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

Friend asked me if I wanted a wee sneaky holiday in the sun so am off to Tenerife on Monday. Never been before and will just ignore the hoards of tourists along side me up Mount Teide!! It looks spectacular on google earth. Seems so strange packing bikinis and skirts when my usual type of packing is Binoculars hiking boots wooly hat gloves warm socks etc!!

So if you hear of signs of Bleached beached whales in Los Cristianos, dont worry, its just me and my pal sunbathing.

Watching Antique roadshow the other night and a painting came on. Looked so familiar - my suspicions were correct when they read the label on the back - Achill!!

Playing gig tomorrow night and there is another band also. Turns out they are from Tenerife! Synchronicity my mum calls it.

All well with Dad just now which is great.

CONGRATS on your degree Woody. I would never have the brains to go back to studying. So well done.

Catch up soon

Great stuff NR! It sounds like a dream location.

I have had a bit of bad news over the past day. Bad news from my op. Bit of a bummer, just when I thought things were turning a corner. Still though, further tests to do, so it may be ok. Fingers crossed.

Hope you have a fab holiday to set you up for the long dreich winter, NR.

Am thinking of you, Woodpigeon

Thanks T - just out of hospital today. Will know more in a few days regarding further treatment or whether I can get back to work.

All very busy these days preparing for the Chrimbo. I don't think I'll get too much time over Christmas - probably will be left having to make it up. The big red scar on my neck has begun to heal up nicely. Any news from you all?

Just found this. Think I need to unsub from a lot of other things as the conversations I'm really interested in tend to get lost among the dross.

Glad your neck is healing, W. Is there much numbness left?

I'm slowly trying to get myself into the festive spirit - but it's a sair fecht. Looking forward to having Ma and my girls back home - but that's about it.
It was a lot more fun when the kids were wee.

Wishing you both a Merry Christmas

Hi T, yes, the enthusiasm of our little ones at the moment is amazing. They are calling all the shots in our house at the moment regarding the Christmas festivities.

My ear is still quite numb, and I noticed quite recently that I had not being washing properly behind it . The scar is healing well though. It should die down in the next few months hopefully.

Hiya!

When I had a particularily bad experience during a root treatment, the numbness lasted a good few months. Was very glad when I got the feeling back! Dad has permanent numbness in his abdomomenn after last years surgery so much so that he didn't feel the bit of stitch hanging out his wound recentky which my mum bravely pulled out. Blah!!

Feeling organised for xmas and planning hogmanay with my bruv down in Oxon. The boyfriend recently treated himself to a massive aquarium to paly with. I would imagine he'll be itching to get home from engerland to move his fish into their luxury new home. I've to buy him fish for xmas and how I'm going to wrap them, I've still to figure that one out!

My tan from Tenerife is still hanging in there making this very wet winter so far more bearable. The house is trashed with dirty dogs so roll on the frosts. My poor wee rabbit hasn't been in his run too much either cos od the wet but hopefully the new eight foot run which arrived today will cheer him up no end!

Have either of you seen Golden compass yet? I read the books years ago and am not sure I can bear it if the film is cack. I'd only ever read the Lord of the rings once so that wasn't too bad but you know the way you build up such a vivid picture of your world and characters......

At home tonight while Bob and Bob junior bond over boring x bxx game! Gives me time to catch up on correspondence that I wouldn't otherwise do. Can you believe its been nearly two and half years we've been together now and I only meet one of his sisters for the first time the other night. They are such a nice family but seem to have some issues which seem pretty poor excuses to me. But I suppose I have a much stronger bond with my family because we actually talk about things and apologise and FORGIVE. When it comes to them not being there anymore, nothing else should be more important. But I'll have to get my head round it and make it clear to his family that I am nothing to do with his abscence.

RANT RANT... AND RELAAAXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxx.



TTFN

Two and a half years - that was fast!

My terribles are 4 tomorrow. They got their presents today because I was around. I'm back in Dublin tomorrow, taking the early train up. One of them was not happy with the presents he got and went around in a mini huff until he calmed down somewhat. Then, when I got them all back home from their grans, he announced to me that he had a sick stomach - and that it was the dinner in gran's that had caused it.. Dinner? He had two bites, if even. Certainly he had nothing compared to the mountain of sweets and chocolates he attempted to wade into until we stopped him. Dinner! Sheesh. He's learning fast.

I haven't seen Golden Compass - I was going to bring my eldest last week, but he's a bit sensitive about gore and violence. I'm not sure if there's too much in the GC, but his face told me he wasn't too happy about going. I've heard mixed reviews - it's not too good according to the critics. Wouldn't mind reading the books, though.

Having to deal with a bit of stress in my work-life at the moment. Body is telling me to ease up in a number of ways. Have a lot of thinking and talking to do over the Xmas.

Ta-ra!

W

Just to wish you both a very merry xmas. Heading to Engerland for Hogmanay, should be a laugh.

TTFN

Thanks NR, many happy returns! I wish you both a wonderful Hogmanay!

(Off to get my new mountain boots in a while.. )

Sadly dads cancer is back in his spine. Going for experimental radio treatment tomorrow. As they have been keeping a regular check on him, this is a blow to us all however we have been through this before. Hopefully his "superman" spirit will help greatly and we'll get a better result. Bloody sad.

My brother also badly broke his leg before xmas so we didnt get away to England afterall. We really are a bunch!!!

Hope your lives are going ok and we'll catch up soon

I'm sorry to hear that, NR. My best wishes to you and your dad and everyone in your family. I can imagine that things are a bit tough at the moment for you, so a is winging it's way across the Irish Sea to you.

Things are ok - my family is in good form and I just had a consultation with my doctor today (now nearly three months since the op) - all is fine. I go back in June again. Still commuting from Cork to Dublin on a weekly basis. Not much fun, but a man's gotta do..

Having a small Irish H2G2 (or more accurately ex-H2G2?) meet this week as it happens, and looking forward to it.

Bring on the equinox, that's what I say! This bloody weather, and that feckin' axial tilt are killing me!

Take care - thinking about you and yours.

W

Yeah I can truly say I am depressed with this blinking awful weather. We got great snow the other day which melted very quickly and didnt get deep enough for sledging down the golf course(much to their delight no doubt!!)

Dad has had session of radiotherapy and is due a bone scan in three weeks time. We are just getting on with it and trying to stop him doing his acrobatics on the roof etc in the meantime! Hes unstoppable.

Its my 35th birthdasy tomorrrow so may have to indulge in a bottle of champagne in my beloved bath. Bubbly with bubbles in bath. Bliss.

Love to all

Hi NR - I thought it was around now! Happy Birthday to you! The weather can go take a running jump for that one day..

Best of luck to your dad. It can't be easy. If his spirits are up, that's a good thing.

In London tonight for a short training course. I've had a long day. I was up at 5am for a trip to Dublin and I'm still ticking. Slept the entire flight over.

Keep those spirits up! Only a few weeks to go to spring..

Oh dear god will this weather ever relent. Awaiting the winds due later. Not sure how it would have affected you Teuchter, or were all those sassanachs just over reacting to a slight hoolie!!!!! Any more of these high winds and we can say good bye to Bobs fence. Its not even been good enough weather to get out and fix it.

Got a sneaky weekend away to Dalbeattie the other week. Great for walking and seeing migrants of the bird variety on the Solway firth. Had the dogs with us so they had a ball too.

The other week, we went to the zoo on Sat then back through to Edinburgh the next day to do Deep sea world and Dynamic earth. Your oldest kid, Woody, would love that!! I did!! All free thanks to tickets I have access to through my job. Also got access to loads of Historic Scotland sites in Galloway with them. Saved a blinkin fortune!

Not long now til we lose an hour and can finally enjoy the evenings. Sending love to you both.

Yes, the weather is a disaster, isn't it? I'm off on a walk by the coast (this time with a large group of people for charity), so it should be fun. Will try to bring my camera if I can.

The trip to Barcelona was nice. It was an intense course, but I managed to see a bit of the city. It's such a beautiful place, and it's not just the Gaudi buildings either. It's a city with oodles of character.

Oh yep - another edited entry of mine is going to be published in a book! . The publishers of a sailing book want to print my entry on A Brief History of Ireland...

OOOOOO get you!!

Hello
Just back from hospital with dad. Although he is now being treated palliatively they are talking about accepting him for a trial in which only 80 people from Europe are taking part in. The drug is very expensive so thats why its not readily available. Its the best news we can expect but we are a bit more cheery.

Other news.. have just taken in a lodger who is a seasonal at my place of work which is bloody marvelous. It'll boost the bank balance to a decent amount and stop me worrying about any time off I may need to take. He seems a nice guy from Hereford and seems to have a similar lifestyle to us. He's dying to see my Iceland photos and I cant wait to bore him with them. Everyone else is sick of hearing the "when I went to Iceland"story!!!!!!!

Hope all is well in Engerland and Ireland.

Chat soon

Hi NR,

Theres a big writeup in National Geographic this week on Iceland. I'd love to go, but I can't imagine any chance in the near future to go there.

Good to hear about your lodger. I had a week's hols because of the happy confluence of St Pat's and Easter this year. It was utterly and completely relaxing. I've moved into a house in Dublin which has also managed to reduce the ongoing stress of the commute.

Even if the hope is small with your dad, it's enough. How has his form been?