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

Weather - Windy, not actually raining, but not really dry. The walnut tree in the garden still has some leaves on it.
Time: 10:30 am I'm writing this in the morning again - got a packed evening ahead of me if all goes according to plan.

Just to sum up things that were only touched on yesterday and on Friday. The evening out with the girls from work was fun. I found I wasn't talking much, considering we'd travelled a long way. The others, all but one, are very young, loud, excitable and have lots to say for themselves. Talking shop, we tacitly agreed, was off limits. Two of them are young mothers, the rest will probably soon start sprouting, so the topics revolved around toddlers and kindergartens. As from next year, in our State, (possibly nationwide, I'm a bit vague here) it will be compulsory to provide a creche or kindergarten place for every child from their second birthday. As usual, they haven't thought this through, and there will not be adequate kindergarten facilities available to take the number of two- to six-year-olds.

Whatever. The food was plentiful - far too much, even for 8 of us - and the boss's daughter (4) was really amusing and cheeky, like her mum.

Saturday morning at school. Things have changed so much since last year. More on that another time.

My big problem with making music is still making a noise. Sounds , I know, but I was forever being shouted at (get the irony of it) for making a noise when a kid, and still don't dare pull all the stops on the organ, and if there's anyone in the house, I play the piano very quietly. Especially if it's silly exercises and scales. We shall have proper singing lessons as from next year, so I hope I have banished my demons by then.

[Amy P]

Enjoy your singing lessons. Finding your voice can be the most liberating thing.

I'm considering getting singing lessons. Also keyboard lessons, although the latter would mostly be an excuse to persuade Mrs. D that I *do* need to get a £2,000 analogue synthesiser.

Well, we have to sing in front of the class a bit, it's just part of the conversation. I have no idea what I sound like. I did once do a course which turned out to be more sort of pop singing, and we learned to use a microphone, but didn't have a monitor, so I just had to go on what people (non musicians) thought of my singing.

Making a noise is very difficult for me.

Unsurprisingly I find noisemaking very easy! Hence why I have so many distortion effects in my collection and spend time not playing bass doing 'noise electronics' stuff on my PC.