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

I guess only time will tell. And even then, it's not like "we" can vote him out, eh?

That's true, it's one of the few 'Jobs for life' left

Yeah, I'd look terrible in the Dalai's robes. I haven't the hair-cut for it.

How's your day and week-end looking? I'm home now and sliding into a 3-day week-end with no plans besides an anniversary dinner out.

Ahhhhh have a nice dinner, I'm not planning much this weekend

It's our favoured restaurant, with a menu of Canadian, Italian and seafood dishes. So there is always something to suit the taste of the moment. And on Friday's and Saturday's, a very talented lady plays a baby-grand piano, which adds a nice touch. Mind you, she knows me and is always leery of what obscure tune I'll ask for.

Sounds like a nice place

It is, ... a very mellow and pleasant ambience. And depending on our choice, we can walk away stuffed for as little as $30 or as much as $130.

NB: There's about 1 UK-pound to $2

Wow that is good value

We've always thought so. It's owned and run by 3 couples, all of which have come to know us quite well over the past 10 years. But then, it's not mattered what town or city we moved to, within weeks or a few months, the most common businesses we deal with know us.

Maybe it's because when we approach a clerk or a check out, usually our first words are "Hi, how're ya today?" or something similar. We are very rarely customers, more commonly seen as "friends". We both come from villages of 300 - 500 people, so it's natural for us to treat every one as a neighbor or a friend.

We noticed that when we moved to Gosport, traders and shop keepers are a lot more friendly than they are in London and don't mind doing you a favour if you need it

Yep, if you treat folks fair and decent, most times, you'll get the same back. In the last small community we lived, maybe 15,000 people, we had some of the businesses calling us to know if someone (military) was still in town, or moved on. And they always called us by name. It's a nice feeling to be that accepted.

My sister is in a wheelchair, sometimes mum buy's potatoes by the sack and the guy used to deliver them for her, same when she used to buy HUGE sacks of kitty litter, the man in the Pet Shop used to deliver it on his way home

May I inquire the nature of your sister's disability? Yay or nay, ... it's good of the shops to offer such services.

Cerebal Palsey, the shops in London wouldn't give you the time of day, although the older shopkeepers in the town where Mum used to live would help because they were friends of my Dad's and the Lady that owned the newsagent where I lived was always nice, she gave me a present when Alex was born

Ah, I'm sorry that it's nothing that can improve at any time then. Still, many find and lead a pretty happy life.

And a very lovely thing for the newsagent to do. Those are the kind of things that mean more than the "mandatory" recognitions from some family or co-workers, eh?

It does, I got a box of chocolates from one of the Lads I cook meals for in the accomodation block, that meant more to me that a pay rise did

My sister's happy enough she has a personality of her own, when Alex was born she couldn't stand to be in the same room as her, she was jealous of the attention Alex got from Mum and Dad, she was so used to being the center of attention, she's ok with Alex now

I take it then that your sister is somewhat younger than yourself? I'm the 5th of 6, and was always the outcast. Even during the several years that I was the youngest.

BTW, there ought to be a mail out there for ya ...

Yeah she's 3 years younger than me

* to Inbox*

Ah, so using my version of math, that makes her about 3 years younger than an indeterminate age.

Yep it does indeed, no sign of the mail yet