Early Risers.

[PhilJ W]

Result! the lad has got the car up and working. Apparently he tried to charge it with the switch on when it should be off. Its now racing around the kitchen floor, much to the annoyance of the dog.

[Coombe Barton]

My sound of the year for 2020

 

 

 

[greatcoleswoodhalt]

On 20/12/2020 at 11:18, jafcreasey said:

8°C
SW 11kt, gusting 22kt

 

Conditions seem to be settling after heavy showers and thunder overnight.  Socially-distanced Christmas deliveries are planned today and unsurprisingly not much else.

 

A quiet week was had at work fortunately as am on call all this weekend.  Yesterday I made the most of being home alone finishing Christmas wrapping before making dinner, a chicken and chorizo traybake.  I enjoy cooking, but rarely have chance, so for those with comparable culinary skills I recommend the MOB Kitchen cookbooks for simple recipes with (mostly) store cupboard essentials!

 

I sympathise with, @Gwiwer following his post yesterday.  Anxiety and depression have never been far away this year and the recent escalation of tiers has made a difficult time even more challenging.  The continual rollercoaster of having plans snatched away is becoming truly tiresome - I woke this morning and broke down, I'm not embarrassed to say.  Having worked throughout the pandemic with little break, Christmas (along with everything associated) was the glimmer of hope on the horizon.  From personal experience, I can’t agree more that the support for mental health is inadequate, but that’s another story…

 

Nevertheless, our Christmas shop will be undertaken tomorrow or Tuesday - nothing too outlandish, though I always treat myself to smoked salmon at breakfast during the festive season.  Perhaps one of the only things of 'normality' I have any control over this year!

 

When sat at work Early Risers is top of agenda and in the short time of contributing it’s been a cathartic exercise of a Sunday morning – so a big ‘thank you’ from me.

 

Stay safe and catch-up a little later in the week.

 

4°C

NW 14kt, gusting 31kt

 

Dry and cold with a rare view of clear skies beyond swiftly moving clouds.  Certainly feels nearer freezing in the breeze.  The office has been quiet this morning (despite beginning to type this before 09:00) and hope to be heading home soon to try and enjoy the festivities.

 

Christmas Eve seems to have arrived all of a sudden - traditions typically undertaken forgotten for this year at least.

 

Plans to see my parents over Christmas have been scuppered with the introduction of Tier 4 from Boxing Day and so Mrs C and I will head round briefly this evening for a quick exchange of presents.

 

The Christmas shop was undertaken Tuesday with vegetables severely lacking (as were toilet rolls, of course) but managed to get most things.  We timed it well as they were queued around the car-park by the time we were leaving.

 

As my mind begins to wander and the first Hobgoblin looms, stay safe and seasons greeting's to you all.

Edited December 26, 2020 by jafcreasey

[Tony_S]

3 minutes ago, Coombe Barton said:

My sound of the year for 2020

 

 

 

Aditi would really like a cuckoo clock. Fortunately she hasn’t seen one she likes. Perhaps when we can travel again we will go somewhere in Germany and get one.  We were once in a place called Titisee that claims to be the original cuckoo clock place. We couldn’t afford any of the clocks there then. Our neighbours have various chiming and cheeping clocks. In the summer we can hear them. We never ring their doorbell on the hour, quarter or half hour as they always assume  is one of their clocks.

 

[TheQ]

A cuckoo year it certainly has been..

 

Keel sanded, painted on that side with resin, then a coat of glassfibre, then more resin, its currently got the fan heater on it..

 

I certainly made like a snowman until I stood out side in the 24 mph gusting 41mph, and waved a brush at myself..

I'll leave you with this..

 

[PeterBB]

45 minutes ago, Coombe Barton said:

My sound of the year for 2020

 

 

 

Wow, thanks for the memory. My father was an horologist and we had clocks all over the place.  On one occasion my brother and I decided to see if we could catch the cuckoo when it appeared.  We threw our shoes at it scoring a direct hit ... Dad heard the subsequent noise, came in, was not pleased to see the bird hanging out of the clock but saw the wardrobe on the floor that we had stood in to get closer to the clock ... our efforts brought it down on top of us and of course that was the noise that brought him in - no escape as we were both trapped inside.

 

Wishing you all a happy Christmas and that 2021 will be a good year for all.  Cheers, Peter

Edited December 24, 2020 by PeterBB

[newbryford]

3 hours ago, Barry O said:

Checked the temperature here..1°C.. thought it was a bit cool for T-shirt and shorts... 

 

Sky was blue. But a  thick grey snow like cloud filled sky has appeared.

 

@New Haven Neil.. cloudy Bay.. excellent choice.. I may partake of some Te Mata Gamay Noir later

.

 

Snowing now .bugggrrrrittt. her self has gone all giddy..

 

Baz

 

All clear in the Southern uplands of the Yorkshire Dales - just a few clouds loitering beyond  Pen-Y-Ghent as I look out of my office window.

 

Prepping for a POETCD in less than an hour. (Then 11 days off - longest break in almost two years!)

 

I shall be watching out for a special train tonight.

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/S73184/2020-12-24/detailed#allox_id=0

[Sidecar Racer]

[Gwiwer]

Greetings one and all. May you all enjoy tge best Christmas time possible in our circumstances. 
 

2020 has been a year of unprecedented turmoil and if I thought it was over I had a rude reminder late on Sunday night. This year hasn’t finished with me yet. I have acquired - despite the best precautions which includes sanitising and even washing stuff coming through the front door - a severe bout of gastro-enteritis. 
 

Since around 2am Monday morning my life has been a near-hourly sprint from bed to bathroom with nothing else being possible. There has been a very slight easing today but NHS111 advises me to expect symptoms until the weekend. It is, apparently, going around though quite how when we are taking care to avoid close contact is open to question. 
 

So tomorrow will be a brief gift-exchange and a light breakfast of Weetabix if I feel up to it. No festive foods. No drinks. A real kick in the teeth to round out the year. Chances are I shall also spend most of the day in bed.   I really didn’t need this. And SWMBO (who was officially accorded her Doctorate on Monday) doesn’t need to be dealing with my laundry over Christmas though has gamely dealt with most of the household tasks I would have done. 
 

Thank goodness for domestic freezers, eh?  
 

The Hill of Strawberries painted by a neighbour. 
 

[simontaylor484]

May i offer Christmas greetings and best wishes to all ERs and their nearest and dearest. With best wishes for a safe and well holiday season.

 

Simon

[BokStein]

Good afternoon and 'benefiting' from, as Newbryford put it, POETCD!

 

8 hours ago, TheQ said:

Ben the metrologist Collie took me out in the howling winds between rain storms.

 

Given your line of work, that's an interesting typo! Surely, Ben the meteorologist collie and The Q the metrologist!

 

3 hours ago, Tony_S said:

I have just been given a task. It seems that Aditi’s hand must have slipped when ordering cheese. We have three times the amount she wanted. So I have been using Google to discover “Can you freeze Brie?”, “Can you freeze goat’s cheese?” etc.

 

I have stored Brie de Meaux in the freezer for several years so yes, Brie can be frozen. Not tried Goat's cheese but don't see why not.

 

1 hour ago, newbryford said:

 

All clear in the Southern uplands of the Yorkshire Dales - just a few clouds loitering beyond  Pen-Y-Ghent as I look out of my office window.

 

Prepping for a POETCD in less than an hour. (Then 11 days off - longest break in almost two years!)

 

I shall be watching out for a special train tonight.

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/S73184/2020-12-24/detailed#allox_id=0

 

POETCD accomplished too; was due to be back in on Saturday 26th but Bojo's put paid to that by fast-tracking this area from Tier 2 to Tier 4 as Boxing Day kicks off. Stuck at home until Tuesday now! ;(

 

Good to see that 1X01 is again on the WTT; presumably starting at the North Pole, Santa has time for a few winter warmers in the pub of that name just across from the North Pole Depot in West London!!

 

 

[Shedman5]

4 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

Please tell us more, such as what sort of novel and is it going to be published?

 

Hi Phil, In answer to your post its a crime mystery thriller I guess you could say, as for publishing hmm I am no Ian Rankin believe me!

The feedback will be interesting to say the least and I am not saying no to maybe a ebook on Amazon but really I doubt its up to standard.

I will let you know what my readers make of it lol!

Mean time its back to trains in the shed!

[polybear]

Well it seems a deal has been done.  I wonder how we've been shafted, as details have yet to emerge.....

In other news:

Bear spent the morning attaching yet more bits of EML to kitchen walls   The good news is that particular task is now complete in the kitchen

The bad news is that I have numerous bits still to attach on the other side of the wall between the kitchen and the lounge - so I'll be working in the lounge to do it (these bits surround the doorframe).  I'll have to rig up a dust screen  from floor to ceiling though; I'll also arrange a fan to suck air thru' the doorframe into the kitchen - the plan being that the dust comes with it, into the kitchen (which is a lot easier to clean up than the lounge...).  I'll lay off doing any more for a couple of days though.......

 

 

 

[AndyB]

50 minutes ago, Shedman5 said:

 

Hi Phil, In answer to your post its a crime mystery thriller I guess you could say, as for publishing hmm I am no Ian Rankin believe me!

 

 

Hey Alan, don't rule it out. 

 

A former colleague went down the self publishing route with his crime writting and now has a publisher. 

 

Likewise my SiL started off self publishing her historical crime novels. She's also got a publisher now. 

 

Both created a main character and turned it into a series. 

 

Have some faith - I'm sure your novel is a good read. 

[Ian Abel]

Finally, Christmas EVE

 

Yesterday, much wrapping of gifts for the kids, the exchange due today around 1PM. That DID have to include rather serious amounts of mince pie, cookies and eggnog consumption. The evening was spent organizing more stuff (who knew we had this much to deliver!!), followed by more food and wine consumption - even so, we're hardly likely to make a dent in what appears to be far too much of everything consumable for just two! 

 

This morning, around 8 inches of snow best I can tell, and definitely on the BLQQDY COLD scale as I did an express run with the BINs and retrieved the paper. Continue to be glad/grateful we have a service that plows the drive and path for us - damned if I'd want to be out there this morning

It was -20C with a gentle breeze, making it around -24 real-feel, looks nice but I promise you, looks are deceiving at that temperature; 

 

 

So, other than the gift exchange and trotting around the neighborhood to drop cards and goodies, we're in for the duration, whatever that is

 

Weather as can be seen, sunny, we will reach a whopping -14 this afternoon with a drop back down to -19 overnight.
Hope Santa has his long underwear on

 

Merry Christmas everyone...

 

[Barry O]

Rick, sorry to hear about the latest health issue. Not the nicest thing to have at this time.

 

Baz

[southern42]

10 hours ago, polybear said:

17 hours ago, southern42 said:

Snip...

 Ready for bed now with thoughts turning to icing the *C* cake tomorrow...

Snip...

 

 

Bear likes it nice n' thick please....

 

 

You'll be pleased to know, I've got 2lbs icing sugar and 4 egg whites so, thin would be out of the question!

However, if Polybear can roly over the border and get past our self-isolating barriers, he might get a slice passed out to him...if there's any left that is...

 

Some hours have passed and the icing is done.  Phew!!!  Though I will have to decorate it later.

So, it is Christmas Eve and time to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

 

Cakebox Challenge 2019 revisited.

 

Take care and have a lovely Christmas - whatever your persuasion.

Did I hear, 'Bah, humbug!' in the back there?

Oh! It is the film...!  No worries, then.   

I watched it earlier. 

_________

Best wishes

Polly and Ray

 

[Coombe Barton]

3 hours ago, Gwiwer said:

And SWMBO (who was officially accorded her Doctorate on Monday)

Congratulations to Dr Gwiwer

[J. S. Bach]

Time to wish all ERs  a Merry Christmas and a better New Year

 

 

 

[The Stationmaster]

2 hours ago, BokStein said:

 

 

Good to see that 1X01 is again on the WTT; presumably starting at the North Pole, Santa has time for a few winter warmers in the pub of that name just across from the North Pole Depot in West London!!

 

 

Alas The North Pole (pub of that name) is no more as it closed back in 2012.  The ground floor is now a Tesco Express

 

 

Congratulations to Dr Mrs Gwiwer and commiserations to Mr Gwiwer - alas all too easy to pick up stomach bugs even with plenty of distancing from less careful humans.  Do you clean/disinfect all your food shopping and make sure your hands are very thoroughly washed after touching stuff like the shopping and any rreceived post etc?

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. Sorry to hear of your gastric issue Rick. Not a very nice thing to happen even more so at this time of year. Alan, as others have said, give putting your book in the public domain, it might surprise you. I have a few ideas for a crime thriller but I've yet to put pen to paper or finger to keyboard for that matter. The young man is still happily playing with his RC car I'm pleased to say, its nice when you hit upon a pressie that hits on all the right buttons (no pun intended). The items for tomorrows Christmas dinner are now lined up ready to go, when I was younger and living at home Christmas dinner seemed to take ages to prepare. Mum and dad were up getting everything ready sometimes before us kids were up opening our pressies. Today it was just a case of lining everything up on a shelf in the fridge and tomorrow it will only be half an hour between getting it out of the fridge and sitting down to eat it. 

[NGT6 1315]

Evening, everyone. May I just share this with you to wish everyone a happy Christmas:

 

 

 

Be safe and sound, wherever you are, and get well soon, if you’re down for whatever reason. May we all stand together to make 2021 a better year, even if only within our surroundings.

 

More later (I’ll try, honest!).

 

Cheers. 

[New Haven Neil]

Well that didn't go to plan.

 

We decided to have pizzas as a Non-denominational Holiday Period Eve treat (the bread isn't good for my diabetes).....to find the pizza place closed. They were open last year, must be coming over all Christian (they're Turkish Muslims!).  So we had a sitty-down curry instead, at the posh one, dressed....not to eat out!   It was as always from there, gorgeous.  Oddly enough, they're Christians! It is situated on a roundabout, set back slightly (used to be a Bank) so you can see the roads - along which came a huge Fowler traction engine! In the dark. With oil lamps.  Turns out to be someone I know, having a drive around.....because!  A bit surreal in the dark at this time of year.  Then some friends came in as we were finishing up, they're Jewish. So all in all a very inclusive evening!

 

Sorry to hear of Rick's travails, rotten time of year for that to happen.

 

Baz, we've drunk Cloudy Bay for years, but it was a treat when in Kiwi to visit the winery, the land opposite used to to be farmed by my sis-in-law and her family, so there wasn't far to stagger.  The wine isn't as good as in the Judd years, but still good, Te Koko in particular is a rare (and expensive) treat.  Couldn't find any this year, no surprise really, we bought the bottle of Chardonnay in March just before lockdown.

[New Haven Neil]

Shows how much I know - turns out it is a Sauv Blanc, not Chardonnay!

 

[New Haven Neil]

Sorted.