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

I just completed the migration to my new computer, since the old one belongs to my (former) employer. Now I need to familiarise myself with the new system, as well as Windows 7 and Office 2007, in a jiffy, while already doing some freelance work...

coffee any one

WJH?: I tried half of one of the baguettes I made earlier today... best batch yet I think Baguette quest is nearly finished now... Maybe just a few final tweeks to the recipie and method and it'll be perfect

Then I started contemplating what sort of bread to master next... I'm thinking maybe soem kind of flat bread, just for a change...

Managed to provoke a laugh from one of the most depressing phone calls I've ever had, then extricated myself from it quickly before it all went down-hill again.

Paddy and his wife are lying in bed and the neighbours' dog is barking like mad in the garden.

Paddy says "To hell with this!" and storms off.

He comes back upstairs 5 minutes later and his wife asks "What did you do?"

Paddy replies "I've put the dog in our garden. Let's see how they like it!"


Smudger.

WJH: The tumble dryer decided that now - when I have a pile of wet clothes and ought to be leaving for a holiday this evening - would be the perfect time to go on the blink (and trip all the electrics in the house when anyone dares look at it).

This leaves me with the sticky dilemma of finding a friend who's not at work so I can to use theirs, or going out and buying a rake of new clothes.

My dog (young, female, peaceful, barely knee-high) just got attacked by two hunting dogs, right in our street. She was on a leash and never stood a chance, they came rushing and went right for her throat. She's alive because her owner managed to grab one dog and I kicked away the other until he could grab that one, too. Her cheek and paw are bleeding, but she'll be all right. Good thing she has such a thick mane, courtesy of her mother who was a German Shepherd.

Turns out those things are infamous in the village for attacking out of the blue and have done so numerous times, but nobody will press charges because the owner is a policeman. Moreover, those are the people who "adopted" the sister of my two youngest cats, and she was never seen again.

I hope she *is* all right. I'm sure you're furious - to me, that sounds like someone terrorising a community with immunity from the law because he owns a shiny badge.

She seems to be OK, limping a bit, but dragging her Frisbee around again. And today might even be her birthday!

Then I think she deserves a nice plump Bratwurst for tea.

She already had goulash for dinner AND for breakfast, on account of her b-day. But I'll rustle up a big fat doggie biscuit for her as soon as she wakes up.

give her a hug from me and try witchhazle for the brusing, but not on the cuts and one for you too

That's maddening about there being a track record of this kind of thing. Can't some farmer's shotgun go off accidentally when those dogs are around? I can't help thinking they (and the owner, more to the point) wouldn't get such an easy ride here.

I hope she'll be well again soon.

Dog is OK, her injuries are healing. But I found those two hellhounds running free at the back end of OUR pasture the other day! I offered their owner a few choice words, but to my chagrin, he didn't stick around long enough to hear me out...

On a happier note, I received a surprise parcel today, containing some incredibly cool new socks (with little birdies and bird houses) and something that the sender described as "*ahem* marital aids".

Dang, I meant to add a smiley...

Now what kind of a weirdo would send you that?

Is puzzlement.
Actually - that's what it is!!

Possible intriguing job things just happened.

Is this an escape hatch I see before me?

... or a trapdoor that leads to the basement?