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

Hiya
How's u?

Ugh!

My client just announced 2000 redundancies in the last hour - a lot of which will be in the UK. You could say that morale here isn't the highest I have ever seen.

Might have a new job lined up though - will hear in the next week of so. Phew!

Anyway, am manic just now - I'll reply properly later if you don't mind...

Erk!
Redundancies are nasty, hope you survive the chop, even if you have got something else lined up.

No probs mate, you reply whenever you got nowt better to do.
Just wanted to tune into Kelly FM for the latest update

Hide that cheesecake! I'll scoff the lot!

Si

I am a contractor so I would survive the chop of permanent staff, but probably get booted out in the cost cutting exercise that goes with it.

I have an interview today, wish me luck...

I will post a proper update when I get a spare minute

Good luck babe.
I know you'll sail it! Stay confident and knock 'em dead with a nice smile.

Got our offer accepted on a house yesterday. Excited but nervous now.
Off for a weeks holiday tomorrow, so loads to do, so I'll also give you a proper update about the house when I get time.
What busy bunnies we both are!

Fingers corssed for you at the interview.

Congrats on the edited entry

Have just got around to checking the front page - it has been far too busy today...

Must go home now, has been a long day but i have lots of news so I'll be back soon...



k

Hiya Kelli,
I was well chuffed to get that article in . Pity the editor didn't read the peer review history, cos he made some changes to it that had already been discussed and decided not relevant. Guess that's just the way it goes though right.

Things still sound hectic at your end. Any news on the job front yet ?

Eagerly awaiting all your news..........
Simon

Hello stranger.
How are you, and why have you gone blue?
(Images of Keli the smurf enter my mind)

Been upto much? haven't heard from you in ages. Hope you are well.

Simon

Hello Dearie! How is the housey move going? Managed to exchange or anything yet?

I'd love to say I've been up to tons of exciting stuff, but I haven't really. Things got very busy at work for a while and it has just got quiet again. I am still contracting for the same client (they have extended me well into the new year) but still don't want to be! Have had a couple of interviews, from which I have had really positive feedback but they haven't cleared their funding yet so I can't hand in my notice any time soon

You can probably tell that my diet hasn't been going too well, and my name has been the same for ages - not through want of trying on my part, am still doing the diet and exercise thing but for some reason am staying the same weight . Am hoping all the flab is getting replaced by muscle so although I'm not lighter I'm healthier. It has to change soon though - optimism and bloodymindedness will only get me so far!

I've gone because of my holiday being messed up by terrorists Basically, I have been on at James for almost a year for us to take a two week holiday somewhere nice. I finally get him persuaded and we book two weeks in Phuket just as the Bali bomb goes off - there are govt warnings to avoid the area now. We are really in two minds about what to do - we have talked to the travel agent and they think we'll be alright, but they would say that. We'll see a bit nearer the time, I am less worried than I was initially, but I will definitely be keeping an eye on the situation.

Am looking forward to getting some sun - still not a bikini babe, but hopefully not a beached whale anymore either.

On a cheerier note, I am having a weekend in a health spa in a couple of weeks with mum as a reward (ish) for my diet going so well - I was supposed to be at 60lb lost by the time we went but I think I'll be close enough! We are paying for mum as a birthday prezzie, but she doesn't know - she thinks we are going christmas shopping for the day. Really looking forward to the look on her face when we pull into the drive

How is Clare doing?

- assuming you are still on the lunchtime booze

k

Oh how harsh and cutting you are!
How can you automatically assume that I'm still having the odd pint at lunchtime? It's been 5 weeks since we last spoke, I might have reverted my boozy habits and become tee total!
You are of course totally right I still enjoy a swift pint as an excuse to get out the office. Have the occasional diet coke when I'm feeling well behaved, but things don't change do they. You know me too well by far!

No joy on the house front Our buyers pulled out, so we are back at square one, and very annoyed. Oh well, just wait and see now.

That's good news and bad news about your job, good you still got one, bad you havent found another one yet. Hope they sort the funding out soon. Least you will be getting payed over xmas, that's a bad time of year to be looking for work I bet.

I've already posted a reply about your holiday in the other thread, so I wont go on here, only to say if you do go, with the risk you are taking I think you should forgo the bikini completely and get a proper all over tan
You'll look fab on the beach whatever you wear, I know how much effort you have put into your diet, you go reap the rewards.

That spa sounds a very girly affair, bet you have a right giggle. You deserve a treat for all that hard work on the diet, your mum will love it too.
Don;t worry about not losing any more weight, just keep up the effort and eventually it will go.
Clare's doing well, looking fab too, she's stopped the exercise due to too much stuff going on lately, but the weight has stayed off well. When things calm down she'll start again. She's down to 10'6, and can fit in the size clothes she wants to now.

Oh! Sorry to hear about your buyers, are you back on the market again? Back to the days of having to hoover *every day* and tidying everything up immediately after using it? Hope you get another buyer soon, you'd found a place hadn't you (or did I just imagine that?), have you lost out on that?

I went to see one of my recently-babied-up mates the other day. I can't believe how big their son has got! I last saw him in May when he was quite new but now he is HUGE! He isn't crawling or talking or anything -just putting all of his energy into getting as big as he can as fast as he can. He dribbled on my best suit but I don't mind really How is Grace getting on? Is she a grower, or a talker, or both?!

k

Yep we are back on the majmrket, but trying to keep it tidy is a total nightmare when you got two kids! Luckily, or not, depending how you look at it, we haven't had a single viewer in the last 3 weeks.

We did have a place lined up, but very ironically we got cold feet about it and withdrew our offer on the same day our buyers did. Very weird stuff. But perhaps it's all for the best in the end.

Hope you aren't getting all broody on me ! Your mate isn't Liz Hurley is it, her baby is enormous!
Nah Grace is still sweet and compact, got long legs like her dad, but she's still very petite.
She's certainly taken to talking, or making lots of noise, she loves singing along to music and stuff or making red indian noises when I pat my hand over her mouth.

Glad the baby dribble didn't bother you, if you ever have one of your own you soon get used to much worse than that. I've actually had one of my kids be sick up my nose. not something I'd recommend!

I was feeling quite broody until my friend started telling me about the birth - she had a pretty bad time of it and hearing about stiches and floors awash with blood was enough to have me keeping my legs crossed for a wee while

Weird you both pulling out at the last minute, are you looking again or do you think you will put it off until the new year? we need a smiley for when we are talking about this stuff! James and I went to the building society the other week to see what they would lend us so we can start looking for our proper big house. They are willing to lend us an obscene amount of money, there is NO WAY I would borrow that much - am not that insane.

Unfortunately though, they will only lend us anything at the moment on the condition that I stay with the same agency I am currently contracting through - this seems very unlikely as I am busily hunting for work elsewhere. Otherwise I have to wait until I have a full year's worth of accounts - that won't happen 'til next April so I guess we'll just have to wait. Oh well, perhaps I can wear him down on the marriage front in the meantime (still no rings ).

Anyway, back to jobserve...er...I mean work.


k

Hmm yup birth stories can be off putting, Clare had two very traumatic ones, but she insists it's all worth it. She's actually hinting at trying again, she loves being pregnant so much. We both agree two kids is enough for now though, she just wants the glowing preganacy bit without the kid lol.

We are going to wait til the new year to start looking again, taking our house off the market over xmas, don't want anyone interrupting my turkey dinner!
It must be handy having you both working, trying to borrow enough to buy a house can be a nightmare. I do feel sorry for first time buyers. If we didnt have so much equity in our current house, no way could we afford to buy what we wanted.

You are going to have to drop James some serious hints about that ring. Us blokes wont do anything unless we get pressured into it you know

Well his (younger) cousin is getting married at christmas so maybe he will get some ideas. I am not invited to the wedding (we aren't married so I don't count as a partner apparently - living together for two years is obviously not enough double) so I won't be able to drop hints all day. My cousin just got engaged too - James is going to have to give in eventually!

Trouble with the bank lending us loads is that if we do start a family James will have to pay the mortgage on his own - we contractors don't get maternity pay or anything so my income will just disappear. I think we should try and be at least a bit sensible about it. I keep freaking him out by coming out with stuff like that, it has almost become a sport...

I know what you mean about first time buyers, this market can't keep growing forever because none of them will be able to afford the bottom rung of the ladder!

You'll just have to send Clare out to work (or find employment for Charlie ) if you are after a bigger mortgage, then again if she is after another baby maybe not...

That is terrible about his cousin not inviting you to the wedding, probably just didn't want anyone as pretty as you to outshine the bride!
Good to hear James is getting plenty of reminders though, I hope he makes an honest woman of you soon.

To be honest with you Kelli, we didn't notice it too much when Clare stopped work, she was earning a good wage, but think she spent that much on lunches up town lol. You two will be ok. Glad you are being sensible and only borrowing what you need.

Hmm might consider sending Clare out to work,, would keep her too busy to think abut babies Nah she loves being at home with the kids too much, I really couldn't drag her away from that now. We can just about afford the house we want, it's just waiting for it to come on the market, you have to sift through so much rubbish first

Some parts of his family are so far up their own a*ses it isn't true. When his other cousin got married a while back I wasn't invited - it was a very fancy do and they had similar rules, cousin's partners were only invited if they are married.

That was about 18 months ago, but this is worse - they are actually going to post the invite to my flat! I'm really p*ssed off about it but James just keeps saying that it is their day so he shouldn't argue. Mkes me mad because when my cousin got hitched they only invited me because they didn't know about James, when we rang and told them he was welcomed immediately. I guess this is why he likes my family more than he likes his!

It is the day after boxing day too, so it messes up our christmas arrangements. I had a massive strop (proper girly style) and now he is having christmas with my family and going up to his on boxing day. Small triumphs...

Sounds like the sort of thing my family would do. Only last week my parents told us they were going to come to Grace's christening!
I think there is an unwritten rule that all guys families make life as hard as they can for any girlfirends of wives.

Glad you got your way for xmas day, I'd much rather spend my xmas with Clare's family than mine.

So how's the diet going, you mentioned yesterday you were struggling to get any more pounds off, you got any plans or you just going to stick with it. I don't want to see you giving up on us, you are the inspiration for us all kelli.
If you need any encouragement, or just a good old whinge about how frustrating being on a diet is, I'll listen. I wanna see you break that 60 mark!

Thanks for the encouragement!

I will stick with it, it is just horrible and frustrating when you keep being good but the weight stops coming off. I've started being extra strict about food this week, and am writing down everything I eat again to make sure nothing is creeping in that shouldn't be. I was a bit more relaxed about food for a couple of weeks and that seems to be when the plateau started so I'll just keep going until things start to change again I suppose. I wish this was all a lot quicker though - was hoping to be at my ideal weight by the time the winter meet comes around but I don't think I'll get down that far by then.

Oh well, I'll just have to take along the photos of me from last year so I can say 'See, I was *even fatter* then!' otherwise nobody will believe that I have lost anything

Are you thinking of going to the meet? I've never been to one before and James says that the only people you meet on the net are perverts and bunny boilers, but I have signed up anyway I still might chicken out at the last minute but still intending to go at this point...

You stick with it, I got all the faith in the world in you mate.
Noting what you eat is a good idea, the guilt of seeing a mars bar on the list would probably stop you eating it.
Hey I might start counting the number of beers I have, see if I can slowly decreasethe weekly average. Better start tomorrow though, out on a works do tonight

As for the meet, hmmmmm I really don't know, like you say, I'm worried it will be full of wierdos, I know I'm one myself, but that don't mean I want to meet more lol.
I'd feel odd going on my own, and Clare doesn't really know anyone from hootoo, very tricky to decide.
Knowing you and James are probably going has twisted my arm a bit more, there's a few people I would really like to meet, and you are on that list.
I'll decide closer to the time I think, I'll lose courage if I say yes this early. It will be very strange putting all those names to faces, perhaps a bit too freaky for me.
I like you all the way you are in my mind, I wouldnt want to spoil that if you know what I mean.