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

The journal I posted yesterday has not reappeared so here goes again, with a different title to differentiate.

Saturday morning I dropped my lad off at my daughter's for the weekend then headed for the Humber Bridge (just half-an-hour away)
I only had a few instructions printed out for "t'other side" as I knew not how to get myself to Kingswood, which is where we were all meeting up. But I still managed to get lost, I didn't stop at the last roundabout (I even spotted the motel!) but carried on 'cos the instructions told me to and ended up on a housing estate and had to ask directions back

Anyway, got there in the end, parked up, walked in and immediately spotted MMF hugs & kisses makes a great start to any event! The lady he was with I'd not met before but she started molesting me () so I stopped her and asked her who she was - I do like to know who I'm doling out affection toit was Jollywinegums - she had collected MMF from the train station, Bless her heart. Within seconds she was part of the old gang, opening a bag of wine gums and passing them round, while I introduced Aquatic Megastar and we waited for the next arrivals.

Scorp and lil and hubby Pete and ST and the Prof all arrived and then we were just waiting for meet virgin Moonhogg whose idea it was to have the Meet underwater...
I am not a fan of OPK's - in fact my meets are to get away from children - so when Moonhogg arrived with his wife and two daughters my initial reaction was "Oh no" but Moonhogg's plus one is lovely and the two girls - well, it's not often I am impressed these days. Beautiful *and* well-behaved, a credit to their parents sounds like a cliche but take it as it's meant, I'd have been proud to call them mine.

We had a great afternoon/evening with the Prof providing the biggest laugh - there he was blowing up Ivan (his valve is under his tail) when around the corner walked a young-ish woman carrying drinks. Obviously worldly-wise, the look on her face was priceless, we all erupted with laughter while she stared - poor Prof then freed his mouth and tried to explain that he and Ivan were just good friends.



When she recovered the poor lady then had to go up a couple of steps to her table, where she obviously told her party what had just occurred. So then there was a second round of laughter coming from the far corner of the room.

Much chat, a mini-quiz (thanks lil) and many photos later Moonhogg and his wife took their girls home with the promise of returning to join us for our meal. We said our goodbyes and see-you-tomorrows with the girls not being unaffectionate

I have to say the meal was fabulous, except for poor ST who had ordered a well-done steak and when he cut into it - well, it wasn't cooked to his specifications but the waitress was very quick at attending to the complaint and soon replaced his meal with the correct order. The smokers then drifted off outside to "pollute" (their words) while Moonhogg messed around with his video camera (I believe evidence has been posted on YouTube now)

It was gone midnight when we broke up and retired for

Next morning I found ST & the Prof then jolly so we all had breakfast together, then Scorp wandered past, she'd had hers an hour earlier!lil had breakfast in bed courtesy of Pete (some girls have all the luck) and I read a motel newspaper while awaiting the arrival of MMF (who was staying at another hotel) and Moonhogg and family. Those two delightful girls had got up early and hand-made and painted cards for lil and myself

*sniff*


We all set off for The Deep which is a fabulous place to visit - the world's only submarium, go read the Entry on it if you haven't already! A1047890
I have been many times before but it's always a pleasure to visit with someone who hasn't been before, because you get the "Ooh-aaah" factor as they experience it for the first time.
Then it was posing for photos even though it was torrential rain our spirits weren't dampened but all too soon it was 4pm and time for MMF to leave to catch his trainso we all went out separate ways.

I can't recommend meets enough, even reading the feedback journals you rarely find complaints, everyone has such a good time it's a let-down coming home.

What more can I say: Thank you wonderful Auntie Giggles lil & Pete, STand the Prof, MMF, Scorp & jolly, Moonhogg and family you can be sure next time I'm north of the River I'll be dropping by for just to make sure Aquatic Megastar is being well-cared for

Roll on the next meet!

My photos: http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/anniebarrnone/album?.dir=1dcfre2

Moonhogg's photos: http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/hoggsjunk/album?.dir=c71cre2

I'll post more as I find them

I don't think anything could put a damper on this meet, it was superb, just went too quick for me.

**it wasn't cooked to his specifications**
err, more like it wasn't cooked, as far as I'm concerned when meat is cooked properly you don't expect it to bleed on the plate when you cut into it unless its virtually raw. Have enough health issues without adding food poisoning to the list.

It's funny, because me and Matt share similar eye colour...it's uncanny. Must get to the Deep some time...

Glad it was a success, I really must get to a met at some point.

*Looks into Matt's eyes*


OOoh.. yeah.. Do you like being dragged about?

Where do we enter the caption competition?

No official place, but perhaps the Hull Meet thread... No prizes, just drop one in for a laugh! http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/alabaster/F1712451?thread=4238019&latest=1

Alabaster!!!

Oh you Brunel snob, you!

Anyway, shut up moaning, woman, this is GB's page. Go and moan in your own space.

Sorry, GB.

By the way, while I am here, can I just repeat what Gina said last night - thank you so much for the wonderful things you and others have said about the girls. We are proud of them, but then, that's our job, we're their parents. When we see someone else saying things like that though, it means so much more. It would have been easy to say "Moonhogg and The Missus brought the kids" and nothing more, but reading that makes us both feel really good.

I will make sure the girls get to see the comments, so that they can see their bahaviour is appreciated.

Hiya Hoggy,
I have to say it's seeing kids like yours that restores faith in me and how parents bring up children. You deserve to be held up as an example of what can be done and you and Gina can be justifiably proud of your two nippers. For me you are a traditional family unit, something sadly lacking these days. Well done to you both again.

Aww, stop it, I'm getting a lump in my throat now!!

Go away the lot of you, and come up with something for the caption competition!!

Told you they were the sweetest kids.. You big softy!

Caption competition? I would, trouble is I'm one of the darned pics ain't I.

Your camera still working Hoggy? Taking my pic is well risky you know. I've been known to blow cameras at 100 yards with my fizzog.

The camera is surviving... it felt better once lil's giggles were uploaded, the memory card felt much less stressed after that!

Don't know if YouTube will ever be the same again though!

Nothing wrong with your fizzog dear ST

or Auntie Giggles' giggles

Thank you, hunny

Just out of interest - what's an OPK?

Other People's Kids

i wish I'd wangled it with to spend that weekend in the UK... we could have brought the Gruesome Twosome and restored everyone's faith in the OPK thing