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

Not a lot for me, 2 curries nan bread and rice to make for dinner tonight and it looks like the pickle /chutney jars need topping up , as today is white day here I think I will make a mixed fruit cake for a neighbour who gave me a valentine present one month ago

Fag break , washing ups done, pickle jars are filled had to go out to get some fresh yoghurt(old one had gone off) and the yeast is rising,

Chicken is defrosting Nan bread is hopefully rising eggs are boiling rice is washed and making itself, more washing up done ,now to start on the curries

Two curries are cooking now and I will transfer one (ours) to a baking dish soon to finish it in the oven

I'm just home after being in a bus crash. No marsupials this time, just a stupid teenager in a flashy car not looking at oncoming traffic and pulling out of a side street in front of the bus.

No significant injuries, as far as I know. Certainly I'm unhurt. But then, I was sitting down and able to brace myself against the seat in front. People did get thrown about; one girl flew three metres down the bus and had the good fortune to land on a big fat bloke. Unfortunately, he'd already landed on a few other people who were busily forming an untidy heap.

I now have evidence that, in moments of stress, about 70% of Australians utter the word 'Shit!' as if by reflex. Quite an impressive chorus.

I'm relieved to hear that you weren't seriously injured and that it appears no one else was, either. I've seen cars hit by buses before, and I've been on trains that have hurled to a sudden stop, and standing passengers can be really badly hurt.

That chorus of "shit"s would have at least provided me with a moment's comic relief. Though if startled badly enough I might have laughed hysterically.

I almost giggled a bit once we stopped moving and I could see there was no blood. It's worth noting that there were no screams or moans and nobody got angry or did anything other than wait quietly for the bus to get into a safe parking place. I was impressed by the general level of serenity in a crisis.

I've never been involved in a crisis of that nature- on public transport or in a public place. I imagine that if people around you are calm, it's easier to remain calm yourself; and if everyone else is in blind panic, you'd channel that panic and freak out.

While I assume that my first instinct would be to panic, I suppose I might surprise myself. But I'd just as soon not find out.

So glad you're OK.

I'm glad about that too. The alternative could really have ruined my weekend...

Having been in several situations "designed to cause panic amongsr general population" i reckon personally that the few moments after the shock of the actual incident sorts out the sheep from les goats.

Generally i "over panic" about stupid stuff, but remain icily calm in a Real Crisis & fall apart later.

Very glad to hear nobody seems to have been injured or worse.

I've been to a 4 & half hour Party Political Meeting tonight (i am considering writing a Guide Entry on "How to survive a French Political Meeting") & am somewhat knackered, plus Dub has family funeral tomorrow; so gory details later, after 3am here; time for a quick then bed i reckon.

Squeak later! But meanwhile carry on carrying on on here!

I suspect that I, too, panic about "stupid" stuff but might manage to remain calm if the fit hit the shan. But I'll take my word for it.

Four and a half hours is a LONG meeting!!!

Think I'm heading off to bed soon, too. How big a dork am I, crapping out before 9:30 PM on a Friday night?

We've got a brunch to attend at a couple of friends' home tomorrow. 20+ people in a small, four-room condo... we may not stay more than a couple of hours, if that. I kind of feel like lying low this weekend.

Meanwhile, what would it take to recruit Anold to come over here and do some cooking?

Sorry , not planning to go to bushland ever again ,
I know where I am best off / small mouth on me

Hmm.... if we all club together & supply him with a private jet with cooking facilities, i reckon the spin off TV series rights would keep us all happy: "Anold flies 42 universal dinners in a h2g2 paralell universe."

*Meanwhile i stuffed a cheese & onion sandwich down me to avoid actually fainting from hunger*

zdt

Think I was/am still nuked from last night but ,I think my Nan bread is just fantastic ,can't figure it out really cause I know indian restaurants have a proper oven for it

Don't ask but woke up this morning and found 3 dictionaries next to our bed

Terri, a cooking jet would be awesome- like a roach coach with wings!

Anold, I've wanted to make naan from scratch but never tried, because I don't have a tandoor oven either. Now that I know you manage to make it so well without, I may give it a try. Up till now I'd been buying it at the Indian grocer and freezing it for later.

I cook mine in a cast Iron fry pan a couple of minutes on both sides.my kid loves them .Let me know how you do .

Hiya all, just to let you know:

A) I'm still alive &

B) Sorry not been on much; RL is getting in the way of internet time!

C) The Powers that Bee continue to refuse me on grounds of habitual residency, so me be now taking it to Bigger Bods, ie: involving politicians/Legal Rights campaigners/European Courts etc....the paperwork alone is a full time job!

D) If all else fails, i have applied for a job with NALA, which is the National Adult Literacy Agency here in Oirland, a project to survey the use of Plain English (and promote it instead of gobbledegooky jargony bureaucratesish!)

(Please send hootoo on that. It would make a lot of difference to many lives, including my own; if financial independence was not dependent on "knowing your way around the System" & being able to understand Official Forms etc.)

E) Meanwhile, P is away doing Solar Panel Infection Tour, so i am minding the & , taking phone calls etc; got a great one the other day, address wasn't clear so:

*zdt* "Hello, could i speak to X please?

X: Yeh, 'tis me.

zdt: Great; i'm T, phoning on behalf of P, he needs to Inspect your Solar panel installation, but we're abit unsure as to your adress, are you actually in K City?

X: No, I'm in Bulgaria.

!!!!!*rare sound of stunned silence from zdt*

zdt: Er, OK, are you on holiday, or moved there permanently?

X: Well, on holiday really, but ye see, i've met this really nice guy &; werll ye know how it is?

zdt: Yes, i do! Shall i just phone again in a couple of weeks, when you are not so ...erm tied up?

X: yeah, 'twould be grand!

zdt: Great! Enjoy yourself & we'll squeak later then!"

Just to complicate things further, we went to an Eco Festival, one of the speakers dropped out so P had two minutes notice to give an hour long talk on saving energy in the home; for him doing it so well!

Driving back, we spotted the musicians from the Fest trying to hitch a ride, picked them up & so had a great time jamming back here; i cooked a curry with the guy from Tibet, they stayed overnight.

So: who says life in remote parts is boring???? What's been happening at your end folks?

zdt

glad to "see" you lovehope your recovery is coming on well
bureaucrats (council) - I've had my fill over the last couple of year

Hiya Prof Animal!; yes, they can be right barstools can't they!!But if you happen upon a "goodie"; ie: someone who actually seems to understand, without being patronising; there are some lovely gems of people in Social W**k type jobs, who go out of their way to actually help with practical stuff....i've usually found it's folk who've been in similar situations themselves.

Ah well, we just have to Keep on Truckin' as the song says, we will, with A Little bit of Luck get there at the end of The Long & Winding Road before going round the bend!

for etc, same back at you; please pass on to Lil when you're next in touch also.

The NALA job has interviews on June 17/18,so i have to be here & since i'm not yet certified "fit to fly", it's going to be just P going to collect Yoda & make short visit to see his family;Mum is 91, so realistically, he needs to see her 'just in case' he doesn't have chance to again....so our European Tour is postponed yet again., he will be back from Solar Infection Tour end of week, then set off for France/Germany after only a couple of days back here. So: all s welcome!

(The benefit or pain for "you lot" being that i shall inevitably spend more time online & maybe evn start to catch up on backlog!)

to you all; my dear fiends

zdt