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

I've still got a sore throat and I'm a bit deaf, but apart from that I'm OK. My bloke went from being perfectly OK, through the sore throat stage and into full blown snot and spluttering in less than 8 hours, whereas I have had a sore throat since Sunday night but mine hasn't developed any further. I've got a hospital check up tomorrow, so I am hoping to avoid the snot stage until after I have had things poked up my nose at hospital tomorrow morning. I don't feel ill as such, but the pain in my throat is awful. I've been busy this morning getting bits and bobs ready for an assessment board. It is not until Thursday, but I want to get organised in case I do get properly ill.

Anyway, I hope you got all your work in yesterday and you don't catch too many germs from your housemates.

Liz
~

Well I hope you are well enough recovered by Thursday.

Still healthy myself, not had so much as a cold for months. I generally get a lot more exercise and eand eat better than my housemates, which might explain why I've not caught anything that they've had.

Ah yes, eating well is the key in my opinion. I had three kinds of fruit in my packed lunch today. I try to have my five portions of fruit and veg each day but I don't think my boyfriend gets anywhere near it. He insists that I don't do enough exercise, but I think I do just enough (walking to work everyday) to stay healthy, although I wouldn't say I was fit. However, although Chris does far more exercise than me (he walks MILES playing golf) he eats a rubbish diet. The fact that he works shifts doesn't help, but I'm sure that if he ate a bit more fruit and a bit less junk food then he would get fewer colds. I'm fortunate that I don't get many colds myself, although when I do I generally do a good job of it. In the late 1990's, I managed to go three whole years without taking any sick leave from work, which I was very proud of. I made up for it in 2001 by going into hospital twice and having a total of four and a half weeks off sick over a two month period, but never mind, I'm back to being well again now. I went for a check up at the hospital this very morning and they don't want to see me again for another six months, so I am really pleased about that. My sore throat has still not developed into a cold and I doubt whether it will now. I just hope it is all gone by the weekend because I really MUST go Christmas shopping.

I have plenty of fruit and veg, but my housemates have very little. I get quite a lot of exercise due to rambling every week; and it's quite a long walk too and from campus.

A month off sick doesn't sound good. I missed a few weeks of school once but that was 10 years ago.

Good that you're sore throat's not developing any further. I've really got to go shopping this weekend too, I've only got 2 presents so far

Well, I was expecting to be clerking an assessment board this afternoon, but it was cancelled with only 45 minutes notice. The people in this college couldn't organise a P***-up in a brewery.

I have brought a total of five Christmas gifts, but two are for my Dad and three are for my brother, so really it's only two people dealt with. I just have no idea what to buy for anybody. We do Secret Santa in my department at work and I need to get something for my secret friend before next Friday so that is a bit more pressure.

And speaking of pressure, my delightful boyfriend has finally, after months of dithering, decided that he does want to go out for a meal on New Years Eve with some friends of his, and guess who gets the pleasure of trying to find us somewhere nice to eat at such short notice? Why, me of course. So I had better log off here for a while and make some phone calls.

Liz
~

Now that's not on at all.

I've bought 2 presents now; my mother's and Secret Santa for one of my housemates. Lots more to do but I don't wnt to buy presents until after I go home for Christmas or I'm going to have to carry them on the trains.

To be quite honest I don't even know what end of the country I'm going to be at for new year so far. My parents haven't made their monds up and concequently there still are no arrangements.

When do you go home for Christmas? I can't remember when the HE students finish at Suffolk College, but the FE lot don't finish until next Friday, 19th (we are going for our staff Christmas meal at a particularly scrumtious restaurant on that day). The college is then closed to students and the public until the new year, although it is open to staff on Monday 22 and Tuesday 23. About half my department have booked those two days as annual leave, but I am coming in. I imagine it will be a total skive like it was last year. I finish on the afternoon of 23 December and don't come back to work until 5 January and I'm really looking forward to the break.

I have booked a table for four at an Italian restaurant for New Years Eve. My first choice isn't open on New Years Eve and the other two places that I would like to go are rather expensive and as Chris's two friends both do minimum wage jobs, we thought it better if we don't go anywhere too pricey. We have been to the place I have booked several times and it is nice and they do a lovely bottle of Italian red wine, whose name esacapes me. So, that is sorted at least.

I shall be nagging Chris again at the weekend about whether we are going to my Mum's on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day and when he wants to come back. I don't think my Mum is too bothered about when we turn up, she will have a fridge full of food ready for whenever we decide to honour her with our presence!

Well, I went home today . Term starts on the 6th but I'm going back on the 2nd to get some revision done. (I had to go by train so left most my books behind).

That was speady booking.

I just don't know whic relatives we'll be staying with. I know we're staying put for Christmas, but I haven't been filled in as far as any other details are concerned.

It's good to know that I am not the only one living an unstructured life

I didn't get much shopping done at the weekend. My cold finally decided to come out, so I did an awful lot of lying about on the sofa. I did make a brief visit to the town on Sunday afternoon, but I only lasted an hour. When I was in BHS, I noticed that the floor seemed to be moving and that is when I decided that I wasn’t well enough to be out shopping!

I wish I could think of some inspiration. Everyone will be getting gift vouchers as this rate!

Well, after a lot of talking I've found out that my cousins are in the process of moving house (i.e. they've moved out their old house but can't move into the new one due to some compliocation) so the whole thing's a complete mess.

, shopping when 's not fun. I've got most presents now, just a couple to go. Still, I'm very stuck as to what to get for them.

I still haven't got any gifts for my Mum, my Grandma, my sad Uncle who still lives with my Grandma even though he will be 49 tomorrow (!) or my boyfriend .

Things I have got - a cold. Still.

I'm starting to seriously go off Christmas. I console myself with the thought that this time next week I will be on holiday. Yipee!

I was going to go shopping after work today, but went off the idea and just went home.

Not good. Should be gone by christmas at least.

Well, I've already had 2 Christmas dinners and am getting fed up of the same CD stuck on reperat at work , but when Christmas actually comes round that's a different matter. With Christmas etc. I'm only working 2 days next week.

I finish on Tuesday afternoon and then we are not back until 5 January. I had a day off yesterday because I called in sick. To be honest, I was less ill yesterday than I had been on the two previous days but I really fancied a day sitting by the fire and my cold is much better today.

I've still got loads of shopping to do. I had plans for a serious shop on Sunday (which I still think will be slightly less hellish than Saturday). However, I found out yesterday that Ipswich Town are playing at home on Sunday and their long time local rivals Norwich City are the opposition. All the pubs are closed so at least the mauruding footie fans will be sober. Aaarrgh!

I still don't know what to buy my Mum.

This time next week it will all be over. Thank gawd for that!

Liz
~

Quite a good break then. A day off certainly makes all the difference.

It's certainly been hectic. Still got one more present to go, which I'll try and get tomorrowe if it's not chucking it down as much as today. One thing about Hemel Hempstead is that there isn't the problem of the home team playing.

Still New Year to go yet.

I went into town for the last of my Christmas Shopping Hell yesterday morning. I got down there before most of the shops were open, and there were more policemen (ready for the footie) than shoppers. It wasn't too bad and I have now bought gifts for everyone. Whether or not they are suitable is quite another matter.

A lot of my colleagues have already finished for Christmas, so it is reasonably quiet at work today. My department had our staff Christmas meal on Friday and it was a bit disappointing. I'm sure the food was better last year. The place we went to is an expensive restaurant, yet, on top of charging us £21.95 per head for the meal, extra for coffee and mince pies and £90 for the booze we consumed, they also added on a £28 service charge. Cheek!

We do Secret Santa in our department and we all opend our presents before we went to the restaurant. I got eight – yes really, eight – calendars and a red heart shaped cushion. Secret Santa was definitely taking the p*** (and I think we can safely say that he spent more than the £5 budget). When I was first working for CREATE, someone sent ‘round a lyric quiz on the e-mail and I was a little bit too good at it. As a reflection of my smart-ass music knowledge, last year my Secret Santa gift (which I quickly figured out was from Harvey) was a Cliff Richard calendar. When we drew Secret Santa names this year, I heard Harvey ask, “What do you do if you have drawn the same name as last year?” to which I rashly replied “You don’t buy them a Cliff Richard calendar.” Me and my big mouth. Not only did I get a Cliff Richard calendar, I also got an Elvis Presley calendar, a Donny Osmond calendar, a Leonardo Di Caprio calendar, a BeeGees calendar, a Beatles calendar, a Gareth Gates calendar and an Ozzy Osborne calendar. If you need to know the date, just ask!

Is is snowy down your way? We've had a little sprinkling of snow here today, but I don't think it will last. My boyfriend is wishing for snow for our drive up to Lincolnshire on Wednesday. He enjoys scaring me!

If I don't chat to you again, have a lovely Christmas.

Liz

I've still got one to go. Will have to get it after work tomorrow.

Seems very unfair to be stung for a service charge.

I specificaly asked for no calandars this year as I've already been given one and I don't tend to use them anyway. If I for some reason loose track of the date then I just look at the calandar on my computer.

No snow here, but there is in Nottingham, which I'm quite miffed at

Merry Christmas

Our snow has melted now, but it's still really cold. It's particularly cold in my office. I brought in a little fan heater from home a couple of weeks ago because most of our heaters are playing up. It rather seems to me that my one little fan heater is effectively heating five rooms at the moment. Gosh it's cold! I was sat here with my gloves on yesterday afternoon. My boss is already on holiday for Christmas and one of my colleagues suggested we could slope off a bit earlier yesterday and I was only too happy to get out of here and go home to thaw out!

But enough of this whinging - I finish work this afternoon and I don't come back until January 5th. Hooray!

I will probably log on from home at some point during the next couple of weeks, so maybe chat then.

Have a lovely Christmas and Birthday.

Liz

Isn't there some sort of legel limit on temperature in the work place? I know it used to be 16 degreees C..

Ra!

Dissappearing myself between the 2nd and the 6th o live in the library . Exams coming up.

Still, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year if I don't speak to you before hand.

Hiya

I hope you had a nice Christmas. I have to say I was BORED STIFF at my Mum's, but never mind. The whole festive thing just feels like a big fat waste of time, money and effort this year. Bah Humbug!!!

I went shopping yesterday and actually managed to find some trousers that fit, so at least I have something to wear when we go out on New Years Eve. We got invited to a party last week, but unfortunately we have already arranged to go out for a meal with some very dull friends of my boyfriends. I'm having a lovely time just dossing about at home. My boyfriend is still in bed having worked a night shift so this is a fine excuse to either go shopping or sit by the fire and read some of the lovely books I got for Christmas.

Anyway, I hope you had a good one. Good luck with the exams and studying and all the best for 2004.

Chat again next year.

Liz
~

Christmas was a quiet one with family. Lots of and Christmas can be over the top and

I got a few birthday presents for people in the sales. Not been able to do much dossing due to work, but the weekends have been good.

Happy New Year and I hope you enjoy the rest of the holidays.