff. I can't afford massages, but I am practicing my healing techniques on my sister and not only is she feeling the benefit, I am too. When I was going to the cancer support group, one of the nurses had a bad back so I did some healing on her. The next day she was able to move normally, so she was amazed at what I could do. I told her it wasn't me, I am just the conduit. I offered Ian some healing but he refused. He didn't believe in mojo (so he said) but he didn't mind that I did. I think he was ready to go. I just wasn't ready to let him go

"The trick is to copy what you have typed, then click "post message" and if it has kicked you out, then you can backspace or login, but at least you've saved what you tried to reply". Yes this is exactly what I did.

What kind of healing do you do? Yes, when you act as conduit, you too benefit.

I know the feeling of offering something to someone who feels it isn't for him. I'm not sure we're ever ready to let someone go who we love a lot, though it's sometimes the right time for them to go (thinking of my dad here, who was starting to struggle). - yes.

Just the laying on of hands. I get urges, almost, towards certain places and I am bidden to speak, sometimes I don't know what I'm saying, and I know I go very hot and flushed, and tingle all over! It's quite wonderful and spiritually uplifting.

Ian's cancer had got to the stage where he was either going to die of hunger or drown in his own fluids, so it was the right time and there are much worse things than actually dying.

I did Reiki I a long time ago. When he was little, if Little Fish hurt himself, he used to come to me and say, "Reiki, mum!".

You obviously have natural gifts. How lovely. Ian's reaction reminds me of the police in the "Rivers of London" series (there's an entry currently in Peer Review), where they refer to 'magic' as 'weird bollocks', rather than use the 'm' word.

Yes, I believe there are definitely worse things than dying, although it's much harder for those left behind, who have to come to terms with it, and the hole it leaves in their lives.

My 2nd daughter has a qualification in Reiki, I remember she said she was going to practice on me, but it's not happened yet (she lives in Manchester). I've had no lessons at all, although I do occasionally go to the Spiritualist Church but not regularly.

Children have natural abilities and empathy, I remember probably two decades ago my youngest son (he has Aspergers) instinctively laying his hands on my foot when I woke in agony one day, I had cramp and was yelling out!

It's the emptiness I am trying to come to terms with. It took me so long to find Mr Right, and we were so well matched. He had his own home so every get-together was like a date night, even after 4 years. We both enjoyed tennis and even if watching an Andy Murray match at our own homes, we'd be texting each other with comments during the breaks. We had so many plans which have turned to dust. I feel empty

Does your 2nd daughter have Reiki II? She could send you distant healing. I didn't find the need for it when I did my original qualification, but may decide to do it at some time in the future.

When your youngest son laid hands on your ankle, did it help?

Emptiness – yes – that is a really hard one to deal with. I felt that I when my ex-husband left and more recently, when my dad died. I spoke with him daily and we were so close. I haven't yet met Mr Right – and I wonder if I ever will. But then, never say never. There may come a time when someone will one more be right for you – and maybe me as well. In the meantime, there's a need for healing.