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

My last journal entry was for my 7th Hootooversary...I passed the 8th without note or comment. Tells you how much I find virtual homelessness uplifting, eh? Hard to celebrate *hereness" when you've lost your referent.

Happy 8th Hootooversary. And how are things going for you? I've been out of sorts and haven't been here much lately myself.

Happy anniversary!
Greetings from Russia
Hope things will look up for you,
Elena

Well, I remembered your eighth anniversary.

Any word on getting the computer stuff sorted? The last phone bill didn't end up being *too* scary, but Skype would be much better.


az

Glad to hear you're feeling more up to par, Hyp. Dizzy spells really suck!

Good to hear from you, Elena! How's the weather over there? I've been freezing since I got up here, and it's a high of 48F these days.

My computer is barely hanging in there, but I think I may be able to get a cheap, upgradeable laptop...and I know enough computer geeks that I can probably get hold of spare memory chips. *crosses fingers*

I've been living in Sunnyvale (38 miles south of San Francisco) for almost 3 months now. I'm not too happy about it, but VERY grateful to have a friend kind enough to take me in -- it sure beats living under the freeway overpass, or having my mail forwarded to the dumpster out behind the Safeway.

This is a NICE area, but FAR too expensive, no good timely transportation system, and very inefficient health care. SIX months to get on the clinic list and be assigned a doctor! Thank BoB, my health is doing okay, in spite of all.

Seriously, when I get my SSD sorted, I'm probably moving back. *starts hunting for her sunglasses, and sings Randy Newman's "I Love LA" under her breath*

Hello
we're experiencing global warming, the winter's been very mild so far.
It freezes, of course, most days, but it's often above 0 Centigrade (F is beyond my comprehension, I'm afraid), with the little snow we get melting and people struggling across pools of dirty water...The kids and the skiers don't get enough snow to enjoy themselves, and even skating rinks - popular winter leisure sites - are often of little use. It seems every winter is warmer than the previous one.
Is California getting hotter by the year? I've been told by a relative living somewhere around San-Fransisco, that it's virtual paradise in terms of weather...
Good luck with your SSD - the bureacracy seems to be even more intimidating in the US than it's in this country...And what about waiting six months 'to get on the clinic list and be assigned a doctor'- where is one supposed to seek medical help?
Envy you the sunshine! That's what we really miss here...

sorry, I've been unable to get online until yesterday...

"And what about waiting six months 'to get on the clinic list and be assigned a doctor'- where is one supposed to seek medical help?"

Ordinarily, the medical system is pretty routine here, but I'm on what's referred to as "welfare" in the press, etc. Different rules, essentially "charity"...

What it means if you can't get on the clinic list is that you go to the emergency room even if it *isn't* an emergency, if you're too sick to ignore how you feel.

I'm trying to view all that I'm going through as a learning experience, but I'm getting an educational overload, these days.

I'm so much better off than someone in almost any other country who's living at my income level (US$147 a month income) that I've mainly got to learn to stop complaining I think. I'd be more popular, anyway...

How good to hear from you!
So you think you're better off than most people living on US$147 - I don't understand why, but you needn't bother to answer if this topic seems to affect your rating
In fact, that's about as much as my pension is...Mind you, I can't complain, getting an additional 150 a month at a healthy working age of 50 - I am entitled to it as the mother of five kids (after proving that they were in fact raised by me up to the age of 8 (?) and that none of them has started work yet (my eldest is 18 and is a student). Humiliatingly, the pension is called 'old-age pension'...
We used to have national health service here (in the days of the 'developed socialism') and my generation have difficulty getting used to the new insurance system. The old system was far from perfect, but the new one stinks. Thankfully, hubby and the kids don't need the doctors much - or are we just avoiding them?
Why not talk about stars? Now that's a safer topic. Bad luck - no stars in Moscow - will have to wait until summer, and the dacha...
Any stars where you are now?
Looking forward to a word from you,
Elena

Stars! Now there's one of my favorite topics -- yes, let's talk about stars.

The sky was clear tonight; I actually saw the rising gibbous (3/4 full) moon as it rose, about 3 pm, I think. The city I live in is about 38-40 miles south of San Francisco, and we get a lot of haze, mist and fog in the evenings this time of year. Tonight got a bit hazy, with halos around the street lights, but I could still see the moon, almost overhead after sunset. !

When I lived in Los Angeles, I could see the milky way in the middle of winter, up until 1983 or so; then the light pollution got really bad, and it had to be phenomenally clear to see any stars except the very brightest. Here (about 450 miles north of L.A.), the light pollution isn't too bad, but it gets hazy from moisture in the air off the San Francisco bay (the southern end of which is about 6 miles north of here). Still a lot to see around here; still miss L.A. terribly, though.

Wrote a long post but the stupid machine gobbled it up - my Internet connection is hopeless at nights...
Hope you're as ok as possible...
Had to sort out another teenage mess -
See you soon

pen in motion.
words appear.
they don't make sense.
they just touch it.