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

Aaah! So who says small & cheap isn't beautiful!!! It works! The day'll come for a step up or a portable computer

Hear from you soon.

Speaking of technical equipment: 84 copies of 3 A4 pages, that equals 252 pages, right. I set the printer to print this lot & leave it be.

Come back a little later: printer has stopped at around the 200th page, with a message on it saying "Printer Size ?A4". After all those copies, wouldn't you think it would have just carried on?

R reckons maybe it's getting senile dimentia - it's about 6 years old now (laser)!!! Otherwise some clever programmer decided to play a joke if it managed to get to a certain number of total printed pages!!

A few strange things have been happening around here lately. One was last week: R got up as usual in the morning, came down & went to fill the kettle for the usual early morning coffee. BUT the kettle was already half filled and ...... warm!! He didn't get up during the night, neither did I & all the mugs were in the same place as usual!!

Maybe Holly dog tried to make herself a drink & gave up!!

R & I have just managed to paper the ceiling in the hall, well he did really, I just held a broom up to hold the paper while he clambered up the ladder on the stairs to put in place properly. Pheeew!! I'm glad it's done without anyone getting concussion!

You'll be really envious of what we are both up to now ........... stuffing 84 plus another 64 envelopes! Told you you'd be jealous!!

All for now, hope work was OK for you.

xx

Hey, it looks like I'm talking to myself again! So what's new!

Finished stuffing those envelopes + more for R's 60th party!!!

Two pints of real ale down tonight at the "Station". Met Winnie the Pooh there with his own tankard & a raised eyebrow - I said goodnight to him, of course!!

Howsya' diddling?

Like the mail with the cacti? Very apt I thought - I do sometimes, think that is ;-

Going to see Les Miserables with my offspring next Monday - we've booked into a hotel in London overnight. Well, we've been talking about doing this for years & I'd saved some pennies towards a week's cheapo hol somewhere with her (which looks like it 'aint gonna happen) so I'll spend some of it this way instead!!

When I worked, I was right in theatre land, but never went to see anything - what a waste!!! (Mainly down to the good for nothing I was with at the time - my purse always appeared to get empty!)

I worked out the other day that the last group I went to see was the Moody Blues at Wembley back in the '80's. Oh, ..... it!!

LoL to both
Shirps

Well, I reckon that the last 'proper' concert I went to was probably Barry Manilow at Wembley..... about 5 years ago

Barry Manilow? Come now, you're having me on!!! Or is there something you haven't told me

But Shirps, don't you see that "St." in front of my name now? I'm the h2g2 Patron Saint of Barry Manilow (blessed be His name for he is the one true God, may his tribe increase). I've been to see him at Wembley..... I think 4 times now, and never had anything but a great time . It's high camp, but I always liked the song Mandy, even way back then when it wasn't the sort of thing that a teenage boy might admit to. Now I've got a shaved head I defy anyone to argue with me about it

OK, OK,

Well, I suppose I had better admit to the first LP I bought - gulp, deep breath: The Best of Herman's Hermits - well, I loved the song "No milk today", the first single was Unit 4 plus 2 - "Concrete & Clay", flip "When I fall in love".

Blessed be those singers, groups & songs that were unfortunate enough to become passe to those ignorant of the true bliss emanating from those who adored them.

Hey, there's nothing wrong with Herman and The Hermits I actually went to see a moview with them in.... prolly around '65, '66, which was one half of a double bill with a movie that starred Roy Orbison
The first LP I bought was Deep Purple In Rock, which I don't have any more. I can't remember what the first single I bought was, but the second was 'Fire' by The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, which I *do* still have, although it's pretty trashed, and whaddya know, one of our regular customers at the store said that Arthur Brown has been living in Austin for some years, and has even been in the store! I believe he might have gone back to the UK now though, and I know that he's playing some festivals over the summer, although his son might still live here.

Living around the rich & famous huh?

Can't talk much now - going off to London tomorrow morning with my daughter for 2 days (&to see Les Mis.). It's 11.30pm & I need some sleep to prepare for the hustle and bustle!!!!

LoL to you both
Shirps

Hope you enjoy the trip

Apologies for not getting back to you for some time.

Got back from London OK - fantastic show. Things in a bit of turmoil here at present, so I'll write soon & catch up!!!!

Hope you & yours are OK!!!

General Election over here tonight - I'm going to bed early!!!!
Find out what happened in the morning!

LoL
Shirps

I'm watching it on BBC America, which we got hooked up to (with?) yesterday, along with some other channels, so I can now watch all the good BBC comedies, plus Father Ted, London's Burning, Tomorrow's World, Graham Norton, Ainsley Harriot, etc, etc. Oh, and Eastenders and Corrie too

Hiya

Hope you're enjoying the forwards - I do like yours!!

Who is/was Lady Joan Ruff-Diamond?? Sorry if I'm showing my ignorance yet again

I intend to come back & chat on H2 - there's been so much usage of my time (by other people) recently, that I just couldn't cope with much more chat - that's the way it goes I suppose!!

R's 60th went really well & the art soc. exhibition is on at present, so I can relax until Sunday night, when I have to begin all the accounts for the club & begin booking people for next year's calendar. There must be more to life!!

We're going away to the coast from 4-25 August & I'm really looking forward to it - unfortunately no computer - maybe it's a good thing!!

This little baby is causing more problems so I think it needs a complete overhaul, just when the warranty has run out!!

All fir now
Shirps

That was Joan Sims' character in Carry On Up The Khyber. Glad the party went well Shirps Where are you going? Which part of the coast?
We went to lunch with the mother in law today. Not as bad as it sounds really - we only see her about once a month, which is plenty enough
The weather is winding itself up for the dog days of summer - right now it's 7.54pm, and the temperature is 89ºF (plus heat index = 96º {35ºC}). Too bloody hot! A thermometer billboard on the way to lunch read 94º at about 3pm. The electric bill for last month was almost $100 That a/c really eats up the juice.
Steph's busy watching AbFab on tv. I've seen them all so many times already I thought I'd come here. Watched Gormenghast on Public Television last night and the night before - bloody brilliant. So was The Royle Family, which I never got to see while I was still in London. It was kinda scary cos so many of my family are like that
I'll send you some more forwards as soon as they come in
Jim
xxx

Of course it was - can't remember names very well!! Bless her, I remember seeing her quite a few times in recent years in odd TV parts. There's not many left of the old Carry On team. My favs out of that bunch were Jim Dale, Sid James & Hattie Jacques - if only matrons were like that now!

Did you know they're bringing back the matron position in hospitals? B.... good idea I reckon.

We go to the Norfolk coast, a place called Winterton-on-Sea (near Hemsby, Yarmouth but it's nothing like Hemsby) Steps from the back of the back garden (!) straight on to the dunes, then a walk for about 10mins (depending on how fast you walk) to the sea. Holly loves it - as you can imagine!

R shares half ownership with his ex mother-in-law - how's that for a situation!! He's really good friends with her & she likes me - surprise, surprise!! (His ex wife is still alive in the same area we live, which is why IF we ever got married, I've told him I'd keep my surname - don't want anyone mixing us up!!!)

I'll tell R about your elec bills - you know, you never realise that people have heavy elec bills in summer - just to keep air conditioning, etc., going. What's the winter like? The same, I presume!!

Someone once likened Liz & me to the AdFab characters of mum & daughter - I was not amused & neither was Liz! She works hard, but is not a "Swot" &, OK, I've tried to be a little different, but it never quite worked So I guess I'll just fit in to the normal way of life. Example: Hallway just decorated - I wanted pale blue with a bright gold sun on the ceiling downstairs, then dark blue with a silver moon on the ceiling upstairs (something I've dreamed of for years - even before the "fad" for moon&stars). Guess what - R didn't like the idea, so it's a normalish hall - but with a few way out piccys

Gormenghast was an absolute joy to watch. I was a little afraid they would have ruined the book, but I reckon they enhanced it. I intend to get the Beeb video sometime, my taping got lost

Lord of the Rings is to be released at the end of the year - I wonder if it'll be any good. I've still got a home tape of a version they did a few years back with black outline figures - haven't watched it for ages, so can't remember much.

There's a guy called Alastair McGowan (or something like that) who takes off people, he does a wonderful mickeytake of the Royle Family, but using THE Royal Family, i.e. Camilla, Chas, Queen, DofE, Andy. If you get a chance. He also takes off Richard & Judy & has Richard down to a fine art.

Did you get the photos OK? No comments please if you did

Alll for now
Shirps

Just a qickie before I go to work - yeah, I got the pictures. They look mighty fine Shirps

Hey, try & keep your cool!

Hear from you soon.
Shirps

I see you on-line at present.

Heatwave over here, but still nothing like your predicament. Thunderstorms & flash flooding predicted next! Hey ho!

About to read your mail, after putting my expenses into the art club - he,he

Cacti are doing pretty well at present, as are the two Bonsai trees we now have!! Garden looks very .... colourful & full of gnats

What sorts of irritating insects are there over there?

We seem to have a few flying black beetles which I absolutely loathe.

All for now - don't work too hard.

Shirps

Hi Gosh

Haven't been in contact for ages!

Are you both OK? Really?

Re last message, one Bonsai tree died - small loss, compared to everything that has happened/happening.

I'll say no more now - wait to hear from you.

LoL to you both

Shirps