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

I like what you have written at the end of your introduction thingy about getting into the game one day soon. I think that's really sweet.

I can't remember which conversation I saw you on now, but I noticed a name I hadn't seen before, so I thought I would come and see who you are.

I think you do just have to jump into some conversations - no one minds.

Liz
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Hi Liz,

Thanks for coming over to say hi. So, you actually read that bumpf! I'm supposed to be getting ready for a BBQ right now but instead find myself 'addicted' this evening, but I really must go now. I will hootoo with you a bit longer a bit later!

Thanks again, BillyBob

Hi again,

Having had a great time at the BBQ, I now found myself unable to sleep so .....

I think you probably found me on the Limerick - Add one line convo. When I was a school (and we were at school round about the same time by the way) I used to love writing amusing (in my opinion) poems. Sometimes they were puerile, growing-up teenage humour, sometimes they were just funny (mainly in the English lesson) and occasionally about people I knew, just picking out their characteristics and emphasizing them, a bit like a cartoon caricuture (I don't think I spelt that right and it's too late to look in the dictionary, sorry). So Limericks is probably where you found me. What kind of stuff have you written and had published? How do you even start going about getting something published? How clever of you.

I looked at your introduction quickly once you had said hello and I like Monty Python too! As soon as I saw the phrase 'and now for something completely different'. I'm not a devotee but it makes me laugh and I also like the films including 'And Now For Something Completely Different', 'The Life of Brian' and 'Monty Python and The Holy Grail'.

Thanks again for playing the game this way!

Read you when you are not busy,

BillyBob

I dip in and out of the 'Limerick' thing. I had a fondness for Edward Lear's limericks as a child and my interest in rhymes and poetry doesn't extend much beyond that and AA Milne. I used to write poems when I was a little girl but I'd lost interest by the time I hit my teens. I do sometimes join in with the 'Poetic Challenge' thread on Get Writing, where all postings have to rhyme and I did have a short nonsense poem published on the back of a writing magazine last year.

The only other thing I ever had published as an article in the 'BBC Book of the Future' book, which happend via a website. How I found my way to hootoo was via Book of the Future and then (when that site was closed) I joined Get Writing. However, I've got bored with writing as a hobby now (apart from writing letters and e-mails and overly-long hootoo posts) so I have moved over to hootoo permanently. It's such a fun way to waste time, isn't it? And there are some jolly nice people on here too. I have to confess to doing a lot of my hootooing at work (bad Liz!). We've got some computer problems this week, plus my boss is on holiday so I have been on here a lot, but I am hopeful of having a bit more to do next week.

Anyway, I will stop waffling now. I have just been interrupted by a colleague and I have rather lost the thread of what I was going to say.

Chat soon
Liz
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Hi Liz,

Sorry I took so long to reply. Hootoo has reawakened those brain cells for me that have lain dormant for soooo long. Having a laugh verbally with your mates is one thing but writing a laugh is different altogether. I'm like you (apart from the having something published bit), I love to receive a letter in the post, write e-mails and messing about on hootoo. That one bod (and I'm not naming names because that is bad form) on the limerick thread cracks me up every time

Come and hootoo with me anytime. Enjoy the long weekend,

BillyBob

Hi BillyBob!

I had a lovely weekend thanks - how about you?

I didn't do much on Saturday, apart from reading a book and shouting at the telly when the Olympics was on (just how exciting was the mens 4 x 100 metre relay?). On Sunday my boyfriend and I drove up to Lincolnshire for a brief visit to my parents. My Mum was 60 last week and my brother and I had bought her some jewellery and Jon (my brother) thought it would be nice to deliver it in person. My parents moved house about six weeks ago and my Dad is still moaning about their new house (which is actually very nice and I don't know what his problem is). However, after we plied him with a pint of beer and several glasses of wine, he cheered up considerably. Mum was very pleased with her necklace and earrings and wore them to the pub where we had our meal. My brother and I were both driving, so we had the somewhat surreal experience of eating dinner surrounded by four very drunk people. My Mum is hilarious when she has had a drink and starts to slur her speech after two glasses of wine. Jon's girlfriend becomes even chattier after some booze so she was thoroughly entertaining and even my Dad had an attack of humour. My boyfriend drank too much and fell asleep when we got back to Mum's and was still zonked enough to be unfazed by my awful driving on the way home. He had to go to bed early on Sunday night!

We didn't do much yesterday. We had a nice long lie-in in the morning and then went for a walk by the River Deben at Woodbridge in the afternoon and then watched television for the rest of the day. Sometimes it feels really good to just doss about at home, doesn't it?

Did you do much at the weekend?

Chat again soon.

Liz
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Liz,

How wonderfuly to hear about your weekend. Forgive the typos, all wwill become apparent very, ver soon. I crave the family weekend o9u (oops sory) that you had. \i love too jhear about weekends like that and the3y are the very weekends that I crave. it is 22.18 (acording to my computer) nad dthe last the guests have deartparted. It was my eldets daughters 12th birthday ND i HAVE DRunk almost a botle of cham;pter (shared with others!!)/. My husnband is no where to be seen and altough we have been thrhough a tough ftimne toghetet t hignsw need to be adressed,. I', soo happy for her that she had the best time but is l;opnely drinking poo by oneself. I'd like to thintg that you might jhoin me. #sp heres to another eitht hours of champagen and I'm glad that y9u had the best weekjend. Topmorrow when my fingers are working I'll post something significatn. #wotj jhpptoo grettings, BB

Hi Liz,

I hope you are fluent in drunken gibberish What I was trying to say was I'd love weekends like that but they don't happen like that for us. I crave stuff like that. I'd love to hear more of it. It just might give me the confidence to address the stuff that needs to be sorted out. My girlfriends tell me that my life is not normal but I've been living it so long now, it is my normal.

My Daddy came over to us today and helped me do things that I just can't do by myself e.g. put two spare doors in the loft and lay them down so I can store things properly up there! We had sandwiches in the garden and birthday . There is some left in the fridge but I don't want to end up like I did last night so it stayed there.

Time to think about tea so .... my apologies for last night , it won't happen again! BB

Hey-up BillyBob

Hmmm - one of the more interesting posts I have read. I have tried typing while intoxicated and it is rather challenging! I got to watch everyone else being drunk on Sunday, which was quite funny.

My Dad used to come to visit me to help me do DIY stuff before my fella moved in with me (I lived on my own for nearly 9 years). My parents live 2 hours drive away, so it was never terribly practical to have Dad as a workman.

I've been much busier at work the past couple of days because my boss is back. I have yet to remind her that I will be on leave myself next week - I intend to leave that conversation until the last possible moment.

So, what part of the world do you live in BillyBob? I can't get any real feel for your location from your personal space. And how come you never mentioned children before? How many do you have?

Liz
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Hi Liz,

I'm pleased to see that my crisis didn't put you off replying! It is our teatime now and Eldest had a big day today, first day at senior school. I will fill you in more later. Spag Bol tonight and you're invited

Hi again,

Eldest and Youngest (but not by much) are both in bed. Eldest had a few tears this evening after her first day at senior school. In her last school there were only 120 children in the whole school from nursery to Year 7. Today she was confronted with 1500 Youngest was concerned for her all day. What do you think she is doing now? Do you think she is having any lessons? Is she at break now? What will she do for lunch? Do you think she has made any friend? How do you make friends? Youngest wanted to buy her something to remember her first day at senior school so we went into town and chose a little something for her bedroom.

I never mentioned them before because hootoo was supposed to be for me and me only but the truth is they are my life (especially since Daddy is away so much) so they crept in. Also, it is very difficult to tap away without curious, little eyes peering over my shoulder. They both love the Limerick - Add One Line thread!

We live just on the edge of civilisation before Devon and Cornwall on the south coast. I see that you have lived lots of places. Was that as a child moving with your family or as an adult and study and work?

My parents live about 40 minutes drive away and next week Daddy is coming to work in the road where I live so I will see him everyday for lunch which will be great In fact, they might come and stay over, depends on Mum's office workload. Does your boyfriend, Chris I seem to remember, get on well with your parents? What about you and his parents? Do you see them often?

What are you doing with your week off next week? Does Boyfriend have weekend off too?

Spag Bol was delish and still a bit of birthday left. I think you should have some in way of an apology.

Until you are free, BB

Hmm, spagbol - I don't make that very often anymore. I did make a spaghetti dish that involved tomatos, courgettes and brie earlier in the week and that was pretty yummy.

I hope your daughter soon settles at her new school. I grew up the eldest of 3 children and I can still remember the trauma of being the first one to go up to senior school. I'm not sure that my brothers were too concerned for my welfare though.

As a child I lived in a number of different places for slightly complicated reasons, but mainly because my parents, brothers and I lived with my Dad's parents until I was 17 and we moved wherever my Grandpa said until my Mum finally put her foot down in 1984. I went to primary school in 3 different counties but luckily did my whole secondary education in the same school in Lincolnshire. I moved to Suffolk in 1988 when I married an idiot who just happend to be in the Royal Air Force and was posted to RAF Wattisham. When we divorced, I moved into Ipswich and I've been here ever since. I met Chris in October 1993, just a few weeks before my Decree Absolute came through. So we've been together for nearly 11 years, although he only moved in with me two years ago (he's not big on commitment).

Chris does get on well with my parents and also with my brother Jon (other brother, who was also called Chris, died in 1989). Chris's Dad lives in Ipswich and only about 20 minutes walk from my house but I don't see him very often. I never knew Chris's Mum, she died of cancer a couple of years before Chris and I met. He has a brother in Ipswich who I have only met twice (and who has 2 small children) and another brother and also a sister (who has one son) who live in London. They are not a close family like my family are and don't keep in touch much. Chris's Dad is elderly and difficult (not to mention alcaholic) but Chris visits him at least once a week and does quite a lot of stuff around the house for him. Of his siblings, Chris seems closest to the youngest brother (the London based one) and we see him about twice a year and he's even been to my house for dinner.

I have suggested to Chris that we have a day out in London next week, but apart from that I don't have much planned. He is playing golf all day on Wednesday, so I might go shopping for clothes as that is always less hassle on a weekday than a weekend. The weather forecast is good, so I might spend some time reading in the garden. Perhaps we might go to the seaside! I love the coast. Do you actually live on the coast, or do you have a short drive like us? (we're only about 10 miles from the sea here).

I'm hootooing from home today, partly because I've actually had to do work at work today, but also because Chris is in bed (he has to go to work at 1 am) and there is nothing on telly.

Anyway, I've rambled on for long enough for one evening. Chat again soon.

Liz
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Hi Liz,

I'm sorry to say that my hootooing has slowed down considerably now that school has resumed. I loved your last message so thanks for taking the time to write so much. Eldest is settling down and Youngest is concerned for her everyday. My parents came over today and that was lovely because Mummy washed my bathroom floor and cut the grass while I did loads of other stuff. Tonight it is homemade chips, beans, burgers and eggs! They love that and we don't have it every week so it's a bit of a treat. I'd better crack on with it because Eldest is starving .. all that extra walking in her new school.

Sorry for the delay in replying but please post anything you like to me. I love to read the stuff that I have missed. I hope you enjoyed the weather this weekend. We do live very close to the beach, five minutes in the car and until last year we could walk to the beach in seven minutes! Anyway, drop in anytime and my apologies again.

Until then, BB x

I'm hootooing a bit less myself this week because I am on annual leave and so surfing the net at my own expense rather than my employers'.

Mmmm, homemade chips - my Mum always used to do her own chips when I was growing up. We rarely have chips at home - we're rather into spicey potato wedges but we only have them about once a fortnight and always with fish cakes. I've made a big dish full of greek style salad today, so I shall scoff some more of that soon.

I have been loving the weather. While my bloke was out playing golf (at Cromer on the Norfolk coast) on Sunday, I hopped on a train at the little branch line station that is only 10 minutes walk from my house and trundled down to Felixstowe. The train journey was only 15 minutes. It was gorgeous down at the seaside, although a bit odd to be there by myself.

We then went to the seaside together on Monday, but this time a little further up the Suffolk coast to Aldeburgh. We got stuck in a traffic jam on the way there and then when we arrived, Aldeburgh (unlike the rest of the county) was covered in a blanket of cloud and the wind was blowing so hard that the seagulls were all going sideways. Apart from that it was fine. We ate our fish and chips on the beach, despite the winds. I spent a lot of yesterday out in the garden and I finally finished reading War and Peace.

Chris has gone to Watford to play golf all day today. This morning I walked into town and did a bit of shopping. I actually managed to buy some clothes - a fluffy pink fleece (I DO like pink ) and a gorgeous velour skirt that I paid far too much money for in Monsoon and which goes with nothing else I own. I tend to fall between sizes (10 too small, 12 too big) with clothes, particularly skirts and trousers, so I often return disappointed from my shopping expeditions, so today was relatively sucessful. This afternoon I have been reading in the garden again - making the most of this lovely weather. Tomorrow we are going for a day out in London.

Bye for now.
Liz
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Hi Liz,

War and Peace - I'm impressed. I tried to read it when I was younger but found myself reading the peace and skipping the war. I never did finish it. At the moment I'm reading America's Queen about Jackie Kennedy. Trouble is, I've been reading it for almost two years now. I never get concentrated time to read.

I have one of my stepdaughter's staying at the moment. She works and has some annual leave due so she came with her boyfriend. They took Youngest to the beach yesterday and paddled in the cold sea, boyfriend bodysurfed on Eldest's bodyboard, they made sand things, played long jump, flew kites and generally had a great time while I went supermarket shopping. She'll miss her Dad though because he isn't due home until Friday afternoon and she has to be back in London by 3.00pm Friday afternoon.

I hope you have a great day in London. I have to go to the emergency dentist today and this evening the five of us are going to see I Robot.

I love Monsoon. I'm like you, a bit awkward when it comes to clothes. I hate clothes shopping because like you I'm disappointed but I'm glad that you had a successful trip this time. Because we live on the coast I tend to wear T&G and Crew Clothing, you know the kind of stuff. And because it is all wraparound skirts and shorts I can get away with not having to take stuff up. I'm not short, petite is the phrase!

Again, have a fab time with Chris in the Big Smoke and when you have the time, I'd love to hear about your day.

Take care, BB xx

I know what you mean about <> while reading War and Peace - I was tempted to do that myself. It was quite a slog reading it and if we hadn't had so much sitting-in-the-garden-reading sunny weather just recently, I wonder if I ever would have finished it. I can't say that I enjoyed it, but having finished it does feel like an achievement. I think I may need to read it again one day just to try and absorb some more of it.

We had a smashing day out in London yesterday. We went to Greenwich and visited The Cutty Sark, The Maritime Museum, The Royal Greenwich Observatory and The Queen's House. The evening meal we had (at a place on Hanover Street, just off Regents Street) was rather disappointing, but everything else was great - including the weather. I've been really tired today, so I haven't done very much at all, apart from a bit of housework. Chris has gone out for a drink with a friend tonight. He always invites me to go too, but I don't like sharing him with his dull mates, so I stayed at home.

It would be nice to go out together tomorrow, even if it's just for a walk. Chris works shifts (and has a busy social life - lots of golf) so we don't always get to spend much time together. I like to make the most of him when he is around, but I have to make sure I've got something planned otherwise he disappears to the golf course or the gym or something. Do I take it that Mr Billybob works away from home? Is he away a lot?

Well, I'm off to have a bath and then go to bed. Chat again next week.

Liz
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Hi Liz,

How was the weekend for you? Mr Billybob made an appearance, eventually, 11.50pm at the arrivals gate at the airport and we arrived here at home at 2.15am Saturday morning. It's 4.57pm and now he has gone to work in the Big Smoke. That stuff that needs to be addressed that I whittled on about before ...... it is wearing me down.

Anyway, I'm glad you enjoyed your day out in London except for the meal, that was a shame. I worked in London for 10 years before Eldest came along but it just doesn't hold the same appeal for me now. I think because I see it as my rival for Mr Billybob's attention.

The Family Billybob took the kite to the bay to fly but the wind was too strong!!!! Mr Billybob got bored after about three minutes of trying to manhandle the thing, walked off and left me and Eldest and Youngest to fight with it by ourselves. That's why I love to hear about 'normal' weekends because it puts my own situation in perspective. I feel like I can't address stuff because Mr Billybob is only home 54 hours at the weekend and if I bring the subject up, I'm public enemy no.1! Here's another one for you. Do you and Chris go out as a couple with other couples? Or because he works shifts, do you like to socialise with your own friends and spend the time you have free together, together? When he is around my girlfriends don't ring because they know he won't want to socialise with them or their husbands/partners and children.

Youngest is back to school tomorrow and Eldest is enjoying her new school. She is getting to grips with hockey and netball for the first time. Her previous school was so small they didn't have the facilities for such activities.

So, tomorrow you are back at work and surfing hootoo again to the full You had great weather, well, we did and I hope you did too.

Catch you later in the week, BB

Hiya BB,

Well I'm back at work and bored already. Actually, I could be at home. I have been suffering from a bout of dizziness and vertigo for the past three days and I went to the Doctor this morning. He gave me some medication (which I have taken before - this is an old problem), told me not to drive (which I rarely do anyway) and suggested it would not be unreasonable for me to take a couple of days off as it is difficult to function properly when the world is wobbling about. Having only just come back from holiday, I don't really want to take sick leave, so at the moment I am just seeing how I get on. It's a very long time since I last had this problem (at least 5 years) and I had forgotten how annoying it is. It's very rare for me to go to the doctors at all - I went once last year for something gynae but the last time I went because I was actually ill was three years ago.

I'm sorry family life is not as you would like it to be. Chris and I do go out as a couple sometimes. We have a big gang of my friends (old work colleagues and their partners) whom we socialise with about 3 times a year, and then there is a friend of Chris's (whom we shall call A) and his girlfriend (J) whom we socialist with from time-to-time. To be honest, I find A & J a bit irritating and I can only take them in small doses. I don't really have any of the sort of girl-friends that go out on girls only nights (or who telephone me more than a couple of times a year) and, because I have moved around a bit, the person who I think of as my best friend lives about 100 miles away and I'm lucky if I get to see her twice a year. I do like to have Chris to myself. He went out with A on Friday night and I could have gone too, but I didn't want to share him with his friend.

Anyway, my wooziness seems to have subsided a bit, so I might risk going out for lunch. Our e-mail has broken down at work (AGAIN!) so I can't actually get on with very much.

Hope you are having a nice week.

Liz
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Hi Liz,

I'm so sorry to hear about your wooziness. I hope your medicine makes you feel better real soon. I understand how you don't really want to take time off sick so soon after a holiday. Luckily for me, office politics wasn't an issue for me when I worked but I saw it going on around me and it wasn't nice.

I'm feeling very low about the family stuff at the moment. I feel like a cold radiator inside. I want to feel warm again. But the good news is Eldest is doing great at her new school and likes it very much and Youngest has slotted back nicely into her school this week too. Eldest and Youngest are obviously too young to understand that the love a mum has for her children is different from the love she gives her husband or even her parents. They kiss me and cuddle me lots and lots but my heart is breaking for my husband to be here too. Sorry for the wallow.

Thanks for the insight to your lifestyle too. That was very sweet of you to divulge that sort of stuff.

Take care of yourself, Liz, and I hope you feel so much better very soon.

Until then, BB

Hiya



Relationships are such a minefield, aren't they? A few months ago I was seriously contemplating kicking Chris out but things are good again at the moment, so perhaps things with your hubby might return to a more even keel soon. It must be some comfort to have the children though, isn't it? I'm sort of regretting not having any myself just lately and, given my age and past gynae history, I rather doubt whether I will ever get to do the motherhood thing.

My medicine is working quite well and I feel considerably better than I did two days ago. I'm slightly concerned that we might be treating the symptoms rather than the cause (I still think I have something wrong with my sinuses) but at least I don't feel so rough.

So, do you not go out to work at all then? Do you have friends to see during the day, or are you by yourself until the kids get home? I sometimes think that I would like to be at home all day, but I think I would get lonely.

Chat soon
Liz
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