Early Risers.

[Ozexpatriate]

4 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

33 forecast for today, finally t-shirt weather!

Same temperature here as the seasons cross over.

 

It was the first home game for the local high school football team. Well worth the $6.00. The game was won and the team is 3-0. Nice on a warm early Autumn night.

 

Having said that. They installed a new video scoreboard/display over the summer. I think some students must have been operating it. What a debacle.

 

They had the opening few seconds of about four songs (which I understand does not require the payment of royalty fees to play). Imagine if you will, the opening few seconds of Ozzy's "Crazy Train", and AC/DC's "TNT", played over and over and over - when they shouldn't have been (like while the center was over the ball ready for the snap). Or they would hit the play button while the band was playing or the cheer squad were doing their bit. Thoroughly amateur hour. At one point the band was trying to play "War Pigs" over the opening to "Crazy Train" which was a bit surreal.

Eventually (by about the fourth quarter) they stopped. (I'm imagining he principal storming up to the control room.) By then, when it was quieter, some wag in the back of the grandstand would randomly yell "T. N, T." which was pretty funny.

 

And there was a separate problem with the play announcing. Periodically a much delayed version would be audible over the PA, announcing plays from minutes before - which of course no longer matched the current play.

[jamie92208]

Good moaning from the Charente.  It's the day of the party to celebrate Beth's birthday.  I am off to the Salle de fete in an hour to set up tables etc.  Some mates are coming to help.  No 1 son and girlfriend are currently on a ferry approaching St Malo so should be here in time. They are staying till Monday.  

 

We experienced a small earthquake here a few years ago.  We were both sitti g on the settee having breakfast and the settee shook for a few seconds (we were at opposite ends) I think it was centred in the Loire Valley about 1230 miles north of here.  There was another one about 60 miles away on the coast this June but we were in the UK. 

Ttfn. 

 

Jamie

Edited September 16, 2023 by jamie92208

[monkeysarefun]

44 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

 

ION.....

Many thanks regarding window films; the Film I've been looking at is 3M Prestige 70 Film, so a known supplier that appears to tick most/all of the boxes that Chimpy has raised.  As regards blinds/curtains - I have interior vertical blinds that spend much of their time closed anyway in order to minimise fading on the pictures hanging in the room; exterior shutters etc. would be a right PITA to install and use - and I wouldn't want to leave them closed.  Yes, leccy ones are available but the cost & installation aggro just isn't worth it.  As I can do the 3M Film option for less than 1/3rd of a Deltic I may well give it a punt.

 

BG

 

 

Do you have roof insulation? That makes a huge difference. 

 

I can also recommend ducted air-conditioning. Currently 32 degrees outside, 20 degrees inside!

[TheQ]

2 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

 

Climbing into and then driving around in  a Matilda Tank that had been parked in the midday sun of the Western Desert in 1942 must have pushed the crew to the  very  limits of human endurance!

1942? They'd been fighting there since 11th June 1940, and practicing for long before that. 

Also it's down to near freezing over night... 

 

When working on my car in Saudi, spanners were thrown into a bucket of cold water between use.

I certainly didn't complain about the noise of A/C out there.

 

Mooring Awl,

Nearly 9 hours all but a couple of wake up and turn overs  solid sleep, I needed that. It not just the stress of a 400+ mile drive, but my parents house is less than 100 yards from a traffic management company, in all steel clad buildings with a huge metal gates. Due to the heat for all but the last night the windows needed to be open.

Almost every night at stupid o'Clock, I'd be woken by the gates being dragged open, lorries manoeuvring, then noises,  as barriers, cones , traffic lights were loaded up, sometimes with added forklift. Then eventually the gates being closed.

 

We were up in Scotland for my Dad's funeral, about 30 attended of which about 20 were family. Sadly about another 5 could not attend due to COVID, my mother's surviving brother and sister and many friends could not attend due to infirmity, and the rest of the family are spread around the world. My parents have out lived many of their friends.

 

The ceremony went well, and was well organised by the elder of my sisters. She used to be a senior civil servant, organising senior Scottish government officials working lives.

 

Discovered Dad with A. N. Other was responsible for filling Trafalgar Square with foam in the 1950s, a gallon of military Teepol detergent in the fountain!!! The foam made the national papers at the time...

 

Although we do for a few days each year get a bit hot upstairs,  in our case I'd like the house to gain more solar heat, putting a larger double glazed conservatory on the back of the house, instead of the prewar single glazed one.

 

Plans for today,

I need to remove some cables from the car, from the camera front / rearview system.

Maybe do some mowing before the rain gets here.

Tidy away stuff from the trip up north.

 

 

Edited September 16, 2023 by TheQ

[jjb1970]

Ceiling fans are very good. They're a standard fit here and unless it's stinking hot a combination of designing buildings with the climate in mind and ceiling fans keeps rooms comfortable. The issue here isn't heat, it's humidity. Temperature really doesn't get that high as long as you keep out of the sun. High 20's to low 30's is normal, but very high humidity is a constant. Summer in England can be hotter than Singapore, but because the warmth and humidity is constant the country is built around it. 

[Ozexpatriate]

1 minute ago, jjb1970 said:

Ceiling fans are very good. They're a standard fit here

I wish I had one in my bedroom - I didn't think of it at the time. It would be a very awkward retrofit and would probably need the ceiling and some wall redone to fish the wiring.

[Hroth]

3 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

It's not like it is liver and kidney cake. (And yes that's basically Haggis-adjacent but we are discussing cake.)

 

Or cake containing beetroot.  I don't understand the fad for putting vegetables in cake. It was ok in WW2 where a bit of grated carrot in a cake improved moistness and added sugar too when rationing restricted traditional cake ingredients, but now there's no need!

 

But cake with lemon, or pineapple UDC*, or coffee and walnut, or ginger....

Mmmmmm!

 

* Might require disambiguation**, but hey!

** eg Uban District Council

Edited September 16, 2023 by Hroth
Extra!

[AndyID]

12 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

I can also recommend ducted air-conditioning.

Hopefully not quite that far North. We are much further South and we don't need it.

[Ozexpatriate]

3 minutes ago, AndyID said:

Hopefully not quite that far North. We are much further South and we don't need it.

Altitude and lakes help. At 45°N, sea-level, and 11:00pm, my ducted A/C is running right now to get the house to a comfortable sleeping temperature. It's on a program to hit 22°C. (It's not absolutely necessary. The outside temperature is probably around 24°C right now.)

 

Edited September 16, 2023 by Ozexpatriate

[Ozexpatriate]

5 minutes ago, Hroth said:

Or cake containing beetroot.  I don't understand the fad for putting vegetables in cake. It was ok in WW2 where a bit of grated carrot in a cake improved moistness when rationing restricted traditional cake ingredients, but now there's no need!

 

But cake with lemon, or pineapple UDC*, or coffee and walnut, or ginger....

Mmmmmm!

Beetroot cake does sound disgusting. Carrot cake (with cream cheese frosting) is delicious.

 

UDC sounds like an infection in one's plumbing - but upside down cake is very nice.

 

[Joseph_Pestell]

In Cascais (Portugal), there is a vegetarian restaurant/teashop that does spinach cake.

[AndyID]

10 minutes ago, Ozexpatriate said:

Altitude and lakes help. At 45°N, sea-level, and 11:00pm, my ducted A/C is running right now to get the house to a comfortable sleeping temperature. It's on a program to hit 22°C. (It's not absolutely necessary. The outside temperature is probably around 24°C right now.)

 

Yes, but 53 North and never far from the sea?

[jjb1970]

I only ever eat carrot cake, it's made from carrots so it is healthy and a slice counts as one of my five a day of fruit and vegetables. All I have to do is have five slices and that's me done for getting the necessary vitamins and all that.

[polybear]

1 hour ago, Ozexpatriate said:

What is the matter @polybear? Do you need a lie down. Coffee and walnut cake is delicious. It is cake. It has nice things in it. What's not to like?

 

 

Let's see now......

Coffee (huge, huge No-No)

Walnut (just about ok on top cos' you can pick the bits off, though diddly bits on top are bearable)

 

43 minutes ago, Hroth said:

 

Or cake containing beetroot.  I don't understand the fad for putting vegetables in cake. It was ok in WW2 where a bit of grated carrot in a cake improved moistness when rationing restricted traditional cake ingredients, but now there's no need!

 

But cake with lemon, or pineapple UDC*, or coffee and walnut, or ginger....

Mmmmmm!

 

* Might require disambiguation, but hey!

 

 

Bear has Co-op Carrot Cake when it's on offer - though I've yet to discover any lumps of carrot in it, which is probably A Very Good Thing as I'd start to wonder where they were sourced.....

 

Right, dangle time.....

 

BG

[monkeysarefun]

46 minutes ago, Ozexpatriate said:

Altitude and lakes help. At 45°N, sea-level, and 11:00pm, my ducted A/C is running right now to get the house to a comfortable sleeping temperature. It's on a program to hit 22°C. (It's not absolutely necessary. The outside temperature is probably around 24°C right now.)

 

 

I don't usually use the air-conditioning until the high 30's, up to that point a combination of the house closed up and blinds closed to the sun  keeps the temperature down to low 20's inside due to good insulation and no windows on the hot  western side. . At the moment though I'm minding someone's very expensive (mid-5 figures...) vintage perfume collection and its apparently imperative to keep the temperature in the room its in down to 20 or less, which is a little annoying. 

 

Ordinarily I could keep the perfume down in the room downstairs which is partly excavated and so never gets above 22 even when its 40 outside. At the moment though I'm doing 3D printing down there and the resin likes to be mid-twenties or more for best results. So actually at the moment I have air-con running up here to cool the perfume, and a small ceramic heater on down there to keep the resin warm! 

 

 Yay for solar power and Australian sunshine to power it!

Edited September 16, 2023 by monkeysarefun

[iL Dottore]

1 hour ago, Ozexpatriate said:

What is the matter @polybear? Do you need a lie down. Coffee and walnut cake is delicious. It is cake. It has nice things in it. What's not to like?

 

It's not like it is liver and kidney cake. (And yes that's basically Haggis-adjacent but we are discussing cake.)

He’s a bit funny when it comes to cake: apart from not eating anything with coffee or walnuts in (which is, admittedly, but a small part of patisserie), he also detests cream - which immediately puts a huge slice of the wonderful world of patisserie out of his reach.

 

Stick to coffee, walnut and whipped cream cakes and your “afternoon tea” will be guaranteed “Bear Free”

 

I am not enthusiastic about vegan coffee and walnut cake, for the simple reason that in order to replace the eggs and butter in a cake you have to resort to a whole cauldron of chemical concoctions. Why go for a chemical substitute when there are quite a few cake recipes that are entirely vegan and use no substitutes - such as this recipe for a chestnut cake from Tuscany https://www.giallozafferano.com/recipes/Tuscan-chestnut-cake-Castagnaccio.html (it’s also good for people who are gluten intolerant).

 

OK, the cake is traditionally served with some sweet ricotta, but the cake itself has no dairy or eggs and you could replace the ricotta with a soft fruit (blackberries might work well here).

 

People may be surprised to learn that I eat a fair amount of “vegan” food, but the thing is I don’t think of myself as eating “vegan” food, just traditional food that does not contain meat, fish or dairy. Things like spaghetti olio aglio e peperoncini, pasta alla puttanesca, dhal and so on; with not one gram of fake meat or dairy to be seen.
 

Given the current health concerns about UPF (Ultra Processed Foods and that most definitely covers meat and dairy substitutes), it might be best to look to traditional Italian, Indian and Asian food for non-meat, non-dairy dishes.

[Grizz]

1 hour ago, jjb1970 said:

I only ever eat carrot cake, it's made from carrots so it is healthy and a slice counts as one of my five a day of fruit and vegetables. All I have to do is have five slices and that's me done for getting the necessary vitamins and all that.

totally agree…five a day is vital. 

 

I’ve had to attend regular medicals for work over the years. When I reached 45 I was send for an extended medical, not sure why 45 was picked, but off I went. 
 

During the proceedings the doctor questioned me about my diet. But not before commenting that i could probably do with loosing some weight (bløødy cheek).  But from this comment I took the atmos to be a little more relaxed. 
 

She then asked me whether I was sticking to the five a day fruit and veg etc.

 

I replied that I religiously stuck to my five a day and that I did this as part of my commute back home ritual, every working day. And that it consisted of 4 cans of Strongbow Cider and a banana. 
 

My attempt at trying to lighten the event failed…spectacularly. She didn’t laugh, she didn’t even slightly smile, she remained expressionless…and then she said “I don’t think that you are taking this seriously Mr Grizz, this is VERY very serious, my decision will determine if you are fit to continue holding your safety critical licence…”

 

Suitably b*llocked I remained silent, apart from wishing her a good day.

 

Upon arriving back at our office I was met by my boss and invited into the conference room for ‘a chat’. 
 

The good doctor had raised a formal complaint with my boss regarding my flippant attitude….unbelievable.

 

Although she did green light my medical….

 

Now to be honest I had heard someone else use that line some years before and I’d been waiting a suitable opportunity to use it myself. Shame that it fell so flat. 
 

 

Edited September 16, 2023 by Grizz
Predictive cobblers

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

Blue sky and sunshine here again and there will be plenty of sunny spells but cloud and isolated showers may develop later on.  15°C now and it might get up to 27°C which is a bit too warm for me.

Did some muddling but not in The Shed.  Have started a Metcalfe pub and may get it finished today but there's lots of rugby to watch, three matches I believe. Half watched the All Blacks v Namibia last night but that was rather predictable.

Nicki is visiting for lunch today so that's something else to look forward to.

I was up a bit later than usual so now definitely need to gettamoveon.

Have a good one.

Bob.

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Root vegetables contain a lot of sugars, don't forget that most of our sugar comes from sugar beet. Beetroot contains as much sugar if not more than carrots so why not use it in cakes? Got to get ready for the visit to the Shenfield exhibition, be back later.

[Barry O]

Ey up!

Cake.. well @polybear you could try:

Chocolate and beetroot cake, courgette cake, parsnip and white chocolate cake carrot cake.. what more can you desire (and all of them were fine and tested by a very good group of people.. the Easter Bogglers who know a thing or two about tea and wads).

However did you survive visits to Armed Force Mess areas?  

 

Got to go for eye lasering today. An Nd Yag laser is used to punch drain holes into your eyes. Didn't hurt last time it was done. Same laser is used in tank Gunnery sights. Effective out to 10km.. gulp!

 

Our house is quite effective at keeping cool in the summer (using solar proof curtains and blinds) and warm in the winter  (keeping doors closed, lots of insulation etc). Since having our solar panels fitted our electrical "buy" fromthe grid has dropped like a stone. Just hope we continue to get the right uv levels.

 

Time to... finish my mugatea and head to the butchers (pork pie and bacon to buy) and the bakers (bread required).

 

Stay safe!

 

Baz

 

 

 

Edited September 16, 2023 by Barry O
Spullung

[DaveF]

Please note that the paragraph which follows is not fiction or a dream, it was the NHS this morning at my surgery.

 

I was up early this morning to get my flu jab at 08.02.  I left home at 07.40, parked easily and joined the queue in the surgery foyer at 07.45.  The door opened at 07.50, we walked slowly along, pausing briefly at reception to state our names to the two smiling receptionists.  As we continued along the corridor to the doctors' consulting rooms we took off our coats, coming to a halt by another receptionist who was saying hello to people and greeting some by name.  A little further on 4 consulting rooms were in use, as each nurse jabbed one person she stuck her head out of the door to say "Next Please".  On going in she checked I am over 21, have never had an allergic reaction, as I answered she injected me and I was on my way out of the door.  I walked along the surgery's back corridor back to the entrance and was in my car by 07.55 and back home at 08.01.

 

I did ask another receptionist who was guiding people to the exit about Covid jabs - they have done so many they have run out of vaccine  and are waiting for more to come, then I will be contacted.  I think so far they have done about A to C in terms of surnames plus vulnerable patients.

 

I am hoping the rest of the day  goes as well.  Meanwhile it is still raining, it is 11C and my heating has just come on as it was only 18C in the living room, it is set to 19C.

 

Yesterday evening I felt a stabbing pain on the top of my foot, on examination a little later there was a small red mark with a pink disc about 2cm across around it.  Anti histamine cream was applied, this morning there is just a small red spot.  That's the second one this week, the other is on a toe.  It felt as painful as a wasp sting but I have no idea what did it - possibly some sort of midge.  I did wonder whether I had upset a spider and it was taking revenge by biting me but I was wearing socks so that it seems a bit unlikely.  I know there was a wasp in the house a couple of days ago but I didn't see one last night.  We do sometimes get things like sand flies which can give painful bites and seem able to get under clothes.

 

Shortly I shall start looking at my old photos, after that it depends on when/if the rain stops.

 

David

[Grizz]

Morning All

 

Bit of a cr*pay nights sleep to say the least. Woke up with repeated nightmares around 01:30.

 

But I’m quite excited as for some of us tonight is the start of our bonfire season and we are off to the beautiful East Sussex town of Mayfield. As the clocks haven’t gone back yet it will still be daylight when we arrive, so we will be enjoying a few beers in the high street whilst catching up with friends from all the different bonfire societies, most of which we probably haven’t seen since the end of last years season.

 

 

Not my photo as I would have been some way back behind these these good folks. 
 

Just a gentle reminder to the great and the good just who’s country this is. The peasants are revolting 😆

 

 ‘We Wunt Be Druv’….

 

Have a great day all.

 

ATB Grizz

 

 

Edited September 16, 2023 by Grizz
Predictably text error

[Hroth]

1 hour ago, PhilJ W said:

don't forget that most of our sugar comes from sugar beet.

 

Ever since the EEC stopped Tate&Lyle importing cane sugar from Trinidad & Tobago.  You should see their huge sugar silo in Liverpool docks, still there....

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tate_%26_Lyle_Sugar_Silo

 

A parallel strips of metal factoid.  When the Liverpool Loop line was designed, T&L were still producing sugar in Liverpool, and used copious amounts of water extracted from boreholes as a coolant. When they closed down, the water table rose and now causes excess flooding in the Loop tunnel....

 

Edited September 16, 2023 by Hroth
Extra factoid! And more!!

[southern42]

10 hours ago, southern42 said:

One interesting diversion on the way home was trying to capture a pic of a few balloons (both pics heavily cropped - and blurry! - they were that far away).

 

 

Time for some shut eye.

Night all and nos da.

 

 

Forgot to mention...the first pic is on the A5 SE of Oswestry (turn left - west on the signpost).

Second pic...still on the A5 north east of Oswestry just after the junction for Whittington (turn right - east).

 

Being after 5 o'clock, meaning cafes, eateries, etc. will be closed (mostly, anyway), we headed north onto the A55 for Services. Even by 7pm some of these were well and truly shut up for the night. We stopped at one place but walked out after seeing the prices!!!!!! - and it was not posh nosh either - and carried on to ⭐bucks, Rhyl - Kinmel Park Westbound. Just in time, too, as that closes at 8pm.

 

Just found... Oswestry Balloon Carnival 2023, August 19th & 20th.

 

Yesterday's flights may have been with Oswestry Hot Air Balloon Flights, not for me though. I will stick to r**l hugging transport for my thrills. 🤣

 

More stuff to sort out from our away days, Jones the Steam needs a PA to write up his thread on the r**ls, and I need to get back to normality, again. Two days away and I have forgotten the latest twiddly bits on the flute! <<Age... and all that! You know...Er...hum...Cough, cough.>>

 

Take care. Be good. Be ready for little surprises.

Polly

 

<<Warning. Unmentionables Alert!>>

On the porch mat, on our arrival home was a small package...containing one of these ready to be renumbered to that below. Sadly, this one, as seen yesterday, all covered up, is now out of ticket! 😭

 

<<End of Warning>>

 

Edited September 16, 2023 by southern42
To add Warning....

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone 

 

A quick look in before WE set off to collect Ava and then go to the Trafford Centre. Why we’re going again I don’t know, but cake US in loved so I’m not going to argue. 
 

Back later. 
 

Brian