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

Be careful what you wish for, or you may find a Welsh Gonk winging it's way accross the pond.

Oh yeah, confuse me all to already. What's a "gonk"?

Ya know, for cake decor, you can never go wrong with Snoopy on skates. Been there and done that one.

And for the flat-screen, you'll need a new document holder, ... suitable for A4 paper and loads of fuzzly, googly-eyed little thingies.

Beware of the Gonks - a traditional Welsh Valleys saying. Of course they say it in Welsh, but I can't type that!

As for the cake, I think a tastleful white theme is in order. A whilte holly wreath with silver ball berries perhaps....

Yeah, I've chatted with Tsarina on the phone a few times, and she's slipped in bits of Welsh. I know my tongue can't contort that much, and I'd not even try to spell a word she'd said.

Ya know, there's nothing like a colourful and festive to brighten up an otherwise simple .

You just need plenty of phlegm, oh and remember to stand well back from whoever you're talking with. It can get a bit messy, and that's just pronouncing the place names.

Indeed, I was rather glad to be on this side of the ocean when she was naming the towns in her immediate area. And then wondered how long it took her to clean up her phone.

Have you any travel and visit plans for the season?

We keep tea towels next to the phone book for that purpose. It doesn't take too long to do a quick whipe, and if you hang the towel up near the fire (radiator in these modern times) then its ready for use next time.

Travel - not if I can avoid it. I'm trundeling 20 miles down the road to my parents on Christmas Eve and staying with them. B is off up to his family up North and will travel on Christmas Day (he hates Christmas). I'm not going with him 'cos my brother is away in NewZealnad this year so I didn't want to desert the family and leave Mum with only Dad, Gran and her gerriatric boyfriend to feed on Christmas Day.

Besides I'm on bell tower duty again.

Lets see now.....

17th - Christmas ringers party, staying the night with them so....
18th - Service ringing at party hosts church.
18th - PM, ringing for Christingle service at chuch up the road from home.

21st - Ringing for 9 Lessons and Carols in another local tower.
22nd - (possible) practice night
23rd - Ringing for another Carol service.
24th - 5:30pm ish Ringing and staying for the Crib service in the village. (at parents house now)
24th - 11:00pm ring for Midnight Mass at village church
25th - 8:30am ring for Christmas day service at village church
26th - possible Boxing Day quarter
27th - Cathedral practice 15 miles down the road (if it's not canceled) so I can catch up with friends who will be home in Wales for Christmas.

29th - Village practice night
31st - Ring in the New Year
2nd Jan 06 - Special ringers outing for the 'brat pack' a group of 9-17 year olds who ring in various towers localy to the village. Should be a good day - I'm going along as a helper.

So as you can see I'm rather tied up at home..... Especially since we'll be missing my brother who is also a ringer. It's all good fun though.

Are you hosting or visiting this year Grandad?

Nope. Aside from inviting a few folks in occassionally, visiting local friends, ... and having the widow of a previous co-worker join us for Christmas dinner, ... we'll be pretty close to home. My "little girl" now has a family count of 5, all 1,850 miles away. The costs for travel in either direction just are not in anyone's budget. In-laws are only about 1,300 miles in one direction, my folks about 250 in the other. In Canadian winters, I don't voluntarily drive more than 100 mile or so in any direction. There is too much chance of becoming stuck away from our house and the

Have you the industrial measures of liniment or ? All that ringing is sure to have some joints and tendons protesting.

A nice quiet couple of days for you then.

It would be nice if we had snow this year, preferably once I get to the parents, about 16:00 Christmas Eve would be ideal.

As for the ringing, this will be a fairly quiet year what with Christmas day actually being on a Sunday. I'm sure some of us ringers, well those who aren't in possetion of the car keys anyway, will be helped along with liberal quantities of .

The tendons and joints shouldn't be a problem, most ringers have fairly well developed muscles in shoulders, arms and stomach - especailly the ones who ring as much as myslef and various chums anyway.

BTW, I've finally had the time to Google a certain Ms Edna Mode. is about all I shall say ...

The last educated guess has us receiving about 10 inches of snow in the next 48 hours or so. Starting this evening. If you like, I can try to dehydrate another batch and send it along ... Possibly easier than shovelling it somewhere or other.

I suppose an accomplished ringer will be pretty well toned-up physically, ... from the thighs up atleast. Though that first dozen or so sessions must have caused a bit of physical grief. But just now, a though has come to mind, ... Might there be such a thing as a recording of some of your regions more creative ringings? That would be something to hear.

There's bound to be one lurking about somewhere on the net. Will have a scout round if you think your ears can stand it.


Happy New Year!!!

i know it's a bit late, but things have been fairly hectic of late. Hope you had a good Christmas.

Yep, Christmas was quite a pleasant and mostly-lazy 10 day vacation for me. Mild weather, a couple of parties, a few house-visits, ... All quite nice. And of course, Santa brought loads of cool things for the both of us. Including loads of laughs and "thank you's" from the grand-kids.

How was yours?

PS: Happy New Year right back at ya.

Sounds like you had a good time.

My Christmas was fairly quiet but busy this year. I missed my brother, (who is currently whining about the temp in New Zealand and it's effects on the coolness of ) which meant that there was no escape from the relatives to go off and play on quad bikes this year. But all in all, it was an enjoyable couple of days at home.

The nearest family to us is my parents, ... about 4 hours and 12 weather zones away. Once the snows begin, we don't go any distance, ya know. It's easier than missing work due to blizzards and such.

Do they get very upset if you start missing work? Don't they provide you with trained sledge dogs just in case you do get stuck away from home?

Nawww, only the important people are issued with sleds and dogs. And of course, the French-speaking eskimo as the 'chauffeur'.

Usually, employers are understanding about lost work due to weather. But also, we are expected to use reasonable caution to NOT find ourselves stranded hours away ...

Hmmm, you obviously need to collect shed loads of paper and make yourself 'important' then.

*still waiting for snow*

I also must find my "important somebody" metal clip-board to carry about. But it would be just my luck, ... some one would expect me to actually DO something. Do you realize how much that can cut in to government paid h2g2 time?

And drat, I sent that snow weeks ago! I hope it didn't get tied up in Customs ... They'd be in serious need of a mop and bucket by now.

Ah yes, the cost of rising and the inevitable workload involved. There are advantages to hiding in your own building.

*sits smugly behind her desk looking important*

Though it might explain the reports of flash flooding in goverment offices in Plymouth.

I had a desk once. Unfortunately it had a phone attached to it, labelled IT Repairs Supervisor. Ya know, there was NEVER a happy person on the other end of it when it rang.