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

Hmmmm . . . what are some of these 'start your own business' ideas? Perhaps Noggin would be interested in hearing about them as he is trying to set something up for himself here. He's also been thinking about writing a book.

A bit scary? Heck, fear is the spice of life! Think of it more as a challenge. I think this is going to turn out to be a blessing in disguise for you, to be honest.

I still like my previous idea - that you and the missus rent my flat next door for six months or so (starting next summer). You can do IT courses online I think. Perhaps become a webmaster? That is also something Noggin is considering.

As for my leg, the weirdest thing happened this morning. I was limping to my first class this morning (serious shooting pain in my left thigh) and about half-way there it was like someone flicked a switch and suddenly the pain was totally GONE! Then, after sitting for an hour the ol' back (well, hip) seemed to seize up again and the pain came back. But after walking around for about twenty minutes it disappeared again! And I've been fine ever since. Well, now that I am back sitting in front of the computer it might come back - but what a relief after four days of PAIN in my leg. I have a doctor's appointment on Monday so will hopefully get to the bottom of the problem. Meanwhile, *must start doing Pilates*!!!


az

Hi all,
My pilates course starts on Monday I'll let you know how it goes

Good luck Fathom - this really is a great time to take stock and change direction. If you are careful with it how long can you survive on the redundancy money? I worked out I could have lasted around a year on mine but luckily found something that started two months after my job finished - so I used some of the money to visit Thailand, Burma, Australia, and Hong Kong.

Have decided to sign up for the palytex moonwalk next june
can see it here: www.walkthewalk.org

How hard can it be to powerwalk 26 miles?

Ah well, the training will help in my effort to look stunning (or maybe just stunned if I survive the walk) for my wedding day!

Anyone got any nice plans for the weekend?

k
x

Well, we were going to go to Gibraltar tomorrow (mostly to shop) and a friend of mine even offered to lend us her car, but with my dodgy and unpredictable leg we have decided to wait until I see the doctor.

The only Big Plan for the weekend so far is to go through our wardrobes and throw a lot of it away (do we know how to have fun, or what???)

Might go to the cinema - does anyone know anything about a film called Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind? It seems to be the only one showing in English.

And you?


az

I've got mum and dad's beasties so lots of walking is on the cards (in appalling weather), I need to address and write 40 little notes to accompany our save-the-date fridge magnets that we are sending out so that people know not to book their holidays the same time as our wedding, and gloss all the woodwork in our bedroom - my least favourite decorating job.

I know how to have fun too eh?

Might go out for a curry on saturday though - despite the diet I am having balti-cravings Never going to get ay thinner at this rate...

We went out for a tapa feast last night. Now that we are thinking of going to the next hootoo meet I have some extra motivation to shed a bit of tonnage before January, so perhaps that will be the last FEAST for awhile.

How much weight do you think it is possible to lose in two months, Kelli? I can't have all of you meeting me in my present gargantuan state!


az

Well if the meet is on the 8th that is 11 weeks away so at a steady pace could lose 11 lb (about 5 kilos) That time period does include christmas though, have you got many plans for the festive season?

I'd like to get a bit further forward by then too - have been a bit stuck for a while despite exercising and eating sensibly - it's not fair! *stamps foot*

k

Only five kilos??? Hell, a bit like p*ssing into the ocean for all the difference it would make.


az

Well you could probably lose 10 if you really went for it and aimed at 2 lb off a week. Actually, thinking about it - when I start a diet I am usually really successful in the first couple of months and it then slows down. I lost that in 10 weeks on the food doctor thing.

I'm sure you're lovely anyway, going by the pictures you've posted *looks at Noggin for confirmation*

Noggin is no good - he keeps saying very *English* things like 'Oh, you aren't *that* big'. Whatever the hell that means!

Anyhow, I am now the same weight I was in that photo of me in the gallery, holding my cat Sunny. But apparently, when I stand up, I look a whole lot bigger.


az

Sounds like the perfect excuse to send Noggin to the bar for drinks all night while you remain at the table

try search in collective,

Noggin only drinks when I open a bottle of wine. He says he is 'helping' me, so I don't drink the whole darned thing myself!

And he eats next to nothing! Well, he eats when I plunk a plateful of gorgeous food in front of him. Otherwise I think he would happily live on bowls of cereal and sandwiches. Don't you just hate people like that????

Well, at least when I start on my new 'eating plan' (I won't have anything to do with *diets*) he probably won't notice the difference.


az

Hi,

Thanks guys for your kind wishes. I may need your support in the next few weeks.

The redundancy payment is about two years pay so could last about ..erm.. two years I suppose. Perhaps longer if we're careful but we are not planning to be that careful since we want to do some of the things we would do if we had a large sum of money.

If I suggested the business ideas here everyone would be doing them.

I am actually quite practical (if basically lazy) so could do a variety of 'handyman' (no job too small) tasks that people often find hard but that would not interest a tradesman. Things like installing a power or phone socket, fixing a dripping tap, putting up a shelf, building flatpack furniture, laying a laminate floor (all the rage, these days), building a garden deck, replacing a door, changing a lock etc. It may not make me rich but it might just pay the mortgage.

I thought about offering internet research and analysis services to businesses: on markets, competitors, trends, customer profiles etc.

I happen to be very good at spreadsheet design and data analysis but whether anyone would pay for it as a consultancy service is another question. I could provide small businesses with the sort of business health checks that only large firms generally use. The question is; would they want it and would they pay for it?

After organising our own wedding my wife and I considered starting a wedding planning service. Perhaps we still could.

I would like to teach adult literacy or numeracy classes but whether that would provide a living is doubtful.

Perhaps Noggin and I could start a multinational web service?

I could do aromatherapy and massage.


From your description I would say the problem is not your leg but your back. It sounds like you've trapped the sciatic nerve and it's generating referred pain as a result of being compressed where it branches away from your spine. Try doing the compression massage technique I told you about earlier. You could also try using an icepack to reduce the muscle spasm in the small of your back.

F

question is where in the world do you want to do it, then decide what you want to do, pick three try them all for six months, take advantage of tax breaks, some benifit entitle ments also availble when abroad for periods 12/13 weeks use them, have fun.

"would happily live on bowls of cereal and sandwiches" so would I "minimum preparrationlism " a rare religous order is the term or is that the "genus" you hate so much.
marmalade sandwichs, yes i like marmalade,in right area
Az is your eating plan any think to do with the paul makeena(hynotist) richerd and judy are giveing 50 free courses on send you link if find it,he claims high %
doing random test on it.

I think Paul Mackenna was pretty well swamped with applicants after the idea was announced. The TV company described it as causing 'meltdown' of their telephone system.

He claims a 75% success rate - not just for people to lose weight but to maintain the weight loss indefinitely afterwards. His technique, through hypnosis, is to re-educate people to think differently about food.

F

<>

I've had sciatica many times in the past and this isn't it. It is the long side outer muscle of my thigh, from about six inches above my knee and up, that totally goes - OUCH! - like an electrical jolt has been shot through it. With every f**king step I take! I'm no stranger to physical pain so when I actually say something hurts like f**k then it DOES. I honestly could barely put any weight on my left leg without excruciating agony.

It seems to me like there is something wonky going on with my hip joint - and my left hip joint has always been out of whack, since I was about 22. At least that was what the chiropractor told me back then. What I can't understand is how the pain completely disappears - so this says to me it can't be nerve damage. It's more a muscle response to the hip being 'out of joint' and when it clicks back into place I am fine.

The main problem with a personal-service-based biz is that you only end up being paid when you put in the time. So, if you need time off, if you get sick, whatever, you don't get paid. This is basically how my English classes work. And it's cr*p.

What I am trying to find is a way to create a biz whereby it is not solely based on the hours I put into it. The type of biz that can grow and - preferably - one that can be sold for tons of dinero once I am ready to retire.

I think Noggin has the same deal as you - a year or two of redundancy pay that enables him some 'time out' to search other options. Which is why he is able to take this 'year off' in Seville.

<>

Hey! That's what we're here for!


az

Who is Paul McKenna?

No, my eating plan is to simply cut down on fats and booze and eat a bit less. More veg! And then do a lot more physical exercise (Pilates, some free-weight stuff for my arms and lots of walking).

I reckon since I was a teenager I've been on every goddamn diet that ever existed. Diets do not work. What works is making a few changes and sticking to them.


az

Paul McKenna is a well known (in the UK at least) stage hypnotist. But since you spelled the name right and logicus and I both didn't I assume you searched the internet and found that out already.

Unlike most stage hypnotists however he has a very responsible attitude and uses his techniques to help people with all sorts of problems. He has written at least one excellent book on hypnosis and self-hypnosis.

I based my guess at the source of your pain on the statement that it switches on and off with no apparent residual ache. Muscle pains don't tend to do this but nerve damage can.

A woman's pelvis has (I realise you know this and if I could remember the name of the damn thing I wouldn't need this description) a gap at the front which opens to facilitate childbirth. This gap is held closed by some strong ligaments which are loosened by hormones generated in pregnancy (for obvious reasons) and can sometimes be affected by oral contraceptives and HRT. It is possible to displace the two halves of the pelvis at this gap (by falling heavily to one side, say) and this can cause all sorts of bizarre and excrutiating pains. It is more common in women who are pregnant or on some form of hormone treatment. Again this is a nerve pain generated by damage at the sacro-iliac joint.

Whatever it is, I hope it gets better soon.

F

Actually, it was Noggin who set me straight on the correct spelling of Paul McKenna.

That guy seems to know EVERYTHING! Happily I am still able to constanlty cheese him at Scrabble so things even up a bit.

Though whilst out shopping this morning we saw a very cute chess set and I asked N if he played chess (what a question). So it looks like I am about to be constantly cheesed at chess if we end up buying that thing. Strangely or otherwise, I always tend to play chess very intuitively. I don't think a lot. I let the game tell me where I should be going. And it often works, to the chagrin of other very well-seasoned players.

Anyhow, have no idea what is going on with my pelvis, other than knowing it's wonky. In my experience nerve damage takes more time to go away than muscle stuff, but Noggin (goddammn know-it-all) is saying it's the opposite. On the other hand, it MY hip!

So, what are you doing this weekend?


az