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

I know that caffeine is supposed to be bad for us. But unless I develope something that caffeine would aggravate, I'm not going to worry about it. And I have decided to let F eat or drink whatever he pleases. He's 81. He has a bad heart and dementia. What is restricting his diet going to accomplish? Add a day to his lifespan? And with his mind not what it was, he forgets what he's supposed to do anyway. I'm not going to fight with him over it.

My mom is 83. She's in remarkable health for a woman her age. Her only real problem is that she has the nonmalignant skin cancers pop up all the time from too much sun exposure when she was young. She's a redhead and very fair. Other than that, she has very mild hypertension and arthritis in one hip. She uses a cane because of the hip. Anyway, she has never been careful about what she eats. She spent 78 years of her life eating exactly what she pleased. Now, since my dad died, she is all of a sudden worrying about her diet. It seems a little late in the game, if you ask me. And she is worrying about her weight. She is maybe 10 pounds over weight. At 83, who cares?

Gotta run. I have to spend the day in tghe warehouse getting ready for a book sale tomorrow and Saturday. Talk to you later.

I'm basically with you as regards diet love. I only changed my lifestyle because at 71 I was getting too many arthritic pains and this was such an easy way to cure it according to the book. I tried it and it worked for me - I look and feel younger that I did 7 years ago and really don't miss the things I cut out. I used to drink far too much anyhow, now I happily pour drinks for others and drink coke or slimline tonic myself.

I agree about F though - may as well make his life as smooth and enjoyable as you can before the dementure takes over - it's an awful condition in it's letter stages when they stop recognising you.

A has melonomias the same as your mum - through sunbathing when she was chiding me for keeping my long-sleeve shirts on. On our early post marital holidays I used to get upset that she was 'untouchable' when I was wanting to caress my bride. There's nothing romantic about a scream of 'don't touch'. I got enough sun in Egypt to last me through till the grim reaper comes for me.

I'm making this conversation too depreessing aren't I? I'm in a good mood really - A is out all day at the grandchildren's other grandmother's house so I've had the place all to myself. Read, snoozed (and done my duty ironing my shirts etc.) but I have to collect her shortly from the metro station.

We used to say 'see you later alligator' for the response ' in a while crocodile' J

And, on reflection, I do know how to spell 'later stages'.
J

I had an aunt and uncle who used the alligator/crocodile lines....every time they parted.....for years on end. Wasn't it from an old song?

The booksale went so so today. We made about $225. I imagine that tomorrow will be a better day for us. Of sourse we sell the books so cheap that it takes a lot of sales to make much money. Hard backs are a quarter and paperbacks are 3 for a quarter. The intention is not to make money,b ut to get rid of the stuff. I have no intention of moving it into my new building.

I'm really tired,though. I'm going to turn in early tonight.

Pleasant dreams love,

We are going out for our regular evening meal with friends followed by a game of solo.

Can't stay long today - will write again soon.

J

Is solo a card game? I don't think I've ever heard of it. Hope you have a lovely evening.

Do you have a favorite restaurant you always frequent, or do you like to try new places? In his salad days, F never wanted to go to the same place twice. Whereas if I found a place I really liked, I wanted to go back again. As he got older he became more agreeable on that front. But by then we had moved back to the Ozarks where there aren't any good restaurants to begin with. There are some passable ones, but nothing to write home about. At which point he decided that my cooking was a lot better than what we would get if we ate out, so why bother.

For the past 5 years at least he has been on a Chinese kick. When we do go out it is always to a Chinese restaurant. There are about two dozen in the area and we've tried them all. I like Chinese food, but it would be nice to have something else for a change. He likes for me to cook Chinese dishes at home, as well.

At least it's easy to get the ingredients for them. When he was on his Portuguese kick shortly after we married, I had the devil of a time finding recipes or ingredients. I have turned into a pretty fair Portuguese cook over the years.

We're getting a new Greek restaurant. I'm just going to drive him there and tell him that that's where he said he wanted to go. His memory is so bad he won't know the difference.

So what else are you doing for the arthritis besides avoiding caffeine? My index fingers and thumbs are starting to stiffen up on me.....and one knee.

Yes Hyp, solo is a card game - a bit like Whist and Bridge but, as the name implies, you don't play partners - the one who wins the bidding plays on his/her own against the other three. It's quite an old gambling game - certainly as old as the Klondyke gold rush!!
Dangerous Dan McGrew was playing solo when he was shot - we play for 5 pence pieces not gold, so I'm unlikely to get shot - or rich!!

We don't go out very much for meals - A thinks it always costs too much and you end up disappointed with some part of it. We have one very good chinese restaurant close by but prefer to buy a take-away and eat it at home. We also have a very good Indian restaurant just around the corner but again buy take-away to eat at home.

Our friends of the Saturday evening fame cook a very good curry which is better than the restaurant and A does a range of good Chinese. We went Chinese the last time we were in Canada when we did the dim-su. Lots of dishes brought one at a time to the table.

We have a neice who married a Greek and have been to Greek restaurants with them - I love the table full of all sorts of dishes where you help yourself to a bit of each. I hope you enjoyed your Greek visit.

Another neice married an Italian and her son runs an Italian restaurant about a mile away from us so get there occasionally.

And then there's the oh so English fish and chips

By and large we are well served for restaurants but mostly eat at home.

It's cold today, but sunny, and I'm preparing for my class tonight - will chat again tomorrow.

J

Hi WG,

you getting arthritis? you have my sympathy!!

I suffered from arthritis and went to the doctor who prescribed Naprosin tablets, which are very good, but I didn't want to be taking them every day for the rest of my life.

I was on holiday, 7 years ago, and had a knee so swollen that it filled my trouser leg, when I was loaned a book called 'Curing Arthritis the drug free way' by Margaret Hills SRN (ISBN 0-85969-689-8). Ask Hyp - she'll get it for you.

I followed the recommendations therein and changed my lifestyle completely. Cut out all alcohol, citrus fruits and drinks, tea and coffee and started to drink cider vinegar and honey 3 times a day.

It worked for me, I lost a stone in weight and hardly ever need to take the prescribed pills at all. If I indulge in some unusual strenuous activity (like prolonged gardening!!!), or twist an ankle,I may need a pill or two afterwards, but mostly I get along OK.

Having said that I am currently taking one a day for a painful ankle, it's my third day and it's very much better than it was. I think I twisted it walking over some rocks on the beach last week.

I have gnarled thumbs and finger joints, and both knees are a bit prone to attack. But then I'm nearly ywice your age

Jazz

Or even twice your age !!!

Hope the fingers and thumbs behave themselves

Jazz

You've gotta keep young and beautiful if you wanna be loved

Eddie Cantor in Roman Frolics 1920something

Arthritis is a real pain - no pun intended.

It's not that there aren't any restaurants available in the area. It's just that they're mostly national chains - which means mediocre - or Mom and Pop Chinese or Mexican places - which means mediocre. Or maybe I've gotten too particular over the years.

Take the Chinese restaurants. They all seem to have the same menu. It's the same with the Mexican restaurants. F doesn't like Mexican food much anyway. There are propbably 100 restaurants and fast food joints within 10 miles of our house. So there would be plenty of choices if I wasn't so contrary.

I sympathize with A. It is a shame when you spend your hard earned money for an overpriced meal and then have it turn out to be awful. Or even blah.

We do take out sometimes, also. Unfortunately the only restaurants between the library and our house are two Mexical restaurants and a McDonalds. There is a Chinese buffet less than a mile on past our turnoff, but it's on the wrong side of the highway and right after work the traffic makes it really hard to make a left turn to get back home. So I don't go there during peak traffic periods.

Yikes! Better get a move on. I'll find that book for Wolfgang - and make him read it. I'm glad it worked for you. That's encouraging. If I start a new system now maybe I can stave off the worst of it.

It's true that every ethnic restaurant has the same menu. Even when we holidayed in Crete we tried a different taverna every night but the menu was always the same - a good choice but the same as the one next door.

Our take-aways all have the same menus too so for variety you have to choose a different race - Indian, chinese, mexican, even big mac if you're desperate.

In Canada I ordered a chicken bun and was bewildered by the choice of additives you could have with it - but even there every shop offered the same choice of add-ons.

The French are more adventurous, but very expensive.

Sunday lunch times everyone serves roast beef and Yorkshire puddings !!!

J

Morning Sunshine. Or in your case, Afternoon Sunshine.
sunshine is one thing we don't have. It drizzled rain all day Sunday and yesterday and is still misty this morning. It's supposed to hang in like this until tomorrow . But we aren't getting any real rain out opf it - which we need desperately. It's just wet enough to keep the stone masons from working.

Well, I took F to the neurologist yesterday. He has decided not to run any more tests and to put him on Aricept to see if it helps. I'm to take him back in a month, at which time he will decide whether to add anything else. He swears the Aricept won't interact with any of his other meds. Sure hope he's right.

This is Tuesday. That means my weekly trauma with the architects.

Sorry it's taken a while to come back to you love. Is there a smiley for ? A is at her patchwork class now so I have a while to myself - or to us

I had a job getting on line just now - kept getting a message they were unable to connect me, but when I clicked on the bottom bar icon it said I was connected after all.

I'm relaxing today and have just started to read Bill Clinton's book - my daughter-in-law presented it to me when they came over last month. It's a big thick book that looks like it could take a while to read.

I've just finished another one they bought me called 'The colony of unrequited dreams' - all about Newfoundland. It took a bit of getting into but held interest most of the way through.

I hope F's new treatment helps, what with that and Architects in the rain it sounds like a bleak day for you. Glad to bring some sunshine for you.

Jazz

They've got one lets see if we can get one for

J

I had to drive 80 miles for a 'training session' yesterday. It rained all the way there and back. I could barely see the highway.

This is typical of the way things work in the library bureacracy. Every year, in order to qualify for state aid and grant programs, we have to submit a statistical report to the state library. They havedecided that we can no longer submit a paper report; we have to file it electronically. So they bought this statistical software that is supposed to make everyone's lives easier.

As I'm sure you've already figured out, the new software has some features that are a trifle annoying. This caused the state library to schedule these sessions all around the state to explain how to use the software.

They never learn, do they?

Then when I got back into town I had to rush over to the high school cafeteria where the Chamber of Commerce was setting up for their annual banquet. Different groups decorate the tables and the library has decorated one for several years. Each table is suppposed to follow a theme, which was 'With a Song in Your Heart' this year.

I selected "Who Wrote the Book of Love?" as our song - not being able to come up with a lot of choices that contained something about books in the title. I took some old romance novels and a couple of smaller books of poetry and stacked them up, put a wide ribbon and bow around them and added red rose buds and baby's breath and heart shaped suckers to make the centerpiece.

We have to place favors at each seat at our table, so in keeping with the theme I took some mass market paperback romance novels - trashy ones - and did the ribbon (narrow gold metallic in this case) and rose bud thing with them and put one at each place setting. Then I scattered chocolates over the table, put out some library brochures and called it a table. It was very pretty, actually.

I have a ton of paperwork for this month's board meeting to get done between now and Monday morning. I'll probably have to work all day Sunday to get it finished. I've lost too much time on other things this month. And this afternoon I have another meeting in a city 35 miles south of here that will cut into my work time. Once again I'll be burning the midnight oil. I'm glad this marathon will be over with in a few months. I'm starting to get tired. And a tired person is not an efficient person.

I have to fix F's breakfast and get to work. Talk to you later.

Hi love,

sorry to be so long in replying but it's been a bit hectic finding time to be alone with you - not nearly so hectic as you appear to have been though - I hope you aren't doing too much to tire yourself out.

Your table decoration sounds good - was it well received?

Hopefully by now your busy week-end will be well behind you and you are able to ease off a bit.

I was at our monthly scribes meeting on Saturday, followed by our friends being here in the evening. Much help about the house called for, then a heap of ironing to assist with on Sunday and two calligraphy classes to prepare for.

Tonight is my last class for two weeks as it is half-term. We were considering going off in the caravan for a week but the weather is dreadful just now, cold wet and windy. The nights turn dark so soon too with nothing much to do in the van but read, and if it's cold we just go to our beds.

We've decided to have a stay-at-home holiday and go off on day trips if the weather turns better. We live in a lovely county but see too little of it, and our beaches are beautiful - we generally end up walking the beach in scarves and anoraks.

A is out briefly with our daughter so I took the opportunity to be with you, and will join you again as soon as I can.

Look after yourself now - J.

Have to rush to work. I'll be back.

I'll be here - waiting .

J