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

Hello Also Ran 1!

Just checking in to see if you might have heard anything from Lurcher? He hasn't posted in several days and I am a bit concerned. I know he was taking medication for some infections and I'm hoping nothing has happened on that front.

How are you doing? I'm just getting ready to leave work and head over to the beauty shop to have my hair done (I think I'll do something daring!)

Keep your fingers crossed that I don't have them dye it green and purple! Just trying something to cover up some of this grey!

love,
Michele

Dear Michele, Thanks for your letter. No I have not heard anything. He has done this once before and I was very concerned. I think that he just needs a break from things and he will come back. He is such a dear kind fellow that we are all concerned about him. I shall let you know if I hear anything. Hope your hair has not turned gree!! I once had my hair dyed a rich red/purple!!It took two years to grow out. Where is it you live? I seem to think that it is the States. Much love AR1

Hello!

Yes, well common sense got the better of me (don't you hate when that happens?) and I just had it dyed my natural color (dark brown) with just a bit of red thrown in for a little change. I am not sure if I like it or not. I was used to the the grey mixture around my face, it looked a little softer. I was going to have some highlights put in it also - to break it up a bit so that it wouldn't just look like a dark blob on top of my head, but they won't do highlights on the same day as you have it colored. So I will have the highlights done in 5 weeks. Of course the grey hair that was dyed does shimmer a little bit more than the brown - so it does look like it has natural highlights. I was grey mostly at the temples and then some intersperced throughout the dark brown. I'm 43 and a single mom, and now that my daughter is 13 and is more independent I thought it might be nice to try dating again
I havn't dated anyone in probably 7 years (Caitlin's father and I broke up before she was 1) and I just didn't feel like I could spare the time or emotional commitment and be a single mother working full time.

My mom and I bought a house together when my father died (about 6 years ago). So we live in a very nice suburb, 2-car garage, big front yard and back yard, etc. And we just had the kitchen remodelled (it's lovely! All hickory cabinets with pull out shelves in the pantries and lazy susans underneath the cabinets to put the pans on! Plus a new range, microwave, and dishwasher! It looks so nice that we don't want to cook in it! (Ha ha!)) By the way we live in a suburb of Kansas City (in Kansas).

Caitlin's father is a lazy bum and is without a job most of the time and just living on the graces of whatever new girlfriend he has at the time. He has never contributed anything financially towards support for my daughter, and lives with a new woman almost every year. That is another reason I havn't dated, I wanted Caitlin to have a stable home, (with no swinging door - if you know what I mean!). She saw so much instability in her fathers world that I wanted her to see what a stable family life was. I have worked (sometimes 2 and 3 jobs at a time) since she was born.

Anyway - I have been dieting, exercising and trying to get out of my "frumpy mom" image that I have spent years developing. It's time to start "prowling" again! (Heaven help the men!) Ha ha!

I will let you know also should I be the first to hear from Lurcher! Maybe he and his wife went on a trip? I just hope his health didn't take a turn for the worse!

Talk to you again soon!
love,
Michele

Hello AR..Michele

I hope you don`t mind me jumping in on a private conversation, but it seemed like a good opportunity to have a word with both of you
I`ve not been around for a while, as you know.
Without going into a lot of detail, I`ve been troubled with a infection that doesn`t want to go away. Two courses of anti-biotics have only succeeded in making matters worse, so now it`s "try something else"!! As from today, we`re on another type of medication, so it`s fingers crossed time
I haven`t felt much like visiting h2g2, or doing much of anything really. Cant go on like this though, so I`m trying to get my act together, as they say
Hopefully, if things improve, I might even get back to that happy, cheerful person you know and love.........

Apologies once again for butting in..

L

Lurcher's back! I just saw a post from him on the "Lurcher's Hideaway" conversation. Thought I would let you know.

ps... everyone loved my hair today at work (well those who even noticed I did anything). Which is good as I wasn't going for the "shock factor"!

Love,
Michele

Hi dear Michelle Thanks for letting me know. I am so glad that he has returned. I shall drop him a line. I think that it is very funny that he thinks that he is evesdropping and here we are both concerned about him!!
Your hair sounds great. It does one the world of good to spoil oneself occasionally. Your home sounds quite beautiful. It is incredibly difficult to be a one-parent family. I take my hat off to you. How fortunate for you have a lovely daughter, and I am sure that you did the right thing in giving her a stable home. I enjoyed the descriptions of your home so much and hope that we can develop this friendship although you are young enough to be my daughter. I used to have a beautiful home in Central Africa with a lovely garden and loads of friends and much happiness. It is strange to be living in a very small flat, with a garden in tubs and me in a wheelchair and my son (one of five) with a chronic mental illness.I count myself fortunate in that I have a very generous brother (who lives in New York) who helps me to live, and also that I have good friends who pop in to help. I am due to have a bonescan tomorrow, and this will decide whether I have a double hip replacement or not. I really feel that at my age, and seeing as how I have already had both open heart surgery and half of my one lung removed that I have had enough of major surgery. Unfortunately my children - I have five, three sons and two daughters) seem to think that I shall regain my long lost youth. Which is total rubbish. I just wish they would accept me as I am, and give me some credit for trying to make something of my life even though it is much restricted. They cannot understand that I can be happy in a wheelchair. Well, a few years ago I would not have believed it, but it is true. And now, I have deiscovered this whole new world of h2g2, with all the wonderful friends that I have made, principally of course Mr. Lurcher who has been incredibly good to me, so I have intention of leaving the earth just yet.!! I must put myself to bed. I send you a warm, affectionate and my kind regards to your Mother. AR1 There is a wonderful song "Everything is up to date in Kansas City......" with a very catcy tune. I cannot remember which muscial it comes from.

Dear sweet , Hoorah!! You are back. Sorry you are having all these wretched problems. My husband, Dick used to say - "Getting old is not for sussies". I wonder if there is such a word in the English language. I hope that you will soon find an answer to your problems. I am trying to get myself fit for a second attempt at the cataract op on Monday. My eyes are still problematic and the staff think that it might be because my flat is really FULL of mould. and they think that I might be allergic to it. A chap came yesterday and drilled two holes in the wall - one in my bedroom and one in my study and put in air vents. Hopefully this will provide a miraculous cure by Monday otherwise I shall have to cancel the date again. I shall leave this posted on this thread - is that the correct term - as I have written to you on our other thread but you had not read it yet. At least I don't think you had. I shall leave your Luchers Hideaway to all the Maidens and Muses that care for you there!!. I might just drop into the 19th hole occasionally. I must go to bed. A big affectionate and great to have you back. AR1

Well Mr. Lurcher (just kidding)

(Not to embarrass or shock either of you, so please disregard what I am about to say ):

I think Lurcher that if you must have an infection that doesn't go away, you should have at least had the pleasure of getting it from having incredibly amazing sex with some young limber goddess or prostitute that laid you up in bed for several days afterwards!


(not to cast any dispersions on your marriage or your wife!)
I mean come on! If I'm going to get an infection - that would be my choice of contracting it!

(Hmm - gee, maybe I shouldn't start dating) )

I am so sorry to hear that it has not improved after your course of antibiotics! However - not to worry! It has been my experience with antibiotics that some people are immune to their effects, so that's why they have to keep coming up with more. I will keep my fingers crossed that this newest prescription will be the one to do the trick! In the meantime please make sure you are getting rest and taking care of yourself!

(again I apologize Also Ran for being so crass, but I am sure that if you didn't know that I was ornery and a by now - you would find out soon! Ha!

Love to you both! I am off to take my daughter to her piano lesson, and then home to watch my precious Kansas University Basketball team (the Jayhawks) play their last home game before going into the national finals! We are currently ranked #1 in the USA! (My dad, brother and I all went to KU!) This is the last game that the senior players will play on KU's home court! We will lose several players this year, some of our best are seniors this year. And I think we will lose one Junior who will be leaving school early to play for the NBA (Professional Basketball)


Michele

Dear Ar,

Just checking in to see how the bone scan went? Any results? I am sending you blessings...

love,
Michele

Dear Michelle , I nearly fainted when I read your reply!!But realise that it is totally honest and sensible and why not!
Thank you for your concern about the scan. It was a thoroughly uncomfortable experience, but the dear sweet radiographer came over and held my hand whilst tears were streaming down my face and I was praying furiously trying to ignore the pain. I had to lie still in a totally uncomfortable position for about five minutes which was most unpleasant. As the op. takes 20 minutes and one is concious I am hoping that I shall not have the same problem on Monday. However the sisters were very kind when I went there for my pre-op assessment and they put pillows under my knees so that I was able to lie flat on the theatre table without too much angst. Hope your hair still looks glamourous and I hope that you have a date with a super guy who will appreicate you. Much affection and a big AR1

Dear AR1,

So sorry to hear that you had to go through that rigamarole with the bone scan!

Unfortunatley I don't know anyone yet to start dating... but I'm on the prowl! I just havn't found anyone yet who is interested in a slightly overweight brunette in her 40's (even one with as much personality as I have!) Problem is I am never anywhere there are single men! Evertime I'm out it's usually with my mother or my daughter, or with other moms. And I don't frequent bars anymore as all of my friends are married, and being a non-smoker I just don't care to come home reeking of cigarette smoke! Plus I don't drink very often - so usually one or two drinks a couple of times a month is my limit. (gee - does it sound like I am boring and set in my ways?)

Lets face it. I think I have completely forgotten how to flirt, dance, drink and date! Hmmm... should be an interesting undertaking! I will keep you posted!

I hope the mold problem in your apartment is going away! I have allergy shots once a week, and mold is one of the worst things I am allergic to! It makes my eyes all red and swollen, etc. So I can only agree with your doctor in that it might be contributing to eye problems you are having.

Please remember when you are uncomfortable in another medical procedure that you have friends and family who care very much about you - and hopefully you will feel better soon!

Got to go now!
love,
Michele

Michelle dear Just a brief note. thanks for your lovely reply. I had my cataract op on Monday. It was quite wonderful when they removed the shield on tuesday morning and I could see everything. I burst into tears it was so wonderful. and now my eye has started swelling, and swelling and.... I can hardly see my screen as the other eye seems to be in sympathy. I shall be returning to the hospital later this morning (it is 4.15 a.m. here) as the surgeon has said he wants to see me if it does not improve. Really. Keep well and happy my dear friend. an affectionate AR1

Hmmm - sounds like you were allergic to some drops that they used...

I will keep thinking "non-swollen-perfect-sight-happy-thoughts" for you AR!

Love,
Michele

Hi Michelle, I have a beautiful eye, my eyebrow is up about an inch above the other, but today,thank goodness, I am feeling better. Thank you for your good thoughts. Love AR1

Howdy AR1! Sorry I havn't checked in recently - but have been swamped at home and and at work! My mother, daughter and I will be heading down to Oklahoma (Grand Lake) to visit my aunt and uncle over the Easter weekend.

How is your eye doing? Hope everything is back to normal. Any word on the hip surgery? It's been in the mid 60's here the past couple of days. We have Vinca (a vining green ground cover) in front of our house and little purple flowers have started popping up all over it! These are the first flowers I've seen since the crocuses were in bloom several weeks back. I havn't even seen any Daffodills yet, and they are always in bloom around Easter. Although Easter is earlier this year, so maybe someone forgot to tell the Daffodills!

Have to get back to work, but will check in with you again soon!
Love,
Michele

Very dear Michelle I have been very lax about writing lately. I do hope that you had a good Easter and that the daffodils have eventually realised that Spring has Sprung and that they had better do something about it.!! Here it is quite beautiful and I have been inspired to go and do quite a lot of driving around beautiful Kent. On Wednesday my son K. and I went to a lovely little seaside village (town!!) called Whitstable where we had a really super seafood meal in a great restaurant. It was quite wonderful to sit in this lovely little restaurant and watch a real gale blowing outside so much so that the small fishing boats were bobbing up and down in the harbour like toy boats. We also had a great meal. I am on a painfree period and it makes such a difference to the quality of my life. So much so that on Thursday I forgot to take my painkillers!!. Hope your daughter is well and that you are not working too hard, I have been watching the Amercan Open. The green of the fairways and the trees is so green that it looks as if it has been painted. Wonder if it is my new eye functioning well!! A fond AR1

Good to see you again AR1! Have been swamped lately. Too much to do at work, too much to do at home, too much to do in the organizations that I volunteer in. No time for myself!

New carpeting is being installed here at home at 8:30 tomorrow morning, then I have a new bedroom suite that will be delivered on Wednesday. So the house is in complete turmoil! Have been packing boxes so that the carpet layers have empty furniture to move.

I think it got up into the high 70's or low 80's today. It was just a lovely spring day! Once we get the house stuff done this week, we will be buying plants and filling our planters and window boxes this next weekend. We always get my mom several hanging baskets of flowers for Mother's Day.

Glad to hear the pain has eased up! My mom's back has really been bothering her lately (osteoporosis). She is a legal secretary and still works 40 hours a week. She will be 70 in December, and other than the recent back pain, and a cataract - she is in great health (thank goodness!).

Have to get some sleep... it's almost 1:00am here, and I have to get up at 6:30am to do some last minute preparation before the carpet guys get here! I will talk to you again soon. It was delightful hearing from you!


Michele

Very dear Michelle Thanks for your lovely reply. I do hope that you are not going to get too tired this week. But very much think that you will. But you will have a new carpet - incidentally what colour is it - and also your bedroom will be new,and pristine and just dying to be slept in - with the right person. May you find him jolly soon. You deserve it!!. I send you many affectionate s and take lots of vitamins as well as McLurchers this coming week. Your mother sounds great. Give her my kind regards. I am four years older than she is - nearly. My birthday is on 23rd May - a glorious Gemini I am and positively and truly so to every last astrological detail!! AR1 who is painfree, happy and rearing to go with a

Hi AR1-

Do we have a smiley? Cause thats the one that would describe me right now! Woke up at 6:00am, the carpet guys didn't get here until 11:00am, and then finished up at 3:30pm. I'm pooped!

The carpet is a medium sage green. We had beige, but decided we wanted something different. Looked at rose and mauve - thought we would get tired of it too soon, and neither one of us are "blue" people. So - we went for a shade of green. It really looks lovely, and they did a great job of fitting it!

I'm so glad to hear that you are feeling better! And what a perfect season for you to be "pain free" in! You get to enjoy the flowers blooming! There was a large rabbit that romped around in our back yard all morning. Every now and then he would just kick his heels up in the air! I'm sure you've been "kicking up your heels" lately also!

I'm an Aquarius - so we are both air signs! And it describes me pretty well also! Well, it's 11:20 and I'm off to bed. Have to be at work at 7:00 tomorrow morning. (Yuck)

Lots of love,
Michele

Hi dear Michelle Sorry I have not replied before but I missed this posting. Your carpet colour sounds super. I love sage green. And your gardening efforts sound great. I also like instant gardening. But I have someone who comes in to help me who does not like my type of gardening. She likes big expanses of soil - I like every inch covered with flowers. Seeing as how I am paying her I hope that she will try and do as I ask her to do!!. Yesterday I went to my sister's old home at Westerham which is a lovely village near me. It is practically next door to Chartwell where Winston Churchill used to live. The rhododendrons were absolutely out of this world with their wonderful colours and ethereal grace. I was transfixed in my wheelchair. So much so that I did not notice that my son had also turned to look and neither of us had told the other, no brakes were on and off I went down the hill!!. I got quite a fright. I also bought some super delphiniums which hopefully will be planted tomorrow. I did a lot of cooking yesterday and fortunately my carer came in today as well as my bath lady. So I once again have a reasonably tidy house and am squeaky clean and have enough to eat!!. So no cares. Have a good day my friend. An affectionate AR1