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

My pleasure ess
My wife has gone out Christmas shopping with my daughter(long since married), so I`ll probably nip down the Pub for a swift couple!!
Better than shopping, or eating, come to think of it
Take care, see you soon.

Dear , Thank you for your preprandial note!!. Is it you or the daughter who are long married?!! Does you wife also enjoy the computer? Please give her my greetings. I have just written to Paper Lady's spouse. I hope that he replies. I have also been doing Christmas shopping and yesterday my son came with me to the swimming pool at Tonbridge which is where I swim every week.I wanted to wish the quite wonderful staff a happy and blessed Crhistmas.. They really do make my week worthwhile. This weekend the first of my grandchildren is getting married. It is really sad that I cannot be there. I could not get onto the web last night it was so busy. In fact since lunch time yesterday. Is it the server or the airwaves or what. Or is it just like the M25? Too many cars/computers on the highway? Have a good weekend A big combined to the lupine family AR1 (I've decided that I am shedding my phase and am deciding what else I can be - if anything!)

Hi I have just written you a note which does not seem to have been posted. Is it your daughter or your wife and yourself who are long married? Does your wife also belong to h2g2. Please give her my greetings and best wishes. I have just written to Paper Lady's husband and I hope that he replies. I had great trouble getting onto the web yesterday and in fact gave up trying to send my Christmas emails to my family and friends around the globe. I have decided that I am too old to be a so am going to go through the smilies to see if there is something else I can be. In the meantime I send you and your lupine family a warm and affectionate AR1

Hello AR
Got both your posts! Two for the price of one..Can`t be bad

Was refering to my daughter(about 12 years wed..I think!!)
Me, I`ve done about 3 life sentences, 40odd years!!!!

My wife, Shirley, doesn`t use the PC much at the moment. She`s not into h2g2,she says one in the family is enough. Probably right!
She returns your good wishes, and wishes you a Happy Christmas
Often have the same problem getting online. Tried yesterday, finally gave it up as a bad job. The problem here is the server, keep getting *no reply* at busy periods. One of the problems with a "dial up" connection, I`m afraid.The alternative, broadband, is too expensive, so I`ll have to put up with the slow service
Glad to hear the swimming is going well,now there`s a thought. If you are looking for a new nickname/smiley, what about one of the fishes?

You could have Not !!
Whatever you decide, Also Ran is fine

Best wihes and warm regards to you and your family
See you soon

Hi again , What a nice surprise. Thank Shirley for her good wishes. I went Christmas shopping with my carer this morning. Disastrous!. The number of able bodied people who walk out of motor cars which they have kindly parked in the disabled bays is quite alarming. I had to leave one large store and go to another one in order to be able to park.When I came back I was very looking at all the groceries and things I had to put away. Anyway most of it is now done. And apart from flooding my swimming bag which had had all the towels and cossies nicely dried the afternoon has been relatively trouble free. I think your ideas of the fish is very good. I tend to prefer the school of fish seeing as how I have five children and also taught swimming for 21 years before I went to University at the age of 44. I started a swimming club ( one of the MANY projects I have been involved in) which I called Dolphins - but unfortunately there is no Dolphin smiley. No I would NOT like to be a shark!! Well I must be off to bed. Good night to the lupine family on the Derbyshire hills. from AR1

Goodnight, sleep tight AR

Dear,dear thank you so much for introducing me to Light. I have taken the liberty of asking her to put a lot of bottles of on ice. My beautiful granddaughter Phillipa is marrying her gorgeous Greg at 14,30(GMT) this afternoon. I have a bottle of which I will start drinking then. So I shall most probably be very merry when I next write!!. Shirley is very welcome as is your daughter - if she is allowed to drink !!. You see I have taken your advice about the smiley. It looks good n'est-ce pas? A big from AR1 Could you also ask you nearest and dearestlupine friends in the forest of Derbyshire to give a big howl of approval and good wishes to the newly-weds? Thanks.

Hello AR1!!!

*Raises glass of to Phillipa and Greg*
I sent a message worldwide to my lupine kin, the resultant howls should have been heard everywhere
Please give the Happy couple my best wishes.

I suppose you could possibly be quite merry by now AR, if you have been sipping away at the , and why not. little of what you fancy, and all that!!
Tomorrow night, my daughter Joanne and Chris, her husband are taking Shirl and myself plus Chris`s parents to a local restaurant for a "pre Christmas" meal.Now I`ve never been to this place before, (the prices are horrendous), but it has a great reputation, so we are looking forward to it very much.

On the downside, a very good friend of mone has just died, after years of ill health. He was a true friend, totally uncomplaining about his condition, and the restrictions it placed upon him. He will be sorely missed, by everyone who knew him. His funeral is this coming Friday....it will not be a happy day.

I`m glad you have met Light, a lovely caring person, I speak from experience. She and Amy were about the first two people I got to know on h2g2. I don`t chat to them as much as I would like, but they are always there if you need them.
Sometimes it takes a while to make new contacts on h2g2, lasting contacts that is, but the circle gradually grows, as you are finding out now. I`m delighted
See you soon, keep taking the medicine/

Dear well, thanks for your reply. It has been a bit of a let down because I cannot open the bottle!!. At least I can say how sad I am about your dear friend. Had he been ill a long time? I am sure you will miss him as you are such a kind person. It is really super of your daughter and her husband to take the "out-laws" to dinner. Have a great meal and be sure to tell me what you have eaten. I am hoping that perhaps the family will send me a photograph by email. That would be super and really make me feel part of the occasion. I am still hoping that my son will come over and do the honours for me. At the moment I cannot raise him on the phone. I shall send them your good wishes. and thanks for the lupine howl of happiness. A big a rather downcast AR1

AR1!!!

What a downer So sorry you couldn`t get the bottle open.
I hope since you posted, you managed to contact your son to do the honours.
Peter, the friend we were talking about, was ill for a long time, over fifty years in fact, but managed to live his life to the full. He brought up two young sons on his own, ran his own small business, which is now flourishing under the management of one of his sons. Yes, he was special. A privilege to have known him

Hope you have a better day today, and manage to toast the bride and groom!!

Very dear I have just written to you and forgot to post it. I AM losing my tiny mind. Hardly surprising. Yes, my son eventually came over. He lives next door - but there are steps and I cannot negotiate them with the wheelchair. He opened the bottle beautifully and then had one glass and disappeared - like the behind a cloud. Will'o the wisp he is. But a darling.(see my note to Light for details) So I drank the whole bottle myself and felt NO pain. I am very definitely a serious drinker of But it must be BRUT. Otherwise I get a hangover. I hope tht you had a good dinner last night. Please do not forget to tell me everything that you chose and whether it was nice or not. My sister has just arrived. I must fly A big AR1

Hi Just a quick note to tell you that I shall be thinking of you tomorrow when you say au revoir to Peter. Take care of yourself. A big AR1

Thank you AR
The sooner tomorrow is over,(without wishing my life away) the better.
Anyway, How are you ?

The meal was fine, a beautiful atmosphere in which to eat and excellent service. Although a set menu (to keep the cost down!), there were at least 5 choices for each course, 3 courses in all.
I had the medallions of beef, excellent
The price, considering the venue, was reasonable.. around £27 per head.
Wine, also reasonable.
There was a rather sour note to the evening, however, which occurred before the meal even started. As Joanne and Chris, were paying for the food, Pete (the other father-in-law!)and I said we would pay for the wine and other drinks. I ordered a pre-meal round, which consisted of...one Orange juice..three Bacardi and Cokes,..and two Malt whiskys. A round which in the local, just round the corner had cost about £7-50.
The drinks were brought to the table, and I asked for the bill for them,separate from the meal.
The cost was £45 !! Yes..£45!!
I said nothing to the waitress, not wanting to spoil the evening, just paid up and tried to look happy!!
Later, however, back in the local, the restaurant owner was also in, so I couldn`t resist having a quiet word with him. Just to let him know what I thought of his drinks prices!
He was most concerned, and explained that the particular Malt we had had cost £130 per bottle. When I asked why there was no indication of the price, prior to ordering. he was at a loss to explain, muttering something about his "corporate clients" not wanting to bother with prices!!
He took my phone number, saying he would get back to me.....but I won`t hold my breath!!
We live and learn

Other than that.... a great evening

Enough of that...hope all is well with you AR,
thanks once again for your kind thoughts

See you soon

Hi WOW - I am surprised that you managed to eat anything at all after that ghastly bit of exploitation. It is dreadful that they do not indicate the prices. In any case, does any malt whisky cost £130 a bottle? It is so sad that some restaurants charge so much for meals - it quite takes the pleasure away of eating. This evening we had oysters for our entree - bought at our local supermarche and opened by yours trooly with my oyster shucker. Costing 49p ech. But if I go to the coast I can get them for 29p each. I just lurve oysters and keep thinking of that silly poem by ? I can't remember who. "Said the oyster to the ???". Oh dear. I am off to the hospital tomorrow for an assessment before the cataract operation in January. But I had to go to my GP this p,.m, and got a very nasty turn when he took my BP and it was as high as it was before I had an emergency double bypas in 1994. What is happening? I think I am like a very old motor-car. I definitely need a lot of new parts!! Dick my late husband used to say that getting old was not for sissies. And I am inclined to say how right he was. Oh well. I still have my computer and my lupine friends!!. Sleep tight dear friend. AR1

You`ll get through it AR
Just like you always do
Goodnight, sleep well

Very dear After a day spent at the district Aural and Eye Hospital where I received a full check-up I was absolutely THRILLED that my BP was Normal - well practically. The problem was that,with all the excitations of the last week, I had forgotten to take my medication a couple of times. me. I came away feeling absolutely wonderfull having been fussed over and spoilt the whole day by quite wonderful staff. Lucky me My GP was also thrilled and we have reverted to the old medication. I think he got as big a fright as I did!!. Blue skies today. Are we going to have a white Christmas I wonder. I hope so. Talk to you soon. a big AR1

Delighted to hear the good news
Told you so !!
Not sure about the White Christmas, I was up in the hills today (with Golf clubs!), and the ground was frozen, and bitterly cold
A bit further north, the Snake pass was closed because of snow drifts, it`s always the first to get snow. Perhaps it might creep a bit south in time for Christmas
Not that I shall be travelling far...The nearest Pub is 10 minutes walk down the road

See you soon

Hi I wrote to you last night but it seems to have got lost. So I thank you again for your Christmas wishes and wish you and yours a very happy New Year. But of course we shall be meeting. Am thrilled about the helicopter. Do you think it could do a slight(!!) detour and collect the Paper Lady? I have taken the liberty of asking her to come and join us. We shall be playing a round of golf and then coming into the bar for some of your now-renowned McLurchers. You sure have a crowd of friends. With an affectionate - and please ask my sisters in the woods if they will take us for a run in their sledge. Thanks AR1

Hi AR1 !!

Thanks for your good wishes

No problem with the detour, will fit the `copter with one of my "instantaneous travel modules", so time will not affect the schedule
And, by some strange stroke of good fortune, the golf course is snow-free, while surrounding woods have a good covering

The MacLurchers is going down a bomb,(so it should do at the price it costs!), but stocks are at a high level, and continuous deliveries are assured.

Bring your winter woolies

See you soon

L

Hi , How are thou? I've missed talking to you but hope that perhaps you will have some advice on a problem. this morning I put a HOT pot of porridge on a plastic mat, and hey presto, all the plastic is glued to the base of the pot. Can anything be done? My date at the hospital has had to be cancelled because I have an eye infection plus sinusitis. Botheration!!. Much affection and regards to Shirley. AR1