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

I haven't downloaded any music for a while.
That's probably more to do with your speakers than the computer or it's settings...

Pretty much better at the moment, just all the gooey bits now, lol.

TK[1]

When I bought my computer, I was disuaded from buying separate speakers because the monitor has speakers built in, so I'm rather annoyed about the state of the sound. Some of the computers where I work have monitors with built in speakers and the sound quality on those is excellent. I might have to go back to the computer shop about this.

Have you been up to anything lately, apart from going to work?

Ahhhh.... it's difficult to get built in speakers which sound good. My new flatscreen monitor has speakers built in... they're o.k... but nothing special. Certainly a bit tinny. Certainly nothing next to my proper speakers- they're a nice sounding set of surround sound speakers from Creative, and they cost about £45. It's the same as with anything- anything that's designed to do a number of jobs and doesn't cost the Earth isn't going to be as good at any of them as an individual thing that's designed for a specific task...

In short, nope. The long answer is also, unsatisfactorily, nope as well.

TK[1]

I had another tinker about with the sound on my PC last night and I think I've got it as well balanced as it's ever going to get. I've got an old pair of speakers that I might experiment with, but that will involve dragging everything out again, so I'll have to be in the mood for that job! The thing that bugs me is, the whole point of getting a flat screen was that it takes up less room but if I now have to go back to having speakers sat on the desk again, I loose a chunk of the room gained. I guess I'll have to save up for some teeny-tiny speakers.

I know what you mean - there's not much going on in my life at the moment either. It's a rather flat time of year, isn't it? I'm bored at work this week, not to mention fed up with my snotty stuck-up bitch of a boss, so time is not passing in the most satisfactory way just lately. I've got some annual leave in around a months time and it's hard not to just wish my life away between now and then.

Liz
~

Do you have some kind of music system in the same room as your computer? You could hook it up to that...

Got a gig on sunday. Argh! Got ot learn 7 songs I don't already know, and rehearse the 20 I do by then. Double ARGH!
And got the Queen + Paul Rogers concert in a few weeks! Triple yey!!!

TK[1]

If I had a music system near by computer, I would use that to play CD's rather than the PC. My elderly and, frankly rather farty, midi system is in the lounge, whereas the computer is in the dining room. I have tweaked the sound on the PC again and I think it is as good as it's ever going to get. I haven't got around to plugging my speakers into it yet. I haven't been in the mood for music this week.

Oooh, a gig! I hope it goes well.

So, when is the Queen + Paul Rogers concert?

Liz
~

I assumed you were playing MP3s...
In that case, put a music system near your computer...

So do I. We had our first proper rehearsal for it last night. Unfortunately it was our last. As far as first rehearsals go, it went pretty well. Where final rehearsals are concerned, it wasn't that great. Just hope we can pull something out of a magic hat tomorrow :-

28th March- easter monday

TK[1]

I'm not going to say much, 'cause I'm that kind of unobtrusive listener... but if you want to get anything off your chest, and you don't feel like you want to share it with the world on 'g2... [email protected]

Hope you're bearing up O.k

TK[1]

Aww, bless yer! I'm alright actually (at the moment). Today has been a good day. Chris actually rang me last night, which I really appreciated and he is calling 'round later to collect a few things he left behind and also return my electric toothbrush. He seemed a little calmer so I am less worried about him. I'm not sure where we go from here - it'd be nice to stay friends but we will have to see how it goes.

I spent an hour-and-a-half on the phone to my best mate this morning. Now I remember why I don't phone her very often. I thought I could talk! Then I met a friend for lunch and then I went shopping and actually bought something.

So, how did the gig go?

Liz
~

Well, I know it's difficult enough when you've only been with someone for a year... It's difficult to stay friends, but I'm sure it's possible. At least you've got your toothbrush back

That's nice At least you're not just stagnating... wouldn't be nice if you didn't have anything to do, or anyone else to see... good to know you're coping O.k

Gaaaaaah, we had to cancel it- the bassist was ill!

TK[1]

Today hasn't been quite so pleasant - Chris and I talked last night and said a lot of things we should have said years ago. We talked about some difficult stuff and it was upsetting but very necessary I feel. I hope we can maintain some sort of friendship, but I'm going to have to leave that up to him I think as he is obviously hurting much more than I am.

I had planned a staying at home day today (I rather like being at home on my own sometimes) but the weather was so beautiful that I had to go out for a walk. Tomorrow I shall be heading up to Lincolnshire but I'm putting that off for as long as possible (I'm thinking the two o'clock train).

It's a shame your gig was cancelled. Any more planned?

Liz
~

It's good that you've got some of the difficult stuff out of the way... I guess that can brew if you leave it.

I should do more walking. You know, you're supposed to walk 10,000 steps every day. How? I mean, physically it's more than possible, but how are you supposed to find the time!?! It equates to around five miles, I think, of walking every day. Jeeeez... I think I'm going to see if I can get a treadmill instead of a chair at work.

Nothing yet, that I've been told about, anyway. Don't seem to be having much luck with it

TK[1]

I've still got stuff I want to ask Chris, but I think I need to give him some space now for at least a couple of weeks. He's being a bit vague about whether we will keep in touch, but he has invited me to phone him if I need anything, so I may do that. He is looking for somewhere to rent for a while until he decides what he wants to do next, so I probably need to wait until he has moved house.

I haven't got a car, so I tend to do a lot of walking. That said, I doubt whether I do 10,000 steps a day. I'd love to find out just how much walking I do. I shall have to drop hints to people about a pedometer when my birthday comes around in two months time.

I am now back at work and I really wish I wasn't. I could happily stay at home all day for weeks on end. Still, at least I have got my new work PC to play with

Liz
~

I guess it's a bit difficult at the moment. Feelings and memories tumbling over each other, and I guess he probably doesn't want to stir them up too much. It'll probably be easier when he's found a more permanent place to stay- it's a definite start to the next phase of existing. I always think it makes the end of he previous one that bit easier to handle

I've only got a car because I need one- living in my village, the only things within a realistic walking distance are my Grandparents' house, and the post office which is never open when I'm around, and doesn't sell anything worth buying anyway. The nearest town is ten minutes away by car, so as you can imagine it'd take a good couple of hours at a brisk pace to get there. That'd be a good walk, I admit, but then I'd have to walk back as well, and I just don't have the time...
Living in a village surrounded by countryside should give me plenty of places to walk, but I just can't do the goalless walk thing. If I had a dog, it'd be better, but after Ollie, my parents aren't going to get another one until they retire. I've taken to walking the long way to my Grandparents'- I live at one end of the village, so I walk across to the other end, and then back down again in a big triangle. I think it just about truiples the distance I walk, but I don't do it every day, and it's still only about 2000 steps according to my walk-o-meter.
If I lived closer to town, or even where I worked (though I wouldn't want to do the latter because I don't like Corby one bit...), I'd walk a lot more /and/ save on petrol. Gah.

I have a five day weekend off now... Nowhere near the five weeks I got off at Easter over my uni years, but more than the four day weekend I had when I was at school. I'm only getting five days now because I booked the tuesday off too so I don't have to rush back from London- the concert is on Monday!!! We're going down on Monday morning, and intending on making a day of it. Then the concert's at 7, and we have booked a night in a hostel. We're planning on making a Tuesday of it too, then coming back in the evening. Should be a good couple of days.

Have fun with the PC , and have a happy Easter

TK[1]

You definitely need a car if you live in a village - I felt horribly isolated when I was at my parents with no car last week. I'm going to have to hire a car next time I got up there - not only are the public transport links not good enough to get from here to there in less than 5 hours, but without a car you can't get about once you get there. I hate having to rely on people to ferry me about - I feel that it gives my Dad the excuse to treat me like a twelve-year-old.

I'm quite good a goalless walking and I often just walk around the streets near where I live, although I always try to take some sort of circular route. I walked to Sainsbury's this morning - I've no idea how far that is but it only takes me half an hour so I'd guess that it's less than two miles. I had to catch buses to get home though - I can't walk far whilst loaded down with shopping. I was half-way to the supermarket before it occurred to me that a bank holiday bus service would be operating today. It wasn't too bad - it only took 45 minutes to get home.

I've been out and mowed my grass this afternoon (now there's excitement for you) - it's first cut of the year. It was so lovely that I felt I had to do something out of doors. I was too tired from my walk to Sainsbury's to go out for a walk, so pottering in the garden seemed like the next best thing.

Eeewww Corby! No, you definitely don't want to live there - it crops up in the 'bad news' category on Look East far to often. When I was a kid, we used to drive past Corby enroute from Lincolnshire to Berkshire (to visit my Grandma) and it didn't even look very nice when viewed from a distance.

Your weekend plans sound great - I'm jealous! I love visiting London - I hope you enjoy it and the concert too.

Liz
~

I know how that feels. It's such a sense of freedom to just be able to go and take the car... I still haven't cottoned on to the fact that it's actually /mine/...

Goalless walking is something I'm totally unable to do. But I've done a lot of walking ove rthe Easter weekend- I went to Cambridge on saturday, and then I was in London for the concert on Monday and Tuesdy. Walking is generally the best way to get around cities, I feel.
Lol, you should get one of those tartan-bags-with-wheels that old ladies have... get a big one, then you can fit your whole week's shopping in and drag it along behind you

At least you've got your own grass to mow... I could always mow the grass here at home, but it just wouldn't feel right...

It's not so bad where I work, but that's not exact;y in the deepest, darkest depths. It is a very crap place. I have held the opinion for a while now, that they should just build a big wall around it and forget about it in the hope that it'll go away.

It was grrrrrrreat! I've put some pictures up here: http://spaces.msn.com/members/theaxis/ they're pretty blurry, but they give you the general idea...

TK[1]

Walking is definitely the best way to get around in cities (especially Cambridge, as it is rather lovely - all those fab old buildings). Having said that, I do the tube and always have a ride on it when I go to London.

<> - funny you should say that. When I was walking to Sainsbury's on Good Friday, I passed a lady coming the other way with a stack of shopping piled into one of those push/pull along shopping bags, and I thought 'what a good idea...

I did some more goaless walking on Easter Sunday. It drizzled all day long here and I got bored at about 4 o'clock. I had been waiting for it to stop raining for ages, but then it occurred to me that walking in the rain is rather pleasant, provided you have the right clothes (and a hat) on. So I went for a walk around the streets for an hour and came home via a park. I rather enjoyed that.

I'm glad you enjoyed your Queen concert.

Liz
~

It was the first time I've properly been to Cambridge, and it was rather lovely indeed. Especially the girl who sold me my ticket at the cinema...
The tube is, unfortunately, unavoidable. It's O.k when it's empty, but when you're forced into an armpit I think even Corby would be an improvement.

oh no... I was joking! You could get a less lethal equivalent, such as a rucksack, or even a go-cart with some string to pull it with...

I can't remember what I did on Easter Sunday... The Usual, I suppose- dinner at the grandparents. Oh, and I got to have a chat and cam with Tanya- it's been too long.
Sounds like a nice walk

So am I It was amazing!!!!!

TK[1]

I'm fascinated by the tube, although I agree that it's not much fun at rush hour.

I've got a ruck-sack, but I've also got a lot of pain in my shoulders at the moment, so carrying it is a problem. Unfortunately, I think too much sitting around (both at the computer and on my squashy lounge furniture) might be responsible for my current shoulder ailments. I have been for a swim today in the hope that it might help to build up a bit of strength. I could do with improving my posture a bit too - but sitting up properly is such hard work!

I treated myself to a Sunday newspaper while I was out and I think I have done myself an injury carrying it home - boy is it huge! It's going to take me a week to read it

Chat soon
Liz
~

It's never fun to have sweat dripping down you in a confined space. Even less so, when it's not even /your/ sweat.

Lol, I know what you mean- I've been trying to force myself to improve my posture at work, but by the end of the day all I want to do is slouch and slide off the chair, under the table and go to sleep.

Lol, they have aboout 400 magazines, a few times as many 'supplements' and the odd CD as well. Usually a good idea to take a mate with you to pick it up.

TK[1]