Early Risers.

[Gwiwer]

1 hour ago, Coombe Barton said:

it transpires - it was a BEDford.

I have ..... errrr ...... "slept" in one of those.  

 

Transit van, which was the genuine Ford, equipped with a block of foam ("mattress") and some definitely pre-used duvets in the back.  Festival style.  The Mk.1 s***-wagon.  

 

In other news the weather here has ameliorated itself somewhat.  No wetness.  Just a cool breeze with a few appearances of the sun between clouds.  Dr. SWMBO checked in early this morning to advise she had a "good long sleep" but as she was on her way to work we didn't have a lengthy chat.  

 

Whilst out and about on Saturday I missed a parcel delivery and received a Royal Mail "Something For You" card.  Today I had other business in town - not least of which was posting a couple of parcels - so I took the card in order to collect the item.  It could not be found.  Both the staff on duty had a good furtle through the parcel room but no.  Our lovely lady postmistress, Vanessa, took my mobile number and offered to call me back when she had seen the parcel-person later.  I was home an hour later when she called.  The item had in fact been found.  It "didn't look like a parcel" because it was wrapped in a clear polythene bag.  I already knew it was His Furship's litter.  That normally comes DPD but for some reason this time had found its way into the Royal Mail.  

 

No matter.  I strolled back up to the post office which takes all of two minutes and collected the "lost" parcel along with the profound apologies of Vanessa and her assistant.  

 

I call that good service.  Where else would you get a call-back?  Never mind a genuinely warm apology that the customer had been inconvenienced and had to come in twice.  To cap it all the post office is open seven days a week so if we desperately need to post something on Sunday mornings we can.  Between 7 and midday.  

[Ian Abel]

TW3 - That Was the Weekend That Was! Whew!

 

Friday evening a nice long Zoom with friends, 

Saturday, brief late wakeup, then off to a high-school matinee performance of "The Lion, witch and Wardrobe", the Mrs. great niece in.

Saturday evening, neighborhood Christmas party, well attended, much fun, too late to bed!

Sunday up at "o'crack sparrow..." to get to church for 8am and sing at two services, race home, nap, back for a 3:30pm Advent Evensong performance by the schola,

THEN, out for dinner/drinks with the schola and partners. Excellent evening, but did me in completely...

 

Monday, tired and barely conscious most of the day, struggled through it all <yawn>

 

Today awoke to a mere inch of snow on the ground, expected to disappear as it's supposed to warm up the next two days.

 

-2c first thing, high of 2-3c expected. Warming trend 6c tomorrow, 11c Thursday and 7c Friday for highs, no precipitation in our immediate future.

 

Carry on.

 

 

[Gwiwer]

The Copper Kettle café is open

 

Nice sign 

 

[TheQ]

56 minutes ago, Hroth said:

 

How long to cook a large, frozen turkey?

 

10 minutes per pound at 800W. 

Large Tesco turkey = 7kg ish = 15.4lbs

So 154 minutes at 800W in a microwave oven which is continuous wave.

Or 0.0025 seconds at 60MW.. at a prf of 250pps with a 10us pulse length

If I've got my arithmetic right, which is by no means a certainty.

Edited December 5, 2023 by TheQ

[Hroth]

It'll probably then explode, showering the district with charred and urecognisable fragments!

 

As for the tiny fencing, how about suggesting it's there with a 2mm strip* of thin transparent plastic with the uprights inked in with a very fine fineliner?

 

* Only a little bigger than 1.3mm and slightly easier to cut without it turning into a curly thing....

 

Edited December 5, 2023 by Hroth
Impractical fencing suggestion...

[The White Rabbit]

1 hour ago, TheQ said:

...  PPPS, the wooden fence round the edge of the R12 building top floor is about 1.3mm high in 1:1000, scale, any ideas on how to model that?

 

I was going to suggest printing onto acetate sheeting - if the printer is good enough to do this properly. But hand-inking sounds easier. 

[Sidecar Racer]

1 hour ago, Hroth said:

It'll probably then explode, showering the district with charred and urecognisable fragments!

 

 

 For exploding turkeys .

 

 

[DaveF]

Once I finished checking all my e mails I went into town, parked near the shop I needed to go to and quickly found what I wanted along with several things I didn't know I wanted until I saw them.

 

Then I parked the car by the church as it was raining again so I didn't walk from the shops.  I went in to the see the Christmas Tree Festival and discovered that one of the two volunteers for the morning session was unable to be there so offered to stay and help.  The morning passed quickly and enjoyably welcoming people, answering questions and chatting generally.  Probably the most important task was making tea and coffee for visitors and ensuring they had a mince pie or biscuits.  We don't charge for them but almost everyone donates.

 

The trees are decorated by local businesses and other organisations and make a good display, everyone who came said they had been looking forward to it.  Each evening there is a concert, all but one of them are free, there is a charge for one by a brass band to cover their costs.  I might go to one or more but not tonight as it may be frosty - and I think I would prefer the music on other nights as they are all different - a shanty choir, a choral society and an operatic society.

 

I managed to switch on the contactless donation machine, once it had updated it worked - or at least it has correctly taken the payment I made with a credit card so I assume other peope will have been able to do the same.  It would help if someone had left the instructions for it, I think they were in the vestry and I didn't have my keys with me.

 

I took quite a lot of photos while I was there, a few are below.

 

I got home in time to have a salad lunch and then spent the afternoon sorting out the photos.  I took a lot as I am hoping some of them will go on the new church website when it is finished.

 

There are no real plans this evening except for another episode of the French Maigret on TPTV.  I'll probably read and listen to music the rest of the time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are a few "different trees".  This one is by Blyth Tall ship with the old lighthouse, a very simplified model of their ship (Williams II), their work sheds and the old harbour offices they also use.  I thnk someone has made a kit for it by scanning a set of photos and printing them off.

 

David

Edited December 5, 2023 by DaveF

[Coombe Barton]

... At home, the crunch-crunch of the grass has returned to a severe squelch-squelch and brown ooze predominating twixt the green. ...

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2023/12/05/sounds-of-the-season-2023-03-covid-pants-on-fire/

[zarniwhoop]

Went for a (short) drive earlier, just to go somewhere different - turned off the London road towards Hurstpierpoint, but then left at the junction towards Shaves Thatch and then on towards Henfield - was going to take the cutoff to Small Dole instead of going to the edge of Henfield, but it was signed 'flood' so thought better of it (no signs for flood at what I think was the other end of that road as I got to Small Dole). I used to cycle those roads regularly, but I think I've only been along that part from the London road (A23) two or three times in the last 20 years now that I only drive.

 

Then some food shopping, and got some Monsooned Malabar coffee beans - I used to get some every few months for 'best' espresso (rather than for 'wake me up' espresso) but until today I hadn't seen the beans since covid, although I've seen ground (for filters, etc) once or twice. So my coffee grinder is back in use - nowadays I mostly just drink Lavazza rosso. rahter than faff about grinding.

 

But I'm puzzled by prices for fizz in Waitrose (lots of offers on fizz and wines at the moment). How come fairly ordinary English fizz (not necessarily the classic grape varieties) is dearer than champagne from recognizable names ?

Edited December 5, 2023 by zarniwhoop
duplicate word and new para in mid sentence

[Tony_S]

40 minutes ago, zarniwhoop said:

But I'm puzzled by prices for fizz in Waitrose (lots of offers on fizz and wines at the moment). How come fairly ordinary English fizz (not necessarily the classic grape varieties) is dearer than champagne from recognizable names ?

Smaller production runs.  We have had some wines from near where you were. Our nephew lives in Burgess Hill and gives local wines as presents. We even had English red wine recently. 

[Tony_S]

51 minutes ago, zarniwhoop said:

nowadays I mostly just drink Lavazza rosso. rahter than faff about grinding.

We have a bean to cup machine. I don’t drink much coffee but I do get to load the beans. Not due to any special skill apart from being tall enough to see into the hopper.

We did try the monsoon  beans once or twice but stick to the Illy classic beans now. We buy them when they are on “special offer” .

Edited December 5, 2023 by Tony_S

[polybear]

10 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

Smaller production runs.  We have had some wines from near where you were. Our nephew lives in Burgess Hill and gives local wines as presents. We even had English red wine recently. 

 

On the subject of wine, can anyone recommend** a half reasonable red please?  Bear knows buggerall about such stuff.....

 

(**From the Co-op Cellar......faffing about in Tess n' Co's etc. just ain't this Bear's style.......)

 

 

[Sidecar Racer]

14 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

On the subject of wine, can anyone recommend** a half reasonable red please?  Bear knows buggerall about such stuff.....

 

(**From the Co-op Cellar......faffing about in Tess n' Co's etc. just ain't this Bear's style.......)

 

 

 

A Shiraz is okay for me as it's neither to sweet or to dry .

[Tony_S]

21 minutes ago, polybear said:

From the Co-op Cellar

Do you know if the intended recipient likes for instance Italian or Spanish food? Choose one of those perhaps. Any of the Australian ones would be perfectly drinkable. I have tended to prefer red wines but I hardly drink any at all now. I didn’t have a particularly refined “palette” or whatever it is called. “Not vile” was fine with me. 

Edited December 5, 2023 by Tony_S

[grandadbob]

 

 I rather like this one:  

 

 

https://www.coop.co.uk/products/search/wine?query=jam shed&page=1

 

Just finished a bottle  earlier.

Edited December 5, 2023 by grandadbob

[polybear]

10 minutes ago, Sidecar Racer said:

 

A Shiraz is okay for me as it's neither to sweet or to dry .

 

But they're all a liquid in a bottle - so aren't they all wet??

Bear confused....

[polybear]

1 minute ago, grandadbob said:

 

 I rather like this one:  

 

 

https://www.coop.co.uk/products/search/wine?query=jam shed&page=1

 

It's got a good name that Bear can remember - so that's a plus....

[The White Rabbit]

31 minutes ago, polybear said:

On the subject of wine, can anyone recommend** a half reasonable red please?  .....

 

5 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

But they're all a liquid in a bottle - so aren't they all wet??

Bear confused....

 

Is this a stand alone gift or to be served with food at Bear Towers/elsewhere? If the latter, it might get tricky - without getting snobby or pretentious about it, I think certain grapes go better than others with particular types of food*. If you're planning something special, it would help if we knew a bit about the circumstances. If it's a stand alone gift, you've more choice as they can choose when to have it and with what - perhaps just go with one of those recommended. 

 

FWIW, opinion is divided over the best wine producing areas. Personally I favour France, northern Italy and Chile. I don't care for Australian or South African wine. But that's just me - other opinions available. I don't buy wine from the Co-op but if I was buying a red from them, as well as those suggested, I'd think about https://www.coop.co.uk/products/la-vieille-ferme-rouge-758579 , https://www.coop.co.uk/products/casillero-del-diablo-merlot-830875 , https://www.coop.co.uk/products/casillero-del-diablo-reserva-cabernet-sauvignon-713324 - decent [brands] as far as most drinkers are concerned. 

 

* See that scene in From Russia with Love on the Orient Express... 

 

[polybear]

32 minutes ago, The White Rabbit said:

 

 

Is this a stand alone gift or to be served with food at Bear Towers/elsewhere? If the latter, it might get tricky - without getting snobby or pretentious about it, I think certain grapes go better than others with particular types of food*. If you're planning something special, it would help if we knew a bit about the circumstances. If it's a stand alone gift, you've more choice as they can choose when to have it and with what - perhaps just go with one of those recommended. 

 

FWIW, opinion is divided over the best wine producing areas. Personally I favour France, northern Italy and Chile. I don't care for Australian or South African wine. But that's just me - other opinions available. I don't buy wine from the Co-op but if I was buying a red from them, as well as those suggested, I'd think about https://www.coop.co.uk/products/la-vieille-ferme-rouge-758579 , https://www.coop.co.uk/products/casillero-del-diablo-merlot-830875 , https://www.coop.co.uk/products/casillero-del-diablo-reserva-cabernet-sauvignon-713324 - decent [brands] as far as most drinkers are concerned. 

 

* See that scene in From Russia with Love on the Orient Express... 

 

 

Standalone, fortunately...so they can drink it, cook with it, strip paint with it, whatever they like with it.....

[iL Dottore]

6 hours ago, Hroth said:

 

How long to cook a large, frozen turkey?

 

Frozen Turkey?

Eugh!

 

If I absolutely HAVE to do a turkey (for some unfathomable reason Mrs iD enjoys turkey) we get a free range one from a farmer just across the border in France. Most times when we collect the bird, it's still warm with head and feet attached- - just defeathered and disemboweled.

 

Luckily enough, such a free range bird can be made fairly edible with some ("ahem") <Cheffy> cooking (sous-vide gives you a perfectly cooked Turkey breast!)...

 

[Tony_S]

8 minutes ago, polybear said:

strip paint with it, whatever they like with it.....

Aditi’s uncle in California has a vineyard. The wine he produces now is ok. He replanted the vines a few years ago, The last lot of Zinfandel was horrible. He had changed from supplying grapes to a local Co-op and getting a share of the output to a doing it all himself production. After the replanting started producing it is all done at his home now but he has bought in professional expertise for,certain stages.  The grapes are now Cabernet Sauvignon. We have four bottles from his last visit, though when he ate the roast beef dinner he requested we gave him English red wine! 

[monkeysarefun]

1 hour ago, polybear said:

 

On the subject of wine, can anyone recommend** a half reasonable red please?  Bear knows buggerall about such stuff.....

 

(**From the Co-op Cellar......faffing about in Tess n' Co's etc. just ain't this Bear's style.......)

 

 

https://www.danmurphys.com.au/product/DM_361628/penfolds-grange-1994-magnum-1-5l

[iL Dottore]

1 hour ago, polybear said:

 

On the subject of wine, can anyone recommend** a half reasonable red please?  Bear knows buggerall about such stuff.....

 

(**From the Co-op Cellar......faffing about in Tess n' Co's etc. just ain't this Bear's style.......)

 

 

I would heartily recommend the Luccarelli Old Vines Primitivo di Manduria DOP2019. Very, very drinkable (and if you have a new generation Vacu-Vin a bottle can last a week IF you're disciplined...).

 

In Switzerland, a bottle goes for about £17 (but that's for 4 cases, just one bottle will cost a bit more). No idea if the British Coop sells it (I got mine from my Vintner).

[polybear]

Bear here......

 

More of the same - at least this time it actually fitted (well, most of it.......).

Apart from that it's been din dins with three of the College Ladz down the local foodie Pub.  Definitely a Tick.  Only one of the group went for a pud though (an ice cream sundae)....bunch of lightweights......

Mickey continues to behave nicely, so that's another Tick.

 

BG