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

I'm told that Mercury is, or was retrograde and that this happens three times a year. It controls communication, and in times of retrograding, communication is poor or mistakes happen.

Over the last week or so, I've had problems with my new modem (computer problems are also cited), my friend has been attacked over an incident at a tube station barrier, I was unable to contact him and he was leaving messages on the wrong phone, I made a foul meal as I couldn't find the right sauce, I clipped my car, I had to deal with two problems with delivery people. One refused to unload boxes and the other didn't leave some stuff behind which would make our fax machine work (yet another method of communication). I had to deal with my incandescent staff. One, when trying to sort out the fax machine was asked to fax some details across! Oh, the irony of it.

Maybe that explains all the ****ing up I've been doing the last two weeks!

Could be, Lentilla - it's been one thing after another for me. Didn't stop yesterday, either. I had a bursary claim to government which I needed to do and it meant checking on lots of figures (I hate figure work) and reconciling our spend, including a nasty calculation of a salary that had an increment half way through a month.

I asked our finance people for a breakdwon and struggled all day to get it in for the deadline of yesterday. I phoned to say I was faxing it with less than an hour to go to the deadline, only to find that I had misread it and I had an extra month to complete it! Still, it's done now.

I figured it was just stress. I've been getting worried and fretful over the amount of work that we have to do, so I start rushing through it, which means I miss the small details that somebody else has to fix the day after... then I get yelled at for screwing something up, which stresses me out, etc, etc.

So I'm taking a more Zen attitude to it. Actually, I said to myself - 'Self, work at your normal pace. If you have to work overtime, let them tell you it's necessary. It's just a job.' It helps a little...

I was talking to someone on the phone yesterday, my best friend and she was saying something about needing to do something in her free time. I said 'free time?', what's that! And at present, like you, I seem to have very little of it. At the moment, I'm having breakfast, writing to you and should be waking the child - well I have woken him, I should be making sure he has his school uniform on and is ready to rock and roll.

You're right. Attitude has a big effect. Often things are as you expect them to be. If you expect something to be difficult, it will be and if you expect that it's going to be easy, again you're right. The trick is to believe it!

Good luck, anyway!

Let's hope my modem gets delivered so my computer problems will sort themselves out. My computer keeps connecting itself for some reason. I have to pull the phone line out when I've finished.

Thanks! Things are already better. Taking one thing at a time helps a lot.

Your computer keeps connecting itself? Sounds rather scary, actually - have you ever read 'Press Enter' by John Varley? (Or do you have SETI hooked up? SETI will connect with its server and download new blocks of data when it's ready.)

Yes, it was scary. Been off-line for a couple of days - new router installation problems (more retrograde Mercury, I think!). Now got broadband, so my problems should be over .

No, I've not read that book and I don't think I'm connected to SETI.

"Incandescent staff"?!

ROTKFL!
(rolling on the kitchen floor, laughing!)

Yum, broadband...

I'm pleased that the broadband is finally here, however it took ages to set ti up as they supplied me with a modem that my apple mac didn't have a driver for, so it had to go back, then I ordered a router and couldn't get the installation wizard to work.

Last night I lost my mobile phone! I set my land line to ring it, to see if it was in the house anywhere, but no! More retrograde mercury? Although I would have thought the transit should have passed by now.

I've got my mobile back! I rang it yesterday, and a young boy answered. His father had found it near the taekwondo centre, so I was able to go round and collect it. I gave him a few pounds as a reward and he at first said that I didn't have to give it to him. There are some good people in the world!