Very interesting Christmas cake with tomato sauce - one I don't care to try!
Had a rather benign conversation with my AP - very sweetly she asked me if my new car had a radio in it! I reflected on how times had changed from when a radio in the car was unheard of. I reminisced with the memories of cars gone by!
I wondered if Daisydaisy had got her Christmas pudding recipe from the organist in The Vicar of Dibley. Or, to paraphrase the old joke, knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is not putting it in a Christmas pudding ...
In other news (as those of you who are Facebook friends will know) I'm still chuckling at how spectacularly wrong BT managed to get my name when sending the hub thingy for Wi-fi.
My RL name is Elspeth Drinkell, and when a letter from BT arrived addressed to "Mrs. Isobell Brickall", I assumed it was for a previous occupant of the flat (which had been rented out before I bought it), and set it aside to take to the post office. When the hub was delivered on Saturday, again to the elusive Mrs. Brickall, I thought, that's one for the book, and pondered how David would have laughed. After a fairly long wait on the BT helpline, I was able to explain the situation to a delightful Irish gentleman, who assured me that it was now put right. You get used to mis-spellings when you have an unusual name, but I think that one takes the biscuit.
I wondered if Daisydaisy had got her Christmas pudding recipe from the organist in The Vicar of Dibley.
That’s the one. People have been known to run away from my offerings (including Tomato Soup Cake, Dandelion Fritters) and dread the arrival of a cake tin with me.
Christmas pudding mix is now infusing ready for steaming tomorrow.
Re names - my alma mater was The Judd School*, but the Headmaster once told us that he was accustomed to receiving correspondence addressed to 'The Dude School' or 'The Judo School'.
I am now in possession of the traditional family Christmas pudding recipe. My only problem is where I'm going to get suet from. There are a few purveyors of British products on line, but so far I've only found the vegetarian version. Vegetarian suet is full of palm oil so I'd rather get the animal version if I can.
I don't know whether Captain Pyjamas really needs speech therapy but I'm now glad he has it because it gives us a reason to be out of the house a couple of mornings a week. On the other hand, Google lies. Getting there on foot does not take 32 minutes. Especially when you're pushing a pushchair and wearing a face mask.
I made a potato curry for supper; I'd bought a tub of something calling itself "medium Tikka Masala powder" rather than buying proper spices (I don't really have anywhere suitable to store them yet), and in the absence of ordinary curry powder I thought it would do.
It sort of did, but TBH I'd rather use real spices, so I think a foray back to the supermarket, followed by one to B&Q or similar to get a spice rack may be in the offing. There's what I think would be a suitable bit of wall space beside the fridge, and I like things out of the way, but easily accessible, on walls and shelves.
Piglet, if you're thinking of making Christmas pud I have a NZ recipe you can make in a slow cooker. I made it overnight once and the smell that permeated the house when I woke up was divine.
All the uncertainty about whether we would get to Germany for our Grandaughter’s birthday (22nd November) due to lockdown was getting us down.
Soooo ...
We’ve rebooked and we are going on Wednesday! The day after tomorrow!
Mr Boogs said “what’s to stop us going on Wednesday before lockdown?” So we set to - repurposed the flights, sorted the dogs out, booked our Covid test for when we arrive at Frankfurt, booked our usual flat.
Piglet, if you're thinking of making Christmas pud I have a NZ recipe you can make in a slow cooker. I made it overnight once and the smell that permeated the house when I woke up was divine.
If you enter the words Alison Holst's Plum Pudding into a search engine you should be able to find the recipe. I was able to find two small metal mixing bowls (that hold 1 and a half cups) I could fit into my large slow cooker.
@la vie en rouge a butcher should be able to provide you with suet, or at least they will here. Whether a French butcher would have the slightest clue what you are talking about, I have no idea......
Reminds me of someone who'd been a diplomat in Switzerland on trying to source ingredients for a haggis 'Yes Madame, we do have that - but we don't sell it as food for humans'. She did eventually get the makings, and put the puddings to boil - with the lids tied down to conserve the steam. She noticed her guests eying these nervously and one whispering 'I think it's still alive!'
Thanks for the pudding idea - while I like the idea of the festive aroma, I'm honestly not a huge fan of Christmas pudding. I'll usually take a wee bit (with cream - no custard) because I think I ought to, but I'm usually so stuffed with the savoury things that I have little appetite for it.
And this year ... well, who knows?
My Wi-Fi hub is now sporting a lovely blue glow and giving me proper interwebicity, so large chunks of tomorrow will be spent online telling people like Indeed.co.uk, West Lothian Council, my pension provider and the Inland Revenue that I've got a new château.
And applying for all* the jobs that have come up on Indeed since I've been offline.
Somewhere I have a recipe for a chocolate Christmas pudding which I devised after coming across one in Marks and Spencer. As far as I recall, it mostly involved substituting chocolate for the suet, and tweaking the fruit a bit as I don't like currants.
I did my usual early morning grocery shop (and there was plenty of toilet paper, the madness hasn't set in yet and let's hope it doesn't this time) and will be heading up to our town for lunch with a friend and a bit of a mooch round the local shops before they close their doors tomorrow evening. Apparently they are staying open until 8pm for the next couple of days. The nearest shopping mall has apparently been rammed with people for the past couple of days, which I guess is unsurprising.
These "apparently" facts were supplied to me this morning by my supermarket checkout person who is, of course, The Fount Of All Knowledge.
We of course are in the middle of our "Firebreak" (I have to say I'm a bit sceptical of how well it's being observed). W++tr+se this morning was normal.
I do wonder whether the crowds in and around the shops over these few days will lead to a spike in cases in a fortnight's time.
In other news, I had a Zoomy catch up yesterday evening with work colleagues; it was lovely to see everyone but it made me even more grateful than I was already that I was made redundant in March.
A friend of mine, a senior air hostess, was made redundant earlier in the year when Thomson collapsed. This was before we knew of Covid and the consequences it would have for the travel industry. In fact it has been a blessing in disguise as she was able to get employment as a Train Manager/Conductor and has just completed her training.
I often listen to a Bavarian radio station on the Internet and have heard them talking about more local restrictions. What's the "lockdown" situation like where you are going?
One side effect of Lockdown Two is the need for my Pilates sessions to revert to Zoom, which is OK-ish, but rather disappointing for the Torturer, whose new Chamber is fully equipped with the latest in Torture Instrumentsaka Reformers etc. etc.
Still, we live in hope that this time it'll only be a month or so before we can get back to *The New Normal*...
Today was my last shift in the charity bookshop before it closes for the duration. It was extremely busy. When I left someone seemed to be hoovering up all the children's boxed sets and various other people have been in and left with piles of books under their arms. I'm glad some people know how to spend a lockdown well. I was going to go and get some shopping in, but thought better of it when I saw how busy the town centre was.
In other news we may have a buyer for our place. We're doing the negotiating on the price thing now.
... I have a recipe for a chocolate Christmas pudding ...
Just No.
Chocolate - love it
Christmas pudding - quite like it, once a year
Both together - eek!
It's another beautiful day in glorious West Lothian, so I had a stroll along to T*sco's; I know that seems like all I ever do, but it's my daily exercise (it probably takes me about 10-15 minutes to walk each way), and if I do my shopping "little and often" I can spread out buying heavier things (today's heavyweights were a bottle of orange juice and a bag of potatoes).
HMRC, NILGOSC and NHS Scotland Jobs* have now been informed of the whereabouts of the new château, and I'm now settling down for a nice cup of tea and a biscuit.
* I've applied for a couple more, one of which looks very similar to the last job I had in Orkney, thirty-mumble years ago.
PS - cross-posted with Sarasa - good luck with the negotiations! <crosses trotters>
Lockdown #2 is definitely much less strict than the first one here as well. I can't really complain given that I was also outside to see it, but I plead a small person. I saw the municipal security agents on the market this morning so I think they must be monitoring the situation. Last time the Parisian markets ended up being closed because they were bedlam in some of the working class neighbourhoods.
As I was coming out of the supermarket opposite my house, I was greeted by a journalist from TF1 (equivalent to BBC1) interviewing members of The General Public for tomorrow's nightly news. Their studios are just over the river so you see the cameras around here quite often. They're doing a segment on whether people are buying more polluting cleaning products than they used to. (Not me, I'm still using white vinegar - cheaper and greener.) I have to tune in tomorrow and see if I'm on the telly
Piglet, if you're thinking of making Christmas pud I have a NZ recipe you can make in a slow cooker. I made it overnight once and the smell that permeated the house when I woke up was divine.
Today I steamed the Christmas Pudding that I mixed yesterday (a la Delia), using my faithful slow cooker (40 years old!) for 7 hours on high.
Catching up on this thread having been very remiss and not read it for 4 days!
I took my driving test in King’s Lynn which is so flat there’s nowhere to do a hill start. I’m very nervous on hills as a result.
Did our fortnightly grocery shop at our local ginormous Tesco early on Monday morning. By early I mean before 9am. No queues, shelves full, no worries. But coming out we passed a long queue of cars waiting to get into the Costco car park.
Feeling smug as I had my hair cut this morning. Last lockdown the salons closed 2 days before my appointment so my hair got v long.
Town this afternoon was the busiest I've seen it since before Lockdown#2. No doubt people were making use of the local shops as I was. I managed to get the Fair Trade Advent Calendars at the Oxfam shop and some stocking fillers from the stationery shop (independently run and my shop of choice rather than the W H S***h).
I had my hair cut relatively recently and learned during the last lockdown how to make a passable attempt at trimming my fringe. My hairdressers used to do such trims for free but now they charge so I've no intention of frequenting the establishment until I need a full cut.
I often listen to a Bavarian radio station on the Internet and have heard them talking about more local restrictions. What's the "lockdown" situation like where you are going?
We will be allowed to meet up to ten people outside and to meet one household at once indoors. So we’ll be able to see all our friends - just not at the same time indoors. Cafes and restaurants are closed except for take always. Hopefully hairdressers are open as I always have my hair cut over there.
We have to take a Covid19 test at the airport (which we have booked - it’s free) and quarantine until we get the results, these are usually sent either the same or the next day. We already have the app.
No more news on the buyer front, but hope we hear tomorrow and we can decide what we're doing by Thursday. It would be nice to have a plan seeing as husband retires on Friday.
The manager of the charity bookshop emailed me this afternoon and asked me to go in before the shop opens tomorrow to restock the children's shelves. As that's what I spent all this morning doing, there was obviously a bit of a run on children's books this afternoon. It'll be a busy day as then I'm off to view a property where we intend to move to. After that I don't intend to go anywhere not within walking distance for a month.
Very interesting Christmas cake with tomato sauce - one I don't care to try!
Had a rather benign conversation with my AP - very sweetly she asked me if my new car had a radio in it! I reflected on how times had changed from when a radio in the car was unheard of. I reminisced with the memories of cars gone by!
A radio? That's really pushing the limits of extravagance. Does it have a heater too? Time was within living memory when that was a luxury option that a lot of people (like my father) could do without.
Very interesting Christmas cake with tomato sauce - one I don't care to try!
Had a rather benign conversation with my AP - very sweetly she asked me if my new car had a radio in it! I reflected on how times had changed from when a radio in the car was unheard of. I reminisced with the memories of cars gone by!
A radio? That's really pushing the limits of extravagance. Does it have a heater too? Time was within living memory when that was a luxury option that a lot of people (like my father) could do without.
I grew up with Ladas. They may have considered many things unnecessary bourgeois luxuries in the USSR but car heaters were not one!
Lovely crisp autumn morning here, with clear blue skies. I've been for my walk and I'm now having a browse before tackling my marking (today's assignments are a reflective piece about how the students feel about discussing death).
I'm putting off starting Sunday's sermon. I don't really like the readings so I'm stuck on what to say. Waiting for inspiration to strike between two lessons that I'm teaching this afternoon.
I wondered if Daisydaisy had got her Christmas pudding recipe from the organist in The Vicar of Dibley. Or, to paraphrase the old joke, knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is not putting it in a Christmas pudding ...
In other news (as those of you who are Facebook friends will know) I'm still chuckling at how spectacularly wrong BT managed to get my name when sending the hub thingy for Wi-fi.
My RL name is Elspeth Drinkell, and when a letter from BT arrived addressed to "Mrs. Isobell Brickall", I assumed it was for a previous occupant of the flat (which had been rented out before I bought it), and set it aside to take to the post office. When the hub was delivered on Saturday, again to the elusive Mrs. Brickall, I thought, that's one for the book, and pondered how David would have laughed. After a fairly long wait on the BT helpline, I was able to explain the situation to a delightful Irish gentleman, who assured me that it was now put right. You get used to mis-spellings when you have an unusual name, but I think that one takes the biscuit.
You have my sympathy! I won’t out myself, but I, too, have an unusual surname and boy, have we had some wonderful variations on a theme over the years. It’s not as if it’s that difficult to spell either, so I’m not sure what gets folk so muddled. Be that as it may, I’m amazed we’ve not had any spectacular mess ups...yet...
I have a simple four-letter last name, which happens to be the same as the name of a major company (no relation). On two occasions when I've had to call that company they've asked me to spell my last name.
I have a simple four-letter last name, which happens to be the same as the name of a major company (no relation). On two occasions when I've had to call that company they've asked me to spell my last name.
Yes, that’s standard for me. I don’t even wait to be asked to spell it nowadays.
My problem is my first name, which is spelled differently in English and French. When I became a French national, I had the option of legally changing my name to the French spelling, and I did seriously contemplate it, given that everyone spells it wrong all the time anyway.
I didn't do it in the end, because it's been my name for the last forty years, and it would be too odd to change it now.
I'm still going through the processes of letting People Who Need To Know that I've moved: I've told the Electoral Register and have discovered that I didn't need to tell West Lothian Council - they already knew, and have duly sent me a welcoming letter council tax bill.
As it was yet another nice day, I took a wee stroll along the street - not as far as usual, but I wanted to go back to the Mid-Century Modern shop to see if they had any mug-trees (which I didn't think of when I was in there the other day). I think one on the kitchen window-sill would do rightly, and save a bit of cupboard space. Sadly, they're shut on Wednesdays.
In other news, I've got a job interview next Wednesday - another Health Service office job in Edinburgh - and considering the size of the aforementioned tax bill*, I rather hope I get it!
* I don't suppose it was that huge in the grand scheme of things, but it looked a bit daunting, as it appears to cover from now until the end of March, but in just two instalments. Once I've sent off the forms letting them know I'm a single occupant and start paying it monthly, it may not be quite so scary.
When I posted about the BT cock-up on Facebook, a friend whose surname is Smyth said she once gave her name over the phone as "Smyth with a 'y'", and received a letter in response addressed to Ms. Smithy.
My surname is frequently got wrong because of the similar sounds of n and m. Both versions exist, but the n form is most usual in personal names and the m form is associated with place names, and commonly a football site, and more people know it. I have to partially spell it with "n for November", or say it's like a place in America that they are likely to know. Very irritating.
When I posted about the BT cock-up on Facebook, a friend whose surname is Smyth said she once gave her name over the phone as "Smyth with a 'y'", and received a letter in response addressed to Ms. Smithy.
My wife has a book of letters to "The Times", quite old now. One lady wrote in to say that she'd given her name over the phone as "J R - as in 'Dallas' - Crookall" and then started receiving letters for "Mrs J R Dallas-Crookall".
Comments
Had a rather benign conversation with my AP - very sweetly she asked me if my new car had a radio in it! I reflected on how times had changed from when a radio in the car was unheard of. I reminisced with the memories of cars gone by!
In other news (as those of you who are Facebook friends will know) I'm still chuckling at how spectacularly wrong BT managed to get my name when sending the hub thingy for Wi-fi.
My RL name is Elspeth Drinkell, and when a letter from BT arrived addressed to "Mrs. Isobell Brickall", I assumed it was for a previous occupant of the flat (which had been rented out before I bought it), and set it aside to take to the post office. When the hub was delivered on Saturday, again to the elusive Mrs. Brickall, I thought, that's one for the book, and pondered how David would have laughed. After a fairly long wait on the BT helpline, I was able to explain the situation to a delightful Irish gentleman, who assured me that it was now put right. You get used to mis-spellings when you have an unusual name, but I think that one takes the biscuit.
John Betjeman clearly found that people had trouble with his name: https://tinyurl.com/y25569a3
Christmas pudding mix is now infusing ready for steaming tomorrow.
Re names - my alma mater was The Judd School*, but the Headmaster once told us that he was accustomed to receiving correspondence addressed to 'The Dude School' or 'The Judo School'.
*after our illustrious founder
I don't know whether Captain Pyjamas really needs speech therapy but I'm now glad he has it because it gives us a reason to be out of the house a couple of mornings a week. On the other hand, Google lies. Getting there on foot does not take 32 minutes. Especially when you're pushing a pushchair and wearing a face mask.
I made a potato curry for supper; I'd bought a tub of something calling itself "medium Tikka Masala powder" rather than buying proper spices (I don't really have anywhere suitable to store them yet), and in the absence of ordinary curry powder I thought it would do.
It sort of did, but TBH I'd rather use real spices, so I think a foray back to the supermarket, followed by one to B&Q or similar to get a spice rack may be in the offing. There's what I think would be a suitable bit of wall space beside the fridge, and I like things out of the way, but easily accessible, on walls and shelves.
All the uncertainty about whether we would get to Germany for our Grandaughter’s birthday (22nd November) due to lockdown was getting us down.
Soooo ...
We’ve rebooked and we are going on Wednesday! The day after tomorrow!
Mr Boogs said “what’s to stop us going on Wednesday before lockdown?” So we set to - repurposed the flights, sorted the dogs out, booked our Covid test for when we arrive at Frankfurt, booked our usual flat.
And now we just need to pack!
That sounds great!
And this year ... well, who knows?
My Wi-Fi hub is now sporting a lovely blue glow and giving me proper interwebicity, so large chunks of tomorrow will be spent online telling people like Indeed.co.uk, West Lothian Council, my pension provider and the Inland Revenue that I've got a new château.
And applying for all* the jobs that have come up on Indeed since I've been offline.
O joy ...
* well, maybe not quite all
PS - safe travels, Boogie!
I did my usual early morning grocery shop (and there was plenty of toilet paper, the madness hasn't set in yet and let's hope it doesn't this time) and will be heading up to our town for lunch with a friend and a bit of a mooch round the local shops before they close their doors tomorrow evening. Apparently they are staying open until 8pm for the next couple of days. The nearest shopping mall has apparently been rammed with people for the past couple of days, which I guess is unsurprising.
These "apparently" facts were supplied to me this morning by my supermarket checkout person who is, of course, The Fount Of All Knowledge.
In other news, I had a Zoomy catch up yesterday evening with work colleagues; it was lovely to see everyone but it made me even more grateful than I was already that I was made redundant in March.
I often listen to a Bavarian radio station on the Internet and have heard them talking about more local restrictions. What's the "lockdown" situation like where you are going?
Still, we live in hope that this time it'll only be a month or so before we can get back to *The New Normal*...
In other news we may have a buyer for our place. We're doing the negotiating on the price thing now.
Just No.
Chocolate - love it
Christmas pudding - quite like it, once a year
Both together - eek!
It's another beautiful day in glorious West Lothian, so I had a stroll along to T*sco's; I know that seems like all I ever do, but it's my daily exercise (it probably takes me about 10-15 minutes to walk each way), and if I do my shopping "little and often" I can spread out buying heavier things (today's heavyweights were a bottle of orange juice and a bag of potatoes).
HMRC, NILGOSC and NHS Scotland Jobs* have now been informed of the whereabouts of the new château, and I'm now settling down for a nice cup of tea and a biscuit.
* I've applied for a couple more, one of which looks very similar to the last job I had in Orkney, thirty-mumble years ago.
PS - cross-posted with Sarasa - good luck with the negotiations! <crosses trotters>
As I was coming out of the supermarket opposite my house, I was greeted by a journalist from TF1 (equivalent to BBC1) interviewing members of The General Public for tomorrow's nightly news. Their studios are just over the river so you see the cameras around here quite often. They're doing a segment on whether people are buying more polluting cleaning products than they used to. (Not me, I'm still using white vinegar - cheaper and greener.) I have to tune in tomorrow and see if I'm on the telly
I took my driving test in King’s Lynn which is so flat there’s nowhere to do a hill start. I’m very nervous on hills as a result.
Did our fortnightly grocery shop at our local ginormous Tesco early on Monday morning. By early I mean before 9am. No queues, shelves full, no worries. But coming out we passed a long queue of cars waiting to get into the Costco car park.
Feeling smug as I had my hair cut this morning. Last lockdown the salons closed 2 days before my appointment so my hair got v long.
I had my hair cut relatively recently and learned during the last lockdown how to make a passable attempt at trimming my fringe. My hairdressers used to do such trims for free but now they charge so I've no intention of frequenting the establishment until I need a full cut.
We will be allowed to meet up to ten people outside and to meet one household at once indoors. So we’ll be able to see all our friends - just not at the same time indoors. Cafes and restaurants are closed except for take always. Hopefully hairdressers are open as I always have my hair cut over there.
We have to take a Covid19 test at the airport (which we have booked - it’s free) and quarantine until we get the results, these are usually sent either the same or the next day. We already have the app.
The manager of the charity bookshop emailed me this afternoon and asked me to go in before the shop opens tomorrow to restock the children's shelves. As that's what I spent all this morning doing, there was obviously a bit of a run on children's books this afternoon. It'll be a busy day as then I'm off to view a property where we intend to move to. After that I don't intend to go anywhere not within walking distance for a month.
A radio? That's really pushing the limits of extravagance. Does it have a heater too? Time was within living memory when that was a luxury option that a lot of people (like my father) could do without.
I grew up with Ladas. They may have considered many things unnecessary bourgeois luxuries in the USSR but car heaters were not one!
We are now having a cappuccino in the cafe. Only three others in the whole cafe. 🤞 the plane is the same.
Lovely crisp autumn morning here, with clear blue skies. I've been for my walk and I'm now having a browse before tackling my marking (today's assignments are a reflective piece about how the students feel about discussing death).
You have my sympathy! I won’t out myself, but I, too, have an unusual surname and boy, have we had some wonderful variations on a theme over the years. It’s not as if it’s that difficult to spell either, so I’m not sure what gets folk so muddled. Be that as it may, I’m amazed we’ve not had any spectacular mess ups...yet...
Yes, that’s standard for me. I don’t even wait to be asked to spell it nowadays.
I didn't do it in the end, because it's been my name for the last forty years, and it would be too odd to change it now.
As it was yet another nice day, I took a wee stroll along the street - not as far as usual, but I wanted to go back to the Mid-Century Modern shop to see if they had any mug-trees (which I didn't think of when I was in there the other day). I think one on the kitchen window-sill would do rightly, and save a bit of cupboard space. Sadly, they're shut on Wednesdays.
In other news, I've got a job interview next Wednesday - another Health Service office job in Edinburgh - and considering the size of the aforementioned tax bill*, I rather hope I get it!
* I don't suppose it was that huge in the grand scheme of things, but it looked a bit daunting, as it appears to cover from now until the end of March, but in just two instalments. Once I've sent off the forms letting them know I'm a single occupant and start paying it monthly, it may not be quite so scary.