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

borrowed the tune of batman series from the 70s

The trouble with housework is, that you just do it all over again the next day, it never stays nice for long enough to enjoy - but maybe that's just our household.

I haven't seen any daddy longlegs yet, had a few earlier this year, but they all smoldered in the 300w lightbulb.

Son no #2 just helped me with the things I had carried downstairs and left before the cellar door. He promised to help me with the rest this weekend.

Btw, smurfles, meant to say: no matter how often I read a letter, I still manage to get the dates messed up.

Didn't you read my thread about throwing stuff away, Bel. Sounds like an ideal time to clear that clutter. But I know it is not easy. But if you can't handle it, put it all in the cellar and break the 300watt lamp.

At the weekend we had nearly 100 people here - Garden Party. Yesterday evening they came to pick up the pavilion. There was so much to do. But it is all finished now, apart from bring the foodboxes, cutlery and plates back to the caterers. I was really knackered yesterday evening and went to bed early. Luckily, I have to start later today at work.

Nice to have helpful children, isn't it?

Oh, I did bin a lot of stuff, it's just that there are all the chairs etc that have to be kept. I can't afford buying everything anew every other year.

Did you have nice weather for your garden party? I put the heating on on Saturday.

The outside of my building was painted this spring, though as the building itself is brick, the only painting was to assorted trim, soffit and fascia. Other than not being able to access the front door for a couple of days, it wasn't so bad. I hope your painting goes as smoothly as ours did, and that they finish up quickly!

Hauling all that stuff is exhausting. This last weekend we were hauling more rain-damaged stuff off the back porch and out to the trash bins. No s around, but I did see two enormous centipedes, which K was dispatched to dispose of with an old shoe. *shudder* Do you see many centipedes in your neck of the woods?

No, I can't recall the last time I've seen one. We have lots of earwigs here, though. And woodlice.

Woodlice don't bother me too much, but I'm not a fan of earwigs. I had one in the bathroom recently and it startled the heck out of me.

Hope you don't find too many more creepy-crawlies. And I'm glad one of your boys is helping you move all that stuff.

Yes, so am I. My other son will help, too, it's just that I'll have to kick him in his bum before he'll do it.

I strongly suspect I was the same way when I was a kid. At least my fella is more cooperative about helping out than your hubby sounds. Although I still haven't quite convinced mine that taking the trash out means all the way out to the bins, not just outside the back door where I can't see it from inside.

Oh, I guess my husband would help if I asked him, but at the same time, he'd start telling us what to do when and how, and frankly, I don't need that.

The weekend was really wet, but luckily enough not windy - otherwise the pavilions would have flown away. But with the body heat, and the bonfire, the hardcore people stayed til 2 in the morning. Nice to see old friends again.

Sometime ago I asked (commanded) my children to tidy up their play room 12m x 8m. It really looked a mess. At the time there was an innocent looking friend of my daughter's staying. So everything went well, until we looked behind the cupboard and there - have to sit down here - was all the stuff, just hidden. Apparently, this litte "devil" told my kids to do it like that! One week without computer and DS. Consequence is very important but incredibly hard to dish out!!

Don't you think your own kids are clever enough for that idea? I know that mine are.

I was about four when I figured out that's what closets are for.

There's nothing worse than having someone stand there and tell you what to do and how to do it when a project needs doing. That's *my* job!

I *hate* when somebody does that, I have a colleague who thinks she knows better than me how to do MY work. I may suggest the boys how to go about certain things, but I certainly wouldn't insist they do it that way. After all, I want them to be able to do things themselves.

Another thing I hate is when people don't know how to do something, tell someone they will do it, and then come and "ask" you to do it for them (while taking all the credit). Or worse, they louse it up and then you have to go back over it and fix everything they've screwed up. A colleague of mine is really stupid, so she's notorious for asking other people to create/convert documents for her and then pretending to have done it herself. I doubt she could even manage to tie her own shoes.

I was mostly kidding in my last post, but there is a reason I rarely ask anyone to help me do anything- no one will ever do it exactly the way I want it, so no sense frustrating everyone when I can just do it myself the first time around.

Exactly. 'If you want something done properly, do it yourself'. That's certainly the case in my office.

B'Elana, to hear about your hard work, and all done by you... alone...

I hope you left some for your lovely that visit your balcony in the morning....

Can't have them starving.

I don't envy your legs going up and down those stairs! I had enough trouble with the four lots of recycling for tomorrow's collection.

Hope you recover soon.

Massaging hands coming up...

Well, close!

Soothing

MMF

Ah,the simplicity of living in a single room..cramped,but really not much to do..I don't envy your work,B'Elana.*gentle,soothing *

Thanks all.

I'm fine, just a bit sore, but I guess that's mainly from my walk on Sunday - and that vwas lots of fun.

pc and Ivan: I made the mistake to do everything myself too many years, ending up in *having* to do it all by myself, even if I wanted somebody else to do it. So now, I have to ask myself: do I want help - or do I want help *my* way? If I want help, I just have to accept it the way it comes, even if it means I have to eat pasta that contains eggs , or beef or whatever.

Psychocandy, even worse are those that sit on their bottoms, do nothing, create nothing, don't contribute, but as soon as someone (me, you) try something new - doesn't matter if it works or does not work - criticises it. Very frustrating and lowers moral!

Your colleague probably has a butler to do her shoe laces!