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

The good thing about the thingites' campaign is that it's endless
Congrats, Hayayfi and shall I say I hope there's no conference this weekend?

Indeed, well done on the completion of the term, and the surviving of the conference. I've attended a few Family Resource Centre national conferences, and needed days to unwind from each.

So far as I know, the 00:30 melt-down (UK-time) is something that will be around for sometime. It's an automated back-up system, and until new devices are bought (very pricey they are, for something so big as the whole of the BBC message boards) we are stuck with that 20 or so minutes of quiet.

And the trip is nearing an end. Tonight I pack-up again, and fly home tomorrow. Sadly, I didn't think to bring a camera ... This province is just in that first real blush of spring, and the colours of nature are phenomenal.

Helllooooooooo anyone in here nope must still be away on his trip

You posted just after I was at work, ... and couldn't reply.

I was home again by supper time on Friday, and now the plans are a-foot for another travel of two weeks. For the last two weeks of June. Why do I even bother to unpack?

How is life, family and the season treating you, my friend?

we are off at the end of the month to see my sister shes down south at a place called Katanning its her 40th she works as a jillaroo on one of the farms down there...it always makes me laugh how they are farms down south and stations up north

So how was the trip and what were you doing?

I am like one of those old fashion sail boats that is in the doldroms it feels weird not having anyting on my plate then late this arvo I had a call from a friend asking if I might be interested in speaking at a forum

Ooops have to dash for the moment hubby is home will log back on later have to go give the man a hug

We have a number of radio transmitter sites across the country, BIG powered transmitters. At each site, there will be a number of such beasts, and depending on who it is needing to be spoken to ... different antenna will be used. Some are rather directional, some more designed for broad-sweeps but over a great distance. Well, there is a "matrix", a switching unit, that will tie transmitters to antennae as needed. Remotely controlled. This last working trip was to install a much-needed safety consideration into the matrix, and perform general serviceing as hasn't been seen in nearly 20 years. On the 18th, I'll be away to Edmonton, Alberta for 2 weeks, to do the same thing for other people and devices. Dull stuff, huh?

I do hope that you will enjoy your vist with your sister. And not be bored there. Often, a 'guest' is expected to relax, enjoy themselves, be pampered. I find that a bit frustrating ... I want to help, do stuff. There really IS no rest for the wicked, eh?

boring no I think it sounds a bit cloak and dagger like annetanne and matrix's Hayayfi now has images of super spy nic roaming the countryside doing top secret spy stuff

I am looking forward to seeing my sister though we are having problems at present trying to track someone down to look after the property while we are away....having animals is great in one sense and a pain when it comes to holidays if you know what I mean we can always put the cats and dogs in a kennel but it is a bit more difficult with the rest of the critters.

I promise to do nothing but sit around and count sheep having said that my sister has been a single mum working quite a few jobs for a number of years now so it would be nice to lift the burden from her shoulders for a bit. She basically had to hit the road when her husband of nine months starting hitting her while she was pregnant with twins so she has done it rough over the years.

Feeling better today have a bit of a hop in my step could be because an interview with someone looks like coming off for the magazine I occasionally write for ....I love it when a plan comes together...forget which TV show that line comes from....

Has a certain package turned up yet?

Well I had better hit the old treadmill and start the day have a good one 007

Hello
No work for me these days, a forgotten feeling - and a bit precarious - what shall I do with myself
Great job, Nick, doesn't sound dull at all - is it stressful or just a routine manipulation?

There see to us ladies your life sounds very interesting, as neither weirdo or I have anything constructive to do I suggest we invent a game we can play on line what do you think?

mean time I am going back to house work definitely not as interesting as the matrix ...wonders off to get the vacume..... wondering if she can get a coat like Keanu Reeves had in the movie

Sorry, Lady H, but no package has arrived yet. Letter-sized mails travel quickly, but anything bulkier can take a number of weeks. I'll certainly let you know when little things from down-under invade.

I've never really thought of my work as 'exotic', though often esoteric. Electronics seems to exist half in this world, and half in Never-Never-Land. While many devices may be similar, no two will ever malfunction quite the same way. It helps to keep the grey matter ticking, trying to get the better of it.

This particular tasking though, isn't very challenging. After the first 30 or 40 connection points have been dealt with, it becomes almost assembly-line routine. But hey, not everything is fun and thrilling, eh? And it does provide the monies to keep a roof over-head, and food to ensure the wardrobe doesn't get too loose.

It does seem that 'sister' has had a rough time of it, so I'm fairly sure that she looks forward to another adult in the house to talk with, express herself, ... and just plain change. Have you managed a replacement camera yet, to capture how much the young 'uns have grown since you last saw them?

No not yet Tom is in the process of lodging a claim we will have to pay an excess of the first $250. so once they have paid out the money we will go shopping and see how much they cost these days. The last one was a good camera but expensive when we bought it my understanding is that like all things mechanical they have come down in price.

I put our oldest a slow cooker the other day and taught him how to make stews and caseroles in it...so that when he gets home dinner is done...he too is working long hours and not eating as he should he rang to say he made his first chicken stew tonight and it turned out okay if a little spicy.

I over did it on the tread mill today and I am paying for it now this stupid foot is still playing up think I will ahve to visit the DR tomorrow... meanwhile dinner is now ready we are eating late tonight

We have a slow-cooker, but have never developed the comfort-zone of leaving it unattended through a working day. But on week-ends, the stews, roasts and such. Yummmmm. Tomorrow (Friday) I have a free day off, and will use it for my own creation of baked beans, molasses and hams.

mm sounds yummy care to share the receipe

I've written down what I tossed in, and if it actually works out, then I'll drop a note with the approximate measures.

And much to the relief of milady ... there is neither marmite nor vegamite in it.

marmite yucky vegimite maybe on very fresh bread and a hobbit scraping only

Well to pinch a phrase from one of the thingites everyday living has taken over my Hootoo time...from waging 100 post wars to barely having time to stop and smell the roses...I interviewed the vice chancellor of my uni yesterday for the homeschool magazine and it turns out he is a kindred spirit however it will be a long time before our uni changes its ideas on what learning looks like ...

I am looking forward to Thursday and Friday friends are comong to visit and Rafe has a dancing Exam on Sunday he has come a long way in only three months apparently George Washington said that the only two useful things he learned growing up were how to dance and ride a horse....and as he is once of my hereos I was plesed to think Rafe has learned to do both and he's only 8 mmmmm wonder if that means he will be Australia's George Washington

The three bears are sat on the couch palying a game normally they wouldn't be able to play on a week day but as I have had to drag them around from pilliar to post yesterday and they will have to again today I decied to let them splurge...it has nothing to do with the youngest coming and batting his baby blues at me saying please mum can we play teh new game we got and making an asortment of promises from neck rubs to perfect behaviour while hugging me profusely....I am made of much sterner stuff than that

Well I had best hit the showers and try and look alive only two hours to go until the dreaded exam eeeeeekkkk

Rafe may be very "George'ish", ... but when it comes to his dental care, see an expert? Those wooden fangs can give a girl splinters on a first kiss.

I've been to your journal, and tried to express myself there. You know that I have faith and confidence in you, just as you have faith in that one that WILL lift you through everything dire. just one more for good luck and good wishes.

As to the couch full of loving, dewey-eyes gamers ... Remember each and every promise, m'dear.

Well I finished completely this first term and I am happy pretty sure I failed the exam but I am actually okay with that I might have failed on paper but not in actuality as I learned so much and thats what counts...... hopefully what they learned yesterday was not that I didn't learn anything just that I suck at writing papers which is what I wrote on the tail end of my exam I would love to see the examiners face when he reads my paper....which by the way I am pretty sure is just 14 pages consisting of one sentence because I forgot to go back and put in punctuation.....wooops

So how goes it in the land of the maple leaf

Our chickens are fattening up nicely now and we had the most terrific thunder storm with lightening last night I am pretty sure the tanks must be nearly full by now.....Yeah

I have been reading a book on classical education have you ever read anything on it....I thought we would try it and so have bought four copies of Oliver Twist and we are going to read together one night a week after dinner and critically think through a chapter at a time...they encourage you to write notations and ideas down in the books and turn down the corners of pages which I already do horrendus I know to some peoples way of thinking but I personally think you can tell how much a person loves books by how battered they are not how pristine they look...

Well I am suppose to be transcribing my intervieww with the vice chancellor and turning it into an article for the magazine guess I'd better hop to it.

have a good one Nic by teh way hows the newsest addition to your family

You know that I really hope you did well on the exam. Still, if it was a fail, you've made known just why, eh?

I read 'Oliver Twist' ... not for school, but just because ... when I was about 10 or so. A year or more later, the nuns took us all to see it at the theatre, when it was new. While it was a good movie, I saw more things and thoughts in the book.

As for books, you would be disappointed in my small'ish collection. They all look store-new, despite many having been read 3 or more times. I just read and absorb as I go. If I feel something might have been missed, i catch it the next time through.

All of the little Rev's seem to be doing well, as of a couple of days ago. Though I am sadly disappointed that pics are so few and far between.

Hello, little girl. You seem mighty quiet around here lately. Have you been out and earning your pilot's license to fly a Sopwith Camel perhaps?

I do hope all is well enough for you and your tribe, and that you aren't burning yourself out doing too much.

I am still here have been rather busy with speaking engagements work, and research work...I have started to write a book based on my work so far I know...I know its going to need a really good editor...so your back from the wilds of the country...the weather has turned very very cold here...we went to a play the other night with the children haven't laughed so much in a very long time.....

Next weekend is the big bash I had planned on be there all weekend but I can only stay overnight now...Tom and the children will stay for a couple of days as he is building a chicken coop but I have to come back and look after all teh animals as our house sitter fell through

Still haven't heard about the exam I should think that particular paper is going around the whole campus causing much consternation and laughter

Wonder if Elena is enjoying her time in teh country

Son number one fell off a roof the other day appears to be okay but its the first time he has fallen off anything ever came as a bit of a shock I think...

Met a lady from Italy the other day who has lived up north in Kununurra where we hope to head towards the end of the year she was telling me about the Bungle Bungles and the Ord river ...can't wait to see it all sounds amazing...I was looking at the distance they want to run the water pipe line from there to Perth properly for the first time ever and I reckon if they manage it it will have to be one of the engineering feats of all time.

Tom is busy building a village for under the christmas tree this year complete with little houses with lights and street lamps and laird has decided to construct a ferris wheel for it also....can't believe christmas is already being spoken of...scary stuff

So what does Chirstmas look like in your part of the world...we do Christmas in July here well at least the pomps do... its finally cold enought for them to have a hot meal and all the trimmings they so love back in England...only a mug would eat that much hot food in summer here

Well its turned out to be a lazy Friday arvo and I am going to go for a nap more decadence..well it would be if I had gone to bed before 3.00am..I was suppose to be working however the client got lost and ended up driving three hours in the wrong direction I now get to add trauma counselling when they finally manage to find us.

Hope your well and industrious somebody has to keep the world turning while the rest of us nap