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

Have you thought of nursing. Sounds like you already are over qualified for that...

Many years ago, my careers officer at school tried to push me into nursing because I did so well in my Human Biology & Home Nursing subjects, but being the stroppy little moo that I was then (And some say still am!), I took the first job that paid the most to come along as an office junior, working for the Rank Organisation's film laboratories at Denham (The man with the big gong!), where I became involved in the Trades Union movement and had a thoroughly good time.

I did see a careers advisor at a Govt. job centre a couple of years ago to ask about going into nursing as our Govt. were desperately recruiting nurses, but he actually advised against it because it involved studying full time, which I'm unable to do. Also, he commented that he'd seen a number of registered carers, like myself go into nursing as a career, only to find they weren't suited. However, he did suggest that I study part time and select a subject that I enjoy and hadn't considered doing before, which I did. I have now completed two City & Guilds courses in computing (word processing applications/spreadsheets/databases) and have just started my third course and sat my latest word processing exam only yesterday.

One of the things that really frightens me about being a housewife/registered carer is that I'll forget how to use what's left of my brain (The largest part of which was removed during the birth of my sproglets!) and this getting old lark doesn't help either because I just don't have the energy that I used to have.

Just wait until you get to my age and you'll soon realise what I mean!

How are Deb and Rebecca nowadays? Isn't it Rebecca's first birthday soon and will you have a party for her? July is a busy (and expensive) month here as Mair, Chris and myself all have our birthdays therein.

I'm not sure hanging around here will help your state of mind much...not while you are hanging around the likes of me anyway

Yes, Rebecca will be one on the 4th of July. Deb is busily planning a party in the local park involving everyone we know with children of their own, or so it seems...i'm not so sure it's such a good idea in the middle of winter. No point argueing with a woman though ;-P

Absolutely no point at all! My! Aren't you well trained! Did Deb break you in herself or did she find you that way and if the latter, where on Earth did she find you? Are there any more left, or are you unique?

I'd love to see some photographs from the party (Pretty please?).

I might not argue, but it doesn't mean i can't ignore

As to where she found me...in the pub of course

I will see what i can do about photos...

So Debs stumbled across you in a pub, hey?

*Huge gin...I mean grin*

Well, I suppose most chaps look better to a girl after she's had a few drinkies!

John and my daughter, Mair are both very good at nodding in agreement and then ignoring everything I say or ask them to do...

I'll await the party pictures with baited breath (Thanks!).

Actually we had mutual friends but were only on nodding terms until we both got invited to a birthday dinner

At which Debs obviously decided that you were the "desert"??

more like breakfast

Didn't Deb's mum warn her not to have breakfast with strange men then?

I'd been on "nodding" terms with John for years, then a girlfriend of mine moved in with him, brought him round to dinner one night and ended up marrying him (I was a witness at their wedding).

John's marriage broke up, as did mine and we were married less than two year's later by the same registrar who recognised John (He's quite a memorable chap!) and asked, "Weren't you one of mine last time around?"

John replied that he was indeed and introduced me as one of his witnesses! We've been manacled together for twelve years this coming August!

so you must be due for parole soon then

I would count the time in New Zealand as double though, or does it just seem to take twice as long

I must be into bondage or something as I quite like being manacled to Johnnypoohs!

Unfortunately, part of our time in NZ was like being in purgatory because everything fell apart around our ears (Financially, Christopher's autism becoming apparent and then I developed an auto-immune thyroxin deficiency plus lots more stuff that's too long to go on about!), which is why we ended up returning to the UK whilst we still had enough capital to do so.

It's a shame because I really loved NZ (it was so beautiful and CLEAN compared to parts of the UK), John's relatives are smashing people and I miss Hatfields Beach (where we lived on the Hibiscus Coast) and occasionally dream that we're still living there.

especially during the eleven months of winter you have over there

Eleven months? Is that what you've heard about the UK?

Gawd! Don't get a Pom started on talking about the weather...It is our favourite topic, don't you know?

We've had some quite nice and unusually hot (for the UK and especially the North East of England) weather and all the big and beefy (That's only the women!) have exposed their flesh to the sun and are going around like lobsters...

However, I still look like an anaemic because I'm banned from sunbathing as I had a malignant melanoma removed a few years ago, which luckily was caught very early but it did give me a scare.

In the meantime, John's hoping that bad weather will stop play and save the day on the latest Ashes test match!!!! John's trying to cheer himself up by saying, "Still, it's only the first match..." (The poor disillusioned lad!)

It rained, but not enough to help that hapless mob of blokes you call a cricket team

I'm off to the deciding rugby test this weekend, much relieved that the Wallabies actually remembered how to play after one and a half games of running around like headless chooks.

LOL!

Enjoy your rugger and I promise not to mention Wimbledon!

I think the general consensus over here is: well played, but Goran had already lost 3 times, so good luck to him...if it had been Henman though, it would have been a national disaster

Touché!

Actually our press weren't very complimentary to young Tim even before he was knocked out, because they reckoned that it was difficult to support someone with a name like Tim in the first place (the poor chap).

There are occasions when I think the press should be hung up to dry and ridiculed in public!

Yes, i think your tabloid press should all be burnt at the stake. Mind you whoever it was that decided to publish Austin Healeys column should be thanked for proving that extra little bit of motivation we needed to beat the Lions on the weekend...

I missed that game! It was Mair's 14th birthday and I was rather distracted...

John says that it was a very close game and that I missed a good one! Oh bother!