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

Hi Liz,

Sounds like you're in need of a chunk of time off and not just a long weekend. Enjoy the break when it comes.

I am awaiting my first pair of glasses I noticed this August/September time that threading the needle for name tag sewing was not as easy as the same time last year and that, yes indeed, I had started to play the optical trombone whilst reading!!!!! Y&E were of no help to me at all when it came to choosing a pair of frames. One pair, apparently, made my legs look short and the other pair made me smell!! I told them that a blind, deaf monkey would have been more helpful. Anyway, a pair has been chosen and should be here before Christmas.

I enjoy driving. Not everybody does and I would probably feel differently if I had to do long journeys everyday but drive carefully all the same. Unfortunately, it normally isn't you that you have to worry about, its the idiots like me (remember earlier in the year?).

And as for the rich husband ..... honey, look at me and the mess I am. Being married to a successful man isn't always the way, believe me. I'd give my right arm for some calm and stability with Mr BB. Have you ever seen that naff film 'Bedazzled' with Brendan Fraser and Liz Hurley? Rent it out and watch the first 'episode'. You'll get my drift

Are you diplomatically side-stepping the 'office do' this year by being away then?

Here is a because it sounds like you might need a little one right now. So until the next time,

xBBx

Good evening,

I don't know why, but I'm not tired enough to even consider going to bed at the moment, hence I'm on here.

I just rang my brother and made his evening. Not. My brother is hosting the family Christmas this year. My Dad rang on Saturday to tell me that his hiatus hernia is playing up again and he might not be able to drive to Birmingham for Christmas. He wants me to find out how much extra a bigger car will cost to hire so that I can go via Lincolnshire to pick them up. Oh, nice! It's hardly on my way! I seem to recall that when Mum suggested they do that journey in reverse, he wasn’t exactly keen! Jon sounded really fed up when I rang him earlier this evening - my Dad is a massive pain in the butt when he isn't well. I feel bad that I rang Jon tonight – I could hear that he now envisions his first family Christmas being thoroughly f****d up by Dad. I’m sorry if I’ve spoiled things for him – but who else can I tell? I can’t deal with Dad's foibles on my own, he’s Jon’s father too. I keep hoping that maybe it will sort itself out and he will be OK to drive and that he won’t whinge and moan for the whole Christmas weekend and that he won’t spoil the whole thing for every one. Sadly, these are faint hopes.

To cheer myself up, I thought I'd have a look on Match.com to view the available men in my area. ‘Trolls are Us’ would be a better name for that website. I think I’m going to kill myself. Either that, or remain single for ever.

What are you doing for Christmas? Is it just you and Mr BB and the sprogletts?

The main college staff Christmas party is on Friday afternoon, although I'm not sure if I will go - most of my friends seem to have the day off on Friday. The lecturers and students finish college on Friday (16th), but the support staff have to continue until the 22nd, then we are off from 23rd December through until 3 January. I am going out for lunch with the team that I used to work with next Wednesday to the same swanky restaurant we go to every year. It was the FE Sector Christmas lunch today. We went to the Valley Restaurant at Fynn Valley golf club. Having dated a member of this club for eleven-and-a-half years, there is a strange irony in going to the Valley Restaurant for the first time now that we are no longer together. I had a look on one of the notice boards and saw Chris’s name down for one of the competitions, so at least I know he is OK – if he’s still playing golf, then life can’t be all bad.

Anyway, lunch was very nice; much better than I had expected in fact. The service was a bit slow, but the food was delicious. We left the office at 12 o'clock and didn't get back until 3.30. Now that's the kind of working day I could get used to. Maybe that's why I'm not tired - I haven't actually done any work this afternoon.

I went to a Christmas Party on Saturday night with a group of friends that I used to work with. I had a really great time. Yummy food and good company. I thought it would be strange to go without Chris, but it was fine. Some of the music was a bit cheesy but that didn’t stop me from dancing for nearly two hours. I am the boogie monster! I can’t believe some of the rubbish I danced to, but never mind.

Well, I think that's enough waffle for one evening.

Take care
Liz
~

Hi Liz,

Happy New Year Just swinging by to say that I hope your festive season yet well (it sounds like it re: boogy monster ) and that 2006 is kind to you.

Mr BB and the sprogletts? Where do I start? An incident Christmas Eve that I wasn't a party to ended with a telephone call from our local A&E to come and collect Mr BB + 7 stitches. Neither sprogs or me were impressed. My parents who were staying with me even less so.

Sprogs are doing great at school.

Sorry this is so fleeting but do fill me in with the highlights. It is great to know how you are doing too.

Take care and with best wishes for a great 2006
BB

Hello Mrs Lady!

I had a lovely Christmas, thank you.

I've got a dodgy throat today. It's not sore or anything, it just feels like it is full of fluid and I've got a voice like Marg Simpson. My new friend Will thinks I should phone the doctor, but I'm not sure that I'm ill enough.

I joined one of those internet dating sites just before Christmas. I was more than a little surprised at the number of blokes who left messages for me. I have been corresponding with some of them, but I'm not planning to see any of them. There was only one that I liked enough to make the first move with and that was Will. We met for the first time last Wednesday for a drink and something to eat. We went to the cinema on Friday night and stayed in at my place with a bottle of wine and a curry on Saturday night. He's a sweet man and I'm looking forward to getting to know him better. I haven't seen him since Sunday (he's self employed and therefore his hours aren't exactly 9 to 5), but he sends me text messages every day.

So, who bashed up your old man then? Are you sure you didn't hit him with a saucepan?

Anyway, I'm supposed to be working (and deciding whether or not to phone the doctor), so I'd best be off.

Catch you again soon I hope.

Liz

Hey Liz,

Will you or won't you with Will? Let me know how this goes I'm really pleased that you and the pink boots have met a certain someone.

I watched The Symptoms tonight and it made me laugh so much because it was about dysfunctional families. The telephone rang here and I threatened Eldest by saying I would answering with 'Marg Simpson' but I didn't because it was the business line. As I was answering with a proper 'hallo', Eldest let rip with an absolutely killing Marg Simpson impersonation. It was so good

Have to run .... more of the other stuff next week!

xxBBxx

Morning. What am I doing on here at 6am on a Sunday then? Still nursing a cough and feeling terrible is what. I got up to make a hot drink and I thought I would hootoo for a while until the paracetamol I have just taken kick in.

All things considered, it's been a miserable few days. This will be my 7th day of feeling like crap, and the 5th of not having a full voice. This really is getting very tiresome. I have been coughing for three solid days and the whole of my abdomen hurts.

I haven't been into work since Wednesday. Quite apart from feeling generally unwell, not being able to talk is a bit of a hinderance when you work in an office. A work colleague offered me a ticket for the pantomime on Friday night (Peter Pan starring Brian Blessed as Captain Hook), but couldn't go because I was ill. Will came around on Friday evening and his excuse for being late was that he had been abducted by aliens. He stayed the night, which I thought was game of him given my continuous coughing - the poor soul couldn't have got much sleep. I haven't seen or heard from him since. Yesterday was the first time since I've known him that he hasn't either phoned or sent me a text. He as a lot of work to do this weekend, plus he wants to spend some time with his Mum as it was her birthday this week. I feel mildly annoyed if I’m honest – we’re never going to build ourselves a relationship on this basis, I need to see him more regularly than this (I've only seen him once this week). However, as I am unwell, we couldn’t have done much anyway so I will just have to wear it for a while.

I met Will via one of those internet dating sites. He was the only one that I contacted, but about a dozen blokes contacted me. Will is the only one I have been out with (two dates out and two cosy nights in) and to be honest he was the only one I really felt any affinity for, but a couple of the others are still keen to meet me and I'm not sure what to do now. Having spent most of last weekend in bed with him, I'm going to feel a bit of a tart if I go out with anyone else. On the other hand, Will is so firmly wedded to his job, I'm already beging to doubt whether he has time for the serious relationship that he claims to want. I really don't know how this stuff is supposed to work.

Anyway, this is turning into a whinge-fest, so I will drink up my hot water and lemon and go back to bed for a while.

Chat soon
Liz
~

Hello Liz,

I hope you are feeling better by now. Like you, I'm suffering with a sore throat, bunged up head and generally feeling bl**dy lousy. It started just before New Year's, almost went away last week, then a vicious sore throat returned and that has been my lot. My hair is looking really chavvy (remember the perm? Well, that's grown out now!) and I just can't be asked to wash it

So, what to do about Will eh? As you said, you haven't been feeling so great but being married to the job isn't good either. All our relationship, Mr BB put his job first. He is self-employed so he would and I understand that but even in moments of crisis, did he really put us first? I can't honestly put my hand on my heart and say yes. Mr BB may be successful in the material sense but relationship, and even friends wise, he would say yes but I (and others, including members of his family) would beg to differ. On the other hand, I'd would love a weekend of uninterrupted ....

So we'll move swiftly on to should you see the others? If you and Will have both stated very plainly that you would both like this to be more than a casual thing, I would wait until the cold clears up. Again, there has to be more to a relationship than one good weekend in! If both sides are happy with a casual relationship, then fine, but I didn't read it that way. Don't you have to see if you have other things in common? Over the years I have noticed how I have been unable to develop my own self of 'me' because Mr BB being that bit older than me was keen to show me new things that perhaps I wouldn't have been exposed to before. Which is great! But when I discovered that actually, I'm not really into some of those things, the relationship did become difficult. I'm not saying that opposites don't attract and you can't have different interests but by bitter experience, if you are both moving in the same general direction, it does make things easier. So don't you and Will need to spend a bit more time together to a) see if his job really is the be all and end all and b) what do you have in common? Hence, wait for the cold to clear up and give this relationship a proper shot? Then when you have a clearer view you can make a decision about seeing others. Is that tosh?

And no, I didn't take a saucepan to Mr BB

Wishing you better very soon,
Take care,
xBBx

Hey Billybob!

I'm still not feeling entirely well. I went back to work on Monday, which, with the benefit of hindsight, might have been a bit soon, but I was getting really rather lonely shut up in the house all on my lonesome. I do feel better now and my voice has recovered a bit, but I still can't speak very well. I have now been sans voice for a week! I can't even phone anyone up for commiserations as it is just too hard to make myself understood and to talk for more than a few minutes results in a major bout of coughing. My throat is sore today, which it hadn't really been before, but I am coughing a lot less, which is good. It'd be nice to feel properly well though.

As for the Will situation, I really don't know what is happening there. When he said goodbye to me on Saturday morning, there was something odd about it and I really didn’t believe him when he said “I’ll call you,” which is why my last posting sounded a bit glum. There is an issue that he is a bit of a workaholic (he's self employed too) and I suspect he doesn’t really have time for a girlfriend. But he was so keen! Last week, despite his assurances that he would be too busy to get in touch, I had at least one text from him every day and he phoned me three times! This week... nothing! He only texted me on Monday because I sent him a message. I like him. I can’t help wondering if he has met someone else that he simply likes better. It’d be nice of him to tell me so, if that is the case. I'd love to get to know him better, but I can't do that if I don't see him. Neither of us have made any statements about what we want from this because there really hasn't been the opportunity to do so - we only met a fortnight ago (and I couldn't b****y talk the last time I saw him).

I have had a text message from a work chum this evening, asking if I would like a visitor either Thursday or Friday night. I have texted back and suggested Friday is a better day as it will give me time to tidy up a bit. I’m still not feeling properly well if I’m honest, which is another reason why Friday would suit me better. And it occurs to me that, assuming I don’t hear from Will (and I really don’t expect to), I can text him tomorrow night and say something along the lines of ‘I’m spending Friday evening with a friend, how about doing something together on Saturday night?’ Then it will just be a case of wait and see.

There are three other guys who still want to see me and not being able to talk has been a handy excuse to put them off a bit. One is going on holiday on Friday (and I'm not keen on him anyway, he lives too far away), so that keeps him out of my hair for a while. There is one younger lad that I think I need to let down gently anyway as he does come across as immature ("I spend all my money on DVD's; I'm always getting into trouble at work" - hmmm, sounds like my ex-husband). Then there is an older guy that has been very patient with my refusals to telephone him etc, who I really might have lunch with one day next week if I get my voice back. He does seem nice. But I like Will!!!!

Anyhoo, I'm off to make myself yet another hot drink and I think I need to take something for the pain in my throat and ears. I hope you are feeling better too and that you have sorted out the chav hair-do

Liz
~

Hi Liz,

How is the sore throat? I've been swigging pholcodine linctus and it has helped but exactly the same as you, as soon as I open my mouth and the air hits the back of my throat - cough, cough, cough!

How did things pan out with Will and the older chap? Did you spend Friday evening with your friend hence being able to text Will with the 'I'm busy tonight, how about tomorrow?' thing? It is so difficult when your head is saying 'no, sensibly, this is not for you' and your heart is saying 'I know, but he's a bit of all right!'

I had a small reunion with some girlfriends from the playground on Saturday night. Last September saw a parting of the ways because three lots of children went to different schools and I don't need to actually go in the playground anymore so it was great to see them altogether. We have each seen other fleetingly in traffic or at the supermarket but to actually sit down and laugh together was fantastic. What a tonic! The second nice thing to happen to me.

The first, a new car at long last. We were only driving the last one for 12 years since absolutely brand new, no miles on the clock. This is a smaller car although Mr BB tried to tempt me with another big 4x4 and two types of convertible coupes but I just had a burning desire for a smaller vehicle and we both liked this one and Mr BB isn't here at the moment so I get to drive it absolutely everywhere And yesterday, I took part in that great British Sunday morning past-time of washing the car. It was fab! No word of a lie, I needed a stepladder to reach the roof on the old one. (I still had to open the door and stand on the edge to reach the roof on this one being of a petite stature.) I loved that old car but the cost to get it through the MOT this year vs its value was a no-go this year.

Y is away ski-ing with the school so E and I are here together on our own for a bit. I will be babysitting three year old grandson (child of Mr BB eldest) for nearly week but I don't mind seeing as I'm repaying the compliment.

When you get the time, let me know how the weekend's events turned out.

Always glad to hear of anything you care to say,

Take care,

xBBx

Hello BB,

Sore throat is much better, but I'm still coughing a bit and I feel absolutely drained. I haven't felt well for more than three weeks now and it is getting me down somewhat. The various cough mixtures I have tried all have the effect of upsetting my stomach, but if I don't take anything then I wake up coughing in the night. It's a bummer!

So, yes, Friday before last spent at home with my friend Debs. Will did actually call at some point in the evening, but as I was the worse for wear by this time , I opted to call him back the next day. He said that he felt he couldn't find the time to see me as he was so busy with his work (although I rather suspect that was a convenient excuse, because I can see that he still logs into the dating site fairly regularly) and that he wasn't sure about things, so he thought it best to just leave things rather than continue and then people get hurt. I do appreciate the fact that he spoke up about his doubts (if dear old Chris had done that, it might have saved us both a lot of misery), but I was disappointed and I really don't understand how we went from him being so keen to nothing at all in such a short space of time. A two week relationship is a new record low for me! I would have liked the opportunity to get to know him properly. He was a funny little chap, but I rather liked him.

Last Friday, (against my better judgement) I met Iain for lunch. Iain claims to be 44 but would easily pass for 55! He was even less attractive in real life than he was on his photo and came across as a fat, balding, grumpy, intolerant, middle aged, Daily Mail reader. Fine if that's your thing, but it aint mine! He sent me a really nice e-mail at the weekend and I am still debating how to reply to it without hurting his feelings.

There are still a number of other interested parties, at least two of which I really don't want to meet, but I'm still giving consideration to the others. I've exchanged a couple of e-mails with a nice sounding chap that only lives about 15 minutes walk from me, so that might be worth persuing. It's all so much more like hard work than I had expected.

It must be rather fun to be a step-granny - I quite fancy that idea myself. I'm rather surprised that none of the men I have been in contact with via the dating site have any children (well, none that they admit to anyway). I had expected to be fishing in a pond full of divorcees and weekend only Dad's, but I have been pleasantly surprised to find that is not the case. It seems I'm not the only one to have bogged about for so long and missed the parenting boat.

I'm glad you had a nice time with the other Mums. I had a splendid evening when young Debs came 'round the other week. I hadn't had a girly night at home for about 15 years and I'd forgotten what fun it can be. We've moved offices again at work (ooh, that makes a change!) and I've been sort of split up from some of my friends, so I really ought to organise a bit of a girly night out for us all soon I think. My colleague who went to Australia for two months () is back next week, as is the girly who keeps going off sick with stress, so that might be a good excuse to do something.

Anyhoo, it's nearly lunch time and I'm starving! I hope you're having a good week and I look forward to hearing from you again.

Liz
~

Hi Liz,

This dating thing appears to be a minefield. Several of my girlfriends are divorced with children and one, after a severe drought of affection, has a mutually casual thing on the go and one, after a very on/off/on/off relationship, has settled with an on but on my terms only relationship with the said cretin and is much happier doing her own thing rather than trying to accommodate him, his child, the ex, her own children! I've thought for rather a long time better the you know ...... What is the storyline now? Particularly with the chap who is only 15 minutes walk away.

And you just can't beat a good girls night in can you?! I'm glad that you too had a fun time with Debs and that it won't be another 15 years before you are doing it again.

As for the step-granny story, can we please get rid of granny. Because we do not have a family tree but an orchard I'm Nanny just like the the other two. But if you really want a road to therapy, Y&E are aunties naturally and young'un has seen my parents on occasions. So why is that there is Aunty E and Aunty Y, Aunty C(my mum) and Uncle A (my dad) and I get called Nanny!!!!!!!! My plan worked to fill the days with so much that there was no time to miss mum and dad and I'm a stickler for manners so I suspect that in the end, young'un was glad to get back to mum and dad. There were only two major poo incidents and both were in the bathroom which is tiled so that was OK. As we walked around holding hands or whatever it was we were doing, everytime some old biddy ooooohed or aaaaaaahed, I instantly denied young'un was mine and I was only the babysitter.

The evening is ticking by here so I must take my leave but I look forward to the continuing story of your dates.

Until the next time,

Take care,

xBBx

Watcha!

No more dates as yet. Currently exchanging daily text's with the chap who lives just yon side of the park. I'd quite like him to phone. I replied to a text from him yesterday and said that I didn't have much planned this weekend, but so far he hasn't taken the hint. The younger bloke still wants to see me too, but I'm more interested in the other one at the moment.

I've been having problems with my PC this week and I have spent many hours fiddling with it today. I've done all sorts of scary things, like deleting cookies, disabling a modem and a system restore. It would seem (whisper this) that I have sorted it out. Well, I'm able to access the internet at least, which I haven't been able to do for six days.

I'm having a dull domestic weekend. I am going to stay with a friend next weekend, so I really should get as much household stuff cleared up this weekend as I can. I am trying to persuade myself to go into town tomorrow to attempt to buy some clothes - something I am notoriously unsucessful at! It's just as well I'm not getting many dates at the moment, I haven't got a stitch to wear! I went out on Thursday night to see Kismet (that's the rock band with my friend's two sons in it) and you should have seen the terrible pink cardigan I had to wear with my rock chick t-shirt. Need more clothes!

Anyway, as I haven't got much to say today I think I shall b***** off.

I look forward to further stories from the billybob household (plus complicated extended family) soon.

Take care
Liz
~

Hello Missey!

How goes the dating game? Any significant happenings that you care to share? My girlie friend dumped some chappie, who had a bit of a reputation but she didn't know him personally so wanted to give him a fair chance, before she even really went out with him (they met up for a drink for about two hours before deciding that another date was on the cards) and he didn't like it one little bit Still, gave her the confidence that she needed - the fact that he was so sh***y over it

Have you been clothes shopping yet? I confess to venturing out there into the unknown in search of a smart/casual garment to wear this weekend (see below). I came home with something from Next which inspired nobody (and I was beginning to get desperate) but today I had minor success in Austin Reed's. One smart/casual top and one that is definitely dressy, to which Y told me it was tarty Do Austin Reed sell tarty clothes? Not the last time I looked but apparently the sight of Mum in a black strappy top (not spaghetti straps either) with some bead work on the said straps (that are wide enough to cover a black bra strap more than adequately) and around the neck line, was enough to send Y into a torrid verbal frenzy about my personna! Or non personna as the case maybe. I thought to be a tart you had to a) dress in an unbecoming fashion and I don't think a black beaded top with classic black trousers and black suede stilletos with tasteful diamante detail that are also 21 years old, I love them and they are classics, counts and b) shouldn't you have to set foot outside the house and go out in public? Well, yes, of course I go out ...... to the supermarket, the school run, the post office, the railway station to drop off Mr BB. But am I wearing a black beaded top and stillies? No! Ski jacket and Timberlands are standard issue for me.

Y passed her entrance exam and will be attending the same school as E this September I had no doubts that Y wouldn't get in.

As for tales of Mr BB and the extended family ....... Mr BB went off the deep end just about two weeks ago now. I walked around for about week recovering from the mental bruises but am OK now, just weary and wary.

The extended family ...... we will be seeing the wee one with parents and another of Mr BB's children and their partner for the weekend. I used to really enjoy these visits but last time I was bored rigid at the restaurant and couldn't wait to get away. I'll let you know how it goes when I have the opportunity.

I hope you are keeping well and look forward to your tales of the unexpected

Take care,
Until the next time,
xBBx

Hello BB,

Well, dating appears to have gone tits-up again. I can't be bothered to go into details (you can have a look at my 'Men are from Mars' journal for that. Suffice to say that, after a couple of weeks of romance and attention like I've never known before, we have once again gone from tremendous levels of enthusiasm on the part of the man to no interest at all pretty much overnight. It isn't officially over yet, but it soon will be. So, lasted two weeks with Will and just about three with Kim - maybe I might make it to a month next time?

I have been shopping for both clothes and undies and have restocked my wardrobe slightly. Unfortunately, it now appears that I don't have anywhere to go in my nice new attire. I have had a couple of nights out with work colleagues in recent weeks, but there isn't currently anything else in the pipeline.

I haven't done any shopping this weekend (well, only for food) but I have been keeping busy. This morning I baked a batch of cookies (which don't seem to have set as well as I would have hoped) and made myself a delicious lunch.

Work is very, very dull. I went for an interview for a job in Felixstowe last week, but I knew before I even saw them that they wouldn't want to meet my salary request and they totally failed to hide their astonishment when I told them how much I wanted. The fact that my mobile phone bleeped halfway through probably didn't put me in a particularly good light either (it was Kim sending me a good luck message - blokes, they have no sense of timing!)

I hope you had a pleasant weekend with family. I haven't seen any of my family since Christmas. I suppose I should do something about that soon, although I am going to be spending 10 whole days with my Mum, when we go on holiday in June.

Anyhoo, I need to go and melt some to dip my cookies into - assuming they don't fall to pieces first.

Catch ya later
Liz
~

Liz!! Liz!! I can't believe I have left it so long this time I hadn't realised you had replied

So the dating games remains a mystery, as do the male species in general, with no progress except confronting him and keeping your pride intact. Two of my girlfriends are also in the throes of making or breaking and I'm as non-plussed as any of them and I'm married. Well, if in name only. Mr BB is away in parts foreign, giving me light relief from WWIII that seems to erupt everyday, between Mr BB and Y&E.

Talking of which, they are on holiday now. It has cost me a small fortune already with Y breaking up on Wednesday and E on Friday. We will be seeing my parents some days this week for jollies and hopefully my Mum's cooking Of all the skills and qualities that I inherited, cooking was not one of them Don't ask me why a simple set of cooking instructions make my efforts look like something a three year old scribbled on a page and taste like a baby's pureed tin yuk Still, your cookies and melted sounded good

Where are you going in June then? And lots of new clothes. I really must do something with the non-tarty tarty top from Austin Reed's or it will go out of stock and they won't take it back. My neighbour said that she was in there last week and she couldn't see the tarty top and I told her, you wouldn't! It's not tarty!!!!!!

I can't believe that I have been waiting for you to catch up with me. I'm sooooooo I wasn't ignoring you. Please forgive me.

I have a girlfriend coming tomorrow to stay for a night that I don't see very often. I'm really looking forward to it.

Until the next time,
Take care,
xBBx

Hello you.

As you can tell from the timing of this post, I'm not exactly busy at work this week. The college is currently closed for the Easter break so I am expecting two weeks of boredom. I have got the day off tomorrow because I am getting my front windows replaced and then I am taking the whole week off the week after Easter. I have some leave that I need to use or lose and I am more than ready for a break.

I have just hired a car for Easter weekend to pop up to Linky Land to visit the aged parents, and then I shall have four days at home just pottering about. I need to hire a car to get myself and mother to Heathrow but there is a £30 surcharge for a one way car hire with my usual company, so I need to do a bit of shopping around. I'm going to Canada with my Mum - this is the long planned holiday that my Dad chickend out of last year, so she is taking me instead.

I've been invited to another wedding, this time in July, so that will be another car hire as the wedding is at Droitwich Spa. My brothers wedding is not until December,so I've plenty of time to worry about transport for that.

I'm not currently bothering much with the dating - I might have another look at it after Easter, but I need to pay some more money in order to leave or look at any messages. I am trying to economise this month in order to pay for all the stuff I need to buy before my holiday - clothes mostly, plus I would really like an MP3 player. My stereo has expired so I need to replace that and I could do with a new mobile phone as well, particularly as mine wont work outside of europe. I'm just about to shell out £900 for two new windows so I am resigned to being skint for the next month or so.

I've got a top that I have been debating about taking back to M&S, but I think my 28 days might already be up. I bought three new tops when I was going out with Kim, and two of them are hanging in the wardrobe waiting for an opportunity to be worn.

I love cooking and always have (I made goats cheese and tomato tart for my lunch yesterday). I come from a foodie family - Mum is a keen cook, as were both my grandmas and both my aunties. Even my brother is a good cook. We like cooking, but more than that we like eating.

Anyway, it's nearly lunch time and I need to go and buy a present for my future-sister-in-law as it is her birthday on Friday.

Bye for now
Liz
~

Hi Liz,

Don't you just hate that when you buy something and then it hangs, forever in eternity, or in our cases the wardrobes. I too really must take tarty top back this week.

Whereabouts in Canada are you going? It's on the list of places to go but the place is soooooooooo vast, what do you pick first? Cities or mountains?

My new car (The Babe as opposed to The Beast that I used to drive) is going to the garage so I'm up and showered and dressed unusually early for a holiday but I have guests and I need to be ready to leave when they do. Y&E are in bed and I expect them to stay there for the foreseeable future

You really will be skint with all these impending purchases so one sort or another, but I just know the windows will be worth it. Our last home had original 100 year old oak window frames that were draughty, either wouldn't open or once they were open wouldn't close and now I have plastic Ooooooh! A bit of plastic! Clean, smooth, sexy windows and I love them!

As for the dating, when you least expect it, expect it!

Making a dash now so as I can hear a guest in the bathroom upstairs.

Take care,
xBBx

Afternoon,

Window fitting going well so far (apart from one broken unit which will have to be replaced). I have rung work to see if I can have tomorrow off as well as he is unlikely to get everything finished today. I don't mind - I like being at home.

We're going to Western Canada - Calgary, Banff (inc Lake Louise), Jasper (inc Mount Robson), Kamloops and Vancouver; and the final leg of the journey (Jasper to Vancouver via Kamloops) is on the Rocky Mountaineer. Mumsy is paying for this out of a life assurance policy that matured last year. I am in charge of organising transport to and from the airport and this is proving traumatic. My preferred option is to do a one way car hire on the way there, but my pet hire company charge an extra £30 for a one way hire, so a trip from here to Heathrow (a whole 110 miles) will cost more than I usually pay to hire a vehicle to go to my parents for an entire weekend (still cheaper than a taxi though, at £100 each way!!!). If only I had my own wheels!

I hope your car is OK - will it be repaired under warrenty?

As for getting home again, well that will depend on how I feel after a 10 hour overnight flight!. A car hire on the way back is a nuisance in a lot of ways because, quite apart from the likelihood that I will be two cream-crackered to drive, I would then need time off work on the Monday to take the car back as my local depot doesn't open on Sundays. It's never simple is it? I suspect we will end up coming home on the train, which I don't mind too much, but it is a faff on the underground with luggage, as I know only two well from previous experience. If I had a boyfriend, I could get him to come and get us! It's awfully inconvenient being single. Kim has a car he cannot drive because his speeding ban doesn't end until August. It's a shame I didn't manage to keep in with him for a bit longer the I could have borrowed his car - mercenary? Moi?!

Anyhoo - I should probably be trawling Heathrows website for relevant info; or at least doing the washing up!

Catch ya later!

Liz
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Hi Liz,

Your trip sounds wonderful (apart from the getting to and from the airport bit ). Especially the Rocky Mountaineer bit. Lucky girl!

I hope the windows are all installed now and look fabulous. The Babe was indeed repaired under warranty. Every time I switched on the ignition, it was telling me I had an airbag fault. I haven't so much as even nudged the car to the kerb let alone a full-blown bump to make the sensor think it needed attention. When I took Babe in at the appointed time I said 'hello, I'm Mrs BB and I have an 11am appointment to have the winkie stick in my car replaced!'. The two men behind the counter just laughed in my face and one said 'I've heard it all now!'.

Well, it is 730pm on a Saturday night and as you see, I'm living on the edge. E has a friend to stay and Y&E&friend are watching television as I clear the kitchen up. I fully intend to play with my new toy later, a cd-burner! I might even put my anorak on especially to do it

MrBB is back early next week. I have missed MrBB but not the aggravation. Isn't that an awful thing to say about the man I'm married to. Maybe, if I was completely honest, I have missed the idea of him. How goes things with you and the dating front? Leaving it to that chance meeting via doing something you really enjoy? Or am I just be naive here?

Either way, I hope your weekend is the way you want it to be.

Take care of yourself, until the next time,
xBBx

Afternoon.

The windows are in. I certainly wouldn't call them fabulous - they are enormous and plastic, not at all attractive, but I couldn't aford anything better. My net curtains are now too small so I need to replace them. I have found somewhere on t'internet that does made to measure ones so I shall get and order those next week.

I know what you mean about missing the idea of someone - when I find myself missing Chris I have to remind myself that the reality wasn't all that great.

I also know what you mean about staying in on a Saturday night - I've only had one Saturday night out so far this year! All my dates (ooh, all six of them) were on either weeknights or a Friday, as were my two outings with girls from work.

I've booked a hire car for next weekend to go and visit my Mum and Dad. Apparently, Dad is now making noises about taking us to the airport, but I'm not convinced that he can be relied upon. So, that is a matter for discussion. I'm looking forward to having a bit of a motor about - I haven't driven since Christmas. I need to go to the DIY Superstore, so I will do that while I have a car. There is some painting to be touched up as a result of the new windows, plus I fancy some different shelving. What an exciting life I do lead!

Well, the things I enjoy best don't tend to involve leaving the house - not much chance of meeting anyone while reading a book or fiddling with my computer! I am doing an evening class at the moment, but all my fellow students are women. I was so bored on Tuesday afternoon while I was stuck at home that I 'un-hid' my profile on the dating site and I have had a couple of messages. I was interested enough to cough up £9.99 for a week's membership yesterday and I am currently corresponding with a single Dad. Well, it's better than doing nothing. While I was on the site yesterday, I replied to a VERY old message from Kim and the nutter has answered me. I wouldn't mind hanging on to him as a friend as he is mildly entertaining.

There is another site I want to join, but it has a minimum two month membership deal, so I am saving up for that one! Plus I think I need some newer photos, and preferably not ones that I took myself with the self timer.

I might play with my CD burner later on - I fancy a different CD for my journey next weekend. I think it might be time to create 'Travellers Tunes, Vol 4'.

Happy burning!

Liz
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