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

13th November

Last year I didn't have a new coat for winter, I had the one from the previous winter, except that it could be cinched a little tighter. It was midnight blue, below the knee, had three frills at the back, usably huge pockets, a stand up collar, a detachable hood, and fake fur trim on the hood. It was a wear-for-anything, fear nothing coat, if there is such a thing. This winter, it's going to be a bit too wide across the shoulders, even over a few layers.

I'll know the successor when I see it. It needs to be warm, smart enough to wear for a wedding, not fake fur, preferably washable, not too long, not too short, and cut loosely enough to allow for an extra layer or two.

I'd be willing to spend up to £80 for the right one, but it's got to be right. So far so straightforward. Except that finding something short enough but neither childish nor boring is difficult at the best of times.

Before anyone suggests something from one of the wonderful petite ranges, they're too long, they tend to be boring (in terms of cut and colour), and they don't usually offer a lot of choice.

After an irksome couple of hours trawling various sites for that coat, I'm beginning to wonder whether it might be easier and less frustrating to alter and retrim my existing coat for one more winter.

[Amy P]

14th November

I think I may have found it (for now):
Black lightly sueded microfibre;
kneelength on me;
generously cut sleeves;
hangs well on the shoulders;
the sleeves can be shortened without spoiling them;
minor repairs needed (pocket lining);
enough ease to allow for multiple layers, or the bulk of a dress, without looking like the Michelin Man;
drapes okay when unfastened;
it was £10.

[Amy P]

Sounds like a great coat, plenty of potential, and a very reasonable price too

I really feel the cold so the michelin man is the winter look for me

15th November

Where to begin? Looking at the wrong/hidden/reverse side is often the best way to assess structure, be it a building or a garment.

After finding the the pocket lining was torn badly enough to need repair, the obvious thing to do was to turn the coat inside out as far as possible. Not very far, as it turned out, because it's expensively made.

The lining floats instead of being hemmed directly to the hem of the outer layer, and there are a couple of thread stays to stop it coming too far adrift, while allowing the layers to move freely (preventing wrinkles, riding up etc).

Get past those stays, and the (in seam) pockets also have stays - a few inches of tape supporting the closed end of the pocket, so that it neither pulls the side seam out of shape, nor makes too unsightly a bulge when the pocket is filled, nor swings around much when the wearer moves.

If this had been a cheaply constructed coat, I could've had the pockets replaced by now; as it is, replacing them (by hand) will take a couple of hours, roughly the same amount of time as it took to inspect and remove the damaged ones.

[Amy P]

I admire your skills, I have a feeling so many garments are thrown away, or given to the charity shops, because nobody has the first clue about where to start to alter them to fit. Me included.

It was bound to happen eventually - I've got bugger all to say today.

Or at least, nothing to say here which would be worth a journal entry.

Maybe tomorrow will be more interesting, sorry.

[Amy P]

You could always pull a card if you felt like it

Selfish suggestion because I find your interpretations interesting

Like René Magritte "Ceci n'est pas une journal."

Or Schrödinger's cat, which everyone but Schrödinger knew was sleeping under the radiator.

pebbledrook.

17th November

Random card exercise today, for want of anything better to say. I'd hoped to avoid resorting to it at all this year, but if I cheat a bit like this, at least I keep the main rule of one post per day.

The Magician
It's the night of a gibbous (nearly full) moon, with forked lighting over a henged circle on the hill in the background. A white unicorn stands alert and waiting directly under the moon and in the midground.

In the foreground, a man wearing a pelt and antlers half kneels, half sits on the grass. His right hand holds a short ceremonial sword, his left hand is outstretched, having cast a set of runes in front of him. A lit torch of twigs, is stuck in the ground to one side, and he's got a rough slab of stone on which a metal goblet or chalice rests. A wolf (his familiar? a summoned entity?) quietly and peacefully approaches, apparently out of the torch flames.

I have mixed feelings about this card, it's not one I often get, and the meaning is ambiguous, to say the least.

On the one hand, the magician is no novice, and they've got not only all the tools and resources, but also the ability, knowledge, and wisdom to use them.

On the other hand' he's not exactly young and doesn't look as though he's doing this for fun, his face is drawn, although not wrinkled yet. The wolf appears tame - perhaps an indication of somebody not completely at the mercy of their own urges.

Some would say that this card crops up when it would be a suitable time to use magic - I'd view it more as an indication that any resources essential for what you need to get done are already around you.

Sorry about mispelling your name pebblederook, I blame the prnter's devil.

BTW after finishing looking at The Magician, I cut the deck. This time, Mastery (The Chariot) showed up. Okay guys, point taken, message received etc.

~ ~

[Amy P]

Ha! I love it when you get a bargain like a ten pound coat because it happens to be what you want, not because you were looking for a bargain.

Petition signed, BTW.

Thanks, Solnushka.

Right, better get offline and get some homework done, or I'm going to look very silly (worse than usual) this evening.

'BTW after finishing looking at The Magician, I cut the deck. This time, Mastery (The Chariot) showed up. Okay guys, point taken, message received etc.' The okay guys, point taken, message received made me chuckle.

Oh, I am sorry you consider the card reading cheating and something you hoped not to do, I really like them, and this one you could view as a response to a request from your audience

I have been hoping that Polish homework has been going ok, that even though it doesn't seem to be something you are enjoying much now that it ultimately pleases you.

FWIW Peanut, I just wanted to stop the card thing being a default thing, instead of forcing myself to think about what else I could say.

As for the Polish, It's not exactly unpleasant, just a frustrating, often. OTOH at least I can now more or less say the equivalent of "Blimey that was difficult, I need a beer, let's go to the pub."