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

Hiya! I've not been hiding! Been busy at work, and with other things too, and I guess I've been feeling pretty uninspired and not exactly very motivate when it comes to writing stuff on here. But I'm in a good mood tonight, I got a pay rise today! How's things with you?

Busy? Ha! That's what they all say.

Congratulations on the rise, though. Well done! Shall we see an article in the near future on new cars or Rolex watches?

I'm alright, thanks. It's been bloody hot here lately. My poor gardens are really taking a hammering. It's hard to come up with "cunning plans" to save them when your brain's melted.

Nice to have you back again. Cheers, Doug.

Hi John! I'm not sure about the Rolex or a new car! (Although I'm sure Ginger might say I need a new car!). The raise wasn't that big, and I'm trying to save some money for bigger and better things! Of course, it'll come in handy for the holiday!

I guess gardening in the summer isn't so nice! It's lovelly wandering around a garden when it's like that, but to actually be there working, and trying your damnedest to stop all your subjects from wilting must be a bit of a nightmare!

I'm not sure melting your brain was such a good idea! (Time to get a job in a climate controlled greenhouse?)

As someone was unkind enough to point out in another forum, that's what sheds are for. Hmmm... I wonder what Nasa does with all those old space suits.

There is a saying attributed to Indians (First Nations people, pardon me), "Never judge a person until you have walked x number of moons [regional variation] in his/her moccasins". I wonder what the record is for forming an opinion on someone based on a second hand space suit. Less than a moon, I should think.

I see what you mean about the heat melting your brain! I think getting a spacesuit is perhaps a little unrealistic, but isn't it about time to start work on that new water feature? The one you have to sit in while someone brings you cocktails .

It was damn hot here over the weekend, and we just ended up lying around the house! When the storm hit and it started raining it was a welcome relief! Well, until the rain started coming in through the window in vast quantites!

Still, back at work now, and I can tell you - stuck up in London in this heat isn't nice, even though the offices are air conditioned! I'm really not looking foward to that train on the way home!

I watched the Charity Shield match yesterday. It did look hot. They're saying that this summer is the hottest on record. Well over 150 deaths have been directly attributed to it now.

Once, a long time ago, I had been bent over a bed of pink petunias for quite a long time. It was witheringly hot. Suddenly a woman, who I hadn't heard approach, asked me the time. Startled, I straightened up too abruptly; and stood mute and wobbly, staring in dumb bewilderment at a world turned suddenly green. She must have thought I was mad. She turned and walked off without another word.

I guess turning the world green that way might be one way of restoring the brown parched plants in your care to their former selves, although I'm not sure it's something that could be recommended!

We've got some rain here at last! But not the kind of rain that cools things down and makes you feel refreshed and alive - it's the kind of rain that sticks to you and makes you feel even more uncomfortable. It's still amazingly hot here in London!

How do you find the energy when it's so hot!

My strategy is to start early (6:00 a.m.), defer as much as I can to the future or the tender mercies of my students, and leave when it gets too hot. An unfortunate side-effect is that my weekends tend to reduce themselves to half days too. Still, it won't last forever; then, we'll be freezing our arses off again.

Oh, I forgot to mention... I saw the photos you posted of the rounders match. Thanks! I'm glad everybody had a good day. I wish I could have been there. My wife says we should book a holiday - pilgrimage ? - and visit London (and The Digital Village). It's not in the cards this year, I'm afraid.

And how do your students cope? Seems like a good strategy too. Is gardening at night at option!? Could you get a bonus for working unsociable hours?

I've never been a big fan of winter, not since I slid down the road in my car, spinning round twice before ending nose first in a ditch! Much prefer autumn, before it's gotten too cold!

It was a great day, (I think my back has recovered now!) and we'll definately be arranging something else at some point, althout both Ginger and myself have got to get our holiday and things out of the way first!

If you can get over here I'm sure we'd be able to sort out a little gathering or something. Keep us informed!

Thanks, Doug.

I've done that too. It gives you a very sick feeling.

Autumn is my favourite season too. It's a good time to putter about.

Work always gives me a sick feeling! At the moment my boss is off for a couple of weeks so I've got plenty of time to get things done!

Have you had a holiday this year?

Not yet. We're planning a trip the week after next to Indiana and Kentucky. The Dalai Lama is coming to Indiana. We thought, as we're fairly close (closer than Dharamsala, anyway) we'd go and see him.

My wife's a horse nut. So we're also going to pull in Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. It's America's Ascot.

You're going away soon too, aren't you?

I didn't know you were close personal friends with the Dalai Lama! Where abouts are you anyway? I guess you'll let us all know what happens!

So does your wife have an outrageous hat ready for Churchill Downs? If it's anything like Ascot then you need to have a hat! So, are you a horsey person too, or are you more interested in what they produce for the roses

Yeah, I'm going away soon, and I can't wait! Going for a week away in Florence with Ginger! Should be fantastic. I've been reading all the comments from everyone else and it's really got me itching to leave straight away!

Not best mates with his Holiness... just fans.

Hadn't thought about silly hats; but I wouldn't mind a Colonel Sanders suit.

You guessed where my interest in horses lies. You can't help but love our Sal, though (me missus's horse).

Florence! Blimey! That sounds great. You'll have to post some pics of that, or there'll be some pestering When do you go?

Just fans eh? So you'll be the two jumping up and down with the t-shirts and after an autograph?

No silly hat but a Colonel Sanders suit? What are you? Chicken? (oh I'm so sorry!)

One thing though John, I would be a little careful when you tell people that you're only interested in the rear-end of a horse! You know what people are like, they'll just get the wrong idea!

Well, we'll see if we can't get some picture done from our Florence trip, and also a little write-up/guide articles too I would imagine. We go on September the 6th for a week. We've got all the guide books and everything and it looks so interesting, and Ginger's going to be practicing her newly learnt Italian skills!

We'll be the two doing the Tibetan "wave".

There was some talk of an h2g2 picnic in Leicester in September, wasn't there? You wouldn't pass up Leicester for Florence would you?

Hehe, we'll I'm sure we'll stop you two on the knews being dragged off by people in white coats!

I think there's an event in the midlands, but I'm afraid it's not really on the way to Florence, so we're just going to have to give it a miss! And who knows, when you're in a place like that - anything can happen!

How's the sub-editing job going? Does it keep you very busy?