Big technological advances are great. They're why I can write this blog, and mean I can watch programmes like Stargate. Thank goodness for science.

But I've got enough big technological advances in my life now. I don't need any more.

I want some little technological advances please. I want a button in the lift (US translation: elevator) that lets you un-select a floor when you've pushed a button by mistake. A screen on the microwave that shows you cartoons while you wait those agonisingly long two minutes. And a way of taking out individual incorrectly typed auto complete entries in my web browser, without having to empty my entire history folder.

The Ori have been around our way. There's an epidemic in South London. The kiddies have been dropping like flies with gastro flu. It is extremely virulent. Baby G came down with it last Saturday, everything coming out both ends and in between a very sorry and sad looking baby who only wanted to sit on mummy or daddy's lap and sleep. He was really good, no crying as long as he could see the both of us. Which made going to work rather difficult. It was a worry but he didn't get badly dehydrated as he managed to take water even when he wasn't taking down anything else.

Last weekend was interesting. In between cleaning baby and myself (how can there be so much inside someone so small) and keeping him comforted, we had to organise Step D's 21st birthday weekend. Off in a limo all cheerful and happy on Saturday afternoon, she and her friend finally arrived back home at about 4am decidedly worse for wear. Sunday was meant to be a family party for her, but we had to postpone as father-in-law's immune system is still non-existant following the chemotherapy. And monday was the actual birthday itself. While Step D and friend were out on Sunday night we filled up helium balloons and hid them in our bedroom so on Monday she got up to a living room strewn with birthday balloons.

Tuesday was Valentine's day but all our plans went out the window as Baby G was still poorly and getting worse. Not even Stargate got a look in that night. The NHS advised against going to hospital unless dehydration was really bad, and he was still managing to hold down water so it didn't come to that. The doctor prescribed some sachets to add to the water, and these gave it a blackcurrant flavour that Baby G loved.

Today, a week later and Baby G is back to his old self, all happy and playing with his toys.. And he pulled himself up to standing for the first time this morning. I pulled the curtains back on the french doors, he crawled over and pulled himself up on his own to look out the windows. And just stood there with one hand to steady himself looking dead chuffed. Naturally there wasn't a camera or camcorder to hand anywhere.

We had an interesting evening last night. The police, with dogs and an over head helicopter, chased a suspect through our garden. Haven't had that many flashing blue lights in the street since whippet faced girl moved out. She was a very thin, malnourished looking white girl, aged 19, with the most beautiful little girl. The little girl's dad (an incredibly beautiful guy) used to live in the street too, at least we think that he was the dad. He knew whippet faced girl, and had gone out with her in the past, and the little girl was the absolute image of him. Plus, she used to scream and yell at him periodically, but that in itself wasn't unusual as she used to scream and yell at everyone. She had a long running feud with quiet jamaican woman who lives up near the corner of the road, that often resulted in them standing in the street hurling insults. She also had a rather dodgy brother, who looked like a crack addict, who disappeared for a prison-length 18 months. During which time crime in the street disappeared as well.

Incredibly beautiful guy had the most scariest, hardest looking girlfriends. During the summer they'd be sitting outside on the stoop of the house, and I was always terrified of accidently looking at one of them the wrong way. He was scared of them too, and would sometimes hide over at our place.

Now however Step D isn't well so the family birthday party has had to be postponed yet again. I just hope the cake is OK for a week.

"Do you ever give up?"
"Not until I'm dead". "And sometimes not even then"

Absolutely the best line in the entire season. Worth sitting through Ethon just for that alone. There wasn't much else though. Normally, watching with a group of stargate fans makes an episode a lot more fun than I might have found it if I'd been watching alone. Not this week. I'd really gone to a lot of effort to avoid spoilers, not even touching the Season 9 folder on the forum (apologies to the other mods). But perhaps I should have read a bit about it as I didn't realise it was based on Icon - an episode I haven't seen. So I am not going to judge this episode properly until I have.

Stargate Tuesday was held around at SailorSue's posh West Ken pad this week. She laughed when she saw that I'd called it posh, looking around at her antique bathroom fixtures and severe lack of furniture. It is a rental place, as Sue and hubs actually live elsewhere. So for work reasons it is up to London during the week, then home at the weekends. It has the most bizarre layout for a flat. The kitchen is located so far away from the living room that the first few visits I was scared of making the trip without extra provisions and sherpa guides.

We all met up in the usual spot. Aren't mobile phones great? Especially if you're trying to get a gaggle of girls together in the same place. There's a very special effect we have on underground passengers. I notice that whenever we get on the tube and start gabbing away, it gets quieter and quieter around us. Perhaps they're wondering about our bizarre conversation? It is rather like being in a long meandering thread on the forum that goes off topic, veers sharply back on again, and then takes off into an alternate universe somewhere. I love it.

Step D is job hunting, and feeling a bit fed up about not having any money. It has only been a week - ah the impatience of the young. Rather than having one big 21st party she's having three different events. Saturday is a limo to the theatre, restaurant and clubbing with her best mate, Sunday is a family birthday dinner with her grandparents and Monday (her actual birthday) is a chinese nosh up and clubbing with all her friends (student night so very cheap). Looking forward to seeing what this limo is like and whether it can fit down our street!

Baby G is just thrilled having everyone there. When Step D went off to Kenya, he used too spend a lot of time looking at the lounge door, as if he was expecting someone else to come through. It's his day at home with dad today. Mr G does one day a week so Baby G is only at nursery 4 days. Thank goodness. Couldn't afford it otherwise. London prices are extortionate. And the second tooth has finally broken through! He looks so much happier today.

Yesterday was a day of missing things. Like the Pegasus con at the weekend. Mags arrived last night looking bleary eyed from lack of sleep(she's stopping over for a couple of nights) announcing that it was a blast. She hasn't laughed so much at a con for a long time. That's not what I wanted to hear. I wanted to hear it was horrible, and everyone was miserable. Joe Flanigan, Jason Mamoa, Rainbow Sun Francks were there, and were great apparantly. But according to Mags the surprise of the con was Ellie Harvie (the hiccuping Dr. Lindsey Novak in SG1 and Atlantis) who is simply wonderful.

I also missed Waitangi Day. If I had been at home in New Zealand I'd have got a holiday. Although other countries have a day of celebration, like Australia Day or Independance Day, this is different. It is the day on which, in 1840, a treaty was signed with the leaders of some but not all Maori tribes to put New Zealand under the protection of the British. So, while it founded the country it isn't without controversy. Something that in the last 20 years the government has gone a long way to readdressing, and I'm darn proud of my country for that.

No-one has asked but I thought I'd explain my online name and why it is spelled 'wrong'. Except it isn't wrong. It is a seventeenth century spelling, and it is from the area in South London where I live. Back then a gypsy encampment existed at the bottom of the hill, during the summer. They were 'entertainment gipsies' who worked in the city in the winter.

Old Age

It happens to us all. Would you take a symbiote (Tok'ra of course) when you reached your twilight years to prolong your life? My answer is, it depends. On whether Mr G was still around and also similarly tok'rad. For my father in law there is a strong case for taking on a symbiote. We've just reached a milestone - it was ten years ago that he had the first 'attack' of the disease he suffers from. It is a rare form of Sclera Derma, a skin disease. But his troubles don't stop there sadly. Mr G's earliest memories are of his dad being in and out of hospital for various reasons. And now he's been diagnosed with bowel cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy.

And yet I still don't know that he would. Become a host I mean. He spent his childhood during the blitz, watched the bombs rain down on London and was evacuated. He's of a generation that just simply got on with things. When bad things happened, they happened. You didn't stop to naval gaze. Life was for living so that's what you did.

So I can't say that he'd be happy about losing his independence, and sharing his body. And yet I can also see that he would be tempted. Because the one thing Mr G has never seen is his father do is run. A motocycle accident shortly before his parents got married completely wrecked his dad's right leg. They managed to save it, and he was able to walk unaided afterwards, but only just. To be able to run again, and walk normally - yes I think he would consider taking a host. And I know what the first thing he'd do would be. He'd go buy a motorcycle.

Yesterday we should have gone to see them for sunday lunch. But father in law's immune system is non-existant at the moment, and Mr G had a bit of the sniffles so it wasn't worth the risk. Instead we did the suburban thing. We went shopping. At Sainsburys. This particular trip was like going to Disneyland as far as Baby G was concerned. For the first time we didn't put him in a baby bucket seat. Nope. He got to ride in the child's seat in the trolley. You should have seen the expression on his face. A mix of astonishment, awe, and puffed up pride. Look at me, I'm all grown up now!

The poor thing has had two bad nights in a row now. We think it is most likely to be another tooth coming through. That can't be pleasant for such little folk.

Talking about Old Age brought a ditty to mind, one I hadn't thought of for years. I have no idea where or when I learnt this, just that I must have been quite young. It was quite helpful in RE quizzes.

King Solomon and King David
Led merry merry lives
with many many lady friends
and many many wives
but when old age crept o'er them
with many many qualms
King Solomon wrote the proverbs and
King David wrote the psalms

Now there's quite a life and old age to aspire to!

My mother has less than half the number of children that her mother had. She has six, whereas my grandmother had thirteen. My grandmother set the bar even higher by being widowed early on, and going blind. Perhaps that is why my mother seemed to take the ultimate challenge approach to parenting. Rather like those people for whom walking a tightrope over the grand canyon isn't enough, they have to stop half way and do the ironing as well.

When the eldest three of the six were approaching their teen years my mother decided that wasn't a hard enough challenge. She was made of tougher stuff than that. Add three toddlers to the mix, that should do it.

I'm number four. My brother (there is only one, five girls and one boy) is number three. We're the middle two and we're both in London. There's a nine year gap between us. My mum used to talk about the six of us as her two families, because of the age gap. However that stopped when she found out people thought she'd been married before. An utterly mortifying prospect for someone as religous as my mum. She is Catholic, but a convert, she wasn't born into it. I think she converted initially to marry my dad, but then it just kinda stuck. When I was growing up my life revolved around the church. We went to Catholic schools, attended Catholic youth groups, and were surrounded by Catholics all the time or so it seemed. I never really knew anyone who wasn't catholic until I went to University.

I don't miss the religion but I do miss the community. As they say, you can take the girl out of the catholic church but you can't take the catholic out of the girl. Like many I would class myself as a cultural catholic. I don't think that is something Mr G understands. He is nominally Church of England, but has never been involved in it in any way.

Now that I have Baby G, my feelings have changed. I would like for him to have that same sense of community and culture I grew up with. It was an important foundation in my life. I remember people, adults, at my church who would say that they didn't actually believe they were just there for the community. I thought that was shocking at the time, but now I understand.

Last night my brother kindly babysat for us. He seems keen to repeat the experience despite the fact that Baby G woke up shortly after we left and was pretty much up and down after that until we got home at midnight. Mr G, myself and step daughter went to see The Chronicles of Narnia, hence all the introspection about religion. I have to point out that it was filmed in New Zealand. There's no reason for me to mention it except that I like to tell people this so they can say wow what a beautiful country you have. And it is. A very beautiful country. Never get tired of hearing that.

There were aspects of the movie I was disappointed in. I don't think they explained Edmund well enough. And the changes to the original story were puzzling, especially the beginning. But the children were exceptionally well cast. I was rather disconcerted by seeing a strong resemblance between Peter and TV Presenter Mark Lamarr right at the beginning. Rather off putting that.

I was impressed by Aslan. I couldn't see how they were going to pull that off, but he was very realistic. And Mr Tumnus, oh bless, wasn't he just lovely? And played by James McAvoy, so rather letchworthy too. Step Daughter asked afterwards if there was anything wrong in finding the faun rather attractive, so it wasn't just me.

Religion is a theme that is at the core of Stargate. Will they ever tackle Christianity, Judaism or Islam on the show? No I don't think so. They're brave but not that brave. I know a lot of people seem to equate the Ori with Christianity, or at least the born again kind. I was surprised by that because it didn't even occur to me. For me, the parrallels between the Ori and the situation the world is in at the moment are just so clear. The Ori represents those who would force their warped version of their religion on us, no matter how many lives it might cost. The Season 9 episode The Powers That Be explores that topic, and the conclusions it reaches were, for me, rather depressing. Is it that we, the Western world, don't really even begin to comprehend what we are facing? And if we don't understand it, how can we defeat it? The answer that they seemed to come up with in that episode wasn't very promising for our future.

The Stargate fandom seems to attract a lot of people from a huge range of religious backgrounds. Pagan, christian, jewish. I wonder what makes such a disparate variety click with this one show?

Other than the movie, it has been a very quiet weekend. Yesterday I went for a nap at half past twelve and didn't wake up until after five. I know that means I must have needed it, but it sure does feel like a waste of a weekend.

And not for the reason most people might think, as I don't live in the US. But oh that would be the icing on the cake - SG1, followed by Atlantis, followed by Battlestar Galactica. I've been hugely surprised by BSG. At first I was against it - how could they possibly remake that show? Change Starbuck to a girl? Uh oh it's going to be all PC and touchy feely isn't it... So glad I was wrong. Starbuck is now one of my favourite characters. But my absolute favourite is of course the Chief. Great to see Aaron Douglas make good like that. But it isn't just because he was in Stargate, or that I have met him at a convention, although they're contributing factors. It is mostly because he has shown himself to be such a superb actor in the show.

BSG is filmed in Vancouver too - and I think it might be at Bridge Studios as well. Here in the UK it is on after Stargate SG1. At one Stargate evening, one of the guys (sorry I forget who, I'm sure they'll remind me) commented how cool it would be if while the BSG guys were running through the woods chased by Cylons we saw off in the distance so small you could barely make them out SG1 running in the other direction chased by Jaffa.

Friday's I work from home. It is a huge relief not to have to do the 50 minute commute to work, and the break from travelling on the Northern Line is welcome. I usually get up with Baby G in the morning, and let Mr G have a lie in. It is so important to get at least one lie in a week when you've a baby. Friday's is Mr G's (as he starts work at midday), while mine is on Sundays. Bliss. Then I walk down to the nursery. It is in a big old church. One half was converted into flats, while the other half is now the nursery. It is all high ceilings and big long windows, so there's lots of light and a real feeling of space. Baby G absolutely loves it there. We signed up with the nursery when I was five months pregnant, and he didn't start there until he was six months. Nursery places are in short supply in the capital. The good thing about that was it meant I could take my mum there and show her where her new grandchild would be going. She and my dad came over the week I was due for a month - unfortunately I went two weeks overdue. But boy was I glad to have the folks there for those last two weeks, I was going nuts. Took them on the London Eye, which was a huge worry to the other people in the capsule. You're a captive audience for 30 minutes in there, and when I replied to one woman's query that my due date was in fact last week a lot of people started looking very worried.

My mum isn't necessarily quick on the uptake. At the time Sky One was showing an episode of Stargate in the morning and repeating it in the afternoon, and the episode was then repeated two days later on Sky Two. Stuck as I was like a whale on the sofa I was watching the lot. And one day my Mum peered over her glasses at the TV (she was reading a book at the time), and commented "this programme is on a lot isn't it?"

"Er, yes Mum, it is." I replied, looking innocently around, as if sure there was nothing else on TV and didn't everyone watch the same show two or three times a day?

A long pause followed. She continued to peer at the screen looking slightly confused.

"Is it MacGuyver?"

Oh bless her little cotton socks! To be fair it was Watergate, so not the most Stargate looking episode.

My mother in law came up with something just as wonderful. I mentioned I liked Stargate and she replied that she thought she'd seen that show - isn't it the one where they go through a big wheel?

The only problem I have with working from home is convincing people I am working. Mr G doesn't go to work until midday, and he will keep trying to talk to me. Step Daughter G (SDG) has moved back in with us to save money. Her plan is to go to University this year and become a teacher.

Now all I have to do for the next few days is try to avoid anywhere I might get spoiled before I see the episode on Tuesday. Not easy when you're a mod. I've developed this scanning skill, where I scan past posts quickly looking for key words that might jump out, and not let actual content register. It has taken years to perfect!

This is a great month for Stargate fans in the UK - if you can go that is. This weekend is Pegasus One, and it has a great guest line up. Joe Flanigan, Rainbow Sun Francks and Jason Mamoa are headlining. How cool is that? I can't believe I'm missing out on a Wolf Con.Normally I'd have brought my ticket before the guests were even announced. Wolf Cons are a great party, and a chance to meet up with all the friends I've made over the years, many of whom don't go online so this is the best chance to catch up on what we've been up to.

And the following weekend is Collectormania GMex in Manchester, with Michael Shanks and Chris Judge headlining. I cannot believe that Michael will be at an event in the UK and I won't be there. The reason is little Baby G. He's now very mobile and won't sit still so taking him to events is no longer a possibility. Mr G is a park ranger (of the urban variety rather than the kind that goes around stamping out forest fires) and works three weekends of the month. So that curtails that.

So to all who are going this weekend, have a bloomin brilliant time. And have a drink for me.

Pegasus One www.wolfevents.com

Collectormania www.collectormaniagmex.co.uk

Tuesday evening was Stargate night in the UK. I get together with a group of friends who all either live in London or are close enough to make the trip manageable, or are able to get up to London and stay over. We alternate between my place, a slightly derelict 1950s semi, and SailorS's posh West Kensington pad. Lots of wine, chocolate and girly chat. Brilliant.

This week's get together was at mine, although it wasn't my turn. Mr G had studio time (he plays the drums - our neighbours love us. Everyone in the family plays the drums except me. Even Baby G at the age of 10 months already has his own pair of adult sized drumsticks, and he always has at least one in his hand.). This meant I had to pick up Baby G from nursery, and schlepping him across London to West Kensington isn't practical. Especially now that he is crawling everywhere and doesn't like being restrained in any way.

I arrived home to chaos. Mr G and the band's idiot guitarist (truly he is, a sort of guitarist savant. Put a guitar in his hand and the man is a genius. With everything else he is an idiot. He hasn't managed to hold down a job for longer than six months. Ever. He drives me nuts. There's nothing physically wrong with him, but because he's incapable of an iota of common sense my taxes go to support him) were rushing in and out with drums, guitars, amps etc.

My step daughter and her friend were amusing themselves with vodka and looking at ways to celebrate for her 21st birthday in two weeks. And there was Mags (aka Magnolia Anaglypta) looking radiant on the sofa.

It was a rush of getting Baby G to bed, getting dinner sorted, getting drinks for everyone (Nick, A, and SailorS were there as well), with everyone pitching in and lots of noise. I didn't think I was going to make the start of the episode.

The episode was Stronghold - I had to look that up as I missed a bit of the opening credits. Which was good as it meant it came as a complete surprise when Cliff Simon (Ba'al) first popped up onscreen. That guy has a toe-curlingly sexy voice. It really pays to stay as spoiler free as possible. That was a treat, and last night's episode sadly didn't have many of those. I enjoyed last week's Ripple Effect, and the previous week's Collateral Damage. But last night - what was the point? Why the storyline with Mitchell's friend? Did that add anything? I thought he was going to get Tokra'd or something similar. Was that all a setup just to show that Mitchell is capable of going gung ho?

I've drifted away from Stargate Atlantis (I still love and adore the wonder that is MacKay though) partly because they do far too much telling instead of showing. SG1 is going down the same route. It isn't necessary and it is boring. It dulls the action. And really, Tealc being tortured again? Brainwashed again? Do they just like tying his arms up?

I was going to write a frothing at the mouth rant about how badly they used Sam again, but there was the excellent gateroom scene before they went in to battle, where she was clearly the leader. Yay for Sam.

Stronghold was a score one for the recurring regulars. The real stars here were Tony Amendola, who put in a superb performance as Bratac and Cliff Simon, who as Ba'al was creepily convincing with his arguments. As Mags commented (and I agree), he was right. Of course he was just saying that stuff to get control since he's a meglamaniac goa'uld. But it all made a seductive sort of sense.

Was it just me or did General Landry look a bit more tanned than usual? Perhaps he'd actually managed to get out from inside the mountain for a bit.

I first found GateWorld, or Starguide as it was then, back in 2000 when I did a google search to try and find some info about a Stargate episode. Darren was just a clean shaven baby faced youngster then. I didn't join the forum as it was filled with scary people - MC, Vicky, TC - who seemed to know each other really well. Now those same folks are my best friends. Funny how things work out ay?

I'm committed to GateWorld in a way I never thought I would to an online community. I truly believe in the principles that Darren founded the forum on. The place certainly changed my life.

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