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

Hi tsarina.. I'm your friendly neighbourhood faceparty guy.. and I'm bloody confused by all of this. Am I doing this right?

yeah you're doing fine just hit the reply key, type and post message

Bit busy in work right now so might be a bit slow replying but I will get back to you eventually

Gotcha.. all these pretty colours are confusing my simple brain. Give those drunks and rugby yobs a severe telling off (it'll get you fired, but it'll feel good as you do it)

Bit early for the 'real' drunks yet - they crawl out of the woodwork after midnight-ish It's taxis, take-aways and restaurants this time of night.............oh yes and night clubs too!

How's the work going?

People are ringing up for nightclubs? What's wrong with these people? Tell them to just wander into town and take their pick. They're all pretty much the same anyway!

Looks like I'm stuck at home for the duration - the trouble with working from home is you have to have discipline, and force yourself to work. I, meanwhile, take three hour lunch breaks and long, long walks at inappropriate times. Ah, if only I'd done my quota on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday......

Not much for night clubs personally...........prefer to be able to talk to whoever I'm with and not end up with a sore at the end of the night! A nice quiet country pub with a good restaurant suits me just fine

Not sure I'd be disciplined enough to work from home........there would always be other more interesting things to capture my attention

So no wine, women and song for you tonight then

I stopped enjoying clubs quite a while ago - inspiring much bemusement from friends: "How could you not like clubbing?? Are you a pensioner or something?" I guess I feel the same as you: much prefer a decent, long meandering conversation over wine, somewhere cosy. There are some great pubs around the outskirts of Cardiff.

I'm settling into a long, long night of work, work, work. Argh. What a way to spend a Saturday night: writing the TV listings for digital telly. When I swore I'd be a writer as a teenager, this wasn't what I had in mind!

How's it going your end?

I went to London when I was 18 to train as a nurse and then a couple of years or so later met my ex and became a croupier working in casinos...........clubbing was a way of life after work and I'm afraid I had my fill of them a long time ago!

Quiet and cosy, with a good bottle of red wine and good conversation is more my cup of tea these days..........must be getting old

It's what I would call steady at the moment, but we have a fair few staff in until 10pm........after that it will probably get a bit busier! Saturday nights are always a little manic

We all have to start somewhere and if writing digital TV listings is your foot on the ladder then don't knock it Has to be better than working in a call centre anyway

Did you ever end up working as a nurse, or did you just finish the training and move onto other things? I went to medical school for two years, but my heart was never really in it and I dropped out to do English Literature - much to my father's horror (he was kicked out of med school in his younger years, and couldn't understand why anyone would WILLINGLY give up a medical career). I don't regret it - medics don't get paid enough for the awful calamities they have to put up with every day! I'd much rather write this junk for a living. I'm working on a novel in my spare time, and a publisher has said they're interested in it, so hopefully it's my ticket to fame and fortune.. or at least to a nicer area of Cardiff!!

I'm gonna make me a coffee.. want one?

I never completed the training to be honest........I gave birth to my eldest daughter during my first year then I suffered with back problems........had too much time off sick and would've ended up having to do an extra year to do my finals and, like you, by that stage my heart wasn't in it anymore

Good luck with the novel.........although I love playing with words am not really a writer........not enough patience I guess

Mmmmmmmmmmmmm mines medium to strong, white nop sugar please

It's my break at 10.30 for 15 mins.........will be back about 10.45

Did you have an exciting break? I just watched some Parkinson, scoffed some biscuits and have now wearily returned to work. Oh boy, do I lead an exciting life or what?

Oh yes - truly wonderful!!! Found today's Sun newspaper to 'read' and had a coffee and a cigarette.........yes I'm afraid I smoke Something I have to do something about soon I guess

The TV was on up in the canteen but I never bother to watch it because the breaks aren't long enough!

Your life sounds about as exciting as mine..........if I'm not working , I'm asleep or running around after the kids being 'mums' taxi or just doing what mum's do!

I quit smoking three months ago, but now find myself lighting up whenever I'm in the pub. It's a classic trap, I guess, but it's a step up from smoking 15 a day. I can't help it: the combination of fags and wine is too delicious to resist...

I have now finished one article and have two more to plough through. Just the very thought makes me quiver with anticipation...

I actually gave up smoking for 15 yrs and then started again about 5 yrs ago when my marriage began to hit the rocks big time.............I blame it on the stress!!! You don't light up at home then? The one consolation of working in a call centre is that I can only smoke on my breaks and as we only get 4 during a 12 hour night shift then the maximum I can smoke is about 5 or 6

'quiver with anticiaption'? sounds like a line from one of those 'bodice ripping' Mills and Boon type books not someone just about to plough through another two (presumably very boring) articles!

It's true, the articles are very dull. Nay, boring as shit. Nevertheless, I shall continue to pretend to enjoy them in a delusional way. Only then will I enjoy my life...

I'm actually craving a cigarette now thanks to you, but I can't smoke in the house so I'll just have to make an 0 shape with my lips and inhale slowly.

So am I correct in assuming you lead a pretty much nocturnal existence? How long have you been working at the call centre?

Yes I'm pretty much of a night owl Have never been one for the 'early to bed, early to rise' philosophy.........I don't do mornings unless I really have to

I've been working here about 18 months now but only been on night shift for a year...........worked days and evenings when I first started, but the money is better on nights and I get to park the car in the company car park which saves me about £20 a week too

I tempted you with the cigarettes Am feeling really guilty now!

Where would you like to go walking or whatever when I have some time off???

Hmm.. where shall we wander... Any nice places round your neck of the woods? I'm a bit sick of seeing Cardiff city centre, so somewhere a bit further afield would be nice. Do you have any favourite spots? Maybe a country pub? When would you like to meet up?

nothing very nice arund my part of the world but the Plymouth Arms at St Fagans is nice and they do good food too if you're feeling peckish! Am not working Monday night so will be about during the day on Tuesday or perhaps Monday evening if you prefer? Whatever is easier for you really

Whereabouts in Cardiff are you? Do you have a car?