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

Thank you Les


Neal is due for his second operation, to remove the pins from the top part of his leg, on Sunday. Then on Wednesday they will deal with the pins in the bottom part of his leg and deal with his broken and dislocated ankle.

There is still a risk he could lose the leg during both operations, but the surgeons seem quite optimistic that Neal's body could cope during both operations.

If I don't get a chance to chat before the move, I hope to be back online late Friday 21st Sept

Please take care of yourself and Mrs D


s n es...

lil xx

Hi Lil,

If you should get back here sooner, good luck with the move and I hope it all goes without a hitch.

Neal has a lot to get through but it sounds like he has a great deal going for him, optimistic surgeon and highly supportive family and friends. I'll be holding him in the light in these few days, and indeed all of you!

More news when we can talk further.

Extras andes,
Les

Woo-woo-woo!

Thanks for the great news in your other thread. So good to know Neal is well on the mend.

Take care of yourself too.

s andes.
Les

Hello el D

Sorry to not be around much recently. I've afraid I really couldn't put up with sitting at the dining table for any length of time. It wasn't at all comfortable!

I've finally got my new desk and chair, and hope to be here more often - in between painting and decorating, that is

I hope all is well with you and Mrs el D

I've missed our chats!!

s and es...

lil xx

Hi Lil!

So good to see you back. Typically of course, it was just as I took a brief break from H2. No real reason other than being a bit preoccupied elsewhere.

I hope you and your new 'work-station' will be very happy together!

So, is the dust settling now? Starting to find things after the move? I've still got stuff in the loft that came with us 18 years ago and hasn't been unpacked. Since it almost certainly will never be, I'm wondering if there's a message in there somewhere. Hmmm.... thinks.

I'm glad you'll be popping in a bit more often. I was missing you!

Les

Sorry! I'm not ignoring you sweetheart

Still painting and decorating - I can only do things a bit at a time

We've got carpet fitters coming in next week for the two bedrooms that are finished. Once those are done we will be able to rebuild our wardrobes and finally get rid of some boxes currently storing clothes!

Decided not to decorate the lounge just yet, as Hubby wants to change the fire and surround, so no point in papering, or having carpet laid, as this would only spoil things. I have persuaded him to purchase a large rug to hide the deep stains in the carpet for now - it can always be moved into the hallway, once that has been decorated


We've decided to get a part-kitchen sorted for now, so we will at least have somewhere to cook over Christmas!

Christmas!!!

Time is just flying passed!

I'll catch up with you again, soon... Promise!


Lots of s n es

lil xx

Hi Lil

It's always good to see you, whenever that happens! I quite understand and I've just been taking a few days break again myself. Once again, no real reason other than being a bit caught up with other things.

You won't be surprised that I've spent more time in Birmingham and also been to Lincoln to see the grand-sprogs. We were in the motorhome in Lincoln as usual and this time the weather made it quite clear that that was to be the last camping of the year! On the first morning there was ice on the grass and that's not good!

Sadly it also means that biking days are numbered for this year too. It was touch and go this morning whether we used the bike to go into town for a meeting with our MP. I put my nose outside the door and felt a very cold and blustery wind and that was that! Wouldn't you know it, while we were out the wind dropped and it would have been fine since the sun was also out. Ho-hum, shouldn't have been a wimp in the first place!

It sounds as though you're making progress steadily. Well done! I'm rather putting off redecorating the bedroom even though we have the wallpaper already. Maybe it will be better to tackle it in the spring. Having said that, we just booked 3 weeks in Cyprus in March so it won't be happening then!

Til soon then mi-deario
Lots ofs andes,
Les

Hi Les,

Belated New Year wishes to you and Mrs el D

Well, things have been rather busy here since we last chatted in November (Christmas not withstanding)!

We finally received notification on Christmas Eve from the Land Registry that our bungalow is finally ours! We had to change solicitors because the old fogey who had the papers hadn't changed them, so technically we had been squatting since September

The new solicitor was great and finally sorted out the mess from the other one. The family were great, they could have caused ructions about not receiving the final payout from the Will until the Land Registry had been sorted out.

Dad moved into his bungalow in the middle of December, which also kept us on our toes - cleaning out and closing down the old house and then assisting to settle him and my brother into their new one. He is just around the corner from me now - I can see his roof from my back doorstep

As the New Year opened, Hubby and I have made plans for getting a new kitchen. We have our first designer calling this Sunday

I think that's about all the news from me! I sincerely hope you had a wonderful Festive Season, and wish you both a Wonderful New Year!!


s n

lil xxx

Hi Lil,
How delightful to hear from you! I knew you'd be back when the opportunity presented itself.
And so good to hear that your life is starting to return to some semblance of order! You must be pleased and relieved.

Life around here continues in much the same way although that in itself is far from tedious. We are of course still wearing a groove in the M5 between the West Country and Birmingham — which is in fact where I am right now. I'm currently doing a 3-week spell of duty at Woodbrooke Quaker Study Centre. I shall be here again for 2 weeks in February and yet again in April!

It's also rather nice to have some respite from so much rain. When we left home a week and a half ago we drove through localised flooding in about a dozen places between us and the motorway. Apart from a brief shower yesterday it's been dry the whole time and this morning there was a beautiful sunrise over the 10-acre gardens.

'Mrs Les' continues with her PhD studies and is now committed to submitting her thesis at the end of February. This probably means that her viva will be some time in April and then there are always corrections of some sort to do which may take another month or so.
We have a holiday planned for March between submitting and viva,spending three weeks in Cyprus and hoping for some winter sunshine.

Again, it's really lovely to hear from you. I hope things keep getting better and better for you!
Lots ofs andes,
Les

Hi Les,

We have snow!!

Well, not much, but we don't often get lying snow in this area


I hope things have been nice and quiet for you and Mrs Les. Are you back home now?

I had a designer here last weekend, to design my new kitchen and it looks great!!

Now we only need the site surveyor to come and measure up to ensure the designer's plans are suitable for the space we've got!

All we have to do is remove the current built-in kitchen cupboards and find someone to skim the walls so we can paint them, and then choose the tiles - Oh, and the sockets all need to be moved and replaced, too

I think that's all for now... Keep safe


s and es

lil xx

Hi Lil,

So, you're having an exciting time! I remember doing my kitchen and how many 'boring' jobs had to be done before the satisfaction of fitting the units themselves. And then tiling, of was that fun! Don't let anyone tell you that 'random' is easy coz it's not! Patterns have a way emerging despite your best efforts.

I'm still in Birmingham and we have had about 6" of snow here. It was snowing again today but it looked quite wet and I don't think it did much to add to the depth. We should be returning home tomorrow but that is clearly not going to happen since we've both been quite ill and Mrs Les is still bad. We're going to have to stay on a couple of days at least I'd say.

I hope everything keeps going well for you,

Les

Hi Les,

Good to see you and Mrs Les made it home safely

I also see you have found your 'Big Boyz Toy' again and given it an airing

My latest news is that my new kitchen has been designed and work commences on it 25th March, so I should have something decent by Easter!... It should only need a new floor and painting, but we can't everything at once, can we?

Keep safe, love.. Chat again soon...

s and es...

lil xx

Goodness, doesn't time fly!

Our return from Birmingham in that occasion was delayed by almost a week because we were both pretty ill and just couldn't move. Since then though we've been home, back to Brum and now home again.

I wish I could say that we are both 100% but that's not the case yet. I'm getting 'wobbly' spells which I could well do without and Mrs Les still gets migraine rather too frequently.

However, all being well we are due to go on holiday next week. Hoping for some sunshine in Cyprus for three weeks!

I hope all continues to be well chez toi.

Hugs,
Les

Hi Les,

I read 'elsewhere' about you both being ill. I think it has been a virus doing the rounds. Hubby and I have had some flu-like symptoms which has left us feeling very tired for weeks.

The bungalow is coming along nicely. Still got loads to do, though

You and Mrs el D enjoy your holiday. I hope the weather is warmer for you in Cyprus.

s and s

lil xx

*nudge*





lil xx

Cyprus was indeed warmer and we enjoyed a nice relaxing holiday. Now I'm back in Birmingham again for another 3-week spell of volunteering. Today there does at last seem to be a slight up-turn in the weather so we'll just have to see if it lasts.

I hope you're quite over the flu now. It does seem to have been a nasty variety that has hit so many this winter and it does leave you feeling very low.

I'm glad you are making progress with the bungalow.

s andes
Les

Hi Les,

Good to know you are back safely, and had a lovely holiday

The kitchen fitting has been finished. Plastering has been done, we are just waiting for it to dry properly before tiling and decorating

Currently, we have had the outer walls of the bungalow removed and insulation blocks fitted. This will all be rendered and the topcoat will be a polymer that doesn't (or isn't supposed to) get dirty. So it should always look nice and tidy on the outside, even if it still looks like a disaster area inside!


s and es

lil xx

Hi Lil,

Oh my, you are having fun! Will there be anything left of the original at all by the time you've finished?

So nice to see some sunshine now! I'm still in Birmingham and the 10 acres of garden are starting to look really spring-like now. (About time, you might say!) Today I noticed the star magnolia coming into flower. It's a fabulous little tree and it's looking like it will be quite spectacular this year.

Keep up the good work!

s andes,
Les

Hi Les,

The weather is certainly improving!

Mum loved her magnolia, which used to give some magnificent displays each spring. I think that is dad's only regret leaving it behind when he moved.

Hope you and Mrs Les are keeping well


s and es

lil xx

Hi Lil,

No, I haven't forgotten you!

Back from Birmingham a couple of weeks ago but not for long. Soon off again to Lincoln and then Birmingham yet again.

The weather doesn't seem to have made up its mind yet what it's doing. Today I was to and fro from the garden trying to get a few things done in between heavy showers. When it was nice it was lovely and sunny but it was so unpredictable.

I don't think I mentioned that I'd fitted in a visit to the doctor on my last time at home and he took an armful of blood to test. Well, I paid another visit when I got home again and learned that I have a hernia and my thyroid is just a tiny bit out of balance though not enough, apparently, to need any action right now. I suppose these might account for not feeling quite up to par recently. For the most part I'm keeping fairly well but still get tired very quickly and the hernia does irritate a bit.

Most recently we went to Canterbury for a few days with our daughter. It was the occasion of her award ceremony for her Masters degree and was a splendid affair in the cathedral. Definitely a 'proud Dad day'!

I hope the work is progressing satisfactorily and you're starting to see some order at home. Also that you're keeping ok yourself.
s 'nes
Les