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

Ah! What a chuckle I got about your friend smoking in the toilet! Most cities and even some States have passed laws here about public smoking too. I quit back about 1971, so it doesn't affect me. Although I'm not above enjoying a good cigar from time to time, but very rarely. Hang in there, it's worth it to quit. Being able to breath easier is a great plus.

Yes, I was lucky to find a cheap beat up car for my first son, I doubt I will be so lucky this time, at least not for a year or so. I will pass on the happy birthday, he'll get a grin from it, he asks me about you from time to time.

I got my license when I was about 18 or 19. Until then I took a bus to work or rode my bicycle. As far as travel, I used to hitch-hike around New England, from Maine to Rhode Island. Met the most wonderful people that way. I don't think it's advisable these days, and the police probably would haul me in anyway.

I've just spent the evening trying to hook up three computers. I was two thirds successful, and one third not! Time for a drink and some Rest, I think. Catch you soon!

Well, I finally had some success hooking up the third PC to our new DSL connection last night. It seemed as though I was having trouble with the networking (I dearly hate that stuff, but seem to get stuck with it everywhere I turn). I looked in his system information and it said the ethernet drivers were missing. I verified that my laptop worked on that line, then installed a new ethernet card I had "lying around" from a previous job. The PC didn't even acknowledge new hardware when I rebooted like it should, so I tried dialing up to the internet the old-fashioned way but it wouldn't let me dial either. Frustration. Then my son mentioned that he hasn't been able to dial since we got the DSL working and a lightbulb went off in my head. I put a 'noise filter' on his modem thinking that might be preventing me from dialing out. When I did that and rebooted, the bleeping thing connected to the DSL and worked fine! I don't even know what I did right! Was it the new card, setting changes, the filter? I told him if it breaks don't tell me. That's the problem with having an engineering mind. You can't rest until you've overcome a problem, even if you never understood it.

By the time I got done with the PC, dinner, catching up on emails, and preparing lunch and clothes for the next day it was 10:30 and time for bed since I get up at 5:45.


Well, my old email address will soon become obsolete. I've had it for over 10 years! The internet was still shiny back then. If you send me an email soon I can respond with my new one. I'll lose my old web site too, but we'll build one with the new provider, so It's no big deal.

Write when you find time, and don't take any wooden nickels mean time.

I've just got in to work and read your message.How soon will your email become obsolete?.I could send you mine on this thread, do you think that's a good idea knowing that anyone can read this?.On the other hand I could write to you via email tomorrow which I think would be better.If I'd looked on here before coming to work tonight I could have had it all sorted, never mind.

You've been busy on the computer link up system but successful, I would'nt have a clue.My daughter's partner will understand, he's a computer whizz kid, I think I've mentioned that previously.I'll be talking to my friend and work colleague later tonight and I will relay what you have wrote,he'll be very interested.

Have you managed to find anybody to car share yet?.

My wife completed the race for life for cancer relief on Sunday.There was 4000 entrants.About half of them did actually run the 5km (three and a half miles)but my wife and her party were among the ones who walked the course.It took her 1 hour 1 minute and 32 seconds.She has raised nearly £200.

Let me know what you think about the email situation.I'll leave it a couple of days then I'll email you on your existing one.

Catch you later.

Hello!

I suspect we'll let our old ISP lapse at the end of the month, and my old email won't be good after that. Go ahead and send a letter along on that old one. I'll respond with my new address.

As far as the computer thing, I don't feel like I have a clue either, and certainly was never trained at any of it which is probably why I get so frustrated. Many a time I've considered pottery as an alternative business. Imagine getting to play with mud and get paid!

I haven't dug too deeply but I did run into one young lass here that lives not 3 miles away! She told me there are 10 people in the building from our town! I ran it through a calculator, and that is six tenths of a percent of the Population! Isn't that high? I think so. Since we'd only met over a sandwich at a picnic table outside the building, she wasn't too hot on car-pooling just yet, but if the gas prices don't go down much I suspect in time she'll be more interested. Once I'm more settled here I plan on digging up the others and see what we've got. I'd also hate to be saddled with some one who irritates me all the way to work. Sad, but there it is.

I'm not sure what the dollar/pound ratio is these days but I dare say that your wife did well with that walk. Hat's off to her!

Well, I see that the big hand is on 12 and the little hand is on 1, and that means I'm working! Better get off!

Cheers!

I have gone ahead and sent you an email, not a lot on it just testing at the moment.Hope it's gone alright.I'm at work right now.Talk later

Well, I got that with no problem, so we're all set! And it's Friday, even better! By the way, the new Post is out, and they've printed my latest poem! I think you'll enjoy it, have a read at A23771667. Have a great Day!

Hello,

From an absolute and totally drenched Darlington. It's done nothing but rain like never before in Darlo.I've lived here for nearly forty years and never experienced anything like it.They say we have had two months of rainfall in two days.The town centre was closed off on Saturday afternoon by the police and fire service,It was too dangerous.We did'nt get caught as bad as some did because we wer'nt in the centre, but it was bad enough trying to get home.It's wellingtons on at the moment when we take the dog out,she's up to the top of her legs in the field, she thinks it's funny.I know why the weather is doing this, it's because it's Wimbledon fortnight and it always rains then.Anyway it has'nt affected it much down south,thank goodness because nothing gets done when the tennis championships get under way. .Glued to tv.

I've been talking to my mate tonight, ( I'm at work at the moment)he's going to phone me later, about 0200hrs and explain to me the mechanics of saving emails etc, I have'nt got a clue.There's always something new to learn with computers is'nt there?.

How's everything with you,It'll soon be your sons trip to Ireland wont it?.Ask him to bring you a crate of guiness back. I'll send you some pictures by email soon of things that make you say,(OH DEAR).

Palladin.

Well I saw some pictures on BBC.com and I was bowled over. I don't know the UK well enough geographically to have realized you were in the thick of it. Perhaps you should just tie some fishing line to your leg and put a bobber and hook on the other and wander the fields for trout that have come out looking for food. We live on a mountain top and the water would have to get pretty deep down below before we ran into that, but down in the valley, we have a river that squirts through a pretty constricted area, and when the rains come it can be amazing how the nature of it changes.

Yes, I've felt like a retreaded tire often, trying to keep up with the technology. When I began working in the IT field, PC's were just being thought up and Windows didn't exist. Floppy disks were the size of dinner plates. I once had a woman working for me whose first job as a programmer involved a soldering gun! they didn't even have keyboards when she started. Many days, I yearn for a simpler life! Perhaps if I make it to retirement, I can put it all behind.

Things are not so problematic on this side of the Atlantic. Yes, my son goes to Ireland in just over 4 weeks. Of course, his passport hasn't come in yet, and I'm getting nervous, but it wouldn't be life if everything went perfectly would it? They just played a tournament here at a university. They lost their games, and the last game was ugly. One of the opponents was taken off in an ambulance after a concussion brought on convulsions. Another time, a striker rushed the goal and my son came out to defend, and they collided. They carried the striker off the field. My son said later "I heard something crack in him when we hit." What price glory?

I got the pictures you promised! Oh dear! (or something to that effect!)

Try to stay dry until that water figures out where the sea is!

(Im taking Stella to the vets tomorrow,she's limping on her rear right leg. This was the one she had the op for cruciate ligament. I hope it's just a touch of arthritis in the hip.Because of all this flooding she's been running through deep water and we thought maybe she's got a touch of arthritis with getting wet and cold etc.I took her out today just walking her on hard ground and she seemed okay in comparison.

When I said good picture in my email I meant the one you sent me with Popeye and Riley. I'll take a guess and say that Popeye is the little one looking out of the window, hey you cant beat a dog's life can you?.It looks like the middle of winter on the picture, It look's like it's freezing.I've put the picture in my folder. When my wife came in from work on the day I recieved your email I said to her, "Stella's got an email", and she said,"you should get out more".

Yes football can be ugly as regards injury sometimes, let's hope that the two players that were injured are okay.

The water has gone now and everything is back to normal, apart from the fields where I take Stella. We'll give them a miss for a while.

Have you got through all that training you mentioned?.

I've just come in from the club, been playing dominoes and putting the world to right's., as you do.It's a and then bed for me.

Hope to here from you soon
.

Well it's the start of another weeks work tonight, keeps me off the streets.

We took Stella to the vets last Wednesday and it turns out she has got arthritis in the joint she had cruciate trouble.I'ts not as bad as we thought according to the vet.She's on anti-inflammatory tablets for a month.She is'nt limping as much now,the vet mentioned physiotherapy if tablets were'nt any good, we'll wait and see.

How's it going with you,did you celebrate the fourth of July at all?.
We've just had the Wimbledon tennis tournament the last two weeks, finished on Sunday. Never been away from the television screen, fantastic.

Remember that story about being escorted off the pub premises because my mate was caught smoking?,well he has been stopped now for three weeks so something positive has come out of it.

Is everybody okay,Riley and Popeye included?.

I've had my share of drink this last week, I was out Tuesday/Thursday/Friday and Saturday I'm always pleased when i've had enough.

Catch you later i hear someone coming, I can hear thier keys rattling.

Well then, Paladin!

Sorry to hear about Stella's hip. I guess we all have parts begin to go as we age. At least she has three good legs!

We had beautiful weather right up until the 4th, then it poured. We were invited to a picnic but it ended up at our house because I had constructed a 9 foot umbrella over my grill. We ate in, but it was fun.
The next night was a turkey dinner at an old friends, Friday and Saturday were well fed too, but no where special, then Sunday dinner at my wife's older sister and her husband's house. The two best cooks in the world, and we ate until I couldn't stand up.

Glad to hear the rains let up for you, I know Wimbledon had their scheduling problems too, but I suppose you must be used to it. We get plenty of rain in New England, but the hills keep it from hanging around usually.

Tell your friend I said "hang in there!" Quitting is hard, but worth it.

Popeye, by the way, is the big guy. The terrier is Riley. A Topsy Turvy world, I suppose. They're doing fine, and as you can see, are not overworked.

Yes, I think it's my turn to get back to productivity, or it will be the front door for me!