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

My dearest Carole,

+100 F. really makes a body appreciate the winter months, snow, ice and all! It's reached the point of being nigh unbearable outside so inside I'll stay, though without A/C it's not a whole lot better. Oh well, complaining won't cool me down so why bother.

Drawn to the colonies are we? Only makes sense to me of course but then again I do live here. Sadly I have little opportunity to travel here either what with work and having to take care of the pets, not to mention a lack of ducats nessesary for such journeys. Someday I keep saying, sort of like the carrot on a stick to keep me hopeful more than anything, someday.

I do want my son to travel the world while he's still young. I encourage him to take each and every opportunity to see anywhere he's not been so he can experience all the wonders of our world. I've figured out a way to tap into his tax exempt collage trust to finance such ventures during summer breaks, nothing extravagant mind you, just the typical backpacker type thing. To my mind that's the best way to really get the feel for a place, no canned tours or crowded buses, just a body and the wits nessesary to get about with an unpicked pocket and and uncut throat. Paradise

You were wondering about where I work and what I do? Well, I'm a master fabricator though I've given up on the managment end and now just toll away at anothers shop, no worries other than getting up each day, getting through the day and then getting home again. Less stress but also less fun, still, it pays the bills and the lack of politics is worth it. Sadly I do miss the big paychecks.

Doesn't explain what we do does it? We are a custom steel fab shop that builds complete units as well as sub-assemblies for a wide variety of companys. Chances are you've seen some of my handywork rolling by as we have an international customer base, everything from crane booms to cement truck assemblies, if it's made of steel then we can build it.

My former employer was even more diverse and I miss the one off design and fab work that was my bread and butter, the complexity of creating new products and solving problems a plesent way to strech the limits of imagination and catering to my artistic leanings. If not for politics it would still be, but my own stubborness and belief in doing the right and honest thing was my undoing as those traits are not looked upon favorably by the less scrupulous in the managment end. Makes them look bad by comparison and thwarts there double dealing, back stabbing ways and they do hate getting caught with their hands in the cookie jar.

That all left me disillusioned, the final straw as it was and now I would just as soon collect a paycheck by using a tiny portion of my skills and leaving the bull for others to wade about in. The down side is that I'm bored to tears and haven't any desire to really work anymore but morgages demand payment and bellies need feeding. After the boy is off to collage in another three years I will pack it in and go back to doing what makes me happy, something more creative and artistic, something to strech my mind and wake me from the slumber I've been forced into for too long now.

There it is in a nut shell, the explaination about as muddy as a creek in springtime but it's as close as I can get without resorting to mind numbing technicalities and such. And with that it's off to do some of the stuff that always needs doing so till next time...

Brad

Dear Brad,

Sorry to hear that you are not too happy at work. I think it is that way for 90 percent of people in the world. Very few of us are lucky enough to work in a job we love.

When I was young I wanted to be a journalist but as my Dad died young I had to leave school at 15 and help bring in money so I could not go on to College or University and become what I wanted. I became a junior secretary in the company where my dad had worked and did evening classes to learn shorthand etc. So for many years I did secretarial work - sometimes interesting places and sometimes mind numbingly boring (engineering!!) companies. But, like you say it brought in the cash to get the children through univesity and we got by.

Then I changed direction and did the B & B for 13 years. This was fun to begin with but for the last three years it was just hard work and not so much fun.

I am glad that I am now able to be a retired lady! As to the journalism this is fulfilled by the production of our village magazine. I get interesting facts about the people here (and other things) and dash off to the church to "cover a christening or a wedding" etc. etc. So everything comes to he who waits, as they say. Plus I write and sell the odd story to a real magazine. and one day will get my novel finished!

I do agree with you though - money is not everything in life and it is better to earn less than have the stress and office politics of management jobs. Life is too short for all that.

If I need extra money for our trips I can sell some home made cakes. jams and chutneys or go down to the farm shop and pick daffodils in the spring or strawberries in the summer. But we have a little bit of savings so I am sure a trip to Virginia will not bankcrupt us!

Take care,
Kepp Happy and positive - it will soon pass believe me.
Best wishes
Carole

Carole,

Sorry I've been away, trying to get the family off to Virginia and still dealing with the heat is really eating up my reserves. With luck I can get some rest this weekend, and not a moment to soon! I'll write more on Friday as my mind is just numb right now, so till then take care.

Brad

Well, it's not Friday but my mind hasn't seemed to catch up as of yet. For being such a solitary fellow I do miss having the rest of the clan here. Once again, I'll try to get it sorted and be back when my mind is right though it might be another week or so as they're not due back next tuesdy and I've still to finish the projects that I started to occupy myself during their absence. See you when I get back then

Dear Brad,

OK hope you are coping alone. Speak soon

Carole

Dear Carole,

As much as I hate to do this it must be done. This will be my final posting on h2g2 aside from a quick note in my journal just to keep anyone from becoming concerned. The time has finnally come for me to move on, not for any reason other than that I can't seem to get the 'feel' for it any longer.

Times change as well as the people who live them, I just can't determine if it's me changing or just remaining the same while events move on around me. Either way I can't seem to get a handle on this place anymore, and so I shall simply drift off as quitly as possible.

I couldn't leave without saying a proper goodbye though. It has been fun and I value the conversations we have shared more than words can express. A common theme it seems, me without words these days. So it goes sometimes. I shall miss you dear Carole, of that you can be assured. Take care.

Your friend,
Brad

Bye Brad I will miss you too
Good Luck