Early Risers.

[BSW01]

Good evening everyone 

 

The sun didn’t actually managed to shine, although it wasn’t a dull day, but at least it didn’t rain! The temperature rose to as high as 7C this afternoon, but I finished early today so that I could make tea (see below!). 

 

The modifications to the turntable control panel were completed by dinner time. I then spent the afternoon playing testing it, obviously just to make sure it all worked you understand! Which happily I can confirm that it did and as well as I’d hoped it would too! I can now move onto making some brackets/rods to fix the top (scenic top) to the whole lot. This will then be able me to be removed the entire assembly as a single unit for set-up and maintenance etc. 

 

For tonight’s tea, I did a curry that I haven’t made before, a keralan. In total it took about 90 minutes from start to finish, it was quite refreshing and very light, we really enjoyed it. Which is a good job, as I made a large batch of the sauce and there are now 3 tubs, each with 2 servings in the freezer for future meals. 

[BSW01]

Goodnight all 

[monkeysarefun]

1 hour ago, monkeysarefun said:

 

Duplicate post

Edited January 17, 2021 by monkeysarefun

[pH]

When our first son was born in 1977, we were living in a village in West Yorkshire with a population of about 1200. We moved away about 18 months later, lived elsewhere in England for a few more years and came to Vancouver in western Canada in 1982.

 

That son has just met, in Vancouver, a young guy from that same West Yorkshire village (population now about 1600)!

 

It can be a very small world at times.    

Edited January 17, 2021 by pH

[TheQ]

Mooring Awl, inner Temple hare,

4hours sleep so far but various aches and pains are not allowing part 2.

 

I see we've now reached over 5% of the population vaccinated, however a high percentage of those are in homes, either their own or a care homes or in hospitals either staff or patients. So much of the mobile population, ie the spreaders, have yet to be done.

 

It was interesting to see an animation of the kent version of the virus, spreading up the main travel corridors from London. I suspect, that's people living out of London, chosing how far they wish to commute to the smoke each day.

 

Of which two more city dwellers were fined for visiting theirs second homes in Norfolk, and outside of Norwich which has a high amount of commuters to London, the highest rate in norfolk now is the other end of North Norfolk (40 miles from here), Chelsea on sea..aka Wells next the sea and surrounding area. A very high second homer area.

 

Busy watching a piece on vertical farming ie in containers, or basements, 90%less water 99% less land used. LED lighting makes it economic..

 

I think pink pills are starting to work,

time for sleep part 2.

 

 

 

 

[BR60103]

I have at least 2 bottles of Goo Gone where I can find them.

It's good for removing sticky stuff. Price labels are one example. SWMBO worries when I use it on dishes as she thinks it's poisonous. Also popular with school janitors for removing chewing gum from carpets and girl's hair. (Not that good for the sort of glues that dry and harden.)

Forecast snow did not arrive. We took the car through a car wash as the back end looked like a commission from TMC.

Our lockdown has had a few more weeks added to it.

 

[J. S. Bach]

Night Owl from the Piedmont.

[chrisf]

Greetings one and all, especially lovers of Father Brown!  Those good people will know better than I that the eighth series is being re-run on BBC1 starting tomorrow at 1.45 pm.  I understand that Series Nine is in the can but without dates for transmission being made known yet.

 

The latest Government thinking on the hoof may well have scuppered for the time being any ideas I had for a holiday.  The prospect of a period of quarantine on the way home is quite a deterrent.  So, for that matter, is the parlous state of Eurostar at the moment, with begging bowls being offered to both British and French governments alike.  It’s a good job that such planning as I have undertaken is more like a feasibility study, with minor details like dates and hotels left to be determined in the future.  Sadly even determination was not enough to bring my plans to fruition in 2020.  It is small comfort that we are all in the same boat, and I’m not talking about the ever-dependable ferries across the Irish and North Seas.

 

My latest culinary adventure might be of interest.  Finding myself with half a pack of diced pork and about half a bottle of cider, on went the light bulb and out came the slow cooker.  To the leftovers were added a parsnip and a leek, suitably chopped and browned, and a few dumplings to thicken the liquid.  It cooked on slow for nine hours, starting at 5.30 yesterday morning!  To my relief it was delicious and there is some left.

 

I forgot to mention something nice that happened on my last fodder run.  At the entrance to Tesco is the sanitation station.  The young man in charge of it was kind enough to tell me that my rainbow face mask goes nicely with my equally rainbow bobble hat.  Wait until he sees The Tie!

 

Best wishes to all

 

Chris

[iL Dottore]

13 hours ago, polybear said:

Bear can go off people very quickly.....

Who are Sunderland??...

1) Bear is clearly suffering from “Beach-Envy”. I thought bears were made of sterner stuff...

2) What’s a “Sunderland”?

11 hours ago, polybear said:

...Bear is obviously a trend-setter in the world of culinary fashion; some lead, others follow....

...and in Mr P Bear’s case preferably at a very, very safe distance!

11 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

.... Now to decide whats for dinner tonight, bangers and mash or liver and bacon, decisions, decisions.

.....but what about the onions? Both dishes, as excellent as they are, can be taken to a whole new level with the addition of a mound of caramelised onions.

p.s. Just had a thought, add a lamb chop, a small steak and a pork cutlet to the mix and you’d have a superb mixed grill (sausage, bacon, lamb chop, liver, pork cutlet and steak) washed down with a robust stout or porter...

9 hours ago, Gwiwer said:

...Salad cream NO because it is an invention of the Devil....

...if not the Devil himself, then his minions - the food chemists. Have you seen what can be in a bottle of salad cream? Acesulfame K, riboflavin, maltodextrin, modified cornflour, salt, guar gum, xanthan gum, potassium sorbate, sulphur dioxide, and sucralose - amongst other things.

Industrial “food” at its finest. 

“World Beating” English cuisine????

9 hours ago, brianusa said:

Its never really been the same since Sid and Lady Felicia left while the bountiful Bunty leaves a lot to be desired and as for Inspector Mallory; its amazing he actually solves anything with the good Father around!

      Brian.

Bunty isn’t too bad, I suppose. Although given a choice between having my wicked way with Bunty or driving away in Bunty’s car, I would take the car every time.  As for Inspector Mallory, from a dramatic perspective it is clear that this character is the comic foil. However, in terms of the series, he is in his position presumably because he is too thick to pose much of a threat to other parts of the Constabulary that may be either bent, corrupt or in the pocket of local politicians and dignitaries.

6 hours ago, BSW01 said:

I agree with bear, you can go off people. 

Another case of “Beach Envy”.  I’ve now almost got enough cases for a monograph in the NEJM, in PLOS-One or in the journal Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics. The only thing that I have yet to figure out is the title (e.g. CoVID-19 Augmented Psychoneuroses in Locked-Down Bears) and the name of this - just recently identified - condition (perhaps BSW-Syndrome or Ursine Invidious Litorephilia?).

 

And on that learnéd note, I shall bid you an enjoyable Sunday - I’m off to bake a cake..

 

iD

Edited January 17, 2021 by iL Dottore
Typo

[pH]

21 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

2) What’s a “Sunderland”?

 
A WW2  British flying boat - but that’s not important right now.

Edited January 17, 2021 by pH

[jamie92208]

5 hours ago, pH said:

When our first son was born in 1977, we were living in a village in West Yorkshire with a population of about 1200. We moved away about 18 months later, lived elsewhere in England for a few more years and came to Vancouver in western Canada in 1982.

 

That son has just met, in Vancouver, a young guy from that same West Yorkshire village (population now about 1600)!

 

It can be a very small world at times.    

I've got to ask, which village..

2 hours ago, pH said:

 
A WW2  British flying boat - but that’s not important right now.

Aka the flying porcupine.  There is a relatively intact one resting underwater at Milford Haven and a long ongoing project to raise it for display.

 

Jamie

Edited January 17, 2021 by jamie92208

[jamie92208]

Good moaning from a dark and I think, damp Charente, 60 miles from a beach. 

 

Various bits of domestic engineering did get done yesterday. This morning I'm off to the market for final foodstuffs for lunchtime. With the 6pm curfew, evening meals with friends  are no longer possible.

 

Regards to all and stay safe.

 

Jamie

[Barry O]

@monkeysarefun.. I did what I was asked to.. you had lots of fires and no water so I towed a raincloud or two over feom the North West Leeds Highlands and.. bingo .. no more fires and some drinking water.

 

Sunderland AFC aka the Black Cats. Soon to return to the top division of kickball...well I can dream.

 

More garden pumping operations required today. Snow almost gone but as this turns into water the pond gets larger. PAH!

 

But we won a lucky dip and a little bit of dosh on the lottery last night so all is well in this household currently.

 

Today will onvolve the aforementioned water pump duties plus a bit of reading and cooking a chicken for tea.

 

Mugatea awaits so TTFN.

 

Baz

 

 

 

 

[polybear]

1 hour ago, chrisf said:

I forgot to mention something nice that happened on my last fodder run.  At the entrance to Tesco is the sanitation station.  The young man in charge of it was kind enough to tell me that my rainbow face mask goes nicely with my equally rainbow bobble hat.  Wait until he sees The Tie!

 

Not to mention the socks.....

 

50 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

I've got to ask, which village..

Aka the flying porcupine.  Therevis a relatively intact one resting underwater at Milford Haven and a long ongoing project to raise it for display.

 

Jamie

 

And a very nice one at the RAF Museum at Hendon:

 

 

[leopardml2341]

Mornin' folks.

 

Weather looks set fine in South Derbyshire so outside I shall be; hopefully trial fitting the summershed bifold door mechanism. I'll report back on that later. In the meantime a cuppa is begging to be drunk and then some breakfast will be eaten; crumpets followed by a couple of small oranges if uncertain type.

 

Stay safe, stay well. Enjoy your day and avoid the F's, C's and C's.

 

'til later.

[Grizz]

Clucking Bell it has finally stopped clucking raining at last!  Wooooohoooo.......on no wait a minute.....what was I thinking....oh cluck it....Mrs Grizz mentioned ‘doing stuff together in the garden when it stops raining’....which sadly isn’t likely to be a euphemism for anything the slightest bit enjoyable. 
 

List so far includes.......

 

Prune the fruit trees (at least assist in this job).
Mend the bottom of the door on the outside Kermit.

Rake the up dead tree litter.

Fit the weather bar to the outside store.

Fill the rat traps with poison.

Check the mouse traps in the loft (might be able to get warm for 5 minutes at least).

Muck out the chooks.

etc etc etc

 

In my experience the above list is not likely to be the end of the matter as there are just bound to be more delightful adventures I’ll need to get involved in.....for clucks sake. Part of me now wishes it was still clucking raining.

 

Have a good one all. 

 

 

 

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

Dry here with hints of blue sky appearing with a glimmer of sunshine, it's 4°C and may even rise to 7°C. 

Breakfast has been "ordered" and will consist of egg, bacon, sausage, tomato and toast. That should keep me going for a little while.

As I mentioned yesterday The Shed was visited.  Slight hiccup to start with as the power supply to my controller, which has been playing up, finally died.  Luckily last year I'd obtained a replacement so it only took a few moments to swap them over. Once that was done a pleasant couple of hours was spent playing with little wheeled thingies. 

Today I may return and actually do some work as there is much track painting still to be done and then lots of ballasting.  Dinner tonight will be Irish Stew so that's something else to look forward to.

There is a lovely waft of something tasty emanating from the kitchen so I bid you farewell for now.

Have a good one,

Bob.

 

[TheQ]

 

For the moment, some Canaries appear to be getting the better of some black cats.

 

I seem to remember the Sunderland was one of the most comfortable ? Of military aircraft, running to tea making facilities.

 

Very little snow left out there, what's left, got crunchy.

Ben the I want out Collie, took me out there twice, the first time at 05:00, when he got frightened by a distant jet and ran back in. The second at 07:15 when he did what he should have done first time.

 

Heinz salad cream loosely based on "salad sauce," of a 1845 recipe,. However I'd bet the 1914 heinz invention  of salad cream was nothing like the modern version as per it's contents.

For real chemical engineering try Kraft worcestershire sauce or horseradish sauce.. or rather if you value your taste buds and body... Don't.

 

I see cathedrals are  being used as vaccination centres.. at least you can queue in the dry before getting stabbed.

Norwich's centre is this week is to be opened in that cathedral to commerce. The Castle mall shopping centre, to be precise in the food hall, which I've never been in, as takeaway type food gets expensive when you're paying for the ticking clock of the parking machines..

 

 

Edited January 17, 2021 by TheQ

[jonny777]

Wahaaay, a dry and sunny morning here in North Somerset. Quite cold though, but not frosty. 

 

Apparently, the computers have changed their minds over any proper beast from the east, which is rather irritating because they waited long enough for the idea to become embedded in the minds of the media before going back to a more normal scenario.

 

I gather there is now a shortage of lettuce because of the snow in Spain. I somehow doubt that is going to bring the country to a standstill, but my newspaper treats it almost as an unbearable loss. 

[AndyB]

Morning all.

News in yesterday was that a jab had been administered. Hooray. I reckon about 25% of residents were able to have it as the remainder tested +ve. 

 

I'm also told by #2 child that "we" are off to Anfield this afternoon. And there I was thinking I (passively) supported Spurs.

I've not been forgiven yet for saying that Man City played quite well in the recent derby. I'm insufficiently partisan apparently. 

 

Today's list includes mucking out the fish rank which is forever infested with thread algae. It's the stuff that you believe you've removed every last strand if and 5 mins later you can see that a vestigial cell of it has morphed into a new outbreak.

 

The cholesterol beating diet is in full a swing and meals are very tasty. Bean - of the non baked variety - feature as does porridge and brown rice. 

 

After all chores have been done it'll be time to play with a backlog of muddling jobs.

 

Patchy blue sky thereabouts.

[Barry O]

Pump has been deployed, water levels reducing rapidly.

 

Breakfast (including tomato sausages) has been cooked and eaten..excellent.

 

My old man said the Empire Class flying boats were more comfy than the Sunderland. (The luxurious furniture had been removed from the Empire Class but they had retained better cooking facilities) . Both, apparently, flew giving those inside a gentle shuggie boat type flight.  He preferred these to the Bombay and Stirling aircraft used in the middle East.

Baz

 

 

Edited January 17, 2021 by Barry O

[greatcoleswoodhalt]

On 10/01/2021 at 10:00, jafcreasey said:

-1°C

W 5kt, gusting 9kt

 

A bitterly cold morning however the freezing fog has now lifted – the ‘feels like temperature’ offered by the Met Office showing -6°C!  An extended walk is planned after breakfast before settling-in for an afternoon of football – it appears I might be the only Spurs fan on ‘Early Risers’! 

 

The week finished working from home and imagine it will remain that way well in to February, at least.  Little else to report though a local microbrewery, Missing Link Brewing, have introduced 'Doughnut Day' on a Saturday – a welcome opportunity to escape the house this week.  Mrs C and I sampled a honeycomb and rhubarb & custard crumble, buying the same for my shielding parents and leaving them on their doorstep.

 

Did enjoy Tuesday's announcement from Hornby and their 2021 range – for me, the nearest thing to being a kid at Christmas, despite the habitual ‘nothing there for me’.

 

Watched Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy again last night – I’d forgotten what a great adaption it is (with a stellar cast).

 

Stay safe.

 

3°C

NW 10kt, gusting 19kt

 

The sun is shining this morning and what a difference it makes – another walk of Wakehurst, Ardingly planned with 535 acres to explore.

 

The week was long despite only venturing to the office on Thursday.  Working from home has been okay, made easier refreshing RMweb (and Early Risers, naturally) a little more frequently than I might have done otherwise...

 

Another night of disturbed sleep with the dreams experienced during the first lockdown returning.  I've struggled with sleep for many years now, with some weeks better than others, but was hoping that the routine of continuing to work might help…  Alas not to be.

 

Little else to report, but before signing-off, a quick mention of @andyram's post on Thursday discussing the traditional English breakfast and more.   The ‘reliance’ on the Great Central Railway really resonated with me as I would venture to Horsted Keynes station near enough every Saturday morning, timed to catch the down and up trains cross, with just a coffee and Kit Kat for company.  Such a simple thing which in hindsight I took entirely for granted at the time.  I'm sure many others have similar tales and hope they've managed to fill the void - I know I haven't as yet.

 

Stay safe.

[Gwiwer]

Good morning all from the Hill of Strawberries where not only is it a good morning but Sun Day is living up to its name. 
 

A woodpecker is busy pecking wood somewhere nearby. The sycamore branches are bending under the weight of more birds than I have seen together for some time. His Furrship is out for his morning walk. The Thai chef from the restaurant behind us is out (well before they open, I should add) for his morning smoke. 
 

Dr. SWMBO was out early for a pre-dawn walk and then produced breakfast upon her return. The warmed leftovers of a home-made vegetable curry (including home-grown chard leaves), dahl, freshly-made breads and scrambled eggs. Surprisingly good and very filling. 
 

I now get to clean the kitchen, clean the Gwiwer and then enjoy some hobby time after which the blue air may need cleaning!  
 

Best wishes to one and all. 
 

 

[New Haven Neil]

Morning.

 

6 of those c's here, but they seem a bit close together, feels like 3.

 

Laughing wryly at AndyB's diet, as my cholesterol is just a bit high - but the things he mentions are a no-no to a T2 diabetic - Catch 22.  Vet reckons latest thinking is concentrate on the diabetes, not to worry too much about slightly out of spec but not madly high other things, at my age (61.8).

 

She's a young GP trainee so is more up on newer ideas than the rather stodgy more senior vets in the practice, I was impressed by her honesty why I was asking various things that have cropped up recently when she said she didn't know about something, it was too specialised for her.  Far rather that than winging it with bullsh!t.  Nice 'bedside' (telephone only currently) manner too, I hope she stays at the practice.  I see her face to face for the first time tomorrow, it will be a bonus if she is tall dark and attractive too!  Any resemblance to Jadzia Dax of trekkies DS9 would be a double bonus.

 

Back to reality, and we're wondering how to fill the day.  Currently Mrs NHN phoning family elder for his birthday, getting on for 90 so always a worry.

[pH]

3 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

I've got to ask, which village..

Clifford.