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

Hi

When you said "listening to J," I thought you meant JV! Then I looked at the time at the top of your post.

Personal question: what time do you usually get to sleep? I'm a bad sleeper myself, usually go to bed at 11.15pm and finally get to sleep at 1am. Then awake at 6.50!

Sun is shining here, so I will be lugging my hefty copy of "Anna Karenina" into the garden. According to Oprah's reading skedule, I should have started reading in early June, a few pages a week until the finish date which is first week in September.

My own schedule - if I read 30 or 40 pages a day, I'll probably catch up to Oprah in a couple of weeks.

I'm enjoying the book so far, page 39. No sign of Anna yet, and I'm in two minds about the character of Levin, who Leo Tolstoy based on himself.

I got a notification that I've been added to someone's friend list on Nick's site, so that someone will be getting a piccy from Ernesto in a minute.

Hi BD

Just a quick shopping trip for essential sausages, must get back in time for the Tour de France.

Glad you enjoyed the piccy - and now you know the name of my home town!

Watched the boring GP qualifying at lunchtime, the commentators got really excited as Coulthard approached the line with a time faster than Schumacher... then D.C. was clocked third.

And next year, the regulations are going to be even more complicated for the drivers. As the hippie says to Mr Burns on The Simpsons: "Simplify, man! Simplify!"

I read a bit more of "Anna Kournikova" (as I keep mistakenly calling it). Anna first appears on page 61, in case you were worried. (No it isn't one of those books where they're waiting for Godot, and Godot never shows up...) Only another 445 pages to go and I will be on the same page as Oprah!

Have a great rest-of-Saturday

22.59 24/7/04

Hi

Glad you found me, loved your library I can imagine you walking in now with your sausages! You can't beat a good homemade butcher's sausage mmmmmmmmmmm.

Been listening to J again tonight 8-10. Fly and me had a go at chat over on Pirates, except we got cut off and the screen went blank! But it was a lot of fun.

The net has been really really slow tonight don't know what's been going on. Seems to take forever to do anything.

Not been very sunny here today, so no reclining on sun lounger maybe it will be brighter tomorrow.

Had a peep at Oprah's site looks interesting. Will investigate more fully soon.

Very tired now as worn out from last night!

See you tomorrow

Lots of

BDG

Hi

Not butcher's sausages I'm afraid - instead they were a packet from the company that does the advert with the doggy fighting his master for the plate of bangers, the advert that the A.S.A. has had eighty-eight complaints about so far.

Well, I thought it was funny, anyway. Some people have NO sense of humour!

Been raining here early Sunday morning, which will do some good for my rapidly growing broccoli and pumpkins... and now the sun is out. Too much sport on TV today, no time to go for a walk this afternoon. Next Sunday I hope it'll be sunny & sport-free. Sunday after that, I might be in Aylesbury!

13.07pm Sun 25/7/04

Hi

We missed each other again, I guess it answers the question about my sleeping pattern, I am a bit of a night owl but never wake up early unless I have too!

Just had a lovely email from the lady who I met in the opticians, I notice on her site that her publisher also does Sci-F. She would be delighted if a few people signed her guest book I said I would mention it to my writer friends. http://romancecrazy.com/.

Sunday week that sounds good, you will be up all night on the computer! Looking forward to it. J is on again at 2pm I'm going to do the ironing at the same time! So I shall be huddled in the study with the ironing board!

Weather dreadful here dark, cold and grim like November not July we've even had the heating on this morning.

Will be up early tomorrow - promise because I have to go to work! See you then. Hope you enjoy the sport this afternoon.

Lots of
BD

Hi BD

Sport results: Lance & Rossi won, Button second, and Ipswich Town won their friendly match, so you could say..."Result"!

Weather was very October-ish, yesterday afternoon. Trees getting blown about outside, and occasional drizzle. Everything is still growing fast in the garden - one of my pumpkin plants is about to collide with my largest broccoli. I haven't grown those plants before, didn't realise that the broccoli would reach 18 inches in diameter and still growing - and no sign of any broccoli florets in the centre yet!

Enjoy your Monday - got your pirate message, BTW.

Hi

Tonight it is live from Radio Jackie at 22.39 pm Jason has just played "love is in the air" and he gave me a mention after "Street Life" the music really is very good, apparently there are parties breaking out all over South West London. Still won't be long until you are in the box room.

Had another lovely email from my new found friend the writer lady, I know it's not highbrow literature or anything put I still admire her for writing a novel, having 5 children and being determined enough to get it published. My grandfather wrote a couple of published short stories and she want's to read them so I shall probably meet with her for lunch.

Glad it was all a satisfactory day with the sport. I feel a bit about the weather, although I think it's been much better in the South East and around London, stuck here in the West Midlands it's been awful for about the last 4/5 weeks.

The news is on now so it's taken me a while to type this, my mind keeps drifting off into the music........

Oh by the way I think Jen is on holiday this week, not sure where she's gone though. Have a good day today.

BD

Hi BD

Thanks, I wondered where Jen had gone.

West Midlands : do you know the village of Codsall? That's where my best friend & old college room-mate grew up. Nowadays he lives on the Suffolk coast as he works near Ipswich.

I'll have to find out about your writer friend. I admire anyone who can get a novel published... unless it is badly written and full of errors, in which case I get very annoyed.

Got my first e-mail from the Oprah site today, a full-colour web-page advertising the latest issue of Oprah magazine. Beachwear! Jeans therapy! Relationship advice! Obviously a must-read...

PS Found your e-mail address on that Guest Book - will mail you sometime...

RD

Morning Rich

A little brighter here this morning, which is good because I have a day off today, so without frightening the let's hope it's a nice day for a change.

Oraph is a hard task master isn't she? Still you seem to be quite enjoying her!!

HP is on a activity week this week at the local Youth Theatre and he is thoroughly enjoying himself, he is playing a butler called Grayson in a strange play based in Cluedo. One of his friend's brothers is playing the part of a woman with whom he is having an affair apparently. All very confusing makes Bc seem quite normal.

Must go, sandwiches to make for HP. Maybe pop back later. Where's my heart gone? All the other girls get one!

Glad you found email, I would be delighted to hear from you.



BD

Hi BD

I am sending you this morning!

And to the H2G2 boards which are about to go down for maintenance.

I wonder if HP's Cluedo play is based on the American movie "Clue" starring Tim Curry?

Have you seen the new Argos catalogue? New electronic speaking version of Cluedo, out this Christmas.

(I know all about Argos behind-the-scenes: my nephew works on the jewellery counter part-time and my sister worked in the Argos back room for several years.)

I'm currently on page 210 of Anna Karenina, I think Oprah is on page 550 this week.

Why isn't there a smiley? The closest to it is ...

18.17 28/7/04

Hi

The heart's brightened my day

Lucy was demanding this morning and everytime I tried to go outside a black cloud came over, I feel fated at the moment! I dropped her off at respite around noon, then popped finally to the great WH Smith's grabbed The Kalahari Typing School for Men and The Full Cupboard of Life off the shelf. It was buy one get one half price, so things were looking up! Then a quick visit to the chemists and back home to tidy the house!

I finally made it for about 1/2 hours read around 4pm when the sun emerged so I jumped on the sun lounger and started the first chapter. I have to say he does keep repeating the story, which is getting a bit tedious now. I suppose it's for the benefit of the people who don't bother reading all the books. Hopefully, it will get better now I'm into the second chapter.

Now I know your an expert on Argos it will save me having to look through for myself, you wouldn't go to the dreaded shop for me as well would you? I know their good value but I just hate the ticket system - drives me crazzzzy!

Speak soon.



BD

Hi BD

Haven't got onto the recent "Detective Agency" books yet - but publishers do love it when an author writes basically the same story over and over again... as long as the original version was a big hit. When I used to read the V.I. Warshawski crime novels, I noticed that V.I. was hit on the head at the end of the same chapter in each book!

My bracnh of Argos is pretty good in terms of the speed of picking items off the warehouse shelves - that's according to my sister, and she should know.

Last week, I bought Anna Karenina from WHS, and I got FBN's book club choice, The Lovely Bones, half price. A few days later, I spotted The Lovely Bones on the library shelves for the first time in 6 months!

Hot weekend - slap on that factor 30!

Hello

Are you there? Just noticed you were on line? Have you popped back to the library?

Just picking up my messages got email will reply soon. Must get the Lovely Bones book whos the author? Missed that bit!

It will be Factor 15 for me this weekend, have to get a bit of a tan before summer is over. You will be at your Sister's when we are in the New Forest not that far away is it?

Off now the bottom patio and Kalahari Typing School for Men, it's hotting up now there is a rival male detective in town. You seem to be making good progress with Anna, Oprah will be pleased.

Speak soon.



BD

Hi BD

Library busy when I got here at 9.10am, could only get onto a naff terminal, wrote a long reply to you, then puter went wrong and I lost it

Yes, I was in the library yesterday afternoon - found the new issue of the Bookseller catalogue, a 300 page magazine (priced £38) which lists several tens of thousands of new books which will be published in the next six months. Everything from "Going Postal" by Terry Pratchett, through "Robbie Williams" written all by himself (hmmm...) all the way to obscure psychological texts from universities.

BTW: The Lovely Bones was written by ALICE SEBOLD.

According to the reading plan, Oprah should finish part 5 of Anna tonight, whereas I am a third of the way through part 3. Will keep reading fairly quickly until I've caught up with America!

Pity JYY isn't here, the farmers' market is back, complete with Hot Yemenite Wraps (spicy mince in a pancake, £2.50 per pancake!).

I hope you will be near a puter when I'm in Aylesbury. No definite date yet, it depends on my sister's half-built conservatory.

Looking forward to your next e-mail.

Hi

Sun finally emerged at around 3pm around which time we went to see HP in the culmination of Youth Theatre week and he was excellent as Grayson. The boy dressed as his lover was hilarious in a totally outrageous blonde curly wig and pink shiney dress. The character was called Miss Pinky Umbongo-Black. They did various other sketches of acting and again HP excelled himself. The whole thing rounded off with a dance routine to "Thriller" most enjoyable 40 minutes. I can't believe he's come out of himself so much in a week.

Purchased Lovely Bones yesterday, I don't know how I missed it when I was in WH Smith's a couple of days before, also bought Starter for 10, probably rubbish but it was half price at 1.99 (another Richard & Judy recommendation)! So now I have four books to read. Keep me out of mischief or will it?!

I can assess a computer at my brother's although I will probably be busy when I'm there, my sister-in-law is a very sociable hostess and usually want's to keep us all as active as possible, which could mean anything from a 10 mile horse ride to dancing all night around the living room.

Talking of which she has texted me to say land lines must be free after 8.30 when she has finished watching Eastenders (she is one or used to be).

Plus I've have a surprise visitor to reply to!



BD

Hi BD

Thankyou thankyou thankyou for FBN's address

Will e-mail herself & yourself if I can get back on this computer (five mins left of current session, still haven't actually read my e-mails).

Your lad's production sounded great.

See you on the other side...

P.S. I've also had a surprise visitor!

Hi

Typing very quickly, saw you were still there and had just posted in the CB. Have a great day and enjoy your walk. We will probably go to the pub by the canal this afternoon for a or two.

We can still do big on here.

So have a great day and speak soon.



BD

Hello

It will be morning by the time you get this. I'm doing no more typing tonight as I'm feeling very lazy......a glorious afternoon in the sun with Jason blasting about the bedroom window, Lucy listened in and gave a when she got a mention.

Very pleased with myself managed to finish The Kalahari Typing School for Men on the sun lounger, the moral of the story was never trust a smooth looking man, who is too good to be true!! I've decided to have a break from Alexander and start on Lovely Bones next, I'm looking forward to it.

Still have a lengthy job application to complete I've written it up in rough and run it by Mr G, who has improved grammar etc. so I will have to take time out to get that done tomorrow, it has to be there by Friday.

Have a good week. Speak soon.



BD