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

That is amazing about the clematis - roses traditionally have a second flush of flowers (although mine didn't this year, for some unknown reason, sadly) but not clematis!

Thank you for putting a photo on facebook - excellent to see. The clematis with lots of pink flowers is impressive, but my favourites are the ones with large blue flowers, even though there aren't as many flowers open at one time

Hi GB

I have a Tribble (it's neutered, so hasn't reproduced in the years since I bought it!) and think you might like it

I wondered if you would like a mini meet some time this year and I could bring it with me

No problem if not

thank you!

Sounds like a plan to me!

Yay! Excellent

Sorry for the delay - I caught an impressively unpleasant cold lurgy that took a few weeks to get over, and I didn't want to spread it around any further than it has already been... I'm now feeling fit enough to think about an exciting journey with a tribble!

Are weekdays better for you than weekends, to fit around your job?

I'll be happier when the weather is better... we're slap bang in the middle of winter again in Cleethorpes

My job is ad-hoc, I only got a week's notice of the funeral on Monday 19th, weddings are usually on Saturdays and we've 2 booked in June and 2 in July, I see my sister on Thursdays and go to the cinema most Tuesdays. Tell me which days are best for you to travel (I would advise against Fridays as the Doncaster-Cleethorpes train is cancelled on Fridays more often than it runs)

Yes indeed - winter returned here today, too... Most odd to be in the sun one minute, then in a snow shower the next...

I tend to avoid travelling on Sundays because the trains here are generally replaced by rail replacement buses! Saturdays are OK, or Mondays.

Are you not working at the moment? Apologies if I've missed something, my life is a bit manic at the moment,

So the first Monday I'm available is the 26th March, I could meet you at the train station in Cleethorpes but I can't leave my car there as it's short-stay, I'm not sure if your wheelchair would fit in my car, it's a Hyundai i20 - if not I could park on the prom as that's hourly

I am working full time, but I have plenty of annual leave allowance left for this year so it is relatively easy for me to take a day off

I'm not familiar with Hyundai cars, but yes, the wheelchair does struggle to fit into some cars because it is an awkward shape compared to the shape of their boots so that is good that there is another place for you to park.

I'll find out tomorrow if I have a meeting on 26 March or not, and I'll let you know - very exciting!

I do have a meeting on 26 March, so I can't take the day off, sorry.

Would Saturday 31 March be an option? If not then 16 April looks very good, if that would be an option for you (I'm visiting my 'in-laws' the week before ).

Saturday 31 March we can earmark - it's my son's birthday but I can't imagine that he'd want to do anything (with me)

Yay! That sounds good indeed. I wouldn't take up too much of your time, anyway - 2pm-4pm if that would be OK for you.

I don't mind at all. Hopefully we'll have a nice day & can enjoy an ice cream on the prom

Excellent - I look forward to that

Thank you again for a lovely micro-meet yesterday.

A bit of a shame that the quantity of time was less than expected, but it was definitely quality time

A bit of a shame about the weather, too, but it was very atmospheric on the prom, and made the hot chocolate taste all the more delicious

The best thing was the opportunity to hug and hold hands to say the things about sympathy and understanding that words are inadequate for

Thank you again for your generous gifts, too I hope your tribbles are getting on well - good job they're neuter otherwise you'd get turquoise and black stripy ones

You're most welcome, I enjoyed it very much
Except for freezing on the prom, of coursebut you're right, it did make that hot choc taste better!

I agree about the hugs and holding hands but don't forget the kisses it's all soul food and keeps you going until next time

I am glad you liked your gifts, I hope you get much use out of them - I contemplated turning them into cushions as I only ever wear t-shirts at hootoo meets - but I am glad I didn't now

Actually I don't trust the Tribbles, so I am ensuring they are never together, the black vibrating one is going to live in my new car (they match!) and the turquoise one is staying on my keyring (handy so I can find my keys quickly in my handbag!)

I hope you weren't too exhausted with all that travelling and stress with the missed connections

Keep smiling



P.S. You have my permission to publish my photo

Soul food is the phrase indeed and the hugs and the hand holding and the kisses all count, yes (my critic inner voice had said I wasn't worthy of the kisses as well, but it was a fair exchange of soul food otherwise we wouldn't have been so surprisingly comfortable in each other's company as if we'd met before ).

Yes, I am very grateful for the t-shirts as they are a piece of h2g2 history and I do wear a t-shirt every day as an under-layer so I will get good use out of them

The dot-to-dot is really good, too - I do find counting is relaxing, and creating a picture is also relaxing so I am enjoying it so far - it was just the thing to wind down after the longer than expected journeys, so I slept well and felt fine the next day

I enjoyed playing with the Easter lambs today, and still have more goodies to enjoy over the next few days!

Very good idea to keep the Tribbles separate just in case! I'm sure the black one will be very at home in the matching car!

Would you like me to send you a copy of the photo I took? If you could send me the photo of me you took, I'll do an Entry for the Post so we can juxtapose the pictures as you suggested!

All the best dear kind GB

Yes please send me the photo, I'll have to send yours via return as I appear to have lost all my email contacts when I got this new computer,

I am so glad you will get lots of wear out of the t-shirts, that pleases me a lot as they were just hanging in my wardrobe attracting moths!

It didn't really feel like meeting you for the first time to me either, as we've already built up our friendship online over the years and neither of us had found it necessary to fabricate anything - you were exactly how I expected you to be - although I didn't detect a Scouse accent

I admire you so much for your fortitude and determination, and it was a pleasure spending time with you. Here's to the next time

Ah, difficult with a new computer indeed I've sent you an e-mail so you have my e-mail address again at least

"you were exactly how I expected you to be "

You were as lovely and friendly as I expected you to be, and even more so. It was an amazing sensation when I was waiting to disembark from the train and there you were and we recognised each other instantly! I like your accent and I'm glad that my accent wasn't too strong - some people can detect a Scouse twang somehow, but I prefer to aim for more of a blend of places I've lived in

I admire you so much too... Here's to the next time we meet indeed

I am glad you're enjoying all your gifts

I have introduced the purring Tribble to Goldie, but I won't leave her alone with it I'm off to my astronomy club tonight so it's going to travel there and back with me in my car.