Early Risers.

[DaveF]

Just after I finished my previous post the phone rang, as expected it was the endoscopy nurse to give me details of my appointment and what I need to do before it.  It is on Wednesday of the coming week, 18th January at Wansbeck hospital at 8.45a.m.  Fortunately it only takes about 15 minutes to get there and parking is usually easy at that time of day.  There isn't time to post out stuff to me so I have agreed to call in to the department on Monday morning to pick up the notes, consent form and the preparation to empty my bowel.  I need to visit the garden centre nearby anyway so it will be quite easy.

 

She went through everything in detail and asked a lot about my symptoms which she said sound like classic IBS.  I have printed off a list of what I can eat in the next couple of days, it is very similar to my normal diet.

 

I now have my fingers crossed about the outcome.

 

David

 

 

 

 

[Coombe Barton]

... Naming of virus strains – I do not care to interpret the mindset of those who generate the names. The Kraken is a legendary gargantuan sea creature, said to have been seen off the coasts of Norway and Iceland ...

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2023/01/14/xbb-1-5-kraken-increasing-in-the-usa/

[TheQ]

Porridge is made with water by me. Sometimes with a splash of milk at the end, sometimes with a little salt and even more rarely some whisky.

Schools Dinners we had no choice at primary or the first secondary, you had to eat what was supplied.

 

Laminate flooring.. I've had somewhat of a problem, there's a hump in the floor, meaning the locking tangs don't  lock or and don't align. I've currently got some under board weights hoping they'll take shape.

 

Rudder, glass fibre tissued on the second side.

Centre console,  Sanded, then I realised another reinforcement is needed, so that was made and glued on. Now under clamps.

 

Ben walked, we set off, faces into the wind in horizontal drizzle, which turned to rain.

The return trip, the rain stopped.. 

 

We are surrounded by sugar beet. In the last frost the tops died off, now they are resprouting, just in time for another round of cold and frost.

They haven't been harvested because the Cantley sugar beet works has broken down, they reckon it will take 3 months to fix. 

Also expected to take 3 months to fix is Potter Heigham medieval bridge, the hole in the top surface has been found to go through to the foundations, they sent a diver down in four feet of water to inspect it.

It's currently closed to road traffic, open to pedestrians only.

 

[New Haven Neil]

Morning....um. Missed that.  Out early doors for Mrs NHN to get Pilated, then an appointment with a different Bank to open a new current account as our local HSBC is being closed 'to improve our service'.  Nice new big branch opening in Douglas.  44 mile round trip......pah.  Opening a new account now is akin to being interviewed for the secret service or something, all the money laundering rules stuff I suppose.  First person had to declare an interest as she is a neighbour, so the boss had to interview us.  I think we got the job account.

 

Love rice pudding, porridge. hate tapioca.  Its a texture thing for me, I like crunchy crisp things, soft is OK but I dislike soft or sloppy things with bits in, eg tomatoes, raisins, sort of thing.  I like spicy, used to like even spicier, eating the crew's curry on Indian crewed ships much to my fellow officer's disgust, who had the wimpy upstairs version.

 

Weather here is foul, UK briefly re-connected this morning but is likely to be cut off once more later with force 9 winds predicted.  This is of course because we're going out for a Thai meal tonight with friend Jayne, weather is always pants when we go out with her for some reason.  Maybe she is a rain god.

 

I see the *&^%ing buttons haven't been fixed yet, that's a week isn't it?  Really getting on my moobs.

 

 

[grandadbob]

@New Haven NeilNeil, see AndyY’s note at top of page re changing to temporary theme.

Edited January 14, 2023 by grandadbob

[New Haven Neil]

8 minutes ago, grandadbob said:

@New Haven NeilNeil, see AndyY’s note at top of page re changing to temporary theme.

 

Thanks Bob, I hadn't seen that with the screen whizzing up and down.  Rant aborted.

[The White Rabbit]

Afternoon all. 

 

The wet and windy weather continues, though thankfully more pianissimo than yesterday. A better night's sleep was had. 

 

School dinners (eaten at lunchtime) were a bit better than some ERs have experienced, though a few dishes did put me off those for many years. Gravy was one, the sort served at school was thin, greasy and like something Mr Dickens might have described in Nicholas Nickleby. It took around 20 years to overcome that before I could enjoy 'proper' gravy again. 

 

I dislike granary bread, probably due to the mix of textures. Malted is fine and I like wholemeal but I won't eat granary. Or shellfish, though that's more due to seeing them around sewage outfalls rather than texture/taste. Not that we ever had shellfish at school! No choice at primary school but secondary usually had two or three hot options and a salad option. The latter was never taken due to the frequency with which those who did found ... 'wildlife' ... in the green stuff. 

 

We could be in good company with childhood dislikes and our tastes changing, Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall was a fussy eater as a child before becoming more ... er ... 'cosmopolitan' with his tastes. Hence his local nick-name, which I won't repeat on RMWeb, even if it could get past the software! And that's by his own admission, not 'alleged'... 😉 

 

I am sulking as our pending supermarket delivery appears to have been hi-jacked by militant vegetarians. Veg and bread, fine, full rations. But no meat or fish is being delivered. Many thousand turdycurses... 

[Gwiwer]

Afternoon all. 
 

Currently wearing a patch provided to Premium and Gold members which has improved function and enjoyment though hasn’t (yet) resolved the underlying issues. 
 

On the site ….. what sort of patch did you have in mind??? 
 

Emojis still not available (not altogether a loss) and the view isn’t quite what it was but there’s work in progress. 
 

On my way home from sharing lunch with the Brains Trust. As ever a most convivial gathering albeit tinged with the sadness of toasting not one, not two but three recently-departed members. Good beer, good food and good company. Thank you all. 
 

I now predict a quiet night in. 

[iL Dottore]

Good Evening from vibrant, exciting, trend-setting Shoreditch*
* if under 35 years of age

 

A sadly depleted Brains Trust met to day and toasted the loss and absence of ChrisF, JohnDMJ and AndrewC.

Around the table, clockwise from far left @Gwiwer, Sarah (roundhouse’s SWMBO), @roundhouse @The Stationmaster, @iL Dottore @Oldddudders@unravelled and @bbishop.   Our official “Le Rosbif” @jamie92208 joined us via some new fangled technology. We then raised our glasses to toast our old friends and sparring partners - a bittersweet moment.

 

Ian ( @Oldddudders) has joined the Brains Trust as an official back up “Le Rosbif” in the event @jamie92208 is unable to join a BT meeting (and Ian is also in the UK at the time).

 

A splendid time was had by all, marred only by the early departures of some unlucky Brains Trust members, who needed to combat TfL in order to get to their trains home….

Edited January 14, 2023 by iL Dottore

[roundhouse]

And guess what, Thameslink was up the creek when we got to London Bridge due to no driver for the train sitting there a half hour before ours with no info as to whether it would be moving to allow other ones to pass, so we had a dash across to the terminal platforms to catch the East Grinstead train to East Croydon then a train to South Croydon. Eventually made it.

Edited January 14, 2023 by roundhouse

[zarniwhoop]

Apropos food, I was brought up on conventional British food (my mum would cook lamb's liver for herself and me, but not for my dad who hated it). School food was very variable. For the latter part of my childhood Mum worked part-time afternoon shifts as a nurse and I had to initially warm pre-prepared dinner and later moved on to cooking a lot of it when she was out. Before I left for Uni she gave me a 'cooking in a bedsit' book. ISTR that the first night at uni (Lancaster) we ate in the dining room of the college (liver and bacon seems to come to mind, with a memory that the bacon was not crisp and was in the gravy) - we'd mostly arrived about 5pm or 6pm when the chartered busses from London pulled in.

 

After that, for the first year I mostly either ate in the colleges' cafés (usual British café food and stuff which probably inspired CMOT Dibbler), or cooked in the kitchen/dining area (that was for about 30 of us, we weren't usually all there at the same time!). Got in to eating wholefoods (starting with field beans) from a wholefood store in the city. For the next two years I was living in flats in sunny Morecambe, mostly trying local food when I wasn't on campus (various fish and shrimp dishes, or roast beef sandwiches in a local pub), or trying out recipes (including tripe a few times, decided it wasn't worth the effort) and bread baking, and increasingly using veggie recipes. Also discovered I loved mushrooms (my dad hated them).

 

A bit later I decided that people eating less meat and fish would improve food supply for the world (in those days I was idealistic) and I could do my bit by becoming veggie. I still eat eggs, but have never really enthused about them.

 

Anyway, after that far too long prologue - porridge it has to have salt and be cooked in water, a little cold milk could be added afterwards to cool it down, or a little plain yoghurt if convenient (the pots no longer come with lids, so now rarely convenient). Those with a sweet tooth could add sugar, or jam as has been mentioned. But in recent years I only eat porridge if it is cold, otherwise I tend to get too hot. Had some for a few days a couple of weeks ago, I expect I'll be eating porridge again this week. 🥶

 

Good to see the first blood oranges ('moro' - 'blush oranges' in waitrose-speak because the colour is often very little) are available, and so far mine have been nicely coloured despite the skin colour often being very pale. Hope the supplies continue.🙂

 

ĸen

[pH]

4 hours ago, Coombe Barton said:

... Naming of virus strains – I do not care to interpret the mindset of those who generate the names. The Kraken is a legendary gargantuan sea creature, said to have been seen off the coasts of Norway and Iceland ..

… or the new (in their second season) NHL team in Seattle:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seattle_Kraken

[monkeysarefun]

7 hours ago, jjb1970 said:

One of the principal condiments here is sambal which is chilli sauce made using fermented shrimp paste. It's perhaps an acquired taste but once you get a taste for it it's splendid stuff. Potency varies from relatively mild to fully weaponized.

I've got a jar of that in the fridge, along with about 5 different versions of soy sauce. Actually over the last 20 years or so Australian home cooking has become very Asianised, stirfries and salads are much more common now than the previous meat and 3 veg style that we got endlessly served up until the 80s. In turn we are adding Australian touches, one tv chef here uses Vegemite in his sauce  in some dishes. 

Might all be doing some good, the Bureau Of Statistics released last year's information about statistics like they do and we've snuck into 3rd spot in the life expectancy league, though probably due mainly to our minimal COvid death rate in  2020 compared to many other places. We took a bigger hit last year  so next year's results should  show a bit of a drop.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-11-09/qld-health-life-expectancy-australia-dodges-covid19-decline/101625656

 

This kind of thing (achieving a result due to others bungling or misfortune) is called "Doing A Bradbury" here, named after speed skater Stephen Bradbury, who won our first ever Winter Olympic gold medal by crossing the line first after the rest of the field, that he'd been trailing, crashed into each other and all fell over on the final corner, he was too far back to be affected and just sailed on past.

 

33 and sunny has been organized for today, pretty perfect.

 

Edited January 14, 2023 by monkeysarefun

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. Had a good day today at the toy fair. Spent about a hundred tokens but none on items that run on parallel strips of metal. The items I did buy were mostly metal, two with wings and half a dozen with rubber tyres. My friend who was with me blew 900 tokens on some vintage items that run on parallel rails (pre-war H-D).

[PhilJ W]

My friend lives in South Benfleet not far from @Tony_S. After dropping him off this afternoon as I was driving home I spotted a wooden electric supply pole with what appears to be a bush growing out of the top. I doubt that the pole has sprung into life again, probably a seed had become lodged in the pole and germinated. 

[polybear]

7 hours ago, Coombe Barton said:

Still cream crackered from yesterday. Hopefully we can recruit from that lot. Hopefully one of them can replace me. Hopefully then I can set a retirement date.

 

 

The trick is to set your retirement then let the Grown Ups worry about a replacement - it should focus their attention and give them a kick into doing something.

 

7 hours ago, jjb1970 said:

School put me off milk for years, being forced to drink tepid milk through a paper straw gave me an intense hatred of milk. It's funny, I still remember all the flak Maggie got for stealing milk from the needy children of the world yet everyone I was at school with felt the same as I did about school milk.

 

The rich (or lucky) kids at Bear's Primary School used to have Nesquik to mix in theirs - occasionally you might be successful in scrounging some for your own, but the usual line was "My Mum says I'm not allowed....."

 

14 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

Might all be doing some good, the Bureau Of Statistics released last year's information about statistics like they do and we've snuck into 3rd spot in the life expectancy league, though probably due mainly to our reduced COvid death rate in 2019 and 2020 compared to other places. We took a bigger hit last year and this, so next year's results should  show a bit of a drop.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-11-09/qld-health-life-expectancy-australia-dodges-covid19-decline/101625656

 

"According to officials, China recorded 59,938 Covid-related deaths between 8 December and 12 January".

 

And since that figure is the official one then I wonder what the real figure is - China isn't noted for being altogether honest in such matters.

 

Bear here.....

Today's achievements?  Buggerall.  Tigger Bounce Busted.  Would like to have done the framework but weather had different ideas.  Plan 2 was - there wasn't a plan 2.  Now thinking what a waste of a day.  Turdycurses.

At least rain isn't predicted over Bear Towers tomorrow so I should be able to get something achieved.  Hopefully.

Now for a bit of excitement I'll go and unload the Dishwasher.

I did watch a rather good film called "The Call of the Wild" (2020, with Harrison Ford) about the adventures of a rather big doggie during the Gold Rush era.  Doggie was done (with CGI?) and extremely well, too.  Well worth a watch (I recorded it off Film 4 on 23 Dec - not sure if it's currently available but worth looking out for).

Bear gone.

Bear gone.

[grandadbob]

@polybear

I had the DVD of that PB but gave it to youngest granddaughter last year.  Must admit I really enjoyed it too.

In the past week I've watched Top Gun Maverick, Fisherman's Friends One and All, both of which I also enjoyed andThe Railway Children Return which I thought rather disappointing.

Managed to summon up the enthusiasm to watch some rugby, managed two matches and got more recorded for later.

Now feeling rather full after pizza and fries on top of the quiche I had at lunchtime and there's still some of the latter left.

Still been off the booze but that may change later on this evening.

 

 

[monkeysarefun]

1 hour ago, polybear said:

"The Call of the Wild

 From a book by Jack London, one non Australian book I do remember being on our reading list in early high school.

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-Land. Todays efforts has left me cream crackered. Fortunately I found something for supper in the reduced to clear section at Tess Coes, rarebit chips. They are ready cooked chunky chips covered with grated cheese. Ten minutes in the air fryer and they were perfect. I don't think that I will be having them too often, all the salt and carbs and I could feel my arteries hardening.

[BoD]

9 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

Ten minutes in the air fryer and they were perfect.

May I pick the collective brain cell of ERs regarding the aforementioned air fryers.

 

Do they work?

Do they save money over say, an electric fan oven?

Are there any features/pitfalls I should look out for if we decide to buy one. Some of them can be quite expensive. Almost a Deltic.

[Gwiwer]

20 minutes ago, grandadbob said:

In the past week I've watched Top Gun Maverick, Fisherman's Friends One and All, both of which I also enjoyed

The first is not my thing at all.  The second was a sequel that perhaps didn't need making.  It takes a factual background and fictionalises it even more than the first movie - which is at least based on fact - making it less believable in my opinion.  It's lightweight easy viewing though.  

 

There are numerous fishing villages around Cornwall with singing traditions.  In another lifetime it might have been Cadgwith or Mousehole for example which became the subject of someone's attention.  Port Isaac has done very well out of both the Doc Martin series and its own Fisherman's Friends.  A few might say too well given the crowds who now pour through that tiny village for half or more of the year.  But at least there's money coming in where there wasn't before and arising from the enjoyment of singing for its own sake.   

 

Having spent the afternoon sharing memories of, among others, Chrisf, late of this parish I never asked what he thought of a bunch of "hairy-ar$ed fishermen" (to quote the first movie) singing for enjoyment.  That, in its purest form, truly is folk music; Chris loved his folk music very much.  

 

 

[Gwiwer]

10 minutes ago, BoD said:

May I pick the collective brain cell of ERs regarding the aforementioned air fryers.

 

Do they work?

Do they save money over say, an electric fan oven?

Are there any features/pitfalls I should look out for if we decide to buy one. Some of them can be quite expensive. Almost a Deltic.

We don't have one.  But we know people who do.  

 

The collective opinion is that (a)they do work and they do do what they say on the tin if you follow the instructions (a bit like a microwave in that sense - it becomes second nature after a while), (b)they are "yet another gadget" in the kitchen so probably no saving of money overall, ( c ) they can offer a route to eating more quick-cook "fried" food which is not altogether good for some of us, (d)you get what you pay for - Lima budget gets Lima performance; Bachmann budget gets a good 'un.  And the bigger the better according to some.  

Edited January 14, 2023 by Gwiwer

[PhilJ W]

3 minutes ago, BoD said:

May I pick the collective brain cell of ERs regarding the aforementioned air fryers.

 

Do they work?

Do they save money over say, an electric fan oven?

Are there any features/pitfalls I should look out for if we decide to buy one. Some of them can be quite expensive. Almost a Deltic.

They are basically a small portable fan oven and anything you can do with a fan oven you can do with an air fryer. The one thing that they are not good at is frying. The advantage is their economy, they use little more power than a microwave. One little tip, don't get one with a normal fryer basket, the better ones have a pan with a perforated bottom. 

[PhilJ W]

Further to the remarks above the best air fryer is a Ninja according to the pundits. They are also the most expensive with the top of the range setting you back £200.

[PhilH]

1 hour ago, Gwiwer said:

We don't have one.  But we know people who do.  

 

The collective opinion is that (a)they do work and they do do what they say on the tin if you follow the instructions (a bit like a microwave in that sense - it becomes second nature after a while), (b)they are "yet another gadget" in the kitchen so probably no saving of money overall, ( c ) they can offer a route to eating more quick-cook "fried" food which is not altogether good for some of us, (d)you get what you pay for - Lima budget gets Lima performance; Bachmann budget gets a good 'un.  And the bigger the better according to some.  

 
I wouldn’t necessarily agree with most of this post…I’ve had one for three months now and it’s been a revelation, so much so that I don’t use my oven any more….because that’s all an air fryer is, a fan oven on a small scale so to call it a fryer is a bit of a misnomer. Basically the fan blows air over the heating element onto the food, because it is a smaller space it cooks more quickly. You don’t have to waste energy preheating it either.

 

Another benefit is that you use much less oil to cook with, a quick spritz from a pump dispenser is all that’s needed so, in fact, can be much healthier than other forms of cooking.

We do roasts in ours, chips, all meats, bacon, sausages etc.,pizza, bake cakes-pretty much everything you would do in a conventional oven. We’ve even baked bread in it. There are some things that don’t do so well in it, but these are few and far between and well documented.

 

Ours is a 5.7 litre basket model, plenty big enough for two. Daughter and son have dual basket models which they find adequate for four people.

 

I certainly don’t have a top of the range model, mine is an Instant Vortex priced at the time for £89. It has 5 different modes of cooking along with time and temp.

 

As I say, it has been a revelation in our house and undoubtedly has saved money in cooking costs due to no preheat and shorter cooking times. In fact I would say it’s up there as one of the most useful tools I’ve bought.

Edited January 14, 2023 by PhilH