Early Risers.

[Erichill16]

Email sent.

I also like sprouts but as we’re not in the EU we don’t have to call the Brussel sprouts, they’re British Sprouts.

Neither SWMBO or I like wine so find it difficult to buy wine for presents. Red or white, French,  German Australian etc. and how much to pay for a ‘decent’ bottle. In the end after about half an hour, SWMBO picks the one in the nicest looking bottle and by then I’ve lost the will to argue and am just glad to take it to the checkout.

We haven’t put any decorations up, written any cards or bought many gifts so far and we haven’t decided what we’re going to do when the actual day comes around. Last year we went for a walk and took some sandwiches and ate them on Worbough Bank in the rain. (part of the Woodhead route). At least there was no waiting for people to turn up, no arguments and a bit of peace. There was another reason for our actions last year but I’ve not got time to tell it now.

So a second goodnight,

Robert

[The Stationmaster]

1 hour ago, Barry O said:

Sprout stalks used to be bought for eating at Christmas.  If you bought them at the market in Freeman Street in Grimsby they came with the tops still on the stalks. These tops could be served after being steamed. Preferrred the tops to the actual sprouts! 

 

Nowadays moreasons does sell sprouts on stalks.. but no "tops".. pah!

 

I will have 4 sprouts with Christmas lunch.. that is my quots for the year eaten in one go!

 

@The White Rabbit yes a piece of cheese is a must have with Christmas cake. Goes well with a glass of happy frog.

 

Baz

Having had sprout tops for the first time ever while out for lunch on Friday I quickly reached the conclusion that they are by far the best part of the plant to eat.  But alas the 'on stem' sprouts from Tesco f don't seem to come with the tops - or maybe that was just last year?

[Coombe Barton]

Sprouts come de-topped because they are probably easier to pack without all the stuff up top

[Ian Abel]

A quick check-in, will recount the weekend tomorrow but couldn't resist sharing this as it started unexpectedly SNOWING here today;

 Sleep well those on the right (not CORRECT, RIGHT) side of the pond

[The Stationmaster]

G'night all

[tigerburnie]

G'night all

[tetsudofan]

Up until Christmas 1968 I detested sprouts and refused to eat them.

 

At that time I was living in Saigon working for the Chartered Bank and lived in an apartment above the bank. The branch of the Honkers & Shankers was next door and the Secretary to the British Ambassador lived in one of the apartments above.

 

As there were a number of bachelors working in both banks she invited us round to her apartment for a traditional Christmas Day lunch which was served up with all the dressings including sprouts which had all been flown in from Singapore. 

 

I had thought of trying to hide the sprouts but there was no way I could so I had to eat them which I did managed to do once I had covered them in sauce.

 

To my great surprise I quite liked them and have enjoyed eating them (minus the sauce) since then. Think it was the smell of the sprouts cooking that turned me off.

 

Keith

[J. S. Bach]

13 hours ago, PeterBB said:

Really great performance also unusual to have a double bass in the line up and a vast number of piccolos at the end.

94 of them! How do you keep 94 piccolos (or flutes for that matter) in tune? Shoot 93!

[newbryford]

14 hours ago, Tony_S said:

A neighbour was hosing himself and items of clothing on his front drive. I did ask if his washing machine was broken but it was just mud from his bike ride. 

 

It's not unknown for me to do similar after a bike ride, although yesterday, I had to do the same after playing golf.....

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-Land. I won't be having sprouts for Christmas dinner. Not that I don't like them but I prefer other vegetables and there is a limit to the different veg you can have when cooking for one. I do recall that when I was younger you used to be able to buy 'brussel tops' from the greengrocer, made a change from the usual 'greens'.

[BSW01]

Good evening everyone 

 

The weather has been dull, dark, wet and miserable all day, by early evening the wind was picking up a bit as well. But despite the awful weather, I’ve made some more progress on the turntable control panel. By the time I’d packed up for the day, all the common 0v lines to the switches and LEDs were in place and soldered up. I’d also started adding the wiring between the main control boards and the LED control boards, I’m just about halfway through. The progress is slow, but it is progress. Once that’s complete, I’ll need to fit the wiring between the main control boards and the switches and then the LEDs and the LED control boards. At that point it’ll be ready to test, I’m working slowly, checking it all as I go along, as I think it’s best to work slowly and methodically, as that way, in my mind, less mistakes are likely to be made.

 

For this year’s Christmas dinner, we’re chicken tikka served with a jalfrezi sauce, naan bread and saag aloo, all of which I cooked a few weeks ago and froze what wasn’t eaten on the day. All I have to do is remember to take them out of the freezer Christmas Eve. 

 

As for sprouts, I love them, preferring them to cabbage, cauliflower or broccoli when I was a kid, but I’ll eat them all now. 

[BSW01]

Goodnight all 

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[newbryford]

5 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

Probably. I wouldn’t be surprised. As dire as British TV can be nowadays, it still (overall) knocks Euro-TV into a cocked hat. Swiss TV has some good documentaries and the occasional good Krimi. But mostly it is either [a] pretty abysmal or (b) imported and dubbed (but, to be fair, a lot of the dubbed series are in the so-called Zwei Kanalton:  One channel dubbed, the other in the original language).

The worst European television experience I have had I was being stuck in the middle of France on a wet Wednesday evening with nothing to watch on the TV but the A-Team dubbed into French. Somehow, Mr T’s famous expression “I pity da fool“ does not quite manage to translate into French.

 

 

The strangest TV overdubbing I saw/heard was "The Bill" in Chinese..............

[newbryford]

Golf was played yesterday.

As per a previous post, 'twas very muddy underfoot.

A reasonable (for the conditions) score was posted for the Winter Doubles. We expect that we will still be in 4th, with a close gap to 3rd when the weekend results are updated. (Top 4 go into an end of winter playoff to determine the final winners)

 

I was trying out a new pair of golf "boots", with a high ankle line to prevent mid/water ingress.

They felt exceedingly waterproof, but as the round went on, my ankle was rubbing a bit..

By the 8th, I was convinced that I would have a blister.

After 12 holes, in my head, the skin was coming off.

By the 17th, I could feel the blood inside my socks................

 

After I got home and looked at the "damage", the only thing to show was a slightly red ankle. No blister, no blood, no trauma. 

Wimp!

 

Hopefully, the skin will have hardened slightly for next week.

 

F1 quali was watched, followed by a quick Xmas shopping to my least favourite local town.

Surprisingly, most seemed to be behaving themselves with regard to masks/separation, except for what appeared to be a certain group [*]

 

There was a threatened MTB ride on Sunday morning at 9am, but as Junior doesn't consider herself as waterproof, it was called off due to the heavy rain and the duvet was pulled up to continue eyelid inspection

A long lie-in to 1140, before another quick shopping trip and then F1 on the sofa.

Saving the most boring race of 2020 for the last............

 

*mas decos have been arranged. The neighbours either side will make up for our minimalist efforts!

 

As we work a split workforce over the festive period, I'm doing a 6 on/1 off/4 on/11 off before resuming normal service on 5 Jan. The long break will be appreciated. I have plans for golf/biking/modelling to be interspersed inbetween domestic duties.

 

Bonus ball tonight was a few ebay sales bringing in more funds than anticipated.

I shall have to spirit the profits away via purchases of other small plastic/metal items............

 

Have a good one folks - I shall try to pop in as best I can for the next few days.

 

Cheers,

Mick

 

[*] Surprisingly, not the demographic of the immediate local population, but those of the 20-30 year olds of the female of the species.

 

 

 

 

[simontaylor484]

When we went yo the Dominican republic first time in 2003they had Changing rooms on with spanish subtitles they called is tu casa ma casa ie your house my house. The rv was on but not watched if you get my meaning nudge nudge wink wink say no more 

[pH]

I’ve wanted to try UV-setting glue for a while. I was going to a DIY store today for various things, and did some comparison shopping online for a starter kit before I went. The store I eventually bought it in had it at $18.77 (regular price, not a special). Another store had it at $24.99. In Walmart (Walmart!!), the same kit was priced at $61.73 !!! 

[J. S. Bach]

Night Owl from the Piedmont.

[Ozexpatriate]

5 hours ago, Ian Abel said:

Let it snow

A staple for ski gear from a risqué holiday wear supplier.

 

An oldie but a goodie.

 

Edited December 14, 2020 by Ozexpatriate

[TheQ]

Sprouts,  best cooked with butter, small pieces of bacon and chestnuts.

 

 

Edited December 14, 2020 by TheQ

[pH]

Flicking through the sports channels on TV, I’ve just come across the 2020 World Championship of the World Axe Throwing League! I just hope everyone can be a good loser if they have to be.

[chrisf]

Greetings one and all

 

I had a worrying moment yesterday.  Having quality bottled beer for the holiday season is one thing but what if the bottle opener cannot be found?  Fortunately it has turned up and is now in a place where it is much less likely to be buried by other things.  Between now and the big day I may get impulsive again and buy some wine, taking care to choose bottles with screw caps!  I’d like to thank all who have made, or will make, helpful suggestions for food.  As I have chicken a fair bit throughout the year I would rather not default to it in the absence of better ideas, hence my flirtation with bacon or ham.  There is no shortage of ideas in the rash of cookery programmes on TV and I have loads of cookery books by chefs other than Delia.  For what it is worth, I find the Hairy Bikers most entertaining of the current crop and watch Nigel Slater when I can.  Many others are available but if only Keith Floyd were still with us.

 

Oh, and I will have sprouts with Xmas dinner only because the posh hotel will be serving them with the turkey.  I do not go out of my way to eat the wretched things otherwise.  

 

I knew that I would come in for some stick for owning up to watching Strictly.  What we watch on TV is all a matter of taste and I am the first to acknowledge that mine is not always the best possible.  Despite many visits to Switzerland I have no first hand knowledge of how good or otherwise Swiss TV is for the simple reason that I am usually too busy dining, travelling or socialising to watch it!  If I do have a few minutes spare I try to find a BBC channel but this luxury is not always available in the hotels where we are billeted.  I do not go out of my way to keep abreast of the news while I am on holiday: all too often the only source is CNN.

 

Best wishes to all

 

Chris

[iL Dottore]

8 hours ago, Andrew P said:

The Burns came later before reverting back to Fender....

I didn’t know that. I thought the timeline (for British musicians) was 1: a Euro guitar (Hofner if you were lucky) and then 2: a Fender, Gibson or Rickenbacker (once the import restrictions were lifted and you had enough cash).

I’ve never played a Burns, but they look clunky (do you know why they went out of business?). Certainly, Fender, Gibson, Rickenbacker and Martin have made life difficult for other luthiers by pretty much coming up with THE definitive double-cut, single-cut, 12-string, electro-spanish, parlor and jumbo guitar designs (even the pointy headstock mob were catered to by Gibson with the Explorer and Flying-V). I think the only really new guitar design since the early 60s was the original PRS.

I think that nowadays the innovation in guitars comes in the use of materials and manufacturing technology (it used to be cheap guitars were pretty much unplayable, but the sub-£200 Fender Squier Telecaster I recently acquired plays beautifully).

8 hours ago, Ashcombe said:

...We have been to the theatre or the ballet more often in the last six years. 

Apart from performing, I haven’t been to the theatre, ballet or opera for quite awhile (even pre-CoVID), primarily because Switzerland (especially Basel) submits to the cult of the regisseur - whereby the “vision” of the director trumps all. And given that most of the directors indulge in “look at me, aren’t I clever, innovative and daring?” artistic direction, the results are pretty much unwatchable (and to answer their question, No-not clever, it’s been done before and only if you consider rehashing clichés daring).

7 hours ago, BokStein said:

I feel a controversy waiting to happen:

 

 

Brussels Sprouts can be eaten RAW!!

Yes, but why?

7 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

We also drink French red...

My wine cellar (and, no, I’m not indulging in hyperbole - one of our cellars has a corner for our wine) is pretty eclectic with French, Italian, Australian and American wines. The problem is that Mrs iD prefers beer to wine, so we have a lot of bottles quite literally gathering dust... The oldest wines in the cellar at present are the remnants of the several cases of wine we bought for our wedding. It’s a 1984 Cotês du Rhone and whilst just about drinkable, it’s great for cooking with (I’ve been braising lamb shanks in the slow cooker with it).

I also have several bottles of champagne (Moët et Chandon mostly) that really should be drunk sooner rather than later, but I never seem to find the right opportunity. I guess I’ll need to try harder 

[AndyB]

Bottle openers.  A picnic at Versaille in my youth....my hostess discovered that the bottle opener had been left at home.  Never mind - in keeping with her plebeian ancestry the wall of Le Petit Trainon was used to smash the glass bottles tops off. Mind the jagged edges everybody!

 

I just drifted off whilst writing this post in a wave of nostagia for her cooking. 

 

Sprouts. There's a 50/50 split in the house on that one. The taste is just about ok but the smell, to me, is dreadful. Each year I propose that we finish them off with a bit of bacon.  But this is always vetoed. I may strike out on my own with a handful this year and see what happens; I may be pleasantly surprised.

 

 

[Barry O]

Ey up!

Yes the cars running round a circuit which gives little opportunity to overtake was... boring.  I did watch the big bash cricket yesterday.. team A scored 203 for 4 wickets.  Team b didn't  ( team names not given in case our australian visitors support that team).  Absolutely dreadful and some strange umpiring.

 

I need to partake of a stroll today. A bit of cleaner air might clear my head. 

 

I cook Christmas dinner. Choice of pork or beef, roast tatties, sprouts and roast carrots. Pigs in blamkets ( a must in this household) and a choice of stuffing. Her indoors does a prawn and salmon salad starter. The pudding is served for tea.. I dont partake but, if the Herberts are here, it will all be gone by the end of the day.

 

Time to drink my mugatea and get on with Monday. Have a good day where you can.

 

Hope we hear from somenof our missing ERs over the festive season.

 

Baz