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

...going to be in the New Forest area at the end of July? There are quite a few people in that region. You must have chatted to some on this list. A395499

I know you are visiting family, but perhaps we can arrange a mini meet? Even a very mini, mini meet. Preferable before I move away from the area!

I'd love to attend a mini-meet Coely but I might have my kidlets in tow as well!

I'll be staying in Bransgore (between Ringwood and Christchurch) but won't have my own transport and I can't rely on my Dad to shuttle me around as he's not very well. The busses to the village are rather sparse but if it's not too far to go, I could always get a taxi...

When do you think you'll be moving?

*s off to see where the link leads*

*Pops back in*

Bother! It looks as though they're arranging the meet for the week after I return home Coely. Ho hum!

I'm confused now! The Wessex researchers have an organised meet in June. You'll be in the area end of July to the beginning of August? A New Milton meet looks like a vague possibility somewhere betweeen the 3rd and the 11th August but it doesn't looked fixed so why not suggest a date when you are around?

Either way, I'm around and I have wheels. You just say where and when and not to worry about sprogs! I've been to Milford (average age of population 95) so I can easily find Bransgore. I'll be in the area until the middle of August probably. I don't particularly want to move before results day on the 15th.

It looks like a hot 'n happening place!
http://www.bransgore.org.uk/
http://www.britainexpress.com/villages/bransgore.htm
and this might be useful: http://www.dorsetpubs.com/bransgore.shtml

send me an email when you know the dates and when you're free! This could work.

Nice links! I'm surprised that such a small place has such a detailed website.

Circumstances permitting, I'll be in residence between 27th July and 3rd August but the 1st August is out as that's my mum's birthday.

I don't have anything planned for outings with the kids as yet, so how about meeting myself and the kids in The Crown one weekday afternoon/evening? They have a play area with lots of seats outside, away from the nasty cigarette smoke and things, which weather permitting would be nice.

I'll Email you once I'm certain as to what's where and when.

This sounds like it will work. My diary is completely empty for that week at the moment, so you decide and e mail me the plan.
I'm glad you liked the links. I'm always amazed at what the web has to offer. I hate to hear people say they can't find things out.

I can't find...

Your teeth?

Your marbles?

Your special surgical appliance?

Your gin?

Your keys?

My e mail address?

At least one of those items will be making an appearance in your inbox soon, if not already.

Got it and replied! Thanks!

Thanks for the pics!

I've been offline for about 3 weeks due to computer problems and I was checking mail from the library but I didn't have time to reply. The file was so huge I had to forward it to freeserve and delete from my hotmail so I only had a look this morning when I finally worked out how to reactivate the account.

I hope all is well with you and yours. It will soon be the end of the holidays! Good for parents but I'd like a few more weeks as I haven't moved yet.

Sorry about that! I forgot about Hotmail being a pain with large attachments! Next time, I'll send you an invitation to Fotango instead although it's impossible to enlarge the quite small images on their site for 'closer inspection'. Did you see the pictures that I uploaded to Fotango? I posted the link in the Drool Thread if I remember rightly.

Everyone is fine here thanks for asking Coely and I hope that your girls are coming around to having to attend a new school in September. Do you have a firm date for your move as yet? Poor GB has hit some rather complicated problems with her move and I really don't envy her position.

Only a week and a bit left of the school holidays (but who's counting?)! Not being content with MIB II and the new Austin Powers film, Chris now expects to be taken to see Scooby Doo! Oh well...

Actually, you did send me the fotango link in e mail as well. *snigger* I haven't had a look yet though.

GB seems to be back on track with her move. As for mine, well I really have no idea. I'll be putting all our stuff in store and moving to a B+B for the start of term. 100 miles is a bit of a long school run in the mornings, after all, let alone back again in the evenings. There are staff days before the girls start. They are not looking forward to the new school at all as they were very happy here.

We've seen MiB2 and Minority Report, and lots of videos although the girls tend to want cash so that they can go to films with friends. Next time I move (already planning it!) I'm not going to do it in the summer. The long break is for a good rest and I really don't feel like I've had one - again.

B&B? You poor thing! Oh well, at least there'll be no dishes to wash...

I really do hope that the girls settle in to their new school. Perhaps they'll be happier once they make new friends. Mair would hate to have to move schools and has already decided to stay on at her current school's 6th form college rather than travel to Bishop Auckland College. Mair will be spending two days at a local University when she returns to school and will be sleeping over night. Talk about catching 'em young!

What sort of videos do the girls like to watch? Mair prefers gory horror movies or comedies.

I bought Chris a Muppet Show DVD with some of what are considered to be their best shows and it's hilarious! I've lost count how many times he has watched it now.

Videos? No horror - although they are big Buffy fans. We like light romantic comedies eg The Wedding Singer, Legally Blonde, Miss Congeniality etc. Nothing too brain taxing for the summer hols. However, we do a lot of other things that might be considered mind improving, like outings. We have tickets to see Macbeth in London in November. The girls have been seeing live Shakespeare since the age of about 3 and we go to the theatre about once a month. Sean Bean is playing Macbeth *drool* and we're going in the press week so the tickets are cheaper.

I didn't particularly want to start the new job from a B+B thats for sure. Especially since we were in the same situation 2 years ago. What I'd really like is to find someone nice who would like me to stay in one place. Until then, I'll just keep moving on.

I don't expect the girls to be happy or settled in the new school. It's just a place for them both to take exams this year. They loved the boarding school and for a while lived the life of the extremely priviledged. Who wouldn't love it! My personal plan is to take stock of things at Christmas and decide what to do next.

Mair's 2 days at the uni sounds like a good idea. There was a similar deal at my last school and the uni knew that our students were worth taking. Is she hoping to study art? She certainly has the talent for it.

I suppose how your girls might feel about attending a state school after experiencing a privileged boarding school life might be termed as 'culture shock'.

Hang on in there and I'm sure they'll come around eventually.

Mair's favourite film at the moment is Cannibal the Musical by the two guys that make South Park.

I'd love to be able to take her to the theatre but even though the tickets might not be expensive, getting there can be quite costly. Fortunately most of the time she's content to entertain herself at home.

Mair wants to study art and her tutor was very enthusiastic about her perusing a career in it too. I'm determined to leave it entirely up to Mair as to what sort of career she decides to follow. At the moment she's more interested in following one in which she'll be happy, rather than well paid...

Are you actively looking for a Mr Right or just hoping that one will turn up one day? I must admit that if John died and I was left alone, I like to think that I would marry again one day (someone to share a Zimmer frame with!).

Only a few more days of the holiday left! ARGH! Where did it go? I read that this time of year is very stressful for parents. How's it going in your house? If it's like mine, then the early morning starts are going to be a bit of a shock after breakfasts at noon etc!

My girls have only had a "privileged boarding school life" for 2 years and they were day pupils anyway. Before that, Sunshine was at the same State Grammar that I taught in. It's not the culture shock they are upset about, its just that we've all grown to love most aspects of living in the country and they have made good friends amongst the other children of staff. It's an extremely happy place to be for a student but has almost killed me as a member of staff. The girls will move back to the area as soon as they can. I like it too. It's close enough to be able to get to London but peaceful and safe to live in.

If the school had made it easier for me to work there I could have stayed but my face didn't fit. If they had let me move on site into subsidised housing like the other staff families, the financial strain would have been much less and we'd have been able to go home when we liked instead of us all having 3 different finishing times each day and having to wait for the latest one. We don't really count as their idea of a family though and I found it too hard to be able to afford a mortgage alone. Prices are so expensive. Still, I tried.

I don't feel there's any point in either actively or inactively looking for Mr Right. I'm not someone anyone seems to want to get involved with and I never have been. I don't think I've ever been out with anyone who feels all that happy to be seen with me in public, or introduce me into their life (and that includes the man I was married to). Also I hear so many tales of woe from friends who are in relationships that I doubt I'd trust one as far as I could throw him anyway. (Which wouldn't be far, what with my poor aching bones!)

Who is my Mr Right anyway? I don't think I'm fussy, but maybe I am. I don't want a man with children and I don't want a man who wants children. I don't want someone who'd like to be a father to my teenagers, because they have one, but I don't want someone who'd try and be their friend either. That's either patronising or sleazy. I live with two people who are a huge part of who I am but they are very much their own people. Someone would need to meet them and make up their own mind because you can't know everything about me without meeting them. Refusing to meet them or pretending they don't exit wouldn't work either. Mr Right would also have to really want to take full advantage of the time when they are away, which means a bit of forward planning since their contact with their dad depends on the Arsenal fixture list (!). These are the rare times when I can be pampered and fussed over so he'd have to want to do that once in a while. These are also the rare occasions when I don't have to be the one to make decisions so I'd hate to be asked "what do you want to do" or "would you like to..." all the time. I'd like a rest from that level of responsibility occasionally since that's my work and my life 95% of the time.

I think I need someone with the laid back personality of a ! Happy to snuggle up and be close, but never taking offence at being tipped off my lap if I'm busy. Judging everyone exactly as they found them and leading an independent life. Perfectly capable of getting a meal if needed but very grateful for having one provided.

Sorry for the rant. That'll teach you to ask! With regard to Zimmer frames, this week I bought a metal trolley to help me move the boxes I'm packing and I was looking with interest at the shoppers on wheels too. Can the Zimmer frame be far behind!

There's no need to apologise!

What ever happens I really do hope that you will all eventually be able to combine a lovely home and employment/school.

I know that were I in your situation, I'd be longing for someone to give me a cuddle and share some of the responsibility with because I'm so lacking in confidence.

Why weren't you offered the subsidised housing like the other staff? Do you think that your face didn't fit because you didn't have a partner or perhaps because you didn't kowtow?

You seem to be very similar to a single mother girl friend of mine who longed to be married but had become so independent that it became impossible to find a chap who would fit in with her life although she did have a few close calls.

I remember how difficult it was in my first marriage when my husband who was in the Army and had been posted away for two years returned home. He told me that he felt like a stranger in his own home because I had become so set in my own ways and he no longer felt welcome. (Well he wasn't but that was due to his alcoholism! )

Hmmmm! I'm starting to think that living alone with s and s isn't such a bad idea after all...