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

Hi FLY,

Didn't get back from W-S-M until 9-45pm; I had left the house at 7am..so was very tired when I got home,had a quick shower and into bed.

The day was better than I expected. We wondered whether we should go due to the wind and rain, but eventually decided to give it a go as our service user friends had got themselves'up' for it..one of them,aged 70,couldn't wait to 'go to the seaside and have a paddle'. It was far too cold and windy for that, but he still enjoyed himself. The so called 'care home' where he lived NEVER took him out anywhere. He was given £5 pounds by them to spend..most of which was spent on those 'push & shove' machines where you roll a 2p onto a shelf that moves backwards and forwards, hopefully nudging other coins over the edge to the bottom shelf, that in turn may nudge other coins over the edge and down the shute. He absolutely LOVED it..I don't think that I have ever seen so much enjoyment from a pounds worth of 2p's.

On the way there a member of staff got the chocolate Eclairs out.One old boy(78 years old) took one, and after a few minutes said to the lady 'Can you take this from me?' She, thinking that it was the paper wrapping,took it, only to find that it was his top set in her hand..they were caked in old food and were severely discoloured.She heaved, and quickly gave them back to him. He said that he didn't know how to put them back in...he'd never had them out before!! When we arrived in W-S-M I had to take him into a loo and put them back for him; we have decided to work out a programme of denture hygiene for him next week.

After we had coffee, our packed lunch, a walk along the prom(a very long one when you are pushing a wheelchair, with someone hanging onto your arm, against a very strong wind)had our packed lunch,spent an hour on the pier in the amusement arcade, had iced cream,more coffee, it was time to think about going home.We had planned to stop at a Beefeater pub on the outskirts of the town for dinner.When we got there, one member of staff, with a few of the more able service users, went in to see about tables, food etc.She was met by a pig ignorant landlord who, after looking her and the others over, growled 'No food served'till 5 o'clock. By this time we had all trouped in. We 'felt' the inhospitable atmosphere..we just weren't welcome although the pub was hardly busy(no wonder with a clown of a manager like that)We had a quick pow wow and decided to look elsewhere. A man sitting at the bar obviously felt a degree of pity, because he told us that we would find a nice place just up the road.We did, and they had a good deal of 2 meals for the price of one..furthermore, the staff could not have been more pleasent and helpful...and you know what? strangely, they were far busier than the Beefeater..Wonder why? I can't make up my mind if the manager of the Beefeater didn't want us in his empty pub because we had'barmy' people with us, or because the member of staff who he saw first was black...He seemed the type of moron who probably objected to both!! Anyway, it was his loss. The Bucket and Spade, which was the name of the second pub..even allowing for the 2 for 1 deal, made £70 from our short stay there(X2=£140 min. is what the Beefeater would have made...just for suffering a few 'barmpots' and/or a lovely black woman)......The temptation was to stick it out to prove a point; but that would be wrong in my opinion...we were on a day out at the seaside for the benefit of our service users..not to use them as a tool to fight bigotry(rant over)

Sorry I've been 'off on one', but it gets me sooooo mad!!!

I want to pop over to the CB to see what is going on, and it's 9.45 now...not much time.

see you whenever.

Fondest XXX

Al

Hello

I wasn't at all sure what you meant by "our service users" when you said you were going to have a day out. My mind leapt to "service users" of computers and I couldn't understand it really.
But now I know and I must say, you are a wonderful, caring, patient man. I know how hard it is to push a wheelchair, one of my Dutch friends has one and it takes two of us to push her.
And not many people would tackle the dentures-business.
Isn't it sad how neglected these people are and how easy it is to please them.
I think there must be nothing worse than being in a care-home and I hope that when the time comes and I can't look after myself, I'll have the courage to take a handful of sleeping tablets. And I've made a "Living Will".
Some people are so lucky. Tomorrow evening there's a party for an old lady in the village who will be 100. She was very involved with the church and until a few months ago still read a lesson every Sunday. She is lucky, she has enough money to be well looked after in a room with a family and somebody coming in every day to help her bathe etc.
It allcomes down to money in the end, doesn't it?

I shall never go into any Beefeater again.

One of my friends has a nephew who has Downs Syndrome. She takes him out now and then and says that people avoid sitting anywhere near him in restaurants. Yet he has beautiful table-manners and is very polite. But he shouts a lot. He is 23 now and sits on the floor playing with plastic animals. He just loves dinosaurs. We'll never know what goes on in their minds, will we?

It was sad that your day was spoilt by that incident, wasn't it?
I used to love those push and shove machines too. I've never seen anybody win anything, yet it always seemed the next penny was going to make it happen.
TCL and I were in Chichester while he was here and he said he'd like to have a look at the Cathedral. So we went in, a wonderful place and as we went out there was a glass box with all those coins (donations) and even £5 and £10 notes in. TCL put in a pound coin and it landed quite near the edge. I said: "Put in another one, look, the £10 is right on the edge, we're going to win that." We had a fit of the giggles. It looked so much like one of those machines.

What an ignorant b.....d that Beefeater-chap was. I hope he finishes up in a rotten care-home.

Nothing going on in the CB, was there? I was just having a look at the same time.

Tell you what, though, have a look at www.anactor.net
and you'll see a picture of Clive. Not at all as I'd imagined. He reminds me of someone but I can't remember who.

Hope you have a lovely week-end. I've got gardening to do and motor-racing to watch. It's been a busy week.

Nighty night

Hi FLY,

Just popped in for an afternoon quickie! Haven't got long...pant!.. pant!
The incident didn't spoil our day out. You just take it with a pinch of salt! Mostly, although people sometimes shy away, it's not that they mean to offend...they just don't know what to say or do...and when they do try, it often comes across as if they are trying to befriend a dog..Bless 'em! That is understandable to some extent...But the downright rude and offensive ones..well..what can you say?...Mostly they will never change.The comforting thing is that most of humanity is OK...it's just the few Ba****ds that leave the nasty taste in the mouth. It is they who are missing out though...if they shut their hearts, they will never know the kind of people that we care for, they are wonderful.

Hope I didn't depress you too much. All that talk of sleeping pills(I thought that you said they didn't work!) and 'Living Wills'..Come, come, FLY....the days are yet young, and so are you!!!

Got to go out in a minute...see you later maybe?

Whoppers!!!

Al

PS Is it my imagination, or is everyone but Clive ignoring 'you know who' in the CB?

Hi

You're not going to get much sense out of me this evening, as I've had the best part of a bottle of Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon and I'm feeling very frivolous.

I don't really know how a HANDFUL of sleeping pills would work. Don't worry, I have no inclination to take them to-day, but if I became incapable to enjoy my life, why not?

It's hard to say, isn't it? I saw somewhere: "Those who want to die while still in control have to do it not when they are ready, but while they are still able. And that, almost certainly, will be before they are ready."

Sobering thought, isn't it?

What interests me, though, never having had much to do with the kind of people you talk about: how do you know what they are like if you can't really communicate with them?
The nephew of my friend, who I mentioned to you, for instance. When I meet him, I try to be towards him as I am towards anybody else of his age. But it's different, because he doesn't communicate. So, I only know what I see, but I have no idea what's going on in his head. Do you know what I mean? How do you know they are wonderful people if you can't get to know them? I imagine it requires a lot of patience, which most people don't have.
TCL has a grandson who is mentally very retarded. He has a lot of patience with him and spends endless hours trying to teach him things, only to discover that the next day it's all forgotten.It's strange, though, that most of these people adore animals. It's as if they understand that animals don't expect anything from them but love and kindness, much as they need themselves.

Can you tell I'm "in my cups?"

TCL phoned last night. He's upset, although he calls it "disappointed" with his son who is over from Norway. Son has been in Cornwall for days but hadn't contacted his father and when TCL phoned the bungalow and son answered, TCL said he'd come over and cut the grass. Son said it wasn't necessary. In other words:"You needn't come over."

Wonder if TCL regrets telling me that his family came first. He now realises that he certainly doesn't come first with the family,. no, money comes first. Sad, isn't it?

Did you have a look at Clive? Did he remind you of anybody?

Yes, I think very few people have anything to do with our "friend". Nick is one of them, but then they have this site together.

What do you make of the Belgian Chocolate? Who do you reckon he is? Knows all about us from way back. Very strange....

I'm having a quiet week-end.Everybody knows I'm out-of-bounds when Formula 1 is on. It would be lovely if Jenson could win. I'm not holding my breath.

Are you having a nice week-end? Did you ever get that garage sorted out? Bet it looks much like mine. Full of cobwebs etc. I put the car in and shut the door quickly.

Must do some weeding tomorrow, but have a bad back-ache. I wonder if it is psychosomatic as it came on the morning TCL left, as I promised I would keep the garden weed-free. Haven't been able to bend over since!!!

See you later, maybe

Hi FLY,

Sorry our man Jensen didn't win...I don't know where he finished, or even IF he finish, but I did switch on to see Herr Michie 'smiling the smile'..Oh well...Us Brits are darned good losers!!!

The people that I work with can mostly communicate at some level. Although for a day out, or a shopping trip, a couple of then need wheelchairs,mainly they are mobile. As to their other abilities, only 3 or 4 of them can't speak properly...but there are other ways(signing etc.)to get their feelings across.The others are mostly what used to be refered to in pre-politically correct days, as being a bit 'simple'.In all, our group is not as demanding as some, where there is a high proportion of 'high support' service users.Our S/U's are a lot like children,with all their wonderful traits. They love attention,love humour, especially if it directed towards the staff. They take everyone at face value,which on one hand makes them vunerable; but on the other enables them to see 'the person' not 'the disability'....You can be ugly, deformed,uneducated, old, black/white...it means nothing to them as long as you are kind...Us so called 'normal' people have a long way to go in human relationships, and our friends can show us the way. I am a non-believer in religious matters, but,if there is a god, and that god has put people on this earth for a reason, then it is easy to realise what the reason for these people is. Sorry that this is so jumbled, but I hope that you know what I mean....being half way through a bottle of white doesn't help matters.

Will have to go for now as my grandson has just arrived and is insistant on pressing the keys on the keyboard as I write.

May speak to you later.... hopefully in a lighter vein !!

Al XXXXX

Hi FLY (continued)

Daughter and family have just left......now where was I?

I went to Clive's site..I think that he looks familiar,but I can't say that he reminds me of anyone else(it wouldn't be your milkman would it?) Perhaps I have seen him on the TREBOR mints advert on TV years ago....Must admit he doesn't look anything like I thought he would look(Who does?)I somehow thought that he would be tall, slim, and 'bookish' Thank god for the anonimity of these boards!!!

I feel sorry fot TCL, he must feel terribly neglected...As an onlooker you must feel like telling him to tell his son to 'stuff it'..but of course you can't,and because of his emotional involvement with his family,neither can he !!

We are off to the quiz this evening...as usual....daft isn't it?,but I can't wait..am I sad or what?..don't answer that!!

We have done very little today, just loafed around(exceft for a couple of mile walk this morning)I seem to be doing everything that an old man does..and yet I don't FEEL old. I wonder why I feel that I should be doing something more?..I am happy with my (boring) lot...Am I insecure?
This train of thought may have something to do with the other half of that white wine I spoke of earlier.

Well FLY, I must away again. Are you visiting the boards tonight? I won't be there myself, although I may take a look at what's been happening after they have closed.

Possibly speak to you tomorrow

Fondest youknowwhats

Al

Hi

I was just about to reply to your previous mail when I saw there was another one.

I was going to say that I think you must have endless patience to do the job you do. I know this because one of my sisters-in-law in Holland looked after physically and mentally handicapped children. She loved them all and they adored her.

But she told me how it might take months to teach a child to tie his own shoe-laces or to eat by himself and, when achieved, the child would be so proud to be able todo these little things.
Then, they went home for a few days, for a "holiday" and when they came back they had forgotten all their skills because the parents didn't have the patience to watch the child tie a shoelace, or whatever.
It takes a special person to do that job, I do know.

I can imagine you look forward to your quiz, and why not?

I know that feeling, sometimes you think: "Am I frittering my life away? There must be more exciting things to do?", but the old, familiar things are best.
Maybe it is a sign of getting old, I don't know. When TCL is here we like nothing better than play cards. It's fun and takes your mind off everything else.
Some of my friends have to be out every day and be with people, but I have times that I'm quite content with my own company.

Mind you, these boards help, I suppose. It's like having a circle of friends who are there for you and you for them, yet they are undemanding.
It's lovely, really.

Yes, I imagined Clive very different and, as you say, thank god for the anonimity. Thus we keep our illusions. My nephew in Holland belongs to a similar thing, but they all get together periodically and go out to eat. Perhaps it's a lot different when you're young.
We are a strange collection on the CB though, aren't we?
And WHO is this Belgian Chocolate? He or she knows all about us.

Must go and make my phone-call to TCL. Yes, I feel very sorry for him too, his son was so spoilt by his mum. He became a Jehovah Witness (left ages ago), but since then he's never sent a birthday or Christmas card to his parents, because the J>W> don't believe in it. What a selfish feller.

See you soon,

Hope you won. Have a lovely evening.

Hi FLY,
I think that I must be 'Mr. Grumpybum' tonight. I have been over to the boards, had a look around(don't understand that sci-fi stuff I am supposed to be appearing in)have no inclination to join in anything...miserable git aren't I?

Thought I'd drop you this quick line just to let you know that I am still around, and my quietness is nothing to do with you

So I am signing off now.....might try again later..although don't think that there is much chance of that.
So will probably see you tomorrow, when hopefully I have more to offer.


Fondest goodnights

Grumpy Al

Hi

Mr. Grumpybum?? Never.

I know how you feel, it happens to me a lot, I just can't get the feeling"for what's going on. Read all the messages and think: "What's that all about?"
I don't know what Briant was talking about either, all I know is that I'm the navigater. Good choice! I'm known for the fact that I can't find my way around anywhere.

Had a meeting of the "Book Group" yesterday. I hadn't read the book we were supposed to discuss, it just didn't interest me, so I kept very quiet while they were saying how beautiful it was. I thought it was very longwinded.

To-day I was supposed to go to a meeting of the Teatre Club, but a friend phoned and when we finished chatting it was too late.
So I went shopping instead.
I thought it was time I ate a bit healthier and came home with loads of vegetables and fruit. Don't know when I'll eat it all. Ridiculous!

How do you sleep nowadays? I have been much better lately. Having said that,I expect I'll be sitting up reading again to-night. Come to think of it, that's how it was on the night before last. Still, on the whole!

You can tell that I haven't got much news either, can't you?

I've made myself a baked custard pudding as I had a lot of surplus milk, so I think I'll have some of that.
Want some?

Hope to see you tomorrow then.

Hi FLY,
Glad to say that I feel more my old self tonight.You ask how my sleeping is; that, I think, is the main problem.Each night this week I haven't slept more than 4 hours (last night was 3 hours)...I have been falling asleep watching the Tele, much to the annoyance of Mrs. Z..but as I said to her,if you wake up at 3 o'clock in the morning,by 5 o'clock on the following evening you are completely k******ed. So tonight I am determined to stay awake and go to bed as late as possible...wish me luck!!

You asked who I thought the Belgian Chocolate is....I have no idea..in fact I never picked up that he/she had been on the boards before in another guise...Have you any suggestions as to who it may be?

You know the kind of people we care for at work....well on Tuesday we had a 'tear to a glass eye' situation.
One of our S/U, who is 72 and lives in a care home, came in as usual. 'Good morning Jean, did you have a nice week end?' he asked.'Yes lovely thank you Ken' she replied. 'And how are your family Jean? Oh fine Ken, thank you.... And how about you Pauline..did you have a nice weekend?.. 'Smashing Ken..really nice'...'Family alright Pauline?'...'Yes thank you Ken'... 'You have a nice weekend Al?'...'Yes Ken, lovely'..'Family alright Al?'..Yes Ken, fine'.Then, after a slight pause he said. 'Everybody's got a family except me, haven't they Al? We all looked at each other, and didn't know what to say.He did have a couple of brothers, but he hasn't heard from them for the past 15-20 years, we don't even know if they are still alive. If they are,they are certainly not interested in him or his well being...... and I worry about a bit of insomnia!!!!

Could just do with some of that lovely custard pudding(is that the same as a custard tart without the pastry?)

Thanks for bucking me up with your funny little stories about your book and theatre clubs....I always imagine you sitting at the back trying you best not to giggle...lovely to be daft isn't it?

Mrs. Z has gone to daughter No 2 as usual, and I am left here to drink and play......unfortunately, I thought that I would just switch on the 'pooter to see if you had written...I decided to write back. The phone has rung 3 times, an old friend came to the front door, had a glass of red, and was about to have another when his mobile went and he had to leave........all the while with me STILL in my dressing gown..and not yet showered(I get side tracked so easily)
So I must go....I think I can smell a man who needs a shower!!
I will be visiting the boards later,smelling like a tarts boudoir...hope I can join in tonight...see you FLY.

Pongy Al

Hi

Ooooh you smell lovely

I was boasting yesterday that I have been sleeping much better lately...fatal, isn't it? Last night was dreadful again.
I had a bit of a lazy day yesterday and wasn't physically tired, I suppose.
But I've done quite a lot of gardening to-day, so, fingers and legs crossed for to-night!!!!

Yes, I do feel sorry for Ken, but perhaps he doesn't feel as bad as you imagine, Al. After all, I have no family, no relations except a nephew and niece in Holland who don't even send me a birthday-card, and a cousin who is a lot older than me.
But I don't really feel very deprived, I suppose because I feel there's nothing I can do about it, it's nobody's fault and as long as I have my friends, I'm O.K. I think that's the reason TCL plays a big part in my life. And he HAS children and grandchildren,but they don't make him very happy.
The only time I think about it really, is Christmas-time, but then so many people have said to me: "Aren't you lucky, you can do whatever you want", and there's that too, isn't there?
I suppose that if I did have brothers and never heard from them, that would be more painful.
But, I can spend all my money, do the most extravagant things I like, even get the money for my house if I want to with this Equity thing you read so much about nowadays and there's nobody hoping I'll die before I've spent it all.

The custard pudding is really a baked custard. I love all kinds of custard, I prefer it to cream. There's a good portion left for you together with some poached nectarines.

The lady where we had the Book Group lives in one of these very old houses with loads of antique furniture. The garden is like a park, rolling lawns and trees and flower-beds.
But it was so COLD inside. She herself was wearing a padded jacket. The hearth was piled up with logs and I was dying to put a match to it.
She had a friend there who was too refined for words. The lady of the house (double-barrelled name, of course) has a "funny" eye. She has special glasses with very thick glass before the "funny" eye, but she hardly ever wears them. I never want to sit too close to her, it makes my knees go all funny.

I have been thinking of having some decorating done, but in that house, there wasn't a bit of paint left anywhere. Very interesting house, though, a warren, little passages and steps everywhere.But I'd hate to live there in the middle of nowhere, not another house in sight.

Saw you earlier in the CB. I LOL at your joke about the saddle, but I didn't have anything to contribute really.

I've recorded Emmerdale and Corrie and am going to watch that now.

Monday-night I recorded 2 lots of Corrie, i of Emmerdale and Eastenders, sat down to watch it and....nothing, I'd fotgotten to turn the video on and had recorded nothing.

Hope you have a lovely kip to-night. Good idea, go to bed later, see how it goes.

Did you see on Nick's Forum that Scott has confessed? His name is Daniel Scott Nelson, but he hates Daniel, thinks it's pouffy, so calls himself Scott.
Amongst other things!!!

No, have no idea who the Belgian truffle is, but he's very well informed. Quite mad, actually. A lot of them about!

Take care.

Hi

I was just thinking of you and then you turned up at the CB. I answered your thread but I don't think you were still there.

I'm off to the Show now. Soooo looking forward to it.

Hello FLY,

What a busy life you lead...and by the way !!..Who is this Tom Bowler that you are seeing this afternoon?...Some of us COULD get jealous you know!!

Haven't been around much over the past couple of days as you will have seen. You know, not too long ago, I couldn't wait to get onto the 'pooter; but lately it doesn't seem to have the same attraction...If it wasn't for you, I think I would bother even less. Do you think that I am going through a mid-life(if I live to be 124 !)crisis?...Do I need to 'find myself'?..
Oh! What do you know.. Just looked..and here I am !!..Can't be that then...

Cracked the sleeping I think!!...go to bed later..don't doze in front of the TV....don't drink anything, even tea, after 9pm..Easy isn't it?...until the next time;then it's back to the drawing board.

Hope the weather stays OK for you and Tom. Those things can be soooo miserable if it rains and the only people to turn up are friends etc. Today is dry in Brum, cloudy, with the odd sunny spell, and warm. It'll do me.

We have our casual dinner party tonight...looking forward to it immensely. We went to my son's house last night(more red stuff!)as they are flying to Brazil today. I am not much of a traveller,but I wish that I could raise half the enthusiasm that they have got for jetting off here there and everywhere.

Your book club host with the 'funny eye'..do you mean that she is cross eyed?. It's awful really but when anyone has anything like that..try as you may..you can't seem to look anywhere else can you?..You certainly meet some colourful characters Fly...Perhaps to them YOU are a colourful character too..sort of kindred spirits...in the most attractive way of course.

Is your man Jensen(I keep wanting to call him Jason) racing this week end..I should know really shouldn't I? Must take a look in a minute!!

Going over to the CB now...I know that you won't be there...You'll be off with HIM....(What mother would want to call a baby TOM BOWLER?....I ask you!!)

Don't suppose that I will see you later..

Be good.

Fondest oojimmyflipps!

Al

Hi

I'm back!!
Tom was fun for an hour or so and then I was glad somebody else took him on. We had a light shower this morning (noooo, not Tom and me) and ONE clap of thunder, but then it cleared up and it has been sunny and warm all afternoon.

Fancy you winning the tug of war. Take care of that silver cup now.

Actually, we came away early, they will be dishing out the prizes right now, but one of our party had a funny turn and we had to take her home.

I had promised the girl from the garden centre that I would buy some tombola tickets from her, because they were so good to me yesterday and because I didn't have the right money, I was let off with £1'75 less than I should have paid.

So I bought 10 tickets for £2. and won 5 prizes, two of which were "Special Star prizes" (all plants) and now I've got another lot of plants to put in.

On an afternoon like this you see everybody who lives in the village, it's terrific fun. They must have done really well, there was a terrific turn-out.

I know how you feel about the MB's. I have days like that, when I don't seem to get into any threads and feel that I'm too boring to bother with.
And then somebody says something nice, and I'm back where I came from.

I'm glad you have your lovely dinner-part to-night. Tell me what you had to eat tomorrow?

I've been invited to "afternoon tea" tomorrow. When am I supposed to have my dinner then?
I started a kind of diet yesterday. Felt really pleased with myself until I went to bed with a Yorkie. Doh!!
I got on the scales and weigh 60 kilos (what is that in old money?) and want to lose some of that.

Don't be jealous of Tom, he was only there for an hour. You are my one and only oh..that tickles!!

The lady with the funny eye! No, she isn't cross-eyed, she is supposed to wear these glasses to hide the hideousness!! All filmy, yellow and red.....

Time to start cooking.
Don't leave me, will you?

Sleep well...glad the new pattern works. No more or

Take care

Hi Fly,

Time; 12.35am Monday morning.Just in from quiz(pedictable, or what?)
We won tons tonight....'We are the champions!'

Last night was brill.... Ended up kissing another man!!!!
Perhaps I should explain..As you know we went to our annual 'British Open Golf Dinner' The food was 'Just Right'We had a choice of starter..I opted for parma ham(is that how you spell it?) with various sorts of melon..Now at this point, can I say that I am not too clever at knowing the proper names for the dishes that I had, so I am sure that, written down on a menu, they would be far more exotic than my discription....We had a choice of main course; I opted for, what I can only describe as a 'fish pie' it was absolutely 'spiffing' followed by a choice of sweets,once again, being fairly basic, I chose an apple crumble type of thing, with LASHINGS of custard...followed by cheese etc.(looking back on what I have written, I realise that I haven't done justice to my friend's wife's culinary delights...it may seem that her eforts were wasted on me, but I really appreciated everything.
Then we come to 'the kiss' ! A long standing friend' who with his wife made up the six-some, said that he had always wondered what it was like for a woman to be kissed by someone with a beard...by this time I was 'well oiled' with The Red Stuff.. so without further ado, I kissed him(well you do things when you are bladdered that you wouldn't normally do when sober.Don't you?)It was no big deal...just a laugh!
Felt a tad the worse for wear this morning, but after a drive in the country and a couple of coffees(coffies?)I was OK.
So you really did have a fete yesterday..(obviously not a fete worse than death?)I wasn't sure if it was only a 'pooter event! You certainly seem to enjoy life FLY...long may it continue.

I haven't been on the boards today, but I am going over there now to see what went on in my absence.

See you soon..

Al

Hi

What a riotous time you must have had on Saturday night.I can't let you out my sight for one evening, can I? Just look what you've gotten yourself into NOW. Kissing, not another woman, but a MAN.
And how was it for YOU? Never mind for him... What were his comments? Just want to know, you see, to prepare myself for the shock.

The dinner sounds lovely, I often have fish pie if it's on the menu, mostly because I'm not good at making it myself. Don't know why not, perhaps because I haven't had any practice, my husband didn't like it.
Parma ham and melon is one of my favourites too and the pudding sounds lovely.
I was too tired to cook on Saturday and made a farmer's omelette. Was too tired to go on the boards too. Went to bed early, awoke at 4.00 and at 7.00 fell asleep again and awoke at 10.00 Upside down life I lead, don't I?

The Fete was certainly real. Isn't it funny how we mix reality with fantasy on the boards? Yesterday morning I had emails from Mike, BDG, PG and Helen to answer, which was lovely, but then I want to answer them straight away and then there isn't much time left for idle chat.
I haven't looked in yet to-day, because I want to do some gardening, and once I get involved, I'll be sitting here for hours.

W.I. to-night, so I won't be around. Now you just behave yourself, I know what you're like when you think I'm not looking.

I can't listen to Jason as often as I'd like to, I can't get him on my radio, which is a pity. Be nice if he could come on R2. He is really good, a true professional.

Must go and put all those plants in which I won at the Fete. AND I won a fountain-pen. When I learn how to write I'll send you a letter.

Wonder what this evening will bring. It's a pity that 4 of us go together now, it was much easier when I went with one friend, we talked ourselves out of going all the time.

See you again soon.

Lots of

Hi Fly,

Had a hectic night tonight with family matters, so didn't have much time left for the 'Boards'..

Tried to get to you via h2g2 but was told site unavailable, or something...like you, I don't understand the jargon....Oh, for Postal Orders,National Savings Stamps,Billy Cotton Bandshow, Hancocks Half hour(he was a Brummie you know!)Dickie Valentine, Joan Regan.........!!
Sorry about that...Got carried away a little .....

But perhaps you know what I mean?

Speak to you tomorrow !!!

Fondest Bygones

Al

Hi
Yes, I know what you mean. We try to keep up with it all but then it sometimes gets quite overwhelming. I don't know how you find out what they're talking about, I suppose they must think we're quite mad, sitting here typing away and not knowing what happens on our computers and, in my case, no idea what I've actually got. I asked the man to sell me a computer and here I am!!!
But to me it's like a car. I've no desire to know how it works, as long as it does.
There wasn't anything going on at the CB this evening. I think it's too hot to sit around messaging. I should go to bed, I suppose, but it's so humid. I'm wide awake.

Don't laugh, left my jacket behind again yesterday, this time at the W.I. A friend brought it home this morning.
I planted the rest of my plants because I'm expecting a "gardening" friend tomorrow and she always inspects everything. She would tell me off.

Thursday is a memorial service for one of my friends, she was buried last week. She was only ill for a couple of days, was taken to hospital and died the next day.

We ARE cheerful to-night, aren't we?

If I get time tomorrow, I'll try and find something more cheerful to write about. Am out with Enid tomorrow. Nobody can understand why I go about with her. She has a lugubrious face and a totally monotonous voice, which makes her sound much more miserable than she actually is although she is mostly miserable. Very strange person. Used to live in the next road and we woiuld go out for the day and then, suddenly, she'd say: "Got to go home, I'm tired, I need to go to bed" and at any time of the day she'd go to bed and sleep. I've always envied her that, she still does it, whether it's at 10.30 in the morning or 5.00 in the afternoon, she can go to bed and sleep for a couple of hours and wake up refreshed. Must be lovely.
She's always short of money and has gradually traded down from a 4 bed-room house, when she lived here, to a 1 bedroom flat. Each time she moves she spends all the money that's left over. Now, her divorced son sleeps on the sitting-room floor. When she sold the4 bedroom house she threw out all the furniture etc. It was the day Princess Diana died when we went out and within 5 minutes she bought a new microwave, a music centre, a fridge-freezer and a T.V. All without actually seeing them. Just told the man in the shop what she wanted, the smallest of everything they had.

A week later we went shopping and she saw a gold necklace she liked. £ 380, but she bought it straight away, plus a ring for £ 600. I was flabbergasted.

I don't know how many cars she's had since I've known her, a few weeks ago she had 3, two of which she has sold now. But she complains all the time because she has no money. When she comes here she takes my yesterday's paper home, because she can't afford a paper. Ha ha
Do you think I attract "characters"?

I'll let you know what exciting adventures we undertook, tomorrow.

Sleep well,

By the way, I find that if I ignore all the warnings and notices of "errors", they all go away. Strange, isn't it?

See you tomorrow.

Hi FLY,

Late, I know (11.15pm)Have just got in. Went over to the boards, and everything is 'dead' What the hell have you all been up to tonight?? For god's sake, I thought that I may have gone too far LAST night(by the way thank you for rescuing me in my trouserless state)But things must have been 'wild' tonight if the Mods have made the boards 'inexcessible'(can't be asked to check the spelling on that one!!) And I missed it!!

Took 'The Bride' out tonight for'us tea'...this isn't a Brummie expression, it comes from further 'up t'north'.....

We went to a country pub that was recommended by one of her clients.
We should have known that if the car park has only 6 cars on it,at 7.30 on a thursday evening, something could be amiss!!!

The pub was fine,the beer was excellent.....but the place was virtually empty. We decided to give it a try being as it was recommended, and to find another place would have taken too long. As I say the beer was 1st class...but the service was dire. From ordering our meal to it being put in front of us was an hour...how long would it have been if they had been busy? The food was quite good....but you had to wait soooooo long for it.

On the way home we stopped off at a new 'music venue' This was a pub that had recently changed hands, and now had music 7 nights a week.Tonight was an 'open mike' session where anyone could get up and perform.Well....talk about feded aspirations!!! The performers were all of a 'certain age' that had missed the boat. They would have been great at a party, but here they were LOST....fair do's to them for trying, but, if their loved ones had told them that they were good, they hadn't done them any favours....but for all that I enjoyed it...I loved to look around the room and see the audience. Most of them were 40+..some, my age...and most looking as if they were searching for what 'used to be' or was that just my imagination...Nevertheless I enjoyed it and will go again.

Just off to bed now. Will see you again tomorrow....even if only to see what you have been up to tonight!!!


Big Wotsits

Al XXXXXXXXX

My dear bare-bottomed

What have we been up to? The answer is: Nothing.
The boards have been closed all yesterday evening and this morning and when I went to look just now, it took soooo looong. And this board wasn't much better, so I don't know if you'll ever get to read it.

SC was on the CB again just now, with a case of Stella.
So was another of my non-favourites. R. She complained about a lighthearted remark of PG the other night about drugs and got her modded. We were all aghast, you just don't do that to a "mate".

It was a strange evening, last night, those of us who,ve got each other's email addresses were able to correspond freely, of course, keeping each other notified of the state of the boards. Quite fun, really.

I've been out to lunch to-day and had the same experience as you did the other night. Pub in the next village advertised: £5 off set course lunch for 2. Lovely lounge for drinking our aperitifs and the waiter came in with the menu about half an hour later. After 10 minutes he came back to see what we wanted: sirloin steak and chips, please. Went away and half an hour later took us to our table. We were the only ones there!! Beautiful dining-room, lovely sparkling white linen tablecloths and LINEN napkins, flowers and candles on the table, everything perfect. But we neede d some company, and we said the same as you: "What would they do if they were busy?" Strange thing was, after all the beautiful china and cutlery, when we ordered coffee, he brought 2 enormous cups on a silver tray with a little can of milk and NO saucers or spoons.And the bill (incl.1 glass of wine, 1 tonic water) was still £ 34-50 (after the discount)

Have you got plans for the week-end? I haven't really, see what turns up. But next week is fully booked already. Lovely feeling!!And all NICE things with NICE friends. I am so lucky.

I'll have another look at the board again and if they haven't speeded up, I'm Why don't you come and sit in my shady nook in the garden and have a cold beer? Or shall I put some white wine in the fridge? (Don't usually drink white wine)
You can wear your shorts if you like, it's very warm outside.
I'll leave the back-gate unlocked like before.

See you then