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

Was wondering also if I was about to be guilty of hijacking

Son number three has now successfully managed to tie his shoe three times in a row and figures he's conquer that so he’s off to play chess with his brother.

Have just spent the past 2 minutes trying to figure out how to spell conquer with the spell check why on earth is it spelt with a q yesterday during the boys Greek class I found out the origins of all the phy words and that made sense but really q's instead of c's guess this must be a french word

where abouts in the US did you go

I have been to Chicargo, California, Illinoise and Indianna its a very differnt world to the one I live in and what about canada itself do you go off on weekends much in summer and spring

Sorry for delays, ... Had a supper to build, a wife to feed and scurry out the door again. She is very active with the church, and has some decorating to meet tonight. Lucky her, after a work-day and a visit to the to refresh a prescription.

I spent a 4-month summer of '85 on the panhandle of Florida. Near Panama City, in fact, attending a USAF technical course. Not an ideal time to be there. And just last August, I was in Rochester, NY for two weeks. If I could walk on water, I could have slept at home, as that city is barely 25 miles directly across Lake Ontario from the little town I live in.

So then, you've seen a few states, parts of Africa, ... Where else have your world travels taken you? I am always so envious of those who either had the time and money when younger, or simply the time and means even as adults, to travel. I have never had such options.

As a child I lived in England, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Indonesia and as an Adult I have lived in the former Yugoslavia and visited Africa, Canada and America ...

Mum is a journalist and dad an engineer in the oil industry hence the countries growing up then I was engaged to marry a Russian/Yugoslav (Anatolijia Kovalija) was his name before I married my husband.... he worked for the airlines and we met in Singapore where I was living but after a year I knew he was not the right one for me and went back to Singapore then home to Australia where after a couple of months at home I had a car accident... two cars and a brick wall by rights I should be dead it was through this I met my hubby

I have seen Botswana, South Africa, Namibia Zimbabwe and Zambia I like Zimbabwe the best

I am hoping to take my daughter to New Zealand next year for her 13 bithday but as always finances will decide that though it will just be for a couple of days as part of her coming of age Tom took TJ our eldest to Singapore for his 13 and father and son had a wonderful time .... it is something I know TJ remembers fondly. I hope all our children get to travel as it really changes your outlook on the world so much. I am glad your getting to go to England soon I hope there will be more opportunities along the way for you

You have indeed seen a few corners of this globe, ... and then some. Though I suppose perhaps bits of the places when you were very young might kinda 'blend together' in memories. And it sounds like you have a fine tradition begun, for 'age of maturity' of each of your young. It seems that it would be an adventure when they are at a good age to learn and enjoy from it. And perhaps develop the travelling bug.

My parents each grew in large families, on farms of southern Ontario. The only paying employment my mother had was a few months at a city factory, as a seemstress. My Dad apprenticed, and then licensed as a plumber. Later, he opened his own business, took on many more skills and licenses, ... But the family and business grew within 40 miles of where they were born. The parents have travelled to western Canada a few times, and for their 25th anniversary, did an open-ended ramble of much of Europe. Over a month and a half or so.

So you see, travelling, seeing new worlds, it was never a part of my world. Even when in the military, I only saw 8 or 9 places in Canada, and that one in Florida.

Well you will just have to come here next and stay with us and maybe we can take some time off to show you around. Both of us being self employed means if we don't work we don't eat Christmas is always interesting for us because that time of year is shuts down basicaly for both of us so we genreally have to try and save enough money through the year to live off of for about six weeks and buy presents too never easy but we have managed it every year for the past ten years. We have not had a credit card for over 10 years now I am excited because I have five more payments and I own my car outright and eight payments for Tom and he owns his and then there is just the mortgage on the property and the govt loan I will have for my degree but I can live with that

Mornign/evening Nic Iam off to the university tonight to learn how to write assignments their way and do something called refrencing non Harvard style sounds terrifying. So are you reading up on England in preparation for your trip or are you going to wing it.

We have just had the QEII and the Queen Mary in Sydney Port together 23 stories high the queen Mary is and $30,000.000 for a 21 day trip the price of a not to shabby car

It sounds like your financial world is working out nicely. We all eventually set some dreams and goals, and hope to achieve them.

We'll kinda "wing it" around the UK. Following a lot on this site for nearly 3 years, and knowing personally a number of folks, I think we are generally aware. Of course, we'll meet things unheard of, and commit some faux pas' ... But all tourists do. We'll take our chances ...

Just before I run off to build a supper ... I called on your friend "weirdo07", and may have some lovely chats there. Also, I wish you lots of confidence and comfort for your intro to the non-Harvard stuff.

Hello again just before dashing off need to clarify we are not off on a $30,000.00 cruise I personally think its ridiculous to spend that sort of money but if you gave it to me for free I'd take it

I enjoy talking to weirdo07 its always no good to talk to genuinely nice people have a good one Nic

woops make that previous no a so think I need a new key board

Nawwwww, just a new finger or two. They wear out.

As soon as you find that free $30,000 boat cruise, please do advise us? We'd love to try one on for size as well.

Have yourself a fine day, good Lady.

*changes the subject line by one letter ... *

I really am so pleased that your first lecture went so amazingly well, Lady. Sometimes, it takes something like that for us to realize just how much knowledge, personal worth, and just good stuff, we each really have to offer. And bring to any given situation. There are days that I even astound myself.

Lately, we have a 16 year old lad in our shops, for a "co-operative learning program". One chap is trying to find useful and learning things for him to do, to learn something of electronics, just to make it a good learning experience. As the other chap is trying to explain basics, some skills and what-ever, I find myself interjecting gently with clarifications, elucidations, just means and ways to allow the lad the grasp this load of new stuff. And so much of it is what I learned nearly 30 years ago !!! It's all there, just waiting for a day or need to be called up.

Thank you for your encouragement Nic I really suprised myself
I thinks its fantastic your helping this young lad it is such a shame that the wealth of knowledge we older people have aquired often gets overlooked and you have so much to offer hope this young guys has enough sense to follow you around and soak up everything

I have been filling out paper work there is sooo much of it makes me wonder what the assignments will be like.... I have an appointment Tuesday with the disability officer on campus and I have decided that even if it means I can't take my lap top in to exams or get extra time to write an exam paper I don't want to be labelled anymore as dyslexic so I hope we can work out something else... failing that exam marks are only 30% of my grade I will just have to work extra hard on my assignments to get the most I can to mitigate poor exam results

My girlfriend who is a Dr of philosophy and a lecturer at the most prestigious Uni in WA has been encouraging me to make the most of the system but I know that I don't have a disability when it comes to learning I am simply enabled to learn in a different way and while they don't teach that way in schools and that creates problems for me I don't want to think of myself as less than everyone else around me anymore....so thank you but no thank you don't call me dyslexic anymore

Oooh sorry on a bit of a rant here

By the way is the co-operative learning program something they use for people who learn differently in your neck of the woods or is it just part of general school life there.

It seems that in the last decade or so, the high-schools of this province try to find work-site placements for students who want it. For one semester of the year, they'll work in what-ever environment, perhaps learn bits of some trades, see some of the real world, and earn credits towards their final graduation needs. The Air Base has hosted hundreds of students since I've been there. (12'ish years now ...) Some will work in supply and stores warehouses, learning inventory, accounting and raw labour. Others might be in admin offices, seeing first-hand all the stuff that goes into keeping a large facilitiy and it's personnel operating. Of course, those that come into my areas will learn bits of radio, radar and computer electronics repair and stuff. It seems a great idea, and I only wish the education system had such stuff 30 years ago when I was of an age.

I really AM pleased for you, you acceptance into the University, and how well you seem to be adapting to it all. With your attitude, experience, and raw will-to-learn, I am certain that you'll be quite a success. I expect an invitation to your convocation or graduation ceremonies. See ya in the whole cap-and-gown thing ...

I don't know if they do the whole cap and gown thing here will have to find out

And of course you have a definite invite along with my second grade english teacher my first year highschool maths teacher and the vice principal who advised me to drop ou in grate 10

Grade 10? Gee, I feel special then that I got part-way through 12 before dropping out. Evenutally, I did write the exams for a "General Equivalency Diploma", but that's all that I formally have.

So what turn of circumstances allows you to be loitering on-line in the middle of the afternoon?

I went on to do 11 and 12 mum and dad said no way ho say but I failed everything which made me feel very special its Saturday afternoon here and in between shirts I am playing here two children are outside playing soccer Tom is occupied with his trains and middle son is busy trying to hack into some game centre if I thught he stood even a remote chance I would be worried

It was only a matter of about 4 months from the time I left school and then I was in the military uniform. So there really wasn't any opportunity to try to properly finish school anyway. Perhaps if I win a pot of cash one day, so that I don't have to work, I might try the formal school thingie again. But until then, the mortgage and needs must be met somehow, eh?

It sounds like a lovely family afternoon going on for you. My day will consist mostly of proper spring cleaning of the the house. We didn't really do more than a "lick and a promise" last year. And with the in-laws coming to visit from New Brunswick (750 miles or so) in April, milady wants the place all spruced up, and a dozen assorted things done. All of this, along with a nearly certain week or two in for me in the far north.

thats some spring clean if you have to start at 2.00am , Laird has done something to excite him not sure what.... hope I am not about to get a visit from asio is that the same as a snicker.....

The other two have just come in apparently it is now official soccer playing sister can woop the pants off of ballroom dancing brother now they are challenging each other to chess

I think I need my head examined it must now be at least 38 outside and inside with teh iorn going its a cool 43

I fell asleep stupidly early, hence the 2 am ... I will doze off again in a while ...

I take it that you don;t have central air conditioning then, eh? That was a fabulous bonus about this house when we bought it. Summer temps often crowd the 40C, and being right on a bay, the humidty makes it feel 10 or more degrees warmer. A house kept at a cooler 25 or so is quite a reprieve after the work day.