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

Hi again!

It's been quite a while since I lasted posted a Journal Entry, so I thought it was about time I wrote one to let everyone know what I've been up to.

Well, first things first ... I've had some stuff at uni to deal with: management diploma coursework and exam (which went reasonably OK), a presentation about my research project at a technical meeting (which went well - my supervisor received a number of positive comments about it), sorting out my technical courses for my doctorate etc. But the good news is that we're finally going to start field tests in East Kilbride on Monday - I've been asked to produce a web page and a presentation based on the results, so I'll have plenty to do next week!

As far as music goes, I've performed in three concerts over the last month or so, with one more tomorrow evening. All of them went pretty well, and I'm looking forward to some of the music I'll be performing this summer: it includes Saint-Saens' "Carnival des Animaux" and Shostakovich's 5th Symphony, two of my favourite pieces.

Last weekend, I finally went to the Britsh Esperanto Congress in Felixstowe, which I enjoyed in spite of the 5+ hour drive to get there on the Friday and to get back on Monday. The play I was involved in went well - I managed to get my lines out without making any mistakes, I won a raffle(!) , I rang some handbells, I counted votes for the Esperanto Association's AGM and I did a version of a Monty Python sketch for the closing ceremony.

And last (but not least) the love-life! Yes, Darren and I are still boyfriends and still very much in love ... we try and see each other at least once a week (if not more frequently), although now he's had his outgoing phonecalls restricted and his broadband internet connection removed, we can't speak to each other as easily as we did. However, I'm still gonna see him tomorrow night (after the concert) before I take the train to East Kilbride the next day.

So that's about it, really ...

I actually have 'Carnival des Animaux' playing at the moment... I put the CD on for the 'Danse Macabre', which has more to do with my mood of the moment, but the Carnival works for me too.

As for your young man - if you're in this for the long haul, which I believe you are, then restricted contact is the first test. Good luck... You might have to fall back on snail-mail; lots of sweet intensely personal letters, which you can keep tied with ribbon and drag out in ten years' time for mutual embarrassment and a few giggles. Not so long ago I was at my ex's place and he was rummaging through things looking for insurance papers; he pulled out the big 'important papers only' envelope and tipped the contents on the table... Among the insurance stuff and the investment stuff and the medical stuff there was a letter I'd written him nearly five years ago. And he's kept it! Blimey, I feel special.

You've come back! I was just about to text you to see if there was anything wrong. At least someone's been up to interesting things

And I've *still* not gone to Scotland yet - I won't be needed until all the preparation for the field tests has been completed, and apparently there's a delay of a few hours, so I might not be needed until either the very end of tomorrow or Wednesday. In the meantime, I'm trying to keep myself entertained ...

I'm back from Scotland - well, I have been since the weekend, anyway - and I'm not feeling particularly great (I hadn't been since just before the trip and I'm still coughing and spluttering away). However, I am encouraged by the fact that three of the articles I've sub-edited (including the two most recent ones on pantomime writing and J K Rowling) have been front page articles for h2g2 for three days in a row ... very impressive!