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

How be thee?

N

The better for seeing you back here .

Brief visit or can you spend some time?

And how's married life and your lizard, life in general, the new location, the writing?

Somewhere between a brief visit and a full return. My in-laws have broadband now so access is not as patchy as it was.

Being back in Llantwit is great. It helps, takes some of the strain off, being somewhere we love. It's taught me a lesson in how important landscape and location are to mental wellbeing and outlook.

Lizardy is, as ever, wonderful. Tired out, caring for me, but getting there with her own writing at last and gaining confidence which she's never had before.

I wasn't writing for quite a while but I'm back to it now, which makes me all the gladder that my inlaws now have broadband so I can come back here with reasonable regularity.

We're down here for a 60s fancy dress night but that's not 'till later so I'm stealing some time on here.

Pin pointed out one worthy newcomer, are there many others? It's bewildering to find so many new names in the AWW. And how fares the Underguide? I saw some of the Crit Run pieces and it looks like a great project. Will it be starting up again in the spring?

N - and Fatty says 'Hi'

60s . Fun. And stylish - unlike 70s.

Hi back to Fatty !

That all sounds good, I'm glad. Not troublefree, but ... I'll short stop of clicheland there. I agree about landscape. There's no sea here, but there is a sense of space.

The Crit Run worked better than I thought. It'd be good to have another one or a variation on it - perhaps a challenge plus crit. Just to bring in a bit of difference. It has started more crit in the AWW, which was excellent. You always used to do that anyway, but it was getting very uncommon.

The UnderGuide is trundling along - could do with more miners who are at home in the AWW, mind. If you wanted to pick up the pick again - as you know UnderGuiders never resign, they just go out to long, long lunches.

Of recent newcomers, I love langsandy's (U4056622) writing, and ianhimself's (U5477852) too. 'wow' stuff - langsandy's Winter Harbour, ianhimslf's 'I let something show too'.

This is a rushed post, I've got to get off. I have been phoned. Errands and then a meal with friends. One who could have given 60s tips. Went to the Cavern before the Beatles.

Later,
Waz

Yeah, the dress up and trimmings are the best bit. Our folks are a great bunch and always ready to kick back and play. The lizard is deeply jealous of your friend, in passing. I must remind her that at least she got to meet Paul, and at that before Linda died and he became an embarrasing old man. She is watching the rugby and drinking beer. All in all, working on her lesbian stereotype.

I would love to be able to come back to the Underguide but I fear I shall have to stay out to lunch a while longer. I could probably just about do it, but not as well as I would expect of myself and I wouldn't have time for much else in my online time. But hopefully we won't be internet deprived forever! I will be trying to keep track of the best in the AWW and commenting as much as I can.

Space is good, we have that now and it is to be treasured. Small town life suits us, or we suit it. For example, we like being able to do the weekly shop without going to a big supermarket. Odd how much difference it makes to the feel of the town making lots of stops instead of wandering like frazzled zombies around neon hell once a week.

N

Rugby, beer and ... poetry then .

A bit of lurking on, and I think you should keep well away from the UnderGuide and spend all your online time writing, and keeping that flippered seal writing. I'd like to read Cheval before I get to my eighties!

I've become a fan of Lidls. No pretend customer caring as they try to get your savings, your credit, your insurance, phone, internet, pension... and no zombie-shopping. People don't know quite what they're going to find in there and they brighten up. Visibly. I've overheard, and even got into all sorts of conversations. Plus my father went there for a bicycle helmet (all aerodynamically cool looking) and came back with a black velvet-look pudding bowl riding hat. I will love them forever for that.

We're not sure if he knows it's a riding hat or not, and we're not saying. There's a sort of silence surrounding it. A sort of awed silence every time he puts it on.

Oh, that's wonderful. That has brightened my day almost as much as the snow has.

We mostly shop at Filco. A small independent supermarket, part of the NISA chain. They also stock unlikely and wonderful things on occasion. And we go to Lidl and Aldi whenever we can get a lift there, for all the same reasons you do. I had my ingrowing toenails done a few weeks ago and on the way back from the hospital we stopped in Aldi where Lizardy bought me red roses covered in silver glitter.

Writing again is great. I've had my long weekend and it is time to get back to work. Even if we don't settle on Cheval I'm sure we can produce something that you (and the Hatstand) will like.

I'm sure too, even if it's not Cheval.

Speaking of Lidls - there's a valentine to it in the AWW .

Filco is a new one on me. I haven't even heard the name.