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

Estonian and Finnish are closely related (they belong to the Finnish-Ugrian language group together with Hungarian) which makes Estonia a northern country - not a slavic

But don't take my word for it, ask Hati

The things you learn in topic drift

I blame the Gulf Stream

and 2legs, of course

And 2egs blames Nighthoover -- or will when Nighthoover returns.

Doomsday, you mean?

Broomsday (fixed that for you).

I certainly didn't intend to mean that as a bad thing!

You never know, Nighthoover has been gone so long she might come back with a vengeance

I shudder to think of a vengeful nighthoover!

If I were a dustbunny, I would be afraid of any and all vacuums.

Hello Shea!

I retired, then someone ran off with my pension, so I am back to work again. Lovely to see you on here.

ice cream and

UG

I'm sorry to hear about your pension loss. Is there any chance of getting Social Security?

I'm going down those lines at the moment, but they seem to think I am about £5 over the threshhold of being eligible for pension credit.

I have enough pension to pay the bills and eat, but running a car is out of the question, and when it comes to Christmas and Birthday presents well......forget it!

Sadly my cat became ill, and I could not afford the vets bills, so had to sign her over at the local vet so that she could be treated. She had to be put down in the end and the total bill would have been nearly £700, way beyond my means. I didn't have to pay it because I signed her over after the first diagnosis, but that's not the point...

My mains water kitchen tap seized up, so I called in a plumber. He turned off the water and disconnected the tap to see what was wrong, and it fell apart in his hands (well it has been there nearly 30 years) It will be nearly £70 for another tap, which I don't have. I am using the outside tap (also off the mains) to fill the kettle and do the washing up.

This is not a sob story, it is an illustration of what the other pension meant to me. This is why I have gone back to work, mopping up wee, sick, blood and poo at the local primary school during morning and lunch time breaks.

As a job goes, it is not bad, but I was hoping, after a lifetime of single parenthood and working 24/7 to keep us together, that I could have a retirement.

Ok, Granny's going to stop ranting now and go to bed

UG

Thank you for your rant, Granny. I'm living on a pension now, and I can't imagine having it cut back, but there's always that possibility if times get really tough. I'm happy that you are healthy enough to work. I hope that the lack of a car won't be too much of an obstacle.

Sort of full circle really. I am healthy enough to work because I haven't got a car and have to walk everywhere.

Knees play me up something chronic at times, and other bits are dropping off gradually (teeth, hearing, sight, memory), but the grandchildren love me, so who cares!!

UG