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

Dear
Glad you had a lovely time on your hols! Sounds like too much and too much was nearly your undoing!! Didn't you say that your friend was TT??!!
I'm still out here in Romania... the lovely weather we had during May has vanished and we have reverted to waterproofs and winter cloths. I am now starting to mark off the days on my calendar but I still have at least another 56 crosses to get through before I can begin to escape!
Hope to hear more news of your hols
Lots of
Essjay

Hiya Essjay,

How lovely to hear from you.
Can't imagine getting ready for winter now it's so lovely and warm here. I even changed into my summer-duvet, so it must be hot.
Don't know the reason, but I'm sleeping so well lately, very unusual for me. Now I've said that, who knows what'll happen to-night.

Yes, my friend doesn't drink (or "booze", as she calls it) I always think "booze" is what lager-louts do. Ladies drink, or sip!!

Mind you, I knocked over an enermous glass of lager sitting outside a restaurant. Shirley spilt her coffee another day, then a glas of wine(mine) and in the plane she sent my wine flying. Luckily it was white, we both had cold, wet bums.

My suitcase is badly damaged, didn't know until I got home. I meant to write to the carriers to-day, but you know what happens when you "just have a look if you've got any messages". Hours later...

I wrote all this to you ages ago and when I clicked Post message, it all disappeared into thin air.

Are you still writing your diarY? It was so entertaining. Haven't seen it for a long time or am I looking in the wrong places|?

Speak to you again soon.

Love

Dear
Sadly not - I haven't been keeping a journal. The last free time I had was that weekend and since then I have been working 6 days a week and, on average 14 hours a day, so it has left very little time for anything else. Maybe I should have found the time though... this place is has so many amusing/tragic/amazing anecdotes connected with it that it seems a shame to let them go unnoted. However, the memory box is getting filled and, one day (when I am walking on an imaginary wind-swept beach with my imaginary dogs), I shall pull them out and put pen to paper. It seems a shame to waste them. I haven't really even had proper time to enjoy a glass of or . Tant pis! Anyway, only another couple of months to go and then I can quaff myself stupid as I rejoin the MBs.... I have managed to keep up fairly well with what has been happening in recent months, but got so depressed by certain shenanigans that went on recently I was quite happy to stay merely as an observer. One of the biggest pleasures is "watching" you and PG, PP, Perks, et al continuing your eternal quest for the whackiest drink or the scrummiest cake! Keep it up! It is great company for me and has given me endless amusement out here being able to laugh at something no one else here can understand! Anyway, must again; the evening slew of emails is disgorging itself into my machine...

Lots of , keep in touch
Essjay

BTW - meant to say that the posting I have most enjoyed recently was from PP about a boot sale and a toilet seat... If you haven't read it, you must! It had me howling out here and it is impossible to explain to people who live in a country where, to a huge percentage of the population, a used loo seat would be classed as an item of luxury... you would be surprised at the number of outside "privies" I pass on my way to work in the morning. I suppose at this time of year, it's not too bad, but just imagine the agonies of waking on a cold winter's morn and having to traipse through the snow and ice to perform your morning constitutional!! Hold that thought!! We are VERY fortunate!

and

Hi Essjay,

Thank you for your messages. I love your style of writing, if I were as clever as you, I'm sure I'd write a book. Maybe you've planned one.
I've got to the age when I'm always telling anecdotes from my past and people say: "You should write a book", but where does one start and how many people would be interested?

Talking about loo seats (Yes, I saw PP's thread, all his postings are hilarious, aren't they?) and you made me think back to my childhood. I don't have to "imagine" an outside privvy, until I got married and came to England we always had one.
For years we had a wooden "thunderbox", which was quite friendly, really. Although there was just one "hole" in the middle, there was pleanty of room for a friend to sit either side so that we could continue the conversation.Later we had the luxury of a W.C., yes, with actual flush. Luxury. But it was still outside in the yard and very dark. I had three young brothers and they always went downstairs in pairs as they were afraid on their own. It was horrible if it was raining and even in summer I remember fighting my way through lines of washing hanging about outside.

But we didn't know any better and thought nothing of it. My father was a Civil Servant (would you believe?) and worked for the Telephone part of the P.T.T. (Post, Telephone, Telegraph) and he could lay his hands on old telephone directories which were lying about in the loo. We were all fed-up when one of them was in Polish and we couldn't read them.

Memories!!

I was thinking, it's strange how fussy and finicky I have become, I'd almost forgotten how I started off.

It will be nice when you are back on the CB's. I do a lot more "reading" than actually taking part. I hate it when they all get so aggressive and I don't know enough about music and presenters to join in the fights anyway. And if I did, I'm too lazy to bother.
I'm just there for the fun and entertainment. That's me, frivolous!!

There's a fantastic sunset out there to-night. Red, pink, apricot, turquoise- beautiful.

Cheers, Essjay, speak to you again soon.

Love

Catharina