Early Risers.

[The Stationmaster]

Afternoon all,

 

The GP's advice of a couple of paracetamol before going to bed definitely  eased the shoulder problem overnight and the pins are still doing their stuff in the muscle next to my neck.  The food collection was officially managed by herself and the lad and all I had to do was ask him to taxi me to/from the town to collect a pressie for herself and we even missed most of the traffic on that little trip.

 

Home made leek and potato soup for lunch and then I was tasked with cleaning the last of this year's carrots ready for Christmas nosh.  The piece of pork turned out to be not only free range but much larger than expected so it will now make an additional meal plus cold cuts subsequently.   We too are, incidentally very much in favour of seasonal food (apart from those strawberries) and much prefer to eat UK grown .  I always liked my regular jaunts across the Channel where seasonal meats, basically the game season in reality, were always on the menu in the right places - something we don't get enough of in Britain.

 

So we are basically all set for the coming event and I really must pack some presents for herself tomorrow or before the 25th.  I hope AndyB listened to the sage advice about where to plant the indicating thingies adjacent to parallel thingyumymajigs.  I hope Chrisf's new cuisine ventures work as well as they sound.

 

Enjoy the rest of your day folks and stay safe if those around allow.

[The Lurker]

Greetings all from Sidcup where I can see a little blue sky, a foretelling of colder days to come. Ocado duly delivered with nothing missing and acceptable substitutions. The only trouble was that the milk was leaking which meant a bit of clearing up before packing away. A trip to the butcher’s at the end of the road ensured all meat requirements have been met and the last present delivery duly arrived. As I have typed this the blue sky has disappeared and it has started to drizzle!

 

And now there is little to do before Christmas itself although I am slated to cook tea tomorrow evening before the bar opens for Christmas; I am doing Libyan Soup, a Delia recipe from her winter collection which I make more substantial with the addition of extra cous cous.

 

enjoy the rest of your day.

[tigerburnie]

There's now another variant covid from South Africa, just when kind of thought it couldn't get any worse, this one is more easily spread too!!

[TheQ]

Glass... fibred.

Ben the clever Collie is also good at predicting weather, he took me out when it was down to very light rain during the walk it turned to merely Dreich, once we were back it started bucketing down as it has ever since.

There is a low heat fan heater blowing onto the keel at the moment, I'll shortly have to go and check it to see if it has set yet..

 

Norfolk has gone tier 4, not surprised with all the Londoners up here now.

 

Last trip out tomorrow, I'll arrive at tes and co just after opening so the initial queue has gone.. it's just for fresh milk

 

Edited December 23, 2020 by TheQ

[Simon G]

2 hours ago, New Haven Neil said:

A'noon, apologies for being late on parade, I have a note.

 

Task of the day was to take Mrs NHN (AKA my Opinion) to the hospital for another check up on her continuing eye condition.  The trip up the mountain road to the Big City produced this....

 

Pah!

 

Still, we got there in time, and the result was very good indeed.  We obviously rubbed the same good luck charm as Brian, the eye issues that we were told was continuing and likely for life, has....disappeared.  Treatment worked, just as well as I am assured it was like pouring battery acid into the eye, the Consultant did say this particular treatment sometimes does work to eradicate the condition (it's not really battery acid, don't try this at home etc....) but not often, however Debs is one of the 'not oftens'. Phew, to say the least.  

 

Back home now where it is merely persisting down, after a long drive back as that road shown above is now closed.

 

 

Wow!  I haven’t heard of any show on the Lakeland hills causing issues, but looking at that, there must be a goodly amount higher up.  If my memory serves me then the altitude for that picture is over 1500 feet, so quite high.  Good news on the eye results.

 

Following a suggestion from Mrs G, the sloes left over from the sloe gin are being (very slowly!) destoned, so that we can use the gin flavoured flesh in some muffins and also possible incorporation into homemade chocolates.  Sloe gin, muffins and chocolate!  Sounds like a good diet to me!

[Ian Abel]

HUMP day and Christmas eve, eve - oh well.

 

Nothing to report from yesterday, no sounds at all from the Long Island client, so I declared today and tomorrow vacation and won't "work" again until next Monday.

Edit: We DID get our grocery delivery so we should be set for the holiday weekend unless we're somehow invaded...

 

With little else to report, I'll put Minnesota weather in "perspective";

Last week or so seasonably ABOVE average, no precipitation and generally calm and clear.

Today, awoke to a high of 6, it's dropping already and expected to bottom out about -15.

This afternoon starting around 1PM (seaweed twirlers aren't sure exactly when...), we're expected to get 4-10 inches of snow, forecast unpredictable.

Northern Minnesota expecting much more snow and high winds for potentially blizzard conditions! 

Unless there's a dramatic change in the weather pattern, a white Christmas is pretty much guaranteed now.

 

SO, being on vacation, I'm going to do some flight simming, continue to prepare the house/comestibles for our self-isolating Christmas, oh, maybe start some eggnog and mince pies rather sooner than later  not up for working on the basement/railway restoration as the Mrs has too much Christmas stuff scattered all over the place down there 

 

EDIT: Whoops, we DID also watch "National Lampoons Christmas Vacation" last night, one of our favorites for sure

 

Tally ho...

Edited December 23, 2020 by Ian Abel

[45156]

Afternoon All

 

Well we're still in Tier 3 here, even though our R number is below 1, and our cases per 100000 is 174 at the moment, so still no pubs.

 

Generic greetings and apologies for absence over the last few days - and I hope that none of of my fellow RMWebbers are suffering too much. 

 

I was trying to get logged on to RMWeb yesterday, while 30747 was heading to town after work, and got as far as getting the site open,  when the phone rang and it was herself saying that she had heard that the food shops were very busy, and "requested" that I get the shopping bags, and present myself post haste at our usual meeting place with the "shopping list" (or bit of paper with some suggestions on items).  So off I goes - pick up 30747 - round to Lidl, and just strolled round - and all items for the festive season have been obtained - there were a few gaps on the shelf, but apparently this was due to Lancaster's order in part winding up in Bolton.

 

Also, managed to get contact with the doll's house maker's daughter, and she is happy to have a dialogue with us. 

 

Regards to All

Stewart

[simontaylor484]

Just had a phone call from sn old friend who got my number from my parents who live near his parents.

Muchos reminiscing especially nights out in O'Neils in Bradford beating the hell out of metal trays to a cover band of the Saw Doctors.and other songs too such as mcalpines fusiliers this was 20 years ago if not more.

 

 

 

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land.  Went to Tess Coes this lunchtime and it was heaving. What is it with mince pies this Christmas? On Monday they had them stacked up, this morning there were none to be had. I did eventually get some  of the puff pastry variety and more like an Eccles cake. The young man was duly delivered of his Christmas present but won't be opening it until Christmas morning. For those ER's into mountain biking perhaps you'd like to try this:-

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/833658581006078760/

Not for the faint hearted.

[Coombe Barton]

The tree is at last up - not lit yet - I still have to sort the spaghetti left from last year.

We haven't changed tier, still 3 - but that doesn't stop me behaving as if we were in tier 4.

[BoD]

25 minutes ago, Coombe Barton said:

We haven't changed tier, still 3 - but that doesn't stop me behaving as if we were in tier 4.

 

Don’t worry, there will be enough doing it the other way to more than make up for your responsible common sense.

[grandadbob]

The Boss made mince pies earlier and they (well 2 of them) have been tested and declared fit for human (and my) consumption.   Sausage rolls will be made tomorrow so my testing services will be on standby. I had quite a large lunch so tonight’s meal was just a bacon sarnie accompanied by a bottle of Old Golden Hen.  This evening I will break out the Talisker that I received for my birthday.  Although it’s not going to be the sort of Christmas we (or anyone else) wanted The Boss and I are going to make the best of it and are starting our festivities tonight.  Merry Christmas and Bah to all Humbugs. 

[polybear]

1 hour ago, PhilJ W said:

For those ER's into mountain biking perhaps you'd like to try this:-

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/833658581006078760/

Not for the faint hearted.

 

Try searching for Danny Macaskill on youtube - here's a taste, which just happens to involve very large objects on parallel pieces of steel (how he does that first stunt is beyond me...):

 

 

[Coombe Barton]

... and the tree is up! (But not yet lit) ...

 

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2020/12/23/sounds-of-the-season-25-sorting-spaghetti/

 

[Ian Abel]

The weather decided to roll in a little earlier than expected, snow now for 3+ hours and down to -6 already;

Front security cam, doesn't really show the extent of the winds, declared blizzard conditions and recommendations to not be on the roads.

That IS a colour picture, just too much blowing snow to see anything but white and grey mostly 

That's me inside eating and drinking them, oh, and the Mrs has me working on holiday cards - going out late, but that's 2020 for you!!

[AndyB]

5 hours ago, tigerburnie said:

There's now another variant covid from South Africa....... this one is more easily spread too!!

It must be.

South Africa is miles away! 

[Ozexpatriate]

5 minutes ago, Ian Abel said:

That IS a colour picture, just too much blowing snow to see anything but white and grey mostly ...

Assuming the weather blows through in the next 48 hours, it looks like you might have a good chance at a picture postcard perfect White Christmas day - clear and a 'tad' cold though.

 

I love the sun coming out with bright clear skies following a midwestern snow storm.

 

If we see snow here, it is inevitably followed by clouds or heavy fog - so no pretty snowy days.  We won't be having a white Christmas in the valley this year. After a several days of rain it is sunny today, though we are expecting rain on Christmas.

[New Haven Neil]

Someone's in Christmassy mood, hitting the nibbles.....

 

[AndyB]

Evening all.

 

Sainsburys not very busy today and no queue at the checkout.

So no locusts down this way.

 

I swerved past the sardine tins as they were down to their last few hundred. Wouldn't want to deprive any afficianados in the town! 

 

Did a bit of toning down of granular stuff this afternoon. And yes, Mike, suitable position identified. 

 

BP continues to fall and is now stable and healthy; QRisk consequentially down with it. All good progress.

[Simon G]

3 hours ago, Coombe Barton said:

The tree is at last up - not lit yet - I still have to sort the spaghetti left from last year.

We haven't changed tier, still 3 - but that doesn't stop me behaving as if we were in tier 4.

As far as I can tell, we remain in Tier 2, but like you, we are also behaving as if we are in Tier 4.

[brianusa]

It will soon be time to wish all hereon a Happy Christmas.  Hopefully it will be a good one in spite of covid restrictions and a better new year for everybody.

     Brian.

[Erichill16]

Evening All,

Despite a walk this morning my foot is not as painful and my abdominal pains have subsided, however I’ve now got backache. I think it started yesterday as I was bent over at work as my glasses kept steaming up so dispensed with them. Flaming face masks.

laid in bed listening to football, if I drop off I’d not be bothered as the match isn’t particularly exciting and not bothered who wins.

We have got a Turkey crown so at least Christmas days dinner will be more substantial then last year. (Cheese sand)

A friend came round this afternoon to exchange gifts. It was good to see him and we spoke for 5 minutes on the drive. We usually arrange to go off for a day between Xmas and the new year for lads day out, preserved railway or the like but obviously not this year. We have said we WILL organize something as soon as we are allowed and not wait until next Christmas.   

Anyway,Goodnight 

robert 

[New Haven Neil]

Bloomin Donk......he's 'helping' my diabetes by eating all the profiteroles now.

 

Note that he has actually broken in to the fridge....pah!

 

 

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-Land. The foot after being incognito for a couple of days is getting sore again so a couple of Nurofen before bed will be called for. Still bin day tomorrow and as I put the sacks out I could see the cloud was breaking up and its turning a bit chillier. Next bin day is Monday week. Now time to catch up with Farcebook, be back later.

[Barry O]

Good lad Donk!

Gammon has defrosted so I just need to parboil it before roasting it for tea tomorrow.

 

For some reason I feel totally worn to a frazzle.

 

Baz