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

I don't often write journal entries but thought I would have a little clear up as we are on publicity drive

Leaving my email case anyone wants it at a future date

[email protected]

Peanut

Still haven't made that fancy looking pie. Will definitely email you a slice when(if) I do.

I could just do with a piece of pie, I know it only breakfast time but we have been for walk, feels like lunchtime

I didn't send you any sloe gin at Easter, bad friend I am, there is plenty left so May Day will be when we crack the next bottle and I'll pour you first glass

I have some grapefruit vodka on the go

Ow, my back hurts. Ow ow ow. (I've complained about it to everyone else I've met today, so there's no reason why you shouldn't hear about it).

Grapefruit vodka sounds interesting, what's the recipe?

Did I mention that my back hurts?

Poor thing, *makes hot water bottle* You just make yourself comfortable, is there anything I can get you?

How did you do that then?

Recipe

4 yellow grapefruits
475ml of vodka
tsp of whole corrinder seeds
350ml of Simple Syrup mixture

Have got red grapefruits, they looked yellow on the outside

Imaginatively you can serve it with extra shot of vodka and grapefruit juice as a cocktail

Did I forget tell you I have been strimming, so expect to be in a world of pain tomorrow. A kind person would bring me a hot water bottle and pie probably

Do you just use the juice of the grapefruits? And how long do you have to leave it for? Red grapefruits tend not to have the powerful taste of yellow ones I find - perhaps a bit of lemon juice might be in order?

I initially hurt my back a few years ago when I fell off a mountain* and gave my spine a bit of an unpleasant surprise. Every now and then certain things, like the three hours gardening that I did yesterday, will make it flare up. It's not so much heavy work, but bending over. Sounds like you have back problems as well? Strimming is an absolute sod for it isn't it? It's just that slight leaning forward that you have to do that seems to get me.

I prescribe an alcohol rub, taken orally.



*slipped on some wet rocks and landed on my arse

I googled hot water bottle and pie and came up with this:
http://bit.ly/YUW0Sf

Sorry not being much of a gardener, could one of you explain strimming for me? How is this different than trimming or pruning?

The American for Strimmer is Weed Whacker, which is a lovely name, but doesn't lend itself so readily to being a verb.

OK, got it. Thanks. I hope those things are safer in the UK than they are here. They definitely should NOT be used with grapefruit vodka intake.

at the fisherman's tale and the prescription

You use all of the fruit, pith the fruit and also add the peel. Soak in the vodka for two weeks, giving a swirl every other day. Then add the sugar water leave for another couple of weeks. Then strain and bottle.

You are right about the grapefruit, lemon juice probably a good idea I'll let you know after a sampling.

Fortunately, despite falling off a mountain a few times myself I don't have a bad back. It is going to be muscles that pain.

It was my Mum's mini strimmer, really bloody awkward for posture

Weed whacker, that is great, strimmer is henceforth renamed.

No vodka consumed beforehand, but an (alcholic) ginger beer afterwards, it is thirsty work afterall

at google

Elektra - garden strimmers are fairly safe. They have an electric motor and the cutting is done by a rotating nylon string ("strimmer" is a reduction of "string trimmer"). You'd probably have to put a fair bit of thought and contortionism into injuring yourself with one.

The heavy duty beasties with a petrol motor and a rotating steel blade are a different bucket of haddock entirely. You definitely need to take care with those.

Good to know, thanks for the explanations both of you. I think strimmer sounds er than weed whacker in any case.

Before going on holiday Grandad does a really sweet thing and quietly slips us £20 and tells me to treat ourselves as they will be while they are away.

We decided this note was ear marked for gardening stuff and have come home with, raspberry and gooseberry bush.

Seeds, kale, courgette, cauliflower, mixed peppers of different hotness, cabbage and sprouts ( but everyone else likes them)

Spuds

another propagater and two washing up bowls which are cheaper that flower pots or similar size.

If I include the post strimming ginger beer yesterday, we still have £5 left.

The gooseberry and raspberry are a risk, win some, lose some, so keeping fingers crossed

Overall a good shopping day and we enjoyed it

That's a brilliant haul for the price. Time to get planting....

Planting today

There seems to be some fluffy mold on my lupins, so I have got some little pots to put them into quarantine

There is only three and I have got attached to them

How's your back HD, I've meaning to ask.

<----- oral alcohol rub if needed

It's fine, thanks. It follows a very predictable pattern - hurt a bit one day, a lot the next, fine the day after. I'll snaffle the for later though. I've got to go and make a load of noise with our bells in...er...about one minute. Did you get all your gardening done without too many aches and pains?

Gotta go now though