Early Risers.

[polybear]

20 minutes ago, The Lurker said:

I made a kanagroo bourgignon......

 

Skippy......

 

And the the news today is brought to you by Bear, thru' the round window.....

 

O

It seems he's out - or about to be.  Unless the Immigration Minister decides otherwise.....

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/novak-djokovic-released-from-immigration-detention-after-australian-court-quashes-visa-cancellation-live-updates/ar-AASB7By?ocid=msedgntp

 

How would you like to live in a house like this?  Er, notalot......

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/ritzy-san-francisco-condo-tower-is-now-leaning-by-26-inches/ar-AASBmHB?ocid=msedgntp

 

Seems like fun......

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/tesla-fart-feature-has-people-confused/vi-AASxMR5?ocid=msedgntp

 

In other news......

Bear had better crack on with the lounge refurb - virtually ready for the plasterer now.  Today's fun will see a small wall channel being created in order to bury a cable.  After that it's anybody's guess.

[jamie92208]

1 hour ago, chrisf said:

I don't believe that I have ever eaten venison.  Something tells me that if I search for it in Tesco later this morning I will search in vain.  How the other half live?  I enjoyed toad in the hole for Sunday lunch yesterday.

 

Chris

I got a venison steak in a pub in the New Forest once and thoroughly enjoyed it.  We have a lotbof dear and wild boar around us.  The local Chasse do their best to control the numbers but apparently  they are not succeeding  with the boar.  We see deer in the fields often and I've had to brake sharply to avoid them on several occasions.   

 

Anyway we had a chilling out day yesterday. This morning it's time to try and make sensevof current travel regulations as our hoped for trip to thevUK might be on again. I can't ring Brittany  Ferries till after 10.00am our time so will get some research done.

 

Regards to all.

 

Jamie

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

Dry start but there is a reddish tinge in the sky.  Forecast is for a mainly cloudy day with the chance of some rain later this afternoon or this evening.  Currently 4°C. 

Neil, how come the cheater is still a member of the club?  I would have booted him out by now.

I've only had venison a couple of times and really liked it but never tried cooking it at home.

Rugby watched and enjoyed again yesterday but I'll only say "Ooops" to TB.

Today we've decided to increase our "fitness regime"  so we're going for a walk.  I haven't asked The Hip and The Knee how they feel about that, I'm going to surprise them! 

I've just made a telephone appointment with the doctor for this afternoon to discuss a couple of problems, one of which is getting worse but I suspect I'll have to put up with it for a while longer yet.

Have a good one,

Bob.

Edited January 10, 2022 by grandadbob

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone 

 

Well it’s not raining, but apart from that it’s dull and grey and there is a 50% chance of rain at some point during the day. Sheila is getting ready for her first post Christmas Zumba class. There is a slight chance that she’ll ask for a lift, but once she’s left I shall tackle the 2 ovens. One is used more than the other, so I shall start with that one first, but I doubt I’ll get them both done today. However, before I do, I shall pull the oven out, clean both of the sides down and mop the floor underneath.

 

This sort of job is so much easier to do when Sheila is out of the house! That’s the morning sorted out, what I shall do this afternoon is yet to be sorted, maybe some work downstairs in the cellar. 

 

Back later. 

 

Brian

Edited January 10, 2022 by BSW01

[New Haven Neil]

MOrning, from a 8c drizzly rock, where venison is easily available, even though the only deer on the island are foam rubber.   Mrs H likes it, gets venison sausages from a local butcher, but I find it too 'gamey'.

 

@grandad bob he's sort of tolerated as an older 'gent', as long as he doesn't get awarded a medal in competitions then he's only fooling himself.  He cheats in other ways than his bow markings too, when shooting a flat painted target if he's first to it he is not adverse to pulling it aside to either make a line breaker (which count as a wound) or or remove one if its not his arrow. We're wise to him now, and as one of the team we shoot with is younger (40!) he can get there first as he's fitter, and can score the target properly.  Someone's scores reduced rather after we worked that one out. 

 

It's become a joke now with us, and knowing looks pass between us when we see him trying it on.  The only scores the club itself records are in serious competitions so our weekly scores are between ourselves. We ignore his.  The shame is, that he is in reality a very good experienced archer, he just can't hack being beaten. Especially not by a woman.  He's a terrible misogynist.  Makes it all the funnier for us when Debs beats him, or Lesley who runs the club - she was the world champion in her class, it is her coaching that has developed Debs to be so good.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/archery/50346099

 

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Overslept a little this morning, didn't wake up until gone eight, surprising as I went to bed earlier than usual. I'll be having venison this week as I have a couple of steaks defrosting in the fridge. I've just looked up some recipes as when I've cooked it before it sometimes turned out a bit dry. @chrisf The larger Tess Coes stock it but you can buy it online at

https://www.campbellsmeat.com/browse/q-venison they're actually cheaper than Tess Coes but if you add postage it would probably be about the same. There's plenty of recipes online which I would suggest looking up before you buy. @TheQ I've noticed that the meat aisles are being 'shopped' more and that there are more ready meals on the reduced shelves. When I was working after a day of slaving over a hot computer and the commute home I didn't feel like preparing a meal, it was easier to pop a ready made meal in the microwave and wait for the ping. I suspect that the pandemic might be encouraging those working at home to prepare their own meals instead of ready made meals. At one time we used to have a canteen at work which used to serve up some pretty good basic meals, inexpensive and using fresh ingredients and cooked on the premises. But that was done away with many years ago despite being well used. Perhaps bringing back the works canteen might lead to a healthier population.

Edited January 10, 2022 by PhilJ W

[tigerburnie]

Morning, I eat venison, but I don't eat it at certain times of the year, Red stag and Roe buck is very gamey and is shot before the rut, so a lot of testosterone in the meat, I don't like it if it's hung too long either, reminds me of liver, which is another product I don't eat. Red hind or Roe deer doe are milder in flavour, usually available now. Of the game meats I much prefer a Pheasant, had one just before Christmas, a lean and healthy meat that has usually had some time in the wild, though some birds are reared on game farms. A dietician recommended game meat or Highland beef  as are all lower in cholesterol apparently and healthier if you eat red meat.

[simontaylor484]

Afternoon all 

 

 

Lovely sunrise here this morning the sky ranging from orange to pink 

 

I see old Novax's Dad has been comparing him to Jesus

 

All that comes to mind is the classic line from The Life of Brian

 

"He's not the Messiah he's a very naughty boy now pi55 off".

[Barry O]

A bit of  Financial adjustment has been made. Wasn't painful at all.

 

It is my little sisters birthday today. Since her three days in hospital and getting the right medication she has been a lot better and is busy enjoying lunch out .

 

Now to get on with our Regional Look ahead. Should be sorted by tea time...fingers crossed!

 

I like Venison - nice when  slowly cooked in Red wine - and eaten with a nice bottle of Chateau Neuf du Pap.. I was treated to this at a meeting with the JET scientists at a pub near Culham. Excellent meal and great company!  

 

TTFN

 

Baz

[polybear]

Bear has managed to cut (by chain drilling, then connecting the dots) the channel for the cable - next step is to mix and apply filler to bury the cable.  All went without incident - until Bear bent down to unplug the hoover then managed (in very best GDB style) to head-butt the CH Thermostat above it whilst bonce was on the way up again - the Thermostat isn't stylishly rounded but has very pointy corners.  Well the Thermostat won, and Bear's Bonce didn't - we're talkin' blood.  I now have a bonce like a Japanese Flag.  Turdycurses.

[PupCam]

Afternoon All!

 

8 hours ago, chrisf said:

I don't believe that I have ever eaten venison.  Something tells me that if I search for it in Tesco later this morning I will search in vain.  How the other half live?

 

Seek and ye shall find Chris ......

 

https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/shop/fresh-food/fresh-meat-and-poultry/duck-venison-and-game

 

In other news

 

Two trips to the tidy tip in the Estate's utility vehicle old muddy Mondog with old-shed debris.    Another couple of runs will hopefully see it all gone.    Then I suppose I ought to open the other shed and take most of its contents to the tidy tip.

 

This afternoon I think will be spent developing an improvement for the telescope's "Red Dot" sighting system.      This will most likely take the form of a small mirror mounted at 45 degrees to the line of sight so that you can actually use it without having a telescope shaped hole in the side of one's head to enable you to see the red dot ....

 

I'll let you know if it works!

 

Alan

 

[Pacific231G]

1 hour ago, polybear said:

All went without incident - until Bear bent down to unplug the hoover then managed (in very best GDB style) to head-butt the CH Thermostat above it whilst bonce was on the way up again - the Thermostat isn't stylishly rounded but has very pointy corners.  Well the Thermostat won, and Bear's Bonce didn't - we're talkin' blood.  I now have a bonce like a Japanese Flag.  Turdycurses.

Ouch! you have my sympathy. Looking for a mitigating positive, at least you won't have to install a new thermostat which you would have if your bonce had won  the bout.

5 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

At one time we used to have a canteen at work which used to serve up some pretty good basic meals, inexpensive and using fresh ingredients and cooked on the premises. But that was done away with many years ago despite being well used. Perhaps bringing back the works canteen might lead to a healthier population.

In Oxford there were Municipal Restaurants- the city's take on the wartime British Restaurants* (or Community Feeding Centres as the Min. of Food called them till Churchill put his foot down) but Oxford's lasted far longer- well into the 1970s and they acted in part as works canteens for people who didn't have access to a works canteen. I was fortunate that my secondary school didn't have a school canteen, which were dire in the 1960s, so instead we got half price (1s 3d for 2s 6) vouchers for the local one near Magdalen Bridge which would be enough for a main course, pud and I think a drink.  We had a special queuing system so that the boys from the school didn't get in everyone else's way and, having experienced Oxford's school meals service at primary school, I appreciated it very greatly.

 

*looking this up the British Restaurants were originally designed to feed people who'd been bombed out or displaced, or had run out of ration coupons but I think were also much used by people who'd traditionally gone home for "dinnner" (i.e. lunch) . What I hadn't realised was that wartime rationing didn't apply to private restaurants - though there were limitations on what they could serve each diner for a meal.

This photo of a British Restaurant in London in 1943 isn't that different from the Oxford "Muni" in the mid 1960s though I don't think we got the checked table cloths

 

Edited January 10, 2022 by Pacific231G

[45156]

Afternoon All

 

All posts read and rated - again!

 

Can't stand Venison - was served it once as a staff meal at a restaurant when I worked there as a waiter -  we weren't told what it was.  It was on the menu, but didn't sell too well - so on occasion it was palmed off on the staff - it didn't taste gamey - just off (which it probably was) - after once, I always asked and if it was venison, I didn't bother with a meal - just waited til my shift was over (usually after midnight) and had whatever I could scrape together from the fridge when I got home.

 

30747's teddy arrived by Hermes from the USA this afternoon - it was ordered on 30th December, so that is quite amazing service from the seller, and also the carriers.  How come the roll of bubble wrap that I ordered at the same time, and coming from London has yet to arrive?

 

As usual, generic greetings, and sympathetic vibes to Bear, it is no fun hitting one's head on anything.

 

Not a lot to report - had to go into town, then pick up 30747 from work - she's  back now after the break, so is having to take a daily up the snozz, or down the throat LFT - but her workplace has not yet had their new supply - surprise (not).  Luckily we were picking them up when we were able to, and have a few packs in reserve of both types. 

 

Fodder run tomorrow - whoopidoo.

 

Regards to All

Stewart

[polybear]

1 hour ago, Pacific231G said:

Ouch! you have my sympathy. Looking for a mitigating positive, at least you won't have to install a new thermostat which you would have if your bonce had won  the bout.

 

Actually it would've been better if my bonce had won cos' the Thermostat is late 80's vintage (sleek and modern it most definitely isn't) and is down for replacement with a new item I already have squirrelled away somewhere....

 

1 hour ago, Pacific231G said:

I was fortunate that my secondary school didn't have a school canteen, which were dire in the 1960s, so instead we got half price (1s 3d for 2s 6) vouchers for the local one near Magdalen Bridge which would be enough for a main course, pud and I think a drink. 

 

Sounds pretty good for the princely sum of 8p....

 

In other news.....

Bear's bury the cable in the wall mission has been completed - all filled in   And that's about as much fun as the day has been today.  Still, another job off the list....

[Ian Abel]

MOANING

 

<RANT 1> SHORT version, the long would take PAGES!!! 

Having wasted half of Sunday on an attempt to get a prescription filled but thwarted due to the incompetence/money grubbing of the US HEALTH-FOR-PROFIT CARE system I'm now stuck with either driving a minimum of 8 miles each way to get my prescriptions, instead of walking 1/4 mile, or, ordering online/mail-order.
BOTH require me to take several actions AND get my doctor to switch the location prescriptions are filled - as they are existing prescriptions "I" can't just do it myself, has to be a doctors order 

All this is SIMPLY because the new prescription coverage with my health insurance is with "CVS CareMark". Guess what, CVS are a major pharmacy/chemist here, so I'm FORCED to use THEIR stores or THEIR approved online services  instead of simply being allowed to fill prescriptions at my preferred and LOCAL pharmacy.

I hope all the people who profit from this lose their retirement accounts in a market crash

<END RANT 1>

 

<RANT 2>

Hornby - ARE YOU SERIOUS??? The latest Merchant Navy and West Country and "Sir Nigel Gresley" engines are HOW MUCH?!?!?! Christ I'm still working and can't see myself inclined to p!ss away THAT much on one new engine. I bought my wifes'  new Dell i7 Laptop computer for slightly more than that.

<END RANT 2>

 

In other news, pretty cold weekend here, though BRIEFLY on Saturday it managed  -3 in the afternoon and we got in a quick walk with Whitney before the temperature plummeted again. I also ran a few necessary errands (thin GIN, VODKA ) 

 

IT at the client have STILL not managed to get my VPN going, basically clocking working while sitting here doing not much at all.

 

-23 first thing, sunny, -16 the forecast high

 

Carry on...

 

 

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. Just heard some bad news. My sister-in-law has been in hospital since Christmas. She has had health problems since she was born with one lung undeveloped and was bed bound for several months before she went into hospital. While she was in hospital she caught covid and although she has now tested clear as a result of the covid she now has sepsis. My brother is allowed to visit her but because of his own health issues he has to wear full PPE.

[polybear]

1 hour ago, Ian Abel said:

<RANT 1> SHORT version, the long would take PAGES!!! 

Having wasted half of Sunday on an attempt to get a prescription filled but thwarted due to the incompetence/money grubbing of the US HEALTH-FOR-PROFIT CARE system I'm now stuck with either driving a minimum of 8 miles each way to get my prescriptions, instead of walking 1/4 mile, or, ordering online/mail-order.
BOTH require me to take several actions AND get my doctor to switch the location prescriptions are filled - as they are existing prescriptions "I" can't just do it myself, has to be a doctors order 

All this is SIMPLY because the new prescription coverage with my health insurance is with "CVS CareMark". Guess what, CVS are a major pharmacy/chemist here, so I'm FORCED to use THEIR stores or THEIR approved online services  instead of simply being allowed to fill prescriptions at my preferred and LOCAL pharmacy.

I hope all the people who profit from this lose their retirement accounts in a market crash

<END RANT 1>

 

<RANT 2>

Hornby - ARE YOU SERIOUS??? The latest Merchant Navy and West Country and "Sir Nigel Gresley" engines are HOW MUCH?!?!?! Christ I'm still working and can't see myself inclined to p!ss away THAT much on one new engine. I bought my wifes'  new Dell i7 Laptop computer for slightly more than that.

<END RANT 2>

 

A very fine pair of Rants  As regards No.2, a certain Bear thought very hard a year ago before placing a pre-order for something very Hush Hush - at a hundred and eighty notes it was by far the most expensive such item I'd considered purchasing 

And then when the final bill came in it'd jumped to £198   - I did consider baling out at that point - but the item in question is a particular favourite; now it seems that further such items are to hit £255, and going the wrong side of three hundred notes for other examples won't take much effort either, if that's what makes yer mop flop.....

https://www.world-of-railways.co.uk/news/Hornby-2022-announcements-revealed?utm_campaign=135539_WoR  Hornby Announcement  10th Jan 22&utm_medium=email&utm_source=dotdigital&dm_i=73DL,2WKZ,ZUKWT,B9FS,1

 

In other news:

They've just shown a clip on the news of a light aircraft pilot who'd crash landed on a road in the States - finally parking it (now very second-hand) on a railway line.....

The Police only just managed to drag him out of the wreck before a high speed train collected the wreckage and sprayed it all over the shop.  He should buy himself a lottery ticket without delay......

A very, very lucky Bunny indeed.

[Sir TophamHatt]

Sorry to hear of your sister-in-law and brother @PhilJ W.

This covid thing is stupid, it really is!  Just tired of it now.

 

[Ozexpatriate]

2 hours ago, Ian Abel said:

All this is SIMPLY because the new prescription coverage with my health insurance is with "CVS CareMark".

Been there done that, have the tee shirt. My old employer switched their benefits provider to use CVS CareMark and I had to use it until my COBRA* expired. The one benefit of not having further employer supplied healthcare was the ability to return to my preferred pharmacy. (It's actually further away.)

 

* Not reptilia/serpentes, but continuation of health care under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act.

 

The local CVS was formerly a Target Pharmacy, until Target sold their in-store pharmacy to the CVS chain. My son worked as a Pharmacy Tech for Target at that location. He became an unhappy CVS employee and ended up unemployed - his fault, but related to their practices. Their service is terrible. They deliberately try to minimize hours for the Techs (who are not full-time employees) to reduce costs, and this has a big impact on customer service and job satisfaction for the techs, who get reduced hours and when working, feel overwhelmed.

 

Edited January 10, 2022 by Ozexpatriate

[Ozexpatriate]

15 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

I would suggest that controlling the deer numbers by hunting/shooting is a much more humane approach than letting them slowly starve or die of disease.

Rounding them up and slaughtering them the same way as domesticated animals would be more humane in a cull. Wild hunting inevitably has a hit or miss approach and an errant shot can cause a deer to take off and suffer, even if quite grievously injured.

 

I have friends who hunt, some with rifles and some bowhunt. They eat what they kill. Bow hunting deer is not easy - it requires getting very close and then shooting very accurately. A 'kill shot' is a lower probability than a wound shot and the arrow heads used for deer hunting are vicious.

[simontaylor484]

I have been to 2 Chinese restaurants in Oxford when I was living in Abingdon one was posh high end called the Opium Den the other was more like the Restaurant @Pacific231G described Formica tables with red and white gingham pvc tablecloths but the food was divine and reasonably priced.

 

I have spent the day comparing prices of electrical  sockets and cable and other accessories I have ended up ordering from Toolstation,Screwfix,City Electrical Factors and eBay just to try and cut the cost of the jobs I have to do without compromising on the quality.

Swapping to metal clad double sockets in the garage and then swapping single gang sockets to doubled some with built in usb charging points.

I may be able to start a layout in about 5 years time if I can afford it

[Coombe Barton]

... and missing in Amazon action ...

 

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2022/01/10/pressure-on-nhs/

[polybear]

37 minutes ago, simontaylor484 said:

I may be able to start a layout in about 5 years time if I can afford it

 

This Bear wants to get the Lounge and Hall/Stairs/Landing out of the way before such thoughts can become a reality; if all goes well then 2022 should see them out of the way....

 

Bear decided that a bonce fur wash to get rid of the dried on claret was in order.  Unfortunately that caused the bonce to start bleeding again.  Turdycurses.

 

I've just started watching "Cliffhanger" - some nutcase free-climbing at about a million feet up.  Barking .  Oops - someone just fell.  Ouch. 

 

Tomorrow sees some prep for the plasterer turning up - I'm hoping for a start next monday...

[Coombe Barton]

6 hours ago, Pacific231G said:

What I hadn't realised was that wartime rationing didn't apply to private restaurants - though there were limitations on what they could serve each diner for a meal.

My mum told me that during the war she and dad once went out to a country pub and had a meal with relatives. Once in six years, mind you. She said they felt incredibly naughty.

[brianusa]

6 hours ago, Pacific231G said:

Ouch! you have my sympathy. Looking for a mitigating positive, at least you won't have to install a new thermostat which you would have if your bonce had won  the bout.

In Oxford there were Municipal Restaurants- the city's take on the wartime British Restaurants* (or Community Feeding Centres as the Min. of Food called them till Churchill put his foot down) but Oxford's lasted far longer- well into the 1970s and they acted in part as works canteens for people who didn't have access to a works canteen. I was fortunate that my secondary school didn't have a school canteen, which were dire in the 1960s, so instead we got half price (1s 3d for 2s 6) vouchers for the local one near Magdalen Bridge which would be enough for a main course, pud and I think a drink.  We had a special queuing system so that the boys from the school didn't get in everyone else's way and, having experienced Oxford's school meals service at primary school, I appreciated it very greatly.

 

*looking this up the British Restaurants were originally designed to feed people who'd been bombed out or displaced, or had run out of ration coupons but I think were also much used by people who'd traditionally gone home for "dinnner" (i.e. lunch) . What I hadn't realised was that wartime rationing didn't apply to private restaurants - though there were limitations on what they could serve each diner for a meal.

This photo of a British Restaurant in London in 1943 isn't that different from the Oxford "Muni" in the mid 1960s though I don't think we got the checked table cloths

 

What an atmospheric picture!  Even at my tender years then, I can relate to it very well.  Everybody looks well fed- a lot different from the pictures we saw from some other countries in Europe.  Well dressed also, fur coats even and lots of shiny shoes.  Only a couple of smokers amongst those who follow the British tradition of table sharing.  Even a Grandma Buggins or two; (hands up if anyone remembers Grandma Buggins!)  The British Restaurants really didn't deserve the reputation they got as they fed a lot of people and contributed mightily to inning the war.