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

Just thought I would drop by and say 'hi'.

We have a lot in common, same generation being one of them! Cat also and my husband is vegetarian. I am not quite converted, yet.

Have two sons, who are still at home, just, but they are brilliant company now that they are both out of that terrible 15-17 age group!

Wow, I wish there was stuff like this around when I was a teenager, so much fun!

Hello Caerwynn and it's a most welcome surprise that you've dropped by.

Yes, this Internet thingee is great fun, isn't it (in particular hootoo)? Signing up to hootoo just over two years ago was one of my first Internet tasks and it has introduced me to so many friends all over the globe, that I shall always be grateful to DNA for his fantastic idea.

Also, being able to chat to all these nice "ahem" young men is so much fun for old biddies such as ourselves, hey?

So, your two boys are just about ready to fly the nest, hey? Does it make you appreciate them more, knowing that they could leave soon, or can't you wait for them to get their own places?

My eldest teenage mutant sulk-a-lot, Mair is just 14 and all being well, she hopes to go to university when she finishes school, so I envisage her being at least semi-dependent on us for some time.

Chris is just 11 and due to his autism, I don't know what sort of adult life he will lead and suspect that he'll remain with John and myself.

Don't worry about being an "almost veggie" as although I may be a vegan, as is my daughter (by choice), my hubby and son both occasionally eat meat (the only chicken I buy is organic and free-range and I won't supply them with any British red meat at all because of the risk of CJD).

So, where about do you live (With the name you're using, I suspect it's somewhere Welsh!)? We live in County Durham, although not by choice and it was a series of bad life decisions that led us to be here. Mind you, it is very pretty, even if the wind seldom seems to let up and there are a lot of worse places to be "marooned".

LOL, yes the nice young men are fun! I hope my husband doesn't decide to join in, it might cramp my style!

My sons are 18 and 21, we are waiting on A level results for the younger one (Thurs 16th). He doesn't know what he wants to do, says he wants a gap year but as he hasn't applied for a Uni place, we don't quite know what he is having a gap from !

The older one is at Uni in the land of my forefathers, so yes , there is a Welsh connection but its a bit tenuous really. By coincidence rather than design, he is only about 15 miles from where my Welsh granny came from.

If my two are anything to go by, teenagers definitely get better once they get pass 17! All the hormones settle down and become nice people almost overnight! Yes, if your daughter goes to Uni she will be more independent.

Do you get much help for your son in your neck of the woods, or do you have to fight every inch of the way? I remember talking to my sister-in-law, who is a speech therapist and she says they have had extraordinary results with autistic kids, using PCs. It isn't a condition I've had much experience with (I was nursing till 6 years ago) but she was saying that they are incredible bright children and one difficulty is that they can get bored so fast. Using PCs seems to keep their attention longer. I was wondering if you have found this with you son?

My husband became a veggie after reading a book published in the 80s by a scientist, about all the hormones and antibiotics fed to farm animals. So he stopped eating red meat first then gradually cut out anything with a face. But even after this period of time, veggie food can be hard to find when eating out! You must find it harder still being a vegan. And wasn't the scientist right?

I live in the soft underbelly of England, Surrey in fact. It was a bit of a surprise to go on holiday to Italy, expecting it to be really expensive when the prices were about the same as here!

My hubby, John treats my addiction to hootoo with indulgent humour and even finds himself laughing at some of the stuff I get up to.

You could always suggest that your younger son fills his "gap" with a year on a VSO placement and see what he says!

As a rule, my daughter Mair is a well-behaved and well-rounded teenager, although she is prone to being moody and I get the impression that she doesn't like to be seen in public with her parents and younger brother! (I can remember being the same when I was Mair's age...)

It is difficult eating out and I've found that even ordering a salad can cause confusion, because I don't want any dressing on it. Still, as our family is what one would call "financially challenged", eating out is something we seldom do. However, I have found that on the rare occasions I have used my local take-away Indian restaurant, they have been very helpful when I ask that my dishes be cooked using vegetable ghee/oil instead of butter-based ghee.

Your hubby must be in what I term "smug mode" for his choice in diet (as I too am at times). Watch out! Us veggies and vegans may yet inherit the Earth! *Manic grin*

My eldest brother lives and teaches in Surry (near Cranleigh). I was conceived and dragged to adulthood near Hillingdon, Middlesex but have moved around considerably over the years.

A holiday in Italy! You lucky tart! *Wistful sigh* The last time I had a holiday was my honeymoon in Malta (1989), although we did live by a beach in New Zealand for two years...

Do you have ICQ on your 'puter at all, or perhaps you'd like to exchange Emails so we could chat a bit more?

I don't have ICQ, but do have MSN messenger service. If that's any good?

No2 son wants to be near his girlie , so VSO doesn't appeal. I have tried saying that living your life waiting around for some one else is not a good idea, but at the moment he is too much in lurve to see beyond it yet!

Once Mair is an impoverished Uni student, she will soon realise the value of being taken out for shopping trips etc! No1 son will happily come out with us now!

We live in Guildford and I shop in Cranleigh from time to time. I like it around there and have thought it would be nice place to live in. I moved around a lot as a child, Dad was in the Army. I think that after 18 years Guildford feels like home!

The NZ beach sounds wonderful! We have yet to have a honeymoon, we got married last Nov after being together for 9 years, it seemed about time! Italy doesn't count, cos hubby says a honeymoon should be a fortnight, I'm not complaining! Though I don't know when we shall get around to organising it.

I have MSN IM on my 'puter also. If you'd like to add me to your list of contacts, my IM account is (I'll put in spaces and spell "at" and "dot" in the hope that this wont be moderated out!): gwenandjohn at hotmail dot com but don't try to send me an Email via that account as it is inactive.

No2 son sounds as though he's ruled by his hormones (Name me a chap that isn't!), the poor lad.

Hopefully Mair will soon remember that it's beneficial to go shopping with her mum (as her younger brother knows to his advantage) and even at my ripe old age, I still enjoy it when my own parents take me shopping...

My first hubby (Mair's biological father) was in the Army (we were married for nine years) and we lived in Hampshire for the duration (where we bought our own house), so I didn't go with him on his various postings.

NZ was wonderful. Why not suggest to your hubby that you take your long-awaited honeymoon there...