Early Risers.

[jamie92208]

2 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

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

 

An oldie but a goodie.

 

Is that before or after certain female upper undergarments have been left hanging on a tree next to the ski lift.

 

Jamie

[jamie92208]

Good moaning from the Charente.   I like sprouts Beth is notva great fan but does a nice version by dicing them and stir frying them with onion and garlic. Apparently  she used to help her younger brother out at Christmas by hiding his three in her pocket.

 

It was damp yesterday but we did the market in the morning. I then srved up Coquille St Jaques (a la Aldi) for lunch. A walk round the village in the afternoon, some eyelid inspection then a roast dinner with pork as the centrepiece and some Netflix on the idiot box.

 

The builder wil be here soon and hopefully our new ID cards will be delivered later.

 

Regards to all.

 

Jamie

[roundhouse]

47 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

Yes, but why?

 

 

1 hour ago, chrisf said:

 

 

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

Only one bottle opener?

 

We have one on every house key ring and I think some of the car keys plus in my camera bag and even have one waiting to be fixed to a table or wall in or by the shed. I remember many years ago in the States trying to get the top off a bottle with an opener wondering why it wouldnt come off till I realised there were such things as screw caps on beer. Dont see those these days.

 

As for sprouts , why eat them at all - certainly not me. Mum does them every Xmas and each time says  ' I thought you liked them'.

 

A new mini PC is due today bought by my other half as the living room PC is still Windows 7 and for some reason has stopped playing Youtube live rail cams but will still play other such sites videos. Its also lost the clock time a year ago and the internal motherboard battery is buried deep under many other components meaning a complete dismantle plus on some occasions it has been refusing to boot up in the last day or two. My other half is missing the live cams while working from home, so shes bought the new sub £200.00 PC but I have the task to set it all up. This little PC is quite powerful and allows for two monitors to be used at once plus 6 USB ports etc. We have a spare monitor but not the space to set two up.

 

Today is shopping for Mum and us.

 

First cup of tea drunk and secong cup about to be brewed plus toast.

Edited December 14, 2020 by roundhouse

[TheQ]

Mooring awl, Inner Temple hare.

5 hours sleep  woke in great pain from my back, all screwed up in a ball,  2 hours sleep wake in panic, because the watch says I should be up and around, then Notice Ben the Alarm clock Collie is snoring, check watch again.. it's gone all continental on me, an hour in advance.. another 1/2 hours snooze was had.

 

Ben did stay tucked up in bed until I headed for the kitchen for breakfast which included 2 pink pills... He also wanted out into the rain.. I hid behind a tree while he had a good snuffle.. Getting into the car and clearing the garden onto the open hillside (24ft ASL) it was apparent there was a lot more rain out there. It shortly turned into firehose weather, and so it varied on the way in between home and work not a lot, to exceedingly soggy.

 

An email announces Tuesday and Wednesday are clear out the engineering area time, ready for the ceiling change... If I get told to join in, I'll ask them to tell the manufacturing area and the service area their equipments won't be back from cal till February.. 

 

I've got the major equipment, I started running Friday doing automatics, it's currently doing a 38 minute run, and shortly I'll head down there to set it off on a 310 minute run, which will give me the chance to do the start of the main manual tests on this equipment.

 

Time to ... zero this equipment..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[polybear]

12 hours ago, simontaylor484 said:

......... my dad loved it though it had to be taken down on occasions such as when the Bishop.of Wakefield visited before Dads Ordination............

 

 

 

11 hours ago, BoD said:

Is it time to put the sprouts on yet? 

 

Sprouts on pizza?  Yeah, why not.....

Mind you, the well-known "side-effects" of sprouts are often fun.  If you've never been on the receiving end of a polybear f@rt you've never lived.  I had a load of sprouts one year, followed by a jumbo bag of salted peanuts.  One big f@rt and I'd pebble-dashed three council houses.

 

Cards written, stamps applied.  Gone are the days of the penny black - I'll need a loan for that lot (not that there are many).  Today will be the removal of the 2nd last kitchen cupboard (next door have a skip on their drive...I wonder....) and removing the back panel of the kitchen sink cupboard.

[roundhouse]

9 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

 

 

Sprouts on pizza?  Yeah, why not.....

Mind you, the well-known "side-effects" of sprouts are often fun.  If you've never been on the receiving end of a polybear f@rt you've never lived.  I had a load of sprouts one year, followed by a jumbo bag of salted peanuts.  One big f@rt and I'd pebble-dashed three council houses.

 

 

Another reason why I dont like them, especially when my other half has had sprouts

[Barry O]

There used to be a game you could play online called sprouty farts...

[Andrew P]

1 hour ago, iL Dottore said:

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).

 

I've had two Burns Bass Guitars, the first was a beautiful Sunburst late 60's and the neck was a little twisted, and a mate bought it just as a show piece, as it became hard to play.

 

The second was a White Bison Bass, I bought in 2003 from Andertons in Guildford. Our Main Guitarist was in there buying a White Hank Marvin copy and phoned me and said they had a deal on the Bison, so I paid for it over the phone  and he brought it home.

Both were very neck heavy and made your left arm ache trying to support it, play it, and dance about like a demented baboon.

 

Both are worth about 3 times what I paid for them now that Burns no longer make them, so I should have kept them

[Joseph_Pestell]

11 hours ago, simontaylor484 said:

Silly me i thought they had managed to make reisling in the North East but thats Blaydon 

 

There is a winery on Tyneside. Probably not using any Riesling grapes (difficult to grow in England) but almost certainly using some Bacchus which is closely related.

[Joseph_Pestell]

3 hours ago, pH said:

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.

Not a sport for Donald Trump then.

[BoD]

Morning all

 

Have just been to the BBC website for a quick look at the headlines and noticed one proclaiming that one of the routines (from Strictly I presume) will ‘go down in history’.  I do wonder if they have perhaps developed an over inflated sense of their own importance.

 

Have a good Monday peoples. 

[New Haven Neil]

Morning, from a wet Fraggle Rock, but at least it has got light this morning.

 

Hope to speak to the vet today about meds, thanks for the advice Robert.

 

Norra lot else going on really, a housework day beckons.

[jonny777]

Dry and bright here in North Somerset, but a bit breezy. 

 

Pulled a muscle in my back when turning over in bed last night, but it doesn't seem to be too much of a problem, though a bit painful when I stand up - so I intend to sit down as much as possible. 

 

On the subject of large joints of meat for two, I always buy a 2-3kg lump of whatever I need, be it ham, beef, lamb , or pork. I tend to get them from organic farms and they work out at about £30-35 per joint. I make sure there is space in the freezer before ordering, and then armed with a box of freezer bags suitably labelled, I cut them up into 2 people sized roasting pieces and freeze them individually on a tray then add them into the respective bags. 

 

I tend to prefer slow roasting, and so can get away with slightly cheaper cuts such as rolled shoulder of pork and lamb, plus silverside of beef. These days I cut the joints by eye, but I find that 400g per cut is about right. This means I can get 7 or 8 pieces out of most large joints, pork and beef; but slightly less from lamb. I don't consider £5 per joint for organic meat to be too expensive, and the whole process does not take very long with a sharp knife, although pork skin can be a little difficult so I start with it upside down and finish it off with a large pair of scissors. 

 

If I get all three meats at once, and use one a week; my £100 or so outlay will last me about five months, which to me is great. I rotate the varieties and  occasional change to a chicken or duck for variety. 

 

For Christmas cakes, I don't bother with the 'feeding' idea. I make a big cake in early October and I soak the dried fruit in brandy overnight before baking the cake the following day. The baked cake gets wrapped and sealed in a container for 8-9 weeks or so before the icing/marzipan stage and seems to survive without any problems. 

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

Bright and breezy here and that unusually even includes me!

I am a dedicated sprout lover and eat them all the year round along with all other brassicas.  I am alone in my liking for them  in my immediate family and unsurprisingly am sometimes left well alone!  

The Boss is not happy as she has had a toothache for a few days and is visiting the tooth mechanic this morning.  She is terrified of the dentist and normally I am required to go in and sit in the waiting room "just in case" but today I won't be allowed in.  The situation has been made worse as her usual nice man has retired and she is seeing someone new although he is a member of the same family. The best I can do is be sympathetic and wait outside in the car.  

Have a good one,

Bob.

Edited December 14, 2020 by grandadbob

[tigerburnie]

Morning, Tesco's cavalry have been and gone, only down side with an early delivery, no booze allowed(no wonder there were slots free), but Sainsbugs will be delivering the liquid lunches next week, sure I can wait for a week and give my liver a rest lol. Take care all and stay safe.

[Barry O]

Marzipan? Icing? Only on party cakes .. foods of the sugar devil...

 

Baz

[jamie92208]

14 hours ago, simontaylor484 said:

Interesting subject for a calendar Mr Bear, although too many clothes on. I used to get one from one of our customers a supplier of Refractory bricks it was a rated. My mum.hated it my dad loved it though it had to be taken down on occasions such as when the Bishop.of Wakefield visited before Dads Ordination although I'm sure it would have made an interesting talking point.

   My Grandad also lived with us after Gran died he turned in to an alcoholic he used to sit in his bedroom and get leathered he used to be a smarter non clerical version of Father Jack Hackett. He once told my dad that his dog collar needed tightening up alot!! God how we laughed it was all in the best possible taste. 

Would that have been Bishop Eric Treacy. Apparently  when Ian Allan published his autobiography Ian expressed an opinion that the chapters dealing with his spiritual life needed editing a bit. Treacy replied that reading them would be good for the souls of the typesetters of Sheperton.

 

Jamie

[jamie92208]

As gloomy times seem to be around, here's a smile to brighten up any day especially mine.

Jamie

 

 

Edited December 14, 2020 by jamie92208

[Coombe Barton]

Sofa surfing, marking and admin

At least I'm getting paid for it

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone 

 

We both got up late today, so everything is running late. Just got downstairs to the cellar and I'm about to start working on the paint stripping, fab joy, but it will all be worth it in the end. 

 

Stay safe, stay sane, enjoy whatever you have planned for the day, back later. 

 

Br3

[TheQ]

Wondered why our temperature lab has been so busy for the last few weeks... They're busy testing thermometers... -100C to  -80C alarm settings...

Hundreds of them.. Going to all the Covid vaccine monitoring  systems..

They use one of the High Accuracy Meters I do, as a master..

 

Meantime one of our High level managers has chosen to bail out retiring early ... He is being replaced..

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Mention of guitars reminded me that a family friend went into production of his own design of guitar about forty years ago. He was a professional musician, principally guitar named Terry Pack and being based in Blackpool there was plenty of work for him. The guitar was called the Pack Drill but unfortunately just as he started production the firm producing the guitar bodies folded and he couldn't find anyone else to produce them. Only a couple of dozen made it on to the market but they were well thought of apparently. So if you come across a guitar labelled Pack Drill you've got a rarity. Terry is still alive, he's now in his 80's though I haven't been in touch with him for years I think my sister still exchanges Christmas cards with him.

[PhilJ W]

Oops forgot. Mention of wines reminded me that there's vineyards even in Scotland.

https://www.winebusiness.com/news/?go=getArticle&dataid=171427

[polybear]

3 hours ago, Andrew P said:

Both are worth about 3 times what I paid for them now that Burns no longer make them, so I should have kept them

 

I feel your pain - we all do.  How many times have we seen things we used to own and think "HOW MUCH??"...

 

2 hours ago, BoD said:

Morning all

 

Have just been to the BBC website for a quick look at the headlines and noticed one proclaiming that one of the routines (from Strictly I presume) will ‘go down in history’. 

 

 

I used to suffer such programmes (the OH was into them, so that was what was "On").  My big downer on such programmes is that it is often the case that the person that wins (or doesn't get knocked out) is the one that is in the most popular TV programme etc. and not necessarily the most talented.

A prime example for me was when Gaynor Faye (Emmerdale and Corrie) won series one of Dancing on Ice.  In fairness she was very, very good indeed; however I did think that the second place celeb was better.  Who was it?  Bonnie ("I'll scream and scream and scream and make myself sick - I can do that you know...") Langford.  Nuff sed.  Mind you, I wasn't sorry to see the result

 

1 hour ago, jamie92208 said:

As gloomy times seem to becaround, here's a smile to brighten up any day especially mine.

Jamie

 

 

 

It's very nice (and increasingly unusual) to see a set of baby reins being used.  Most of the time the mother is oblivious, with head stuck into facebook on the mobile phone.

 

Kitchen cupboards sorted - sink unit back removed and remaining "other" cupboard (a large corner unit) is no more.  A little bit of wall scraping (not a lot) this afternoon - possibly.  I need milk, so a Co-op run is called for.  Deep joy.

[PeterBB]

30 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

Oops forgot. Mention of wines reminded me that there's vineyards even in Scotland.

https://www.winebusiness.com/news/?go=getArticle&dataid=171427

Getting ahead of global warming?