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

Much as I love tea, it can sometimes have a diuretic effect on me, so I am careful when I'm out and about. Museums especially can be places where the liquid likes to run straight through Could be something to do with my abs when I move around, as I tend not to get the same effect when just sitting at my computer, but c'est la vie indeed

Glad you managed to squelch your way around parkrun OK, and I hope it didn't take you long to dry off after the CC6.

Yesterday was very good. I wrote some more Christmas Cards, as I managed not to lose my list this year We were lucky with the weather, too, as it turned out to be a pleasant afternoon, so I met more friendly birdwatchers - not many wading birds around at Burton Mere, but there were a few good flocks of tweety-birds so I managed to capture an image of a Goldcrest for this year's list at last 105 species photographed and still a chance of exceeding that total

It was windy again overnight - bin collection day was this morning, so quite a bit of the rubbish went for a wander down the road before it was picked up

The good news is I'm home and dry now, so it wasn't too bad in the end although the sheet rain was really blowing right into my face for 20 minutes without any cover on the forest's heath. Funnily enough on the way back to the carpark (which was about a mile and a quarter from the start) we couldn't cross the road for a while as 8 McLaren sports cars in a row drove round the corner we were trying to cross. I can honestly say I hadn't expected to see 8 McLaren sportscars in a row in the middle of the New Forest on a rainy Sunday. I dread to think how much they'd be worth...

Great news on the Goldcrest! Good strong number at 105, but a bonus if you spot some more.

I've put out our bins ready for tomorrow - recycling week this week. The only issue we've had with recycling is that they don't always put the lid back down, so on really wet days there's been a puddle in the bin by the time I've got home. Yes, you can tip the bin upside-down to tip the water out, but not very easy.

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Ah, not fun when the rain is in your face, but glad you got through. Fascinating that you encountered a McLaren car convention by surprise! An unusual place for them to gather, but a good way to see them

Yes very pleasing about my bird list I saw a flock of long-tailed tits and a flock of pied wagtails today when I went into the office for an away day, so that was good to see and hear The away day was good - I met people I've only ever seen online before. One person I didn't recognise at first because she looked so different in 3D compared with 2D but I recognised her voice. The other two people look the same in 2D and 3D, but it was good to shake hands and speak in person

The building work continues apace - more walls have gone missing. I was also surprised to discover that the accessible toilet had been ripped out. I found another one, but even though it had only been installed 3-4 months ago, the door had warped and the lock was loose... No indicator on the outside to say whether it was vacant/engaged, too. I reported it to the maintenance team, so hopefully everything will be sorted soon

I hope your bins were fully emptied and the lids were replaced Tricky indeed if they fill with water, as they are bulky to manoeuvre. Fortunately after the time a couple of years ago when a broken bin lorry chewed the lids off our bins, we don't have problems with open lids, and the bin store is in a sheltered place as well. Our binpeople seem to have got into a good routine, too, after all the troubles a while ago I hope your binpeople are in a good routine now after all the troubles you had as well

This week is being dominated by our Christmas puppet show rehearsal - although it is a bit worrying as today due to illness we only had three out of ten people attending and the performance is on Monday and we've not done it on the stage in hoods yet...

I've also had a busy week at work with non-stop meetings in between Christmas meals. The team Christmas meal that I was worried unpleasant people might attend only had two others at, so that went well though I'd've enjoyed catching up with others. Yesterday was the staff scene committee meeting and meal, and it looks like my plan to get a staff scene trip to Tankfest (so I won't miss the start!) is likely to be approved, just have to see if I can get time enough to do the full costings. That's the trouble, not enough time to get everything done, alas...

Very disappointing to hear about your building work and particularly the accessible toilet. Hope they are a bit more thoughtful than having 'accessible' loos that have a handrail blocking their use. I hope they get a proper vacant/engaged indicator sorted too (I still think that red/green should be banned, particularly by the MCA, but I've gone on about that enough). Worrying build quality that doesn't inspire confidence in what they're doing now, though...?

We did have a good bin-emptying this week, so that was pleasing. Sometimes it's the simple things that make the world of difference.

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Wow, that is a bit worrying that so many people haven't been able to attend rehearsals and you haven't done a 'dress rehearsal' yet - I hope the next rehearsal is more productive

Glad your Christmas Meal was pleasant albeit small Sadly my Christmas meal was cancelled - it was already small, but due to colleagues' illness would have just been 2 people, so we plan to reconvene in the new year That's a good idea to do a staff trip to Tankfest Takes extra organising, though, indeed - good luck with that

It is fascinating how creatively the powers that be can make 'accessible' toilets inaccessible... Yes indeed I often mention to people that red/green is not a useful colour combination - it does crop up in a lot of places... Hopefully the vacant/engaged indicator will be red/white like the others in the building if/when it is installed

Glad the bin emptying was successful - simple pleasures indeed! Good when things work as expected I received notification that the Rotary would be visiting for their Christmas charity collection with the loud music this evening, so I was trepidatious as usual, but they didn't go down my road after all - I saw/heard the float go down the neighbouring roads, but didn't see any people with buckets running around, so I think they have learned their lesson from a few years ago that it's not a good idea to go knocking violently on doors Makes a difference indeed

Today was drizzly this morning, but brightened up in the afternoon.

I hope all goes well with the performance this evening

A quiet weekend on the bird front for me - even though it was high tide there wasn't much around - but I did get some pleasing photos that will be in The supermarket wasn't quiet, but it wasn't as busy as expected, so that was helpful I had an interesting chat with the checkout operator, too, about shopping and working as disabled people. There are quite a few disabled people who work there, but this particular person was thinking of leaving because she hadn't been able to get promotion in 17 years, which was sad - a new manager had been parachuted in A87946672

Overnight tonight my software supplier promises to re-update that report they updated, so I hope that goes well and doesn't need a re-update of the re-update

Hello - sorry for the delay in replying to you! Every evening for the last week has been pretty much taken up with rehearsals, leaving everything else undone and the house in a bit of a mess. Hopefully we'll be able to catch up with it all now.

So yes, haven't done much other than rehearse, but the show went well in the end and everyone was there - which is a relief considering how few people we had last week. This time rather than the 'muppet' style of puppetry we usually do it was all UV puppets - so some full-body puppets, some costumes, dancing in the dark with a UV light so some things glowed while we were dressed entirely in black (including hoods and gloves) to ensure only the puppets showed.
I finished the show with my dinosaur puppet (who wasn't in it) doing a Janet Webb (who wasn't in 'The Morecambe and Wise Show' except at the end) and finishing the show by saying roughly the thing she always said, "I'd like to thank all of you for watching my little show here tonight. If you've enjoyed it, then it's all been worthwhile. So, until we meet again, good night, and I love you all!"

Today my bin was successfully emptied, and I solved the mystery of the flood. Last week when my son had a shower, the whole bathroom flooded and the water didn't drain out the shower tray. Since then I'd noticed that the water wouldn't drain out the shower - I tried pulling up the shower tray's cover, the drain top underneath, clearing the filter and none of it did anything. Yesterday I realised that the drain fed through to an external drain along with the roof's gutter and other sinks, and found it was flooded and blocked with a very smelly clay-like substance, which I cleared out and now everything is draining lovely. I wonder if it was the remains of soggy leaves? Also not sure what to do with the slimy smelly pile yet, alas...

And annoyingly my scanner's broken (I think it might simply be a cable? But without knowing which cable it is hard to know) So I've reluctantly ordered a new scanner. Don't want to stop drawing!

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No problem at all - I guessed you'd be busy with rehearsals. Glad the show went well and everyone was able to attend at the same time Understandable why lots of rehearsal is needed when the performance is more than just hand puppets - impressive about the full body puppets and costumes. Good to know the dinosaur was still able to make an appearance at the end, though

Wow, that was nasty about the flooding... Glad you found out what the problem was. I must admit I do enjoy unbunging a plug/drain that was bunged up - another one of those simple pleasures I haven't had one that was quite so bad as that, though - usually a plunger is able to break up the bung into pieces that drain away, but a pile of smelly clay is something else... Maybe the pile will dry out at some point so you can put it in the bin or something

That is annoying about your scanner not working Glad you've found a new one to order so you can carry on with books. My scanner/printer is temperamental and this week it has been particularly strange. It is a known issue that it doesn't like printing black text any more, but the workaround is to save a document as an image and then it will print the black text. However, today I printed a webpage (so I'm not sure whether it counts as text or an image) and it printed every other line of text Maybe it thought one line was text and the next line was image, I don't know. Fortunately it successfully printed the image at the top of the page, which is what I really needed to print, so it wasn't a wasted attempt

The software update didn't happen last night, so it is due tonight instead

Indeed, the show was probably the most ambitious we've done since 'A Christmas Carol' - even if the show did sadly unavoidable delays between each song. Many simply because we decided to close the stage's curtains between each performance - but the stage hasn't been used much in the last few years (the old amateur drama club closed during Covid) and the rope pulleys controlling it were very seized, so I spent much of the night trying to open and close the curtains non-stop.

I've got a new scanner! Unfortunately it isn't compatible with my 20-year-old PC (which uses Windows XP) and I can't upload any new software onto my work laptop, so still a bit stuck...
Strange what your printer has been up to...?

Alas I seem to have caught the bug that's doing the rounds

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Wow, that was a challenge to have to battle with the curtains as well as putting on the performance. Good to see the photos on - especially interesting to see the hoods like veils concealing your faces but allowing you to see something at the same time

Congratulations on the new scanner, but sorry it isn't speaking to your computer That could be the problem with my printer that it isn't quite compatible with whatever Windows is on this computer... Most odd, but at least my printer enjoys printing postage labels so a little something is on the way to your children In theory it should arrive tomorrow, but I suspect it may take until Saturday, as the boost that sent your card to me is not likely to happen at this point in the month. The envelope will fit through the letterbox and is to be opened on Monday

Sorry you've picked up a lurgy I hope it soon clears up

Quite windy today - the wind was howling round the office building, but I had a productive time clearing out a drawer and doing some shredding as well as enjoying cake at the Christmas Team Meeting

The Dreaded Lurgi I have it turns out is, in fact, Covid. There are some people who say that they've had Covid and all it meant other than sneezing once or twice and having to clear their throat now and again, they've been symptom free. I'm definitely not one of them. But as long as I'm not someone who has lasting effects, dies of the disease or - worst of all - spreads it to others, I can't complain too much.

Trouble is we're supposed to be heading up to stay with my father-in-law today, and he'll be very upset if we don't go - but if I'm ill I'd rather be ill at home, and not risk infecting others. Although my wife's unwell again, alas - she's been pretty much ill non-stop since early November and the novelty's worn off.

So I've not really been doing much lately. The show photos did reveal the hoods which are almost, but not quite, able to look through. In one of the pictures I think I'm the one with only one glove on, because I couldn't use the laptop to double-click on the start button with a glove on, so had to take the glove off and when on stage try to put the glove on without being able to see what I was doing, which often took half a song before being done. So that was all good fun, something to look back on in any rate.

Good to hear you've had a productive time in the office - the time I'd intended to spend catching up with things while it was quiet didn't work out, but c'est la vie.

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Ah, that is annoying that you've got Covid again. Sorry you're feeling under the weather with it, but glad you're OK to be on the computer Yes, not something you want to give to others if you can possibly help it Sorry your wife is still not 100%, too. Sad for your father-in-law not to have company just now, but he doesn't want those sorts of gifts

Aha - I see the photo with the one glove Yes, the performance sounds quite a challenge, and impressive for you to be involved with it

I went to the superresourcecentre today in the hope that it wouldn't be as busy as it could be tomorrow. Managed to get everything I was looking for, and met a few neighbours as well! The queues for the checkouts were nearly out the door, but there was a member of staff shepherding people to the tills in turn, so it was surprisingly quick to get through

Thanks for your warm wishes - yes, having Covid again has thrown all our plans up in the air, and my wife's now got it too. So we're unlikely to go anywhere in the next couple of days (but can't go away next weekend as the person who had been due to look after while we were away is herself going away, and the car needs its MOT by the end of the month so is booked in at the local garage too). So who knows what will happen?

I've been doing a spot of doodling (literal interpretations of Christmas carols in my typical style) and managed to get the new scanner to work on my wife's laptop - though not sure the quality is optimal, so I'll have to play around. It definitely has turned the background very grey. (The second of the two pictures I uploaded today was scanned with the new scanner - although I have obviously polished the people to help them stand out).
(It is a bit annoying knowing that a quick pic I snapped with my mobile phone camera of a Covid test is going to get more reactions and notice than drawings I spent all day doing, but c'est la vie).

Glad to hear that the superresourcecentre was well organised and prepared for being in demand You can get all sorts done with forward planning, preparation and logistics.

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Ah, sorry your wife has Covid as well now I've put a couple of cups of tea in the post to you today so you should receive them before the end of the month

That is strange about the scanner - so your outfits in both pages of the two you uploaded yesterday were the same colour, but the outfit on the second page looks like it has been shaded in with pencil? Fascinating I enjoyed your interpretation of God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen today

"You can get all sorts done with forward planning, preparation and logistics." - yes indeed My mum went to a farm shop this morning for some fresh bits and pieces and it was less organised, but I think they didn't anticipate the level of demand would be quite so high after another farm shop in the area closed in summer. A successful mission, anyway, even though it took a while

All the best to you all and I hope you and your wife are soon feeling better

Aw, thank you! Hopefully we'll get our taste buds back by then (I can't smell a thing, but have been showering daily, honest!)

I do like that Christmas interpretation of 'Go Tell It On The Mountain' - particularly how no-one bats and eyelid at mention of being visited by angels or birth of the Messiah - but Mountain?! That's a whole different question (a quite literal tall tale). My character's clothes on both pages is page-coloured (so white), same as the characters on the second page and the background of the newsroom - though I did go over the faces in white to make them stand out. So the colours are I feel quite faded in comparison with the old scanner.... Hmmm...

You didn't buy a farm when at the farm shop, then? (Not often wheelchair friendly, farms.)

It looks like all our plans have changed, and my father-in-law has gone from being upset we weren't going to be staying with him for the entire Christmas break to now not wanting us to visit at all. We're still taking things a day at a time.

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Hello - hope you're having a great week.

We've recovered from Covid and yesterday went to the cinema to see the new 'Wonka' film. I was delighted that my 3 recycling bins came in handy in the week, however it has been emptied now.

In the meantime I've today got my scanner sorted! I figured out that it was the cable that was stopping my original scanner from not working, so by ordering a new scanner cable I've been able to get my original scanner working again

Are you going birdspotting again before the year's end? Let me know the end-of-year total!

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Funny about the tastebuds with Covid - I didn't lose all of the '5 basic tastes' but I did lose some ('salty' in particular), so food tasted strange for a while... Glad you are better now

No, we didn't get a farm from the farm shop - the main customer areas are good, but yes it is difficult for me to get into a tractor or other agricultural vehicle so the farm itself isn't the most wheelchair friendly

Congratulations on sorting the scanner out Impressive that the old one is better than the new one, and I'm glad you're back up and running

I did have a good week with my family Good to have a break and enjoy card games and World's Strongest Man A bit unusual, as sadly our aunt and uncle who usually visit on Christmas Eve had a bug so weren't able to go out, but it was OK to be quieter. I did do a bit of birding, but the weather wasn't the most conducive to new species as it was so wet. Still pleasing to have met the target of 105 even though I didn't get to exceed it in the end We were lucky with the weather for the annual Boxing Day Morris Dancing meet, though, so that was excellent

I hope you all had a good time even though your plans were disrupted

My bird year 2024 has got off to a good start - a pleasing number of garden birds showed up to say hello, and then I nipped out to Burton Mere to 'bag' some wading birds I look forward to sorting out the photos later

I don't recall losing the sense of salt, but everything tasted a bit dusty. I did generally lose appetite though - which meant I didn't as much over Christmas as I might normally, which may well be a good thing.

Yes, farms definitely tend not to be flat. Fields are either very rutted or have lots growing in them...

Yep, got the old scanner working again - I used the same blue for the sky in my recent doodles, and you can definitely tell the difference in the sky in my most recent one to the sky in the ones about s and mountains.

Talking about being up and running, I did a bit of running to make up for missing two parkruns. I had a morning trip with Eastleigh Running Club to London to do Victoria Docks parkrun - which is flat, around the docks, across the river from the Millennium Dome and before 10:30am people with parkrun barcodes get to travel across the cable car for free! Unfortunately we didn't know that they were on their Christmas timetable, not opening before 9am, so we had to dash back to the underground, cross the river and then walk, but the journey back was quite an experience.
And yesterday on New Year's Day I went with my parkrunning friends to Lee-On-Solent as Eastleigh wasn't on (being flooded) and after the run went for a quick swim in the Solent. Emphasis on the 'quick' as it really was freezing!

Good to hear that you hit your 105 target - this year will you aim for 106?

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'Dusty' is a good way of putting it, yes.

Your latest doodle is back to the usual brightness - excellent

Glad you got to do some tourism for your festive parkruns That is good that you got to go on a cable car with your barcode I salute you for doing the swim, too - I haven't been swimming in ages, but I'm definitely a warm-water swimmer (I did swim in an unheated outdoor pool one summer when I was at playschool, but when I went in one a decade or so later, my muscles cramped up and I couldn't breathe - a hydrotherapy pool was much more comfortable ). Not surprising Eastleigh was washed out - there certainly has been some rain...

I went through my photos last night and found that I saw my record number of bird species for a 1 January, so that is very pleasing 30 in one day is a good start towards equalling 105 if not getting 106 A few garden birds that I haven't yet seen - I put some food out today, so hope that basic things like house sparrows will visit soon!

A HUGE THANK YOU FOR TEA BAGS! And they've arrived in time to be enjoyed, too, as we all have taste buds back and everything.
I'm always impressed by how thoughtful you are, and you've definitely been a good friend. And much more organised than I am too, which puts me to shame...

We've spent the last couple of evenings sorting out decorations and getting ready to head up for a lightning visit to my father-in-law over the weekend, dashing off the second that everyone's back from school and work.

Ah, try not to get too complacent and think, '30 in a day, that means I'll be up to 120 before the weekend'

Do you have special plans for this weekend?

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