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

Hmm that's a bit weird - When you register on Facebook you are asked to enter an email id. If you allow it to, it will read through all your email contacts to see if they are on Facebook also.

There's also some sort of triangulation going on. If you have a lot of H2G2 friends, Facebook will start suggesting friends of those friends on the off chance that you are a friend of them too. It's pretty freaky alright.

You would be very welcome to friend me - I have a firewall set up so that only Friends can view conversations etc.

* A quiet St Pat's yesterday. Lots of tractors at the parade. Yes indeed. Lot's of tractors.

Woodpigeon

My car ws 50 yday so on Saturday we had a huge party. I'll try find you on facebook and make you my fwiend so you can laugh at the pics.

Still coming to terms with things with dad. He has lost so much confidence and becomes cold and tired very easily.

Back at work properly now so my hours are ramping up. I'd got used to doing virtually nothing workwise and was knackered and deflated after only one day back - its stock take time - soul destroying.

Hope alls well.

Hey Nyree,

Bloody work. I know the feeling..

Happy birthday to your car. I hope the car didn't get too drunk. I'd love to see your photos on FB.

I posted some interesting photos on FB over the past few days I got a cheap kite and enthralled the kids over the weekend with my skills (not). The kite took a few nasty falls and eventually broke, so I've bought something a bit sturdier and I'm waiting now for it to arrive from the UK.

It must be very hard for your dad. Not easy. My best wishes to you all.

W

Hi Nyree, I hope all is well with you. How is your dad?

I'm heading off to Germany at the end of the month to visit my girlfriend's parents. While there I'm hoping to go to Lake Constance, the Alps and an ancient meteor crater near the Bavarian border. We then drive back from Germany to Ireland in her new car. I then have the kids for a week, which should be interesting!

Other than that, all is well. Busy in work and no major complaints. We visited the Saltee Islands (check out my blog), where we were able to come up-close and personal with a large gannet colony. Lots of razorbills, guillemots, killiwakes and puffins too. Incredible.

http://woodpigeon01.wordpress.com/2010/07/05/a-trip-to-the-saltee-islands/

Talk soon!

OOOOOOOO - Woody's got a GF!!! Very nice! Germany has many beautiful area has it not??

Dad is doing really well - still very hard work for both of them though. I try to take them a BIG run(200+ miles) most weeks when I can. He has another scan next week but we kinda don't see the point as its only CT scans rather than MRI and the scan he had when he legs started to go didn't show up the advancement of the tumour. I think the just do it for secondaries. But hey ho - he manages to get into his garden and its looking stunning with all his japanese style. All his years of hard work have paid divedends now. Its all good just now.

Its full flight car season now with shows galore in amongst working weekends. But the balance seems really fair this year. I think the boss is feeling that because I worked every weekend for 5 months, that I deserve it!!

Can't believe we are past the solstice and hurtling towards the latter half of the year already. Its all going to fast. Throw out the anchor and slow us down will you??

Glad life is sounding positive for you. Take good care bud. PS still havent found you on FB!

Hiya,

Just back from Germany after a week's holiday with the GF, and now in Calais awaiting a trip to Dover tomorrow morning. We were meant to travel together, but she recently had an operation and the recovery is taking longer than expected. We all decided yesterday that she was not in any condition to take such a long journey, so it's just me.

Quite a long journey today. 800km from Stuttgart to Calais. Bloody hell, Belgium is a bigger country than I expected!!

I have a few video diaries from the last few days (geeky, moi) on Facebook - I think you can click on my FB page. (Hint hint!! )

I hope your dad and your family are still all keeping well.

Yeah - that last post was a bit meta. "You can find my Facebook page by clicking on my Facebook page".

Good one Colm.

Ok. Let's try this again.

You can find my Facebook page by looking at my Personal Page on H2G2.

Yay! I said it. I'm off to pat myself on the back now.

Crikey - its been a while eh?? Have no end of bother trying to log in recently and have to change my password everytime!! Head ache!

Dad is still doing great - we get out every couple of weeks and tour about Scotland for the day. Our favourite trip recently was down to Moffat area and up and over the hills with the beautiful autumn colours.

Its been a busy year with the cars too. But they'll be getting tucked up for winter soon - or in my case, mine will be getting some major body work repairs. Sadly the rot has set in again and we have to address the problem (although I'm gutted I'm having to do this so soon)

Hope life is very well and no doubt get to chat to you on FB at some point. Finally found you!!

Hope your GF is well recovered and you are planning more life affirming times ahead. Best go to work now. Chat soon old bud of mine!

Hey there - Just accepted you on Fb!

We're in the middle of a big house move. I'm moving to a bigger house so that I can have my kids over more often. I love the apartment I live in, but honestly you can't swing a cat there.

Really glad to hear about your dad. All well here too - long may it continue.

Off to TAM London in a few days - really looking forward to it. It will feature Richard Dawkins, Alan Moore, James Randi and Cory Doctorow, so it should be fascinating. I'm really looking forward to seeing Randi - I'm a big fan. Some other H2G2ers going there too, so I expect it will be a good weekend.

So, despite the latest news about the site, I'm continuing on the thread. Why not? As Nyree said, Fb is not quite the same.

Well, the big news here is that C had a third operation. She was recommended to go to a top class clinic in Munich and from what she read and from what had been promised to her, it seemed like the perfect place for her condition. They promised her that she would have keyhole surgery. They promised her she would recover quickly and that similar operations had been successfully performed hundreds of times. It didn't turn out like that. It appears that early in her surgery her intestine was cut, and that was that. It was remedial surgery from there on in. Full belly cut, the works. So instead of being helped, she is now in a worse position.

To say the least, she is devastated. She is being told that there is no point in doing any further operations to her, her condition is so bad. She is at no immediate risk, it's not like that, but she may have to live with constant discomfort for the foreseeable future knowing that if she does have complications that the doctors won't be able to do much about it. We are going to be dealing with the effects of this for a long time.

Happy birthday to you both.

I think I may have missed what actually happened to C. Sounds nasty. Can you fill me in so I don't feel silly.

Off to work despite it being my birthday but have dinner with friends this evening!!

The whole H2G2 thing has me very confused as to whether it'll keep going or not. I logged on today and it all looks normal but the other day I had some alien page where I couldn't find some of my topics or posts. But I have been reading back through our convo and its reminded me of a lots that has went on in all our lives.

Much love to two good chums

C had a large fibroid removed early last year, but her recovery was slow and she was in a lot of pain for a long time. Eventually it was discovered that she had some growths on her ovary and she was recommended to go for a second op. When they opened her up it was discovered that she had massive adhesions - everything had grown together. The doctors did as much as they could but the pain didn't end so she looked for a hospital to deal with the issue once and for all. She found a specialist clinic that seemed to tick all the boxes. Unfortunately, it might work for 99.9% of all patients, but she turned out to be part of the 0.1%.

Oh thats crap - has she had a hysterectomy then? My colleague just had a 7lb fibroid removed but she opted for full hyst.

So sorry to hear that - send her my love.x

Nope. Not sure if she can have one now given the amount of adhesions. But she is expected to make a full recovery.

I'm flying over at the end of next week. I'll travel back with her.

How are things??

I'm losing my lodger as he didn't get his seasonal job and is returning to Engerland. Hope to find someone else but he was amazing and very house proud. You know me and housework so he was ideal. He's been there three years!!

Been powerwashing all day today. My friend bought me in a charity auction so thought I'd get it done before my season of shows and work ramps up. Despite a bath, I am aching all over. Urgh!

Have started work on the front garden, turning it into additional parking for our many cars. Fed up with parking wars with the many neighbours in the cul de sac.

TTFN

Things are good Nyree. I've been busy over the past few months getting a skeptics group started in Cork. Through it I have met some very nice people. We meet regularly now to plan out our meetings and to get our thoughts together. It's been a lot of fun. So far we have had speakers on alternative medicine, moving statues and GM foods. The next meeting will deal with scams and frauds. Actually there is a video of me talking about it somewhere on YooToobe. You just can't shut me up.

Sorry to hear about your lodger. I'm afraid I am not the most house-proud of people so I would make a bad choice! C keeps me busy though. She's just recovering from a vomiting bug which was very nasty. We had to clean the whole place from top to bottom.

The only really big news is that my 11 year old son is about to surpass me in height. This is officially Not Fair. Not so long ago I was able to hold him in my arms. I now look forward to the prospect of at least two more young fellows doing the same thing in a few years time.

I'm losing my lodger as he didn't get his seasonal job and is returning to Engerland. Hope to find someone else but he was amazing and very house proud. You know me and housework so he was ideal. He's been there three years!!

Well done on the powerwashing front - which reminds me I have some work to do with my car... It looks like its travelled across Russia.

Great as always to hear from you!

C

I've just read your news in FB. It must have been a difficult decision - we had to do the same back in 2004 with my dad. It was definitely the best for him, but it didn't lesson the emotional trauma we all felt.

So, just a big to you. It's hard to convey feelings on a site as open as Fb.

I've been considering just dedicating a page in my blog to the continuing conversation if that might make sense. Just in case this place goes kapow.

Not a huge amount of news here. C still looking for a job. She has made a great recovery from the last operation. I'm busy with a small skeptics' club here in Cork which is going quite well. We have been entertaining C's parents over the past week - it's been a bit of a laugh. He's quite a character!

Take care you,

C xxx

Pop will be 90 in October so has done very well to stay at home so long but with Meals on Wheels, homehelps and nurses regularily.

Its all too mcuh for Mum having a hospital in her living room with dad and her only escape from that was to go round to visit a panicked, anxious, demanding father. She was also trying to keep him at home so she had some inheritance coming her way. Lets face it, she will lose Dad all too soon and will go onto half pension because of that. She is terrified for her financial position which is understandable.

When we took him in today, we tried to keep the mood light and fun to ease his obvious worries and anxiety. Sadly his first meeting with another resident went terribly. He very politely introduced himself to a gentleman who was very frail and had been plonked in front of the telly in the common room. The man just stared back - unable to speak or understand. Me and my brother nearly burst into tears. It was so sad that he just wanted to reach out and make a friend and sadly got the guy who couldn't respond.

We have been advised to stay away for a few days to let him settle but thats bloody hard. He has always been a mere 5 minute walk away from me.

Anyhoo.....I am watching the rain THROW it down on my newly painted fence panel - wish I'd watch the forecast. Expect it'll become a very large streaky panel shortly.

Scary that you lad is a giant - unless, of course you are impossibly small.

TTFN

xxx

Yeah - weather is pretty rubbish here too. We are waiting for the wind to blow us all away...

It's an odd rule about not visiting him for a few days. I imagine he might need a bit of support in his first few days because it can't be easy for him to leave the surroundings he has been comfortable with for years. Oh well.

Hope your parents are keeping ok. It can't be an easy time for them.

Lots of nice thoughts to you

C

Don't really understand what the process is with the take over just now but I hope there are no hitches. I ordered a tshirt the other night in the hope that this will help a bit with committee costs (I would hope so at over £20! GOD, I'm such a typical scot)

Hows life with you guys?

My car is still off the road, I'm busy with gigs and work and as the show season ends, I am preparing for a weekend when my car club descend upon LW for a good time, drinking, eating, cruising and a show!! What have I taken on!!!??? Hope its successful but not too busy as I have only said to the venue that 20 cars will be coming but I have had a lot of interest - ooo-er!!!

I'm determined to one day print out all our years of convos and get them bound. Memories that will never be forgotten (But just incase they are, I'll save it to disc!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Love you both!!!!


Doll in a lightning tube