Small Talk: The Welcome Mat

[Netfoot]

I've managed to slice my finger wide open trying to sharpen s $3 kitchen knife with a $2 sharpener! There was blood all over the kitchen sink, in a trail out to my desk and on the desk itself, as I tried to stop the copious flow. Got it all sorted now, and apart from it throbbing a bit I'm fine. The wound was several times larger than the one on my ankle a few weeks ago, but that one bled more and took longer to stop. 

Soup for lunch and again for dinner. It tastes pretty good, to the point where I went back inside the kitchen and had another half-bowl. But not much remains now. Tomorrow I will refresh the pot by adding extra ingredients and switching things up a little. I'm even thinking of adding curry powder but you have to be careful with that. So if I decide to try curried soup I will ladle a portion into a smaller pot and add the curry there. So that if it doesn't "work" I've only ruined one portion and not a whole pot. If I go looking for a bolt for the door I might source some other ingredients for the soup at the same time.

Conversely, I could make a big pot of spaghetti sauce instead. And eat pasta for a few days.

No bolt on the front door so the house won't be secure tonight. I must go out and see if I can find a matching bolt somewhere to buy. If I can get a good match the replacement will be easy. I can reuse the original screw holes. My door is clad with a thin sheet of steel so if I have to drill new holes...

I noticed when taking the old one off how shakey I've become. (Just say no to drugs. Especially steroids.) Not fancying standing on a stool to work on that, right at the top of even a short flight of steps. 

Starting a new book. Well, it's copyright 2003 so its 20 years old, but I've not read it since I bought it new, 20 years ago. It's Neal Stephenson's Quicksilver which is volume one of his work of late Baroque historical fiction named The Baroque Cycle. This book is 916 pages not counting appendices and the other two books are about the same. I remember the trilogy as a rip-snorting read and should keep me busy for a while. Somewhere in the house I should be able to locate two other books by the same author which I particularly liked: Snow Crash (post cyberpunk sci-fi) and Cryptonomicon (WW-II era Allied code breaking & deception operations). 

Meanwhile I'm listening to David Bowie (Five Years from The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars.) Mo is standing on the bedside table with his head out the window. He's been back and forth since I came to bed. I've not showered and due to the makeshift bandage on my left middle finger I think I will give that a miss so as not to risk getting it wet. I don't fancy putting on another bandage now. I was going to take a couple of Panadol but the throbbing has diminished so I will skip that.

31 minutes ago, Spunkygal said:

would it get thru customs faster if it were sent by Amazon rather than a person?  Or does it matter?

What would get it through faster is making sure it has a value less than US$30 and an invoice to prove it. Not sure where @Ancaster is located but how best to ship would depend on that. Will send a message and we will get into it.

Uh, Barbados 🇧🇧, not Bahamas! 

Mo has just come to bed with an empty Ensure bottle. Maybe it's the one from before that I threw out the window. Anyway, he is disassembling it into sharp shards of plastic with which to litter the bed. For my sleeping comfort and pleasure.

It's half an  hour our to midnight and I want to start Quicksilver before I turn in. I didn't take a nap today because I didn't want to be up until the wee hours but now I'm tired so I will end here and read a few pages before putting the lights out.

[Ancaster]

4 minutes ago, Netfoot said:

 

Uh, Barbados 🇧🇧, not Bahamas! 

 

Tee hee (as opposed to ha ha).  Of course Barbados, typing without thinking.

[Netfoot]

8 hours ago, Ancaster said:

Of course Barbados, typing without thinking.

I thought you might be punking me. I've had Bahrain, Bangladesh, Botswana... even Baloney from one particular wag.

[Ancaster]

8 hours ago, Netfoot said:

I thought you might be punking me. I've had Bahrain, Bangladesh, Botswana... even Baloney from one particular wag.

Just to update people, Netfoot and I have been in private correspondence and have regretfully agreed that the logistics of getting British treats from here (Portland, Maine Oregon, to there (The Bahamas Barbados) are too much of a pain in the proverbial arse. 

I would post a picture of Marmite, but the library is not allowing me to.  In fact, right now, I can't even exit this screen!

 

[Netfoot]

There ya go!

Recipe for SPAGHETTI WITH MARMITE found on the web.
 

[Spunkygal]

45 minutes ago, Ancaster said:

Just to update people, Netfoot and I have been in private correspondence and have regretfully agreed that the logistics of getting British treats from here (Portland, Maine Oregon, to there (The Bahamas Barbados) are too much of a pain in the proverbial arse. 

I would post a picture of Marmite, but the library is not allowing me to.  In fact, right now, I can't even exit this screen!

 

You are very kind to make the offer and I’m sure Santa will reward you!

[Ancaster]

1 hour ago, Netfoot said:

There ya go!

Recipe for SPAGHETTI WITH MARMITE found on the web.
 

 

Thank you kindly, good sir.

What's not to love?  Salt, fat, carbs, salt, and more salt to finish off.

Edited December 14, 2023 by Ancaster

[Netfoot]

In bed. Feeling low. Listening to I Love You by Climax Blues Band. Love this old song, and I could use someone to pick me up off the floor just about now.

Mo is outside barking at something or someone. Have not had a shower, but I will, shortly. Feel like I need it. 

Had the last of the soup for lunch and cheese & marmalade cutters for dinner. I have minced beef ready to make a spaghetti sauce tomorrow, and have kidney beans soaking since this morning to go in that sauce. Have some "mushroom flavoured" tomato sauce to go in (chance would be a fine thing). Also splurged on a couple red sweet peppers. Bought a tin of perked tomatoes to go in, and have onions, cucumbers and pak choy that would not be amis in such a sauce. I will skip the potatoes, white cabbage and carrots, but I may add some cream cheese to make the sauce a bit nicer. Nearly splurged on some mushrooms to go in the sauce. But the only mushies I saw were pre-sliced. This tells me they were going bad so they cut away the bad bits and sliced up the remainder. And worst of all there was no price on them. I am firmly of the belief that if a product carries no price, it's because the price is outrageous and they're hoping they can ring it up and you won't notice it when you get the total. So, no sale!

After shopping for groceries I went in search of a replacement bolt for the door. The hardware store was in fu Christmas mode and unbearable. Found this:

It's almost identical and the screw hole pattern is identical. The body is made of brushed ally instead of steel but the bolt is steel and is a little longer and thicker than the original. I will have to open up the hole in the frame (which is purpleheart so no strength concerns there). 

I was initially worried that the new bolt frame, being aluminium, might not be strong enough. But the bolt cost me three bucks and a quarter so if it gives up the ghost in a couple of months, I'm not so badly off and I can try the steel bolt instead for closer to twelve bucks. But with an annoyingly different screw hole pattern. 

Also, examining the underside of the two parts I notice that the old, steel bolt has a longitudinal slot for no known purpose other than to weaken the frame. Sort of like the cross drilled bolt weakened that as well. (Some device to make the lives of Law Enforcement easier? So they can bust in and violate my rights with less effort?) The new brushed aluminium frame has no such slot so it doesn't have any in-built weak spot.

Came home, unloaded the shopping and could not find the bolt anywhere. So it still has not been put onto the door. Finally found it in my pocket. I will do the install in the morning when I'm feeling better and there is daylight. Meanwhile, the door won't be secure for another night.

As I said, feeling low. Not I'll but like I want to crawl into bed and pull the covers up over my head. Well, I am in bed and soon I will pull the covers up over my head. But you know what I mean. I'm wondering if it is the drug regimen. The MG drugs bring with them a host of unpleasant side effects. 

The cut finger doesn't help. The knife slipped off the cheap sharpener and whacked me across the back of my left middle finger, just inboard the first knuckle joint. I wouldn't be surprised if the blade hit the bone. Because the wound is on the back of the finger, anything which I try to do with that hand (which inevitably requires bending the finger) tries to pull that wound open. Since I want it to knit up, I am not able to do much with the left hand right now. Most of the time, like right now, it doesn't hurt at all. But just let me forget and flex that finger even a little and the cut feels like it's been hit with a hammer!

To prevent this I've wrapped it in tape until it's almost splinted. I still forget and try to use it every 10 minutes, but since I can't bend the finger very far, there is a limit to the hurt and (I hope) a reduced risk of pulling that cut open again. 

Mo has been in to check on me, but has gone out again. I think I will go and have a shower. I'll have to keep the left hand from getting wet because I just can't be bothered to put on a new, dry bandage. So I'd better not get this one damp.

Watched the TAR finale this morning. A very satisfying season and I hope the return to TAR roots is a happy harbinger of more "Classic" seasons to come. I notice Phil is inviting people to apply for the race again, so maybe they are shifting away from stunt-casting influenzas, mactors and generally unlikeable characters from other reality shows. 

Yeh, so I will go for that shower now, and return to bed and read for a while. Mo is back outside barking at something. Will call him in after my shower and close the door. But with the new bolt still sitting on my desk, there is nothing to prevent him opening the front door and going out again any time he chooses. 

Maybe I should have bought a hook & eye rather than a replacement bolt!

[Netfoot]

Got up this morning to find the door wide open and (naturally) my Crocs outside hidden in the tall bush that passes for my lawn during the rainy season.

It was a priority to get that bolt put in place for use from tonight. The hole in the purpleheart frame was widened and deepened to accommodate the slightly larger bolt. This was easy and fast. Then the bolt frame was screwed onto place. This was much harder than anticipated and it's a good thing the screw pattern on the new bolt was the same because otherwise the job would have been an order of magnitude harder. 

Why? Well because the screw holes were actually skightlyyyy off. Only a quarter of a millimeter maybe but that forces the screws to go in at a slight angle so they bind as driven home. I had to redrill all four holes so as to be able to get the screws in. 

I'd doesn't help that the way the door is located I had to stand on a step and work over my head using my left (injured) hand. 

And it didn't help that the provided screws were (apparently) made from chewing gum.

But got it done, and hopefully it will contain my little Mouse during the night. 

Meanwhile, I had PB&J cutters for lunch and I've got my kidney beans boiling to soften them a bit before I begin work on my pasta sauce. 

I probably shouldn't call it pasta sauce since I imagine I will use it on rice, on potatoes and pasta.

Very wobbly on my feet today (which made me very nervous, standing on the top step while replacing the bolt) and a new wrinkle while chewing my cutters. I had no problem biting down on each mouthful, but it was difficult to open my jaws up for the next chew. This will lead to you swallowing down your meals partially chewed. Assuming that the swallowing is working. 

Going to watch some TV now.

[Netfoot]

Oh, BTW, when I said the screws were made of chewing gum? Here are three screws, as provided with the new bolt.

The one on the right is straight out of the package, just prior to installation. The two on the left were tried but the cross/slot for the screwdriver just rounded out and I had to remove these two, fraction by fraction, with a pliers. Fortunately they provided six screws because the bolt comes with a receiver that can be used on the frame of the door. As I was using a hole directly in the frame I was able to use the two "extra" screws to replace the ones that were so soft they self-destructed when faced with a small #1 screwdriver held in my trembling hand.

[Netfoot]

Life is really unfair. 

You brew up a mug of tea. Then this little face appears in your lap....

...and half of your cookies are gone!

[Netfoot]

Finger. Still hurts. Took off the bandage and was surprised to discover a trace if blood still on the piece of cotton wool at the innermost.  Not too much, though.

The wound looks OK even if the finger itself looks grubby. But it's still painful to the touch and especially if I try to curl the finger.

I put a fresh bandage on it and will continue to keep an eye open.

ETA: The lighter coloured patch of skin visible on the second joint right below the new cut is a scar resulting from a burn received in March, 1991. This coming March will be 33 years.  

Edited December 15, 2023 by Netfoot

[Spunkygal]

Wait! Are you flipping us off??? 🤣🤣🤣

[Netfoot]

 Remember my spaghetti sauce plan? It didn't go quite as expected. I wanted to make a large batch of (let's call it) meat sauce from which I could dollop out a ladle onto spaghetti, potatoes... what ever. 

So after soaking for 24ish hours, I set the kidney beans aboilingin.my big saucepan to soften even more. When I judged the time was right, I added a tin of mushroom flavoured tomato sauce, a tin of whole peeled tomatoes and a small tin of plain tomato sauce. Seasoned with garlic and cilantro, and diced in two red sweet peppers.

I'd bought a bunch of fresh thyme so I drew a dozen or more stalks backwards between two fingers to remove the leaves and I also added two whole bunches of thyme sticks and all. The bunches are big enough to be easily avoided while eating. 

Meanwhile I mandolined 6-8 small onions into rings and set them to soften in a large pan. One or two large onions would have been much easier and I saw some beauties for sale yesterday, but they are $11.99 per Kg whereas small ones are only $3.99 per Kg. Once they'd picked up some colour I added a large pack of minced beef to brown. The beef and onions went into the saucepan with the other ingredients and I left it on slow simmer.

I considered adding a block of cream cheese to make the whole pot creamy g cheesy but decided to reserve that option. 

After a while I figured it was time for me to cook some spaghetti and test out the sauce. That is when my logical fallacy surfaced. 

My large spaghetti pot was already full of sauce!

So in the end I cooked up a single serving of plain, white rice, and put a dollop of sauce on that! Actually, because plain, white rice is against my religion, I took a small head of pak choy and cutting the stems celery-wise (for the sauce) and the leaves rolled (for the rice) I made myself a meal.

It was good! So good that on my way to bed I passed through the kitchen and ate a spoonful of sauce in its own! The sauce was (is!) rich and meaty, but I believe I can improve. I got the crazy idea of adding raisins which go very well in curry, but I'm still pondering that one.

Also, I've been considering pineapple chunks. I know that there is a big-endian vs. little-endian conflict between pizza eaters about pineapple. As far as I'm concerned the facts are indisputable in that particular debate. But what about pineapple in non-pizza applications like meat sauce? For pasta, potatoes and rice? Please share your opinion!

I gave poor Mo a huge kick in the ribs this evening! I was hustling down the passage to the bathroom when my foot whacked har into someone sleeping on the tiles in the dark. I went flying (balance is very shakey at best) and Mo got a bit of a tumble too. I think I got the worse of the exchange because he is absolutely fine and I am the one that's shaken!

So, I may go to Brighton again in the morning, depending upon what happens when the alarm goes off. Now, I don't really have to get up at 5:00, do I? I can get out of bed at 7:00 and still get there while the place is full of people. I could use a breadfruit and some more pak choy. We'll see. It rained heavily, if briefly right after dinner so it remains to be seen what the morning looks like, and whether I want to get out of bed and experience the morning in any significant way before noon. 

33 minutes ago, Spunkygal said:

Wait! Are you flipping us off??? 🤣🤣🤣

I'm not sure if giving the middle finger requires the use of the two on either side to make the point. In any event, I consider it unfortunate that this is the finger that decided it wanted to test the edge of the newly sharpened blade. 

By the way there is not a drop of water in the house. Except what I have in some bottles, but there is none in the pipes. Not even a drip. I can't shower and that would be a good reason not to go out and socialize tomorrow morning. But I will try the shower in dead of night and see if things are any better then.

Tonight we put the new bolt to the test. Mo was here a moment ago, doing his straight-legged side-fall directly on to my tummy, but has gone out again. He was angry because I didn't let him stick his beak into my glass of milk to drink his fill.

Mo has a sweet tooth. Whereas I abhor sugar in proper milk, I had evaporated milk diluted with water and that tastes slightly unnatural so I put sugar in it. Mo likes my milk with sugar in it! But apart from quenching my thirst, I am going to test my blood sugar in the morning. It's been below minimum for the last three tests in a row. So I selfishly drank it all myself. He was not well pleased! He stamped his feet, clawed at my hand with the empty glass and barked loudly to express his displeasure! He just engaged in a particularly vigorous Tummy Trampoline session and is now chewing my toes. 

A Man Needs A Maid by Neil Young. I sometimes know exactly what he means. 

I think I will go and get another glass of milk, this time with a package of teatime biscuits to go with it. Then I will close the door, read a while, and finally lock my wig, let the air out of my shoes, and prepare myself for a period of simulated exhilaration!

[Netfoot]

Ok, I bit the bullet on my way back from Brighton (more later) and sought out the Marmite I've been wanting to try on spaghetti.

Not a large jar by any means but if you're not familiar with this product, take it from me, a little goes a looooong way. Spreading this on toast or bread is an exercise in seeing how little you can get on there. 

[Netfoot]

My alarm went at 5:00 but I kept snoozing it until 6:00 before getting up. The front door was wide open...

...and my new bolt was buggered beyond repair: 

Oh well. This was always a possibility.

Really hoped to find a breadfruit (this being breadfruit season, after all) but no dice. Instead I bought plantains, a small yam and a small sweet potato, some green "figs" (aka "bananas", to the uninitiated), and also two heads of pak choy and two tomatoes. The last for sandwich making, as a bit of a treat. 

On my way home I sought out and acquired the bottle/jar of Marmite. The pasta recipe appeals because it is unusual (and I do actually like Marmite), and couldn't be simpler: heat up a little oil or melt some butter, stir in half a spoonful of Marmite and toss your pasta. I am looking forward to trying it but it will have to wait for now, because I have a large pot of sauce already cooked.

The veggies I bought, along with potatoes, carrots and pumpkin already in the house are to be cooked up and used as the carbs in a meal also featuring my meat sauce. If you go and buy lunch in a deli you can get a portion of what they call "stew food" which is basically various boiled vegetables, maybe some large dumplings as well, over which you pour a ladle or two of stew. I don't buy that when I'm buying a deli lunch but I will try to make my own at home.

My earlier comments about boiling plantains separately because the skins stain the water? This goes double for green figs. Ten times. Green fig water is like India ink. But a nice bit of green fig is a tasty addition to any collection of starchy veggies. Often added to a Sancoche soup. The old saying about Sancoche is that the spoon must be able to stand upright in the bowl. Personally, while I love the breadth  & variety of the ingredients, I like the broth as well. Not enough liquid and you may as well use a knife & fork. Some folks do. 

But right now, I'm not in the mood to cook. I have bread, cheese, tomato, cucumber... I could easily settle for sandwiches for lunch. But I think I will attempt something else. Not rice again, but something that I can put my sauce over. Pasta would suit me nicely, but I just don't have another big pot to cook it in! 

Will try to come up with a plan. Meanwhile, here is a job for you: figure out how to keep my front door closed when my puppy is adept at opening it, even if it's bolted!

[Mr. Sparkle]

6 minutes ago, Netfoot said:

...and my new bolt was buggered beyond repair: 

Is that from Mo pounding on the door, or was someone trying to break in? 

[Netfoot]

4 hours ago, Superclam said:

Is that from Mo pounding on the door, or was someone trying to break in? 

No, it's Mo.

My door is locked with a round doorknob with a little catch in the middle. Turn it horizontal and the door locks. Turn it vertical and the door unlocks. When unlocked, turn the knob itself and the door will open

Mo has discovered that if he jumps up and rubs his paw down the knob, he will eventually get that little catch turned vertical, and then he only has to turn the knob itself and the door will open. I say "eventually" but he can get it done in less than a minute with only 5-6 jumps, sometimes only 1-2.

Of course, when there is a sturdy bolt in place, he still can't get the door to open so he wakes me up instead. But with an aluminium bolt which he is strong enough to buckle, break or bend, keeping that door closed and secure while I sleep at night is going to be difficult. I will be forced to go and buy a steel bolt of some sort and fit it to the door. 

I speculated about a hook & eye, but I'm not convinced he couldn't pull the hook (or eye) out of the door or frame and still get it open. 

Edited December 16, 2023 by Netfoot

[Spunkygal]

Pineapple in pasta sauce? Sounds like a craving a pregnant lady would have! 🤣🤣 Tell us more about the visit to Brighton. And did you ever talk to your mates about a trip to the club?

[Netfoot]

1 hour ago, Spunkygal said:

Tell us more about the visit to Brighton.

I left home this morning on dry road in good weather with the intention of spending some time at Brighton, maybe sitting at none of the tables and even having a coffee and a doughnut. By the time I got to the highway (only minutes away) the rain was falling and the road surface was awash. I watched a minibus pull out of a side-road onto the highway and immediately spin around twice. Any passengers must have crapped themselves because my own butt gave a clench and I was 50 yards away!

The weather deteriorated rapidly to the point that when I reached brighton there were cars trying to pull up the concrete incline into the field where people park. Several cars tried and just slid back into the road despite their tires trying to roll forward. I thought that with my old worn tires I had zero chance, but I didn't pull forward as the cars before me tried and failed. When there was no treaffic between me and the entrance, I sped along, and using momentum rather than grip, rolled up the incline and into the grass pasture. 

Found a place to park facing downhill to the bottom exit so I would be able to roll downhill the entire way. the rain was lashing down, and I waited but there was no sign of it slowing so with a shrug, I walked across the muddy field, down the same slope that cars couldn't get up (fearing a fall the entire way) and across the road that was actually a shallow stream by this time. The place was packed with people and they were all jammed under those tents that were available, so I had to search long and hard to find a bit of shelter.

I could have taken my tee shirt off and wrung a bucket of water out of it, but I figured the public doesn't need to see that. I did take my spectacles off and was able to wring water out of the neck strap on those. Dashing from tent to tent I chatted with Mark, Sally, Catherine, and several others I know from my time vending there. Marva/Betty, Sarah, etc. Since I had arrived later than usual, Jimmy and Austin weren't there - they usually come to help set up and then leave early. 

The tables and chairs under the trees were soaking wet, so I figured I'd not try to sit out there and enjoy a coffee. 

Several people commented that my voice sounded normal to them this week, as opposed to last Saturday when it was pure Elmer/Daffy. Maybe because last week I took my breakfast meds after I got back, but this morning I took them before I set off. (BTW, blood sugar was 5.9 mmol/L, so that is a relief. Don't usually like to see it that high, but it's better than 3.7!) By this time the rainfall was down to a heavy drizzle.

After a good chat with everyone, I went and bought the veggies previously discussed. I picked up an olive focaccia from Catherine and a very gooey doughnut form a pretty girl who I don't know,\. Saying my farewells, I walked back across to the car,hoping to get away without any drama. There were cars all over the field spinning their wheels and getting nowhere fast. I started up, put the car into gear and let the automatic transmission "creep" forward at a snail's pace. Never touched the throttle pedal once. The car simply rolled itself through the mud (with me steering it around the various cars struggling to move) and made it to the exit. When there was a gap in the traffic, I rolled down the ramp onto the road and put a toe on the throttle. The car attempted to emulate the minibus from earlier but only got about a quarter turn before I caught it. And this left me pointing directly down the road. It must have looked expertly done, sliding out and around to get away. But I simply let it do what it wanted to and brought it back under control at exactly the right moment.  

taking extreme care to avoid any sort of a mishap on the way back, I overshot my usual path and went to a market where I thought Marmite might be found. And I was correct. I actually went looking for a breadfruit but there simply isn't one to be found. I've tried four stores and stopped at three road-side vegetable stands in the last few days. Nothing. It's at times like this I remember that Heidi used to have a beautiful, yellow-fleshed breadfruit tree in her yard and cut it down because she didn't like cleaning up the fallen leaves. Some things should always be recognized as a crime against humanity.

Back home I ate my gooey doughnut with a mug of tea. Later, I boiled (separately) a plantain, two green figs and two potatoes, while heating the sauce. When the vegetables were ready I ladled on a good dollop of sauce and had a very pleasant lunch. The sauce is cooling again and when it is closer to room temperature, I will decant into food storage containers. I don't think I have enough containers for it all. The remainder will probably be enough to transfer to a smaller pan so I can boil pasta this evening and then use that same remaining sauce on top of it with some grated cheese. Or to dissolve some of that cream cheese in the small pan to get the creamy, cheesy accent on the dish.

As for pineapple in the sauce, I don't actually have any pineapple, but I think it might be an interesting thing to try. As previously said, raisins, cubed coconut and other sweet ingredients can do wonders for an otherwise ordinary curry dish. I have raisins and might try them instead of the pineapple which I don't have in any cast. $4.75 for a tiny little can of pineapple chunks. Could have probably bought an entire pineapple at Brighton for less than that. I saw them for sale, but didn't check the price for one. But including raisins in a savoury dish works best when the raisins plump themselves back up into grapes, and I have difficulty getting them to do that. Maybe they should be simmered in water first, before being added to the dish?

[b4pjoe]

5 hours ago, Netfoot said:

Meanwhile, here is a job for you: figure out how to keep my front door closed when my puppy is adept at opening it, even if it's bolted!

😁

[b4pjoe]

5 hours ago, Netfoot said:

Meanwhile, here is a job for you: figure out how to keep my front door closed when my puppy is adept at opening it, even if it's bolted!

😁

 

[Ancaster]

10 hours ago, Spunkygal said:

Pineapple in pasta sauce? Sounds like a craving a pregnant lady would have! 🤣🤣 Tell us more about the visit to Brighton. And did you ever talk to your mates about a trip to the club?

It does sound a bit weird, but as Netfoot said, we do put sweet stuff like raisins in savoury things, and if it's fresh and therefore presumably reasonably priced, worth a try?

Netfoot, do you know the artist Kirsty MacColl?  She was a talented young British woman who was killed tragically in a diving accident.  She did a great song called "There's a Guy Works Down the Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis", sang A New England  with Billy Bragg, and other good stuff.  Great sense of humour.  Sorry if I'm preaching to the choir.

[Netfoot]

I transferred the bulk of my sauce to two food containers, with a generous ladle in a small saucepan to warm, as the large pan got repurposed to boil some macaroni. I added about 1½ to 2 oz. of cream cheese to the sauce and melted it in. I thought perhaps there wouldn't be enough sauce because the pasta turned out to be plenty! But in the end, the sauce was ample, and I enjoyed it very much. There was no shortage of sauce for the remaining pasta towards the end when The Tax Man Cometh. He liked it too.

Later, as I watched a YT video, Mo arrived at my side soaked. It had apparently rained and he never misses an opportunity to get towelled off. 

Later, we went out on Garden Patrol, and the first thing I noticed was a shredded box that formerly contained a MultiPlex servo. I searched, but no servo has yet been found. Next, a pair of socks, In my clean laundry this morning, now lying in the driveway soaking wet. I looked sharply at Mo who was watching for my reaction. Next, another pair of formerly clean socks, now wet and icky. I looked again at Mo who must have decided discretion is the better part of valor, because he took off down the garden.  I walked slowly after him shining my torch at the ground hoping to see my missing servo. 

I didn't see the servo and I didn't see the slippery part of the concrete walkway. Both feet shot out from under me and I was completely airborne for a second before somehow I did some sort on ninja stylee and landed back on my feet. I didn't even drop the torch!

Back inside I was able to take a welcome shower (water pressure back to normal) and proceed to bed.

Mo was sitting on my pillows. Like a pasha on a cushion. Like a caterpillar on a toadstool, missing only the hookah. He proceeded to finger-fight with me for the next 40 minutes. The battle was paused frequently for him to get tummy tickles. It's funny how Mo always gets a fang into the joint. I guess the disable-it-so-it-can't-run-then-eat-it must be instinctive? Genetic memory? The goal of the exercise seemed to be to get a fang into my finger wound, from which I have now removed the bandage. 

1 hour ago, Ancaster said:

Netfoot, do you know the artist Kirsty MacColl?

I'm not familiar with her work, but after reading a little online, I think I will try to listen to some of her music. I note with approval that the cover of her fifth and final album bears an image of A flying fish. Flying fish, served with cou-cou is our national dish. (I like flying fish well enough, but I can't get with the cou-cou. And serving it with "okra slush" which looks like gutter-slime and snot does not make it any more appealing.)

I've just listened to a couple of tracks on YouTube and her music is amusing, but to be honest the quality of streamed sound is not good on the far end of a skinny data pipe, out in the Atlantic. I'll have to try and grab digital images and see what it sounds like without latency and lag. 

Right now, I'm listening to Paranoid Android from Radiohead's OK Computer. This is one of those albums which exist without flaw or fault. Honestly, you can listen to the whole album and hear nothing but perfection. I'll admit to a liking for Radiohead's albums, particularly the earlier ones. (Creep from their debut Pablo Honey remains one of their best ever tracks and the way the guitar grunts twice just before the fuzz  kicks in on the transition from verse to chorus is iconic.)

No real trouble with speech or eating today. Friends at Brighton even commented on my improved speech. I do have pain in the kidney area tonight and what is most concerning is that the pain is on my right side, but the bad kidney is on the left...

It's late and I still want to read some of my book. I've only reached page 33 (of 916 of volume #1) but I will point out that the print is small and the paper has discoloured to quite a dark shade which makes the reading difficult. I'm really enjoying it, though.

Now listening to Avalon, title track from Roxy Music's eighth and final studio album. Singer/songwriter Bryan Ferry established himself as a sort of latter day Beau Brummel, as famous for his sartorial style as for his elegant, crooning voice.

I still have not devised a way to fasten the door against the depredations of a wandering puppy. who is now gnawing on my toes. I guess I will just have to leave it open so he can come and go. Pointless to try and lock it, when he opens the lock with little effort. The door is also fitted with a deadlock which I doubt he could open, but then I don't usually use that lock because it gives trouble. I'll look at trying to get it going again but not until tomorrow. 

Of course, he hasn't found a way to break in, so I could just lock his behind outside for the night. But then who would curl up against my back and keep me warm? Who would be my cuddle bunny, my snuggle puppy, in the wee hours? Who would steal my Crocs and put them outside to fill with rainwater?

[Netfoot]

Not having any way to secure the door last night, I simply locked it and hoped that Mo would not open it until it was dawn or near-dawn. 

I slept well at first, with Mo being very snuggly. But later, Mo barked furiously and pawed at me until I woke, because the rain was falling and sprinkles were blowing in. Once I'd closed that, he left me alone. For a while.

I began to suffer from reflux (which rears it's head from time to time) and then Mo began to be a real pain. Barking loudly in my ear, trying to drag me out of bed with his claws... He wouldn't give it up! Eventually, around 5:30 I did get up... And to my surprise, the door was still locked! Poor boy simply wanted to get out and for some reason, didn't let himself out as I'd expected. 

Took a break from the meat sauce today, eating bread and cheese instead. Tomorrow I will revisit the sauce. Not sure if to do rice, pasta again, or potatoes & other veggies. Prolly the latter because rice & pasta will keep essentially forever but spuds will go bad if I don't get to them.

Emptied the clean laundry out of the basket and refilled with dirty.to go for cleaning this afternoon. Mo "helped". When I returned I had to put fresh sheets on the bed I'd just stripped, and Mo "helped" with that too. He's now cleaning his feet, lying on the foot of the bed. 

Watched two movies today. The first was The Lavender Hill Mob, starring an Alec Guinness in his 30s. It's about a bullion robbery and has a nice twist in the tail. Next was Baby Driver, about a youthful wheelman who is employed by criminal gangs. The film features several well known principle stars. One of these is Lily James, a pretty actress with a youthful face. I think I first encountered her in the biopick Darkest Hour, in which she played the part of personal secretary to Gary Oldman's Winston Churchill. (Both of these movies were made around the same time but I am somewhat interested in the life of WC so I watched that movie quite some time before I got around to the other.)

Listening to Don't Stand So Close To Me, about a young schoolgirl's effect on one of her teachers. Performed by The Police, there is little indication in the song lyrics as to whether there is any improper behaviour going on between the young woman and her teacher. Nothing indicates that she is deliberately trying to seduce him, or that he is responding to her at all. Even the suggestion that she affects him "Just like the old man in that book by Nabokov" does not show that any inappropriate behaviour has or will take place. But it is clear that they are both condemned by her fellow students and his colleagues on the staff, who treat their suspicions as fact.

The song was released in 1980 but interestingly, it was rerecorded in 1986 and released after the band had broken up. The later cut has a much more brooding, ominous feel to it and if you get the chance to listen to the two versions back to back, I urge you to do so. It is interesting to hear how the two recordings differ in tone. 

The version playing here now is the later, moody, dispairing version from '86!

Mozie is lying on the bed behind me.

The door is still wide open so I will close that shortly. Tomorrow I have to examine the financial resources to see if I can afford another, stronger, bolt for the front door. Or if I must resort to another method of securing the house at night.

It rained quite a bit today. Not all day, but in heavy showers which came, left, and insisted on returning again and again. The grass was sodden when we went in Garden Patrol, but the sky was mostly clear, so perhaps there will be no more rain during the night. If rain falls and wakes me, I will close the window. If I fail to notice, Mo will rouse me soon enough, apparently. 

Now I think I feel some reflux returning again, so I will go lock the door and take a Nexium. I'm actually feeling peckish, so I may grab a handful of raisins to help take the edge off. Prolly the worst thing I could do, under the circumstances. 

Then a few pages from my book....

[Netfoot]

Mo is for sale.

Shortly after turning the light out, the rain began to fall. It was quite heavy, but there was no breeze so I didn't have to close the window, since there was no blow-in.

At 1:00 Mo woke me up and insisted I open the door to let him out. I don't know why, but he can't/won't open the door on his own. So out he went. 

At 1:50 with huge barking under the window, he insisted I let him in again. Soaking wet, he jumped all over me in the bed, rolling and rooting, burrowing under the sheet and finding crevices to crawl into. 

Three more times he insisted I let him out, and three more  times he barked under the window until I let him back in, three more times, dripping wet, he rolled over me and dried off himself at my expense. Finally, at 5:00, I opened the door and left it open so I would not have to keep getting up.

Between 5:00 and 8:00 he went out, got soaking wet and came back in again to use me like a heated towel. I lost count at seven times, but it was probably eight or nine times. Burrowing between my legs, under my arms, anything he wanted to. One time he lay directly across my face. A couple times he chewed vigorously on any part of me that he could locate. He often used his claws to roll me over so he could find a dry spot to rub himself on.

Finally, the alarm for Breakfast Meds went at 8:00 but I was so tired I snoozed it. Twice. In the 30 minutes between 8:00 and 8:30, he assaulted me twice more. Finally, at 8:30, I dragged myself up and lowered my feet onto the floor. Immediately, a wet puppy jumped into my lap, and wriggled and rolling while taking every opportunity to chew on my nose.

I went out to take my meds, eat some Eclipse biscuits (Prednisolone. Take With Food!) and drink a cup of tea. Wandered back into the bedroom. Mo is curled up on the corner of the bed, on a nest made from my top sheet would wound  into a circle. Fast asleep and  sleeping peacefully. He's had a busy night, so he needs his rest.

So, yeah. Free shipping.

Edited December 18, 2023 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

Just back from Garden Patrol, during which I nearly slipped and fell, exactly where I came so close to falling very recently. (An Am I old enough to start worrying about broken hips?)

Mo is curled up in my left armpit. He really is a sweetie. Maybe I won't sell him after all. 

It's been raining off and on all day long so I've got very little done other than play games on the computer or phone, watch some movies, and eat.

For lunch, I cooked up a bunch of vegetables, over which I ladled some meat sauce. I started with plantain and green figs. To this I added potato, sweet potato and yam. Towards the end I added belly pumpkin because that cooks quickly. Also some chunky-cut onion, pak choy stems chopped into larger pieces, and the leaves rolled and cut into long, thin strips. I took a carrot out of the fridge but it got mislaid so it never ended up in with the rest. Forgot I had cucumbers. When this was all ready I poured a large ladle of sauce over the top and set out to eat it. 

Only one problem. When I combined all those cooked vegetables into one bowl, it was a huge amount of food! But, I got stuck in and loved every bite. Well, except for a small portion which went to The Tax Man at the end. It was over indulgence for over indulgence's sake. How wonderful!

Oh, would you believe, yesterday while slicing cucumber with the mandolin, I managed to mandolin my finger? I am well aware how deadly those things are and use mine with great care. But every now and again... Fortunately, this time the cut was small and shallow. Not even one drop of blood was forthcoming. But I must redouble my caution.

Today is one week since I went to QEH and was told Dr. Jacinto would set a date/time for my appointment and I would get a phone call. No call so far. Another week and it will be Christmas day. The week after will be new year's day. 

Sent Dr. Kristi a message to find out what day she was going off for Christmas. She told me not to buy a present for her. I promised that I wouldn't. Every year I get her a little something. A book, a coffee mug with a witty legend... And I always get a second present for the family. It's always Quality Street chocolates. I hand her that one, saying "You'll never guess what this is!" It's like a tradition.

Well, thet will be no present for Dr. Kristi this year. I can't think of anything, I can't afford anything anyhow, and now I've gone and promised. Not to get her a present! But there is a nice box of Quality Street in the fridge right now. Not for Dr. K. but for the family. Didn't make any promise about that! She will cuss, but I will threaten to take the chocolates home and have the entire lot for lunch if she won't accept them. She will cuss some more, but I think I will win this one.

The door is still open, and Mo is going in and out. The rain we've been having all day seems to have abated but I guess it could come again. Not many stars to be seen in the sky and the breeze in the window is cool and moist.

I will lock the door soon, and hope Mo doesn't do a number on me like he did last night. If it doesn't rain it might not be so bad... But the knee-high bush that's growing up in my yard is sodden, so he could get as wrt as he likes if he's a mind to. Just seems to me that he likes to go play in the rain (and especially likes drying off again after) but doesn't seem to like frolicking in talk, wet grass quite as much.

When he thought the time was right, he came to collect tax on my dinner. He was quite annoyed to discover that after that huge lunch, I'd decided to skip dinner. When ever I do this he gets stroppy. His complaining was persistent enough for me to go get a pack of Eclipse biscuits, which I ate with PB&J. Mo got quite a large share of this, since I really did it for him more than myself. 

I'm listening to You're All I Need To Get By, a duet recorded by Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell in 1968. The recording was hard on Terrell, who was still recovering from brain surgery for a malignant tumor. The following year while Gaye was performing the song on stage with a different vocalist, Terrell, who was sitting in the front row, began to sing along. Gaye left the stage, taking her a microphone and they finished the song together. That was Terrell's final performance, for a year later the tumor took her life.

What a different story, from Gaye's collaboration with Kim Weston on It Takes Two. They couldn't stand each other, and It's said that they recorded their parts separately, with Gaye in Detroit and Weston in Los Angeles. Despite any personal differences, the collaboration resulted in a successful and memorable song. 

Time for me to go and close that door. Mo has already paid me a visit with wet feet. But nothing as bad as a completely soaked dog, like last night!

I may read awhile first, though. My book is slow going (only reached pp. 50 so far), but I'm thoroughly enjoying it. 

Edited December 19, 2023 by Netfoot

[Notabug]

11 hours ago, Netfoot said:

Just back from Garden Patrol, during which I nearly slipped and fell, exactly where I came so close to falling very recently. (An Am I old enough to start worrying about broken hips?)

Mo is curled up in my left armpit. He really is a sweetie. Maybe I won't sell him after all. 

It's been raining off and on all day long so I've got very little done other than play games on the computer or phone, watch some movies, and eat.

For lunch, I cooked up a bunch of vegetables, over which I ladled some meat sauce. I started with plantain and green figs. To this I added potato, sweet potato and yam. Towards the end I added belly pumpkin because that cooks quickly. Also some chunky-cut onion, pak choy stems chopped into larger pieces, and the leaves rolled and cut into long, thin strips. I took a carrot out of the fridge but it got mislaid so it never ended up in with the rest. Forgot I had cucumbers. When this was all ready I poured a large ladle of sauce over the top and set out to eat it. 

Only one problem. When I combined all those cooked vegetables into one bowl, it was a huge amount of food! But, I got stuck in and loved every bite. Well, except for a small portion which went to The Tax Man at the end. It was over indulgence for over indulgence's sake. How wonderful!

Oh, would you believe, yesterday while slicing cucumber with the mandolin, I managed to mandolin my finger? I am well aware how deadly those things are and use mine with great care. But every now and again... Fortunately, this time the cut was small and shallow. Not even one drop of blood was forthcoming. But I must redouble my caution.

Today is one week since I went to QEH and was told Dr. Jacinto would set a date/time for my appointment and I would get a phone call. No call so far. Another week and it will be Christmas day. The week after will be new year's day. 

Sent Dr. Kristi a message to find out what day she was going off for Christmas. She told me not to buy a present for her. I promised that I wouldn't. Every year I get her a little something. A book, a coffee mug with a witty legend... And I always get a second present for the family. It's always Quality Street chocolates. I hand her that one, saying "You'll never guess what this is!" It's like a tradition.

Well, thet will be no present for Dr. Kristi this year. I can't think of anything, I can't afford anything anyhow, and now I've gone and promised. Not to get her a present! But there is a nice box of Quality Street in the fridge right now. Not for Dr. K. but for the family. Didn't make any promise about that! She will cuss, but I will threaten to take the chocolates home and have the entire lot for lunch if she won't accept them. She will cuss some more, but I think I will win this one.

The door is still open, and Mo is going in and out. The rain we've been having all day seems to have abated but I guess it could come again. Not many stars to be seen in the sky and the breeze in the window is cool and moist.

I will lock the door soon, and hope Mo doesn't do a number on me like he did last night. If it doesn't rain it might not be so bad... But the knee-high bush that's growing up in my yard is sodden, so he could get as wrt as he likes if he's a mind to. Just seems to me that he likes to go play in the rain (and especially likes drying off again after) but doesn't seem to like frolicking in talk, wet grass quite as much.

When he thought the time was right, he came to collect tax on my dinner. He was quite annoyed to discover that after that huge lunch, I'd decided to skip dinner. When ever I do this he gets stroppy. His complaining was persistent enough for me to go get a pack of Eclipse biscuits, which I ate with PB&J. Mo got quite a large share of this, since I really did it for him more than myself. 

I'm listening to You're All I Need To Get By, a duet recorded by Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell in 1968. The recording was hard on Terrell, who was still recovering from brain surgery for a malignant tumor. The following year while Gaye was performing the song on stage with a different vocalist, Terrell, who was sitting in the front row, began to sing along. Gaye left the stage, taking her a microphone and they finished the song together. That was Terrell's final performance, for a year later the tumor took her life.

What a differenYot story, from Gaye's collaboration with Kim Weston on It Takes Two. They couldn't stand each other, and It's said that they recorded their parts separately, with Gaye in Detroit and Weston in Los Angeles. Despite any personal differences, the collaboration resulted in a successful and memorable song. 

Time for me to go and close that door. Mo has already paid me a visit with wet feet. But nothing as bad as a completely soaked dog, like last night!

I may read awhile first, though. My book is slow going (only reached pp. 50 so far), but I'm thoroughly enjoying it. 

You've probably already thought of this, but Dr Kristi said not to buy her anything, she didn't say you couldn't make something.  Do you have any of your beautiful hand-turned pieces left?  Is there one of those that she might enjoy?  Maybe she needs a little bowl on her desk for paper clips and rubber bands.

Some of the best gifts I've ever received from patients were hand made.  I get a jar of homegrown salsa every year from one, I've got a photo collage with a silly poem in the middle that is framed and on my office wall.  I had delivered a bunch of women who were friends/sisters.  When I left my first job, they put together a bunch of pics on some poster board, one of them wrote the rhyme and it is the best thing I ever got from a patient.

[Netfoot]

1 minute ago, Notabug said:

You've probably already thought of this, but Dr Kristi said not to buy her anything, she didn't say you couldn't make something.

I thought of that. But last year I gave her a nice, tamarind bowl. I don't have anything like that I could give her this Christmas. If I had - or could make - something a little different, maybe I would. But I don't think I can come up with anything. I've been scratching my head for ideas and so far, nothing has occurred to me. The Quality Street as a family gift was easy, because I give the same gift every year.

But she knows my circumstances better than most people and I'm not embarrassed to tell her I have no gift. So if I come up with an idea between now and the end of the week, good! If not...

[Schnickelfritz]

52 minutes ago, Netfoot said:

I thought of that. But last year I gave her a nice, tamarind bowl. I don't have anything like that I could give her this Christmas. If I had - or could make - something a little different, maybe I would. But I don't think I can come up with anything. I've been scratching my head for ideas and so far, nothing has occurred to me. The Quality Street as a family gift was easy, because I give the same gift every year.

I asked Mr Schnickelfritz for ideas for lathe turned gifts (his second job is woodworking on a lathe) and he suggested

1) a bracelet

2) a rolling pin

3) a candle holder

4) a yarn bowl

5) wooden ornaments (such as snowman (or a sandman in your case), Christmas tree, gnome or just a drop shape)

6) ring box

7) honey dipper

He actually started rattling off multiple ideas but I was trying to do simplest that didn't involve buying other parts (like a pen). We also live in snow country, so not everything he was thinking of was appropriate for island life...

Would have answered sooner but I was down a deep rabbit hole listening to Tammi Terrell.

[Netfoot]

After posting last night, a light rain began to fall. So, even before I shut the door and turned out the lights, Mo went out and returned four times to dry off. Fortunately, due to the precipitation being light, he was more moist or damp than wet. Anyway, eventually came lock up and lights out and I settled in to sleep. 

Some nights, Mo just curls up and sleeps. He may move from time to time, from leaning against my back to lying alongside my leg or alongside from armpit to hip... Maybe just curling up on his own on an otherwise free corner of the bed. Last night was not one of those nights.

Instead we had Fun & Games. On these nights, he will wake you up to play Tummy Trampoline. Or to nibble on your nose and ears. Or to use his claws to position you where he wants you

so as to give him tummy rubs. I am happy to play these games with him, but when he wants to play several times in one night... Well, you can wake up to pretty tired the next morning!

(No, the wounds on my arm were not caused by Mo. That is grafted skin as a result of an injury years ago. It is soft and easily damaged. I only have to walk past a rough concrete wall or an unruly shrub and I'm bleeding. It takes careful nursing to get it to heal again quickly. After 33 years I'm a bit blasé about it and the little wounds get worse before they get better again. Everyone says I should stick to long sleeved shirts. But everyone doesn't take into account that large areas of the grafted skin can not perspire. So, with the natural cooling system offline, long sleeve shirts lose some of their appeal in the tropics.)

After opening the door at a quarter to six (he was late this morning!) He returned to bed from outside two or three more times, but only his feet were wet - the rain had stopped by then.

Blood sugar this morning was low again. It's been 3.7, 3.9, 3.9, 5.7 and 4.0 mmol/L. 4.0 is the low limit of acceptable and it should never exceed 5.9 so it's been too low, then a spike to the high side, and today borderline too low again. (3.7 turns on a flashing red light on my machine: Dangerously low!) 

I did buggrall today. When I went looking for my Crocs to go on Garden Patrol, I couldn't find them at first. Then I remembered I'd put them out of reach last night. So I did not even get around to putting on my shoes until the day was almost over again! I did watch a couple of movies. Two trashy shoot-'em-up flics and one WW-II morale-booster from the early part of the war. It seemed to be targeted at persuading the occupied French to continue to assist the Allies after France having been "abandoned to her fate" after the Dunkirk evacuation. I'm not sure what the French thought the BEF should have done other than evacuate (and the success of the evacuation itself was considered somewhat of a miracle in any case. I think it was WSC who said the weather in The Channel saved Britain twice, once by being very bad in 1588, thus helping with the destruction of the Spanish Armada, and again in 1940 when it withheld the storms to allow the withdrawal of the BEF by the Little Ships of Dunkirk.) Also - back to the film - I'm not sure how this film would have had any effect in the occupied French population. It's not as if 20th Century Fox was going to distribute the film in occupied France! 

I had about ⅔ of a ladle of meaty goodness left in a container in the fridge so I heated that up and ate it with crackers for lunch. It was a little "less" but would have been sufficient if I didn't have to pay the Puppy Tax. 

Read a little in the afternoon but ended up napping more than reading. Cooked a pot of plain, white rice for dinner, with fresh thyme and a little cucumber. Also boiled a plantain. Served with a ladle of my remaining meat sauce. While puting out Mo's bowl of chow I also added a small dollop of the same sauce. He inhaled it in one breath. I gave him a second helping, just so I would not be subject to more taxation. (Really, I'm going to have to do something. Like eat my meal, every scrap, and take the plate in to be washed without giving him a chance to lap. He's beginning to take a privilege as a right!)

I expect the sauce would go well in a salt bread, in the form of what I believe is called a "Sloppy Joe". Might be messy, tho. Alas, I have no bread. But perhaps I shall buy a bag of suitable salt bread tomorrow. I have to go and face the wrath of Dr. Kristi as I deliver the gift of Quality Street chocolates for her and family. So I might just walk across the parking lot and buy a bag of salt bread. I could get 6 instead of the usual dozen, I suppose. But if I'm buying there really isn't any reason not to buy a large bag. 

Hey Joe by Deep Purple (from their 1968 debut Shades of Deep Purple). Vocalist for this track was Rod Evans. Early Deep Purple were more progressive &  psychedelic in tone. It's only after Ian Gillan joined in time for the fourth album (Deep Purple In Rock) that the band adopted the heavier sound for which they became famous, and  put them alongside Zeppelin & Sabbath. Hey Joe, by the way, had recently also been covered by Hendrix. I have that around here somewhere as well. 

Approaching two in the morning! Well, that's what happens when you take a long nap, late in the afternoon. Going to lock the door and address my book Quicksilver. 

Edited December 20, 2023 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

Three days offline. Technical competency might just be more important that political correctness after all. 

But one post has been eaten by the "upgrade" already. This one will prolly get eaten too.

I finally caught myself a small breadfruit.

I considered buying a bigger one or even two small ones but decided to settle for this little fellow.

Also got a tremendous case of the farts, for some reason. Which makes me wonder about the wisdom of cooking & eating breadfruit tomorrow... (Breadfruit has a reputation similar to that of beans. I can't say I can confirm or deny.) 

Mo is well. He had a large bowl of dinner and scoffed the lot in about 30 seconds. Now, he's lying in bed practically torpid! 

Tried the Marmite pasta sauce. Will report later, but right now I will shower, lock up and lights out. 

[Netfoot]

Marmite Pasta Sauce!

Marmite is a yeast extract which can be spread on bread, toast, crackers, etc. Some people love it, some hate it. I like it,  but obviously, if you don't, I wouldn't suggest trying this. I was intrigued to read about using it to make a sauce for pasta and I've finally given it a go.

It has a very strong taste so a little goes a long way. I've seen people spread it thick on toast but I find the flavour a little overpowering if you use too much.

It seemed obvious to me that the goal here was to create a sauce which was fast and easy to produce and made for a simple pasta meal you could produce quickly. So I made just about the simplest sauce I could think of, and deliberately didn't embellish.

With the asta in the water and boiling, I heated some oil and some butter together in a pan. When the butter had melted I ran a small onion through the mandolin and set the rings to browning. The addition of the onion here was an embellishment but a fairly sinple & straightforward one. I didn't add anything else - not even garlic powder. Obviously there is much that could have been added, but I wantd to see how the dish turned out with absolute minimal effort.

When the onions had soften a bit I stirred in ¾ of a small teaspoon of Marmite and let it dissolve/disperse through the oil. Obviously, you can add more or less Marmite to suit your personal taste. When the pasta was ready, I added a small amount of the starchy pasta water to the sauce in the pan, drained the pasta and tossed that in. A quick stir to make sure all the pasta was coated and I was ready to taste. I didn't grate any cheese or add anything else.

I was surprised how mild the sauce was. There was definitely the Marmite taste but very low key. Next time I will add a little more and see how it goes.

It tasted fine. I will certainly eat it again. And it took all of about 30 seconds work to produce. The lengthiest part of the process was peeling the onion before putting it on the mandolin. For me, this is now an option for when you are hungry, and don't have a lot of time or are in a hurry to eat. The more time you have the more you can spruce up the sauce by adding other components. But as a simple sauce, it couldn't be simpler. Heat up some oil & butter, stir in  the Marmite and you're done. The thinly sliced onion I added could have been left off and I would still have had a palatable meal.

So, not the great, elaborate sauce that takes forever and that people will fall in love with, but quick, easy, tasty enough for you to enjoy the meal, and if you buy a jar of Marmite, you will always have the ingredients to hand, because I think that stuff lasts for ever. 

[Netfoot]

It's late and I'm.in bed after a shower. I'm listening to something called Just When I Needed You Most by someone called Randy VanWarmer. I've no idea how it ended up min my playlist. The cutest, fuzziest puppy in the world is rolling around behind my knees, kicking my bum with his back feet, and attempting to chew my toes.

My alarm went at 5:00 AM and in preparation for a trip to Brighton (Last Saturday before Christmas), I dragged myself out of bed, took my meds, recovered a rain-filled Croc from outside as the shoe-bandit looked on

and went back to bed. There was no way I was subjecting myself to contact with the world. Last couple of days I've been very unsteady on my feet, bumping into the wall as I'm walking down the passage and missing every doorway I aim at with consequential impact with a doorpost. I bent down to pick up Mo's bowl and nearly kept going. I'm glad I didn't because I was at the top of the steps and if I'd failed to recover my balance it would have been head first onto concrete from 3-4 feet up. So I stayed home, had breadfruit for lunch, read my book in the afternoon (followed by inevitable nap) and had cheese & egg cutters with cucumber slices for dinner.

Last couple days I've had one of those headaches you don't realize you've got until you think about it and then you realize your head is splitting, red ants have gotten inside and your brain is in danger of falling out. 

Thankfully, Mo has been a real little love and has cuddled and snuggled most selfishly (he's a puppy, he doesn't do altruism) demanding tummy rubs, back scratches and other ministrations of a hedonistic nature, which I am required to provide and which I consider to be what is defined as "quality time".

My book is going very well. The print is small and the paper has darkened which makes the reading slow. I recall reading this quite a while ago and thoroughly enjoying it. Now, reading again, the reality is better than the recollection. To the degree that I must search the house for any other books by the same author so I can have them in the queue. I know I owned Snow Crash and Cryptonomicon and I'd never have thrown them out, so they gotta be around here somewhere! 

Been watching some RomComs here, for something to do. Just finished Notting Hill with Julia Roberts and Wossizname. Not exactly a believable plor plot but I like JR so long as she keeps her clothes on. (Also watched Charlie Wilson's War.) Also saw a couple of Meg Ryan flics. Sleepless In Santa Fe and a few others. Plus been binge-watching a TV show but won't discuss until I finish the season. 

Mo now snuggling up behind my knees and against my butt. He's cleaning his feet but I guess it won't be long before he shifts his attention to my feet. If I'd send a photo but you don't need a photo that includes a view if my pasty rear end, even if there is a very sweet puppy in the image. 

Try A Little Tenderness, the Three Dog Night recording. This song from the 30s  has been recorded by several musicians, including Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby and Otis Redding. But I always think of it as TDN's song, even though they were far from being the original artists.

Well, it's now 1:30 on Sunday, Christmas Eve. I doubt I will even look out the window tomorrow, far less leave the house (but Croc recovery may be necessary, so you never know) and Monday/Christmas I'm pretty damned sure I won't be having a living soul to deal with either. My only regret is that I didn't get to enjoy any jug-jug this year. I used to go to the deli and get a nice cooked lunch in the week leading up to Christmas, with a pork chop, a bit of chicken, a portion of jug and some peas 'n' rice to go with the jug. Maybe a couple other things. Not cheap, but hey!  'Tis the season to be jolly! This year I bought a bag of chow for Mo instead. 

Speaking of Mo, he's outside barking at who knows what? But what ever it is, I'm sure the neighbors appreciate it! Whoop! He just came rocketing in and went straight to the window. 

Ok, just had my face comprehensively washed for me, so I'm going to have to go wash it again. Guess I might as well lock up at the same time... Hey! The little bugger is stealing my shoes!!!

Edited December 24, 2023 by Netfoot

[andidante]

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas tomorrow! 

[Spunkygal]

1 hour ago, andidante said:

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas tomorrow! 

Merry Christmas!

[Netfoot]

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house; Not a creature was stirring, save my little Mouse...

I'd hoped I'd have a peaceful day but an inordinately large number of cars drove to my gate and blew the horn. Nobody wanted me, but they just wanted stupid questions answered. "Is this Primrose Avenue?", while standing under a sign that says Orchid Way. That sort of thing. 

Then the landlord called to advise me about a swarm of bees that wanted to take over the house. 

I gave him Ahmed the Bee Guy's number but he called back to say Ahmed wanted $850 to remove the swarm, so he had decided to do nothing about the bees.

First thing this morning, around 8:30, I had lunch. Cheese cutters. Around midday I had cheese & crackers. But around 6:00 I paused the Jackie Chan movie I was watching and retrieved a bowl of veggies And began peeling and chopping. Sweet potatoes, English potatoes, yam, carrots, green figs, plantain, belly pumpkin.   What else? Can't remember. Slung them all into a pot on the stove, with a small tin of tomato sauce, and topped up with boiling water from the kettle to get it all going. A bit of bully beef, garlic powder and paprika. Didn't have any gravy browning so I caramelized some sugar in a pan and added that. Doesn't affect the taste but adds a pleasing, dark hue to the broth. 

A while later and I had a big bowl of tasty vegetable & bully beef soup for dinner. At least two more bowls left for tomorrow, plus additional vegetables I can add if I've a mind to.

Finished binge watching the most recent season of a popular but greatly inferior reality show. Shaking my head. Episode one and a player was asked to climb a ladder and was in such a state when done they had to call in medical. This before they even got off the ship and hit the beach, far less made it to camp. Later, on day one, after sweeping some leaves out of the camp, one contestant was saying that they had no idea how hard it was going to be but now (that they have swept some leaves on day one) they have satisfied themselves that they are up to the challenge, would their tribe members please hurry up and vote them off the island? In another tribe, two members were arguing as to which one of them should give up first, with neither willing to stay three days and be second. Honestly, I can not believe what a spineless, chinless, slope shouldered, pigeon chested, soy-infused pack of wussy losers were gathered to contend for the prize. 

There is a story behind why I started watching in the first place. More recently, I continue to do so out of pure inertia. But if this pack of human jellyfish are typical of what we can expect physically (and, given the analytical abilities displayed through the season, mentally as well), I don't know how I'm going to persuade myself to watch again next season. 

Bodhisattva by Steely Dan. The band received criticism from some quarters over this song, which they said was a parody of certain Buddhist beliefs and therefore disrespectful. Personally, don't give a toss if some some are offended by the song. There is loads of stuff out there that offends me but I don't start sobbing about it in public, throwing soup on artwork or gluing my hands to the pavement over it. 

Mo is here with me. He got a very nice tin of doggie dinner for his lunch and he will get another for his Christmas lunch tomorrow. (I'm getting soup!) Oh, he has departed. Well, I have to have a shower and lock up before lights out. Funny: early this morning, he came and barked loudly in my ear until I opened the door for him. Since it was almost dawn, I left it open. He returned to bed a few minutes later. After another 30-40 minutes he began to bark loudly in my ear again. He wouldn't stop, so I had to take him and show him that the door was already open. His little face was a picture when he realized. I chuckled for almost 10 minutes after getting back into bed. 

Since it's almost midnight, let us (Mo & I) take the opportunity to wish you all a Merry Christmas. If you don't celebrate that occasion, don't be upset. I didn't mean it as an insult. Just take the opportunity to have a good day, spend time with those you love as far as that is possible, indulge yourself a little (but not too much) and give thanks for what good you have enjoyed this past year as 2023 enters it's final week.

Edited December 25, 2023 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

A largely uneventful day. Which is a good thing, since I've been brain-addled for most of it. Drugs need adjusting. Pity I can't get an appointment to see the appropriate doctor at QEH. Today is two weeks. I've been waiting and there is no chance any of them down there will do a stroke if work until the new year!

Did have an unexpected visit from Ahmed the Bee Guy who came to look at the bees. He says it isn't a swarm, but a fully established (if small) hive with combs visible already. Revised his price for removal downward by several hundred dollars, but that probably won't make any difference to the landlord who can squeeze a shilling until the Queen screams!

Had soup for breakfast and soup for lunch. Decided not to have soup for dinner so the remaining soup went back into the fridge and I boiled some Jamaican made spaghetti. I set myself to make the easiest possible sauce without using the Marmite. Cut some onions and set them to soften in a pan. When they were ready, I added some nice 80%/20% mince, some garlic and some tomato sauce (just a little). It turned out pretty poorly. It didn't taste bad, it just didn't taste particularly good. In fact, come to think of it, it didn't taste hardly at all! Which brings to mind that the last time I was on these drugs I lost my sense of taste and had to start using very high levels of pepper & spices in my cooking for the food to have any taste at all. 

The bloody editor just ate about 10 paragraphs of my post!  Well too bad. I'm not retyping all that. 

Ufff. Tummy Trampoline.

[Netfoot]

My legs have been feeling very rubbery today, with an unpleasant ache running right up the back of my calves, like the seams of old-fashioned stockings. Crashing into walls is the new norm. Also, my jaw seems to want to lock in the closed position. So when I bite down on a mouthful of lunch (biscuits, some with some cheese and some guava jelly) it takes effort to open my jaws again, which occurs with a sort of snap when it does finally open up.

For dinner I left the soup in the fridge and made some drive rice with pigeon peas and pak choy plus bully beef. Tasted good.unlike yesterday's dinner which essentially had no taste at all. 

Mo just popped in and stole a Croc from literally under my nose. 

All day he's been stealing tee shirts instead. Well actually, tee shirt. He keeps pinching the same one over and over. And it's no longer a functioning shire and has been relegated to "rag" duties. But I keep finding it out by the gate.

Tried watching a movie called Scent Of A Woman with Al Pacino as an insufferable asshole in one of the leading roles. But then, I can't recall a role of his wherein he was not an insufferable asshole, so maybe that part isn't acting. Paused when I couldn't watch any more, and took Mo out for Garden Patrol and to recover my old tee shirt/rag. Maybe I'll feel inclined to watch the end of it tomorrow. 

After our Patrol, I brewed a cup of tea and watched YT videos while it drew, and as I consumed it. No cookies left to go with it, alas! And now, I'm listening to Suzanne Vega (Fancy Poultry) and... 

The little Monster just sneaked in and tried to make off with the old tee shirt again! I've got a Croc to recover as it is. Nobody likes a Klepto-pup, Mo!

I will pour myself a short glass of lime squash on ice and leave it in the freezer to get super chilly while I have a short, hot shower. Then I'll lock the door, recover the glass, and retire to bed to read some more of my book. 

Back to soup again tomorrow, I think. 

Edited December 27, 2023 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

Mo must have woken me five times to go out, last night. And another five times by barking under the window to be let back in. Eventually, I just closed the window and left him outside to bark. I eventually opened the door at around nine in the morning. He did not immediately "toothpaste" in through the crack, so I think he may have got a hint of my displeasure. 

I added more potatoes as well as pak choy and black beans to my soup, along with some extra liquid. Made up a roux to help thicken, and I was worried I'd screwed that up because it came out very dark, but there was no adverse affect to the taste of the overall soup. Wish I had more veggie to add, but other than carrots & onions, pretty mych much everything else is gone. No more sweet potato, breadfruit, yam, plantain, green bananas... The shops are open again, but I have limited resources so I can't just go buy what ever I want.

Of course, when i did finally open up this morning, I had to go on a footwear rescue mission...

Edited December 27, 2023 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

Why am I so hungry all the time? 

I've been getting up in the morning and having lunch at 9:30, then having lunch again at noon, then having dinner in the evening. But in between I'm constantly looking for biscuits and cheese, bread and jam, or what ever I can find to eat! I know I'm on steroids but I am really hungry all the time. And drinking sweet tea or lime squash in between, too. 

Had a big bowl of soup for lunch and a short while later I ate a pack of Eclipse biscuits. With Marmite. Later this evening, another big bowl of soup with crackers broken up to make fishes. Followed by two large mugs of tea (not the 20 oz. mug that my dad used to drink because I don't have one, but an 18 oz. mug) and I'm now lying in bed thinking how I should go and cook something and eat before bed. I'm not going to. I think. But if I don't there is little chance I'll make noon tomorrow without eating something! 

And I'm thinking of spelunking through my cupboards to find my large teapot. I prefer tea by the pot anyway, but the pot holds about 2½ mugs, and if I follow a common English practice filling a small jug with boiling water when I fill the pot, I will get three mugs out of one brew up, easy!

Watched a couple movies today but I've been watching a show called Blue Eyed Samurai which is an anime action series, and I've been enjoying it. Strange, because I don't usually watch animations (or "horror") but this was recommended by The Critical Drinker so I  gave it a watch and enjoying it so far.

Listening to Stevie Wonder's I Wish from Songs In The Key Of Life. Mo was here a moment ago, but he jumped on a small cut on my ankle with his claws and ran off. I am not trying to imply he did it on purpose. I very much doubt he even knows his little clawsies caused any discomfort. But anyway, he's around here somewhere. I very much doubt I'm going to put up with a repeat of last night where he demanded I let him in and out repeatedly. So I will give him the chance to sleep inside (he gets to choose each night whether he wants to be inside or out when the door is locked) but if he wants out later in the night he will have to stay out until I rouse up around first light.

Some lads went up to the field today and found the place virtually under water. Which is a mystery because we didn't get any rain in particular over the holiday. But I guess it must have been bucket-a-drop in St. Philip.

Going to take my blood sugar I the morning and see what it looks like after all the food and sweet tea. Also got to go to collect some meds from the pharmacy. I should have gone and collected them last week but I never did. So I'll get them tomorrow. And maybe another bah if chow for Mo and a few basics for myself. There isn't much in the way of cash to spend so it won't be a lot. And none of my job-seeking has paid off, nor any of my applications born fruit, so I will have to keep trying. 

Still very wobbly on my feet. Not sure why. I don't think it's the MG (but I could easily be wrong about that) so I'm assuming it is the drugs. After all, this particular combination of drugs is so nasty that last time I let them crack my chest open and (to use the words of the surgeon) "butterfly me like a chicken" to reduce the amount of drugs I need. Unfortunately, I can't afford to do that again, and even if I could, you can't remove the same gland twice.

It's a full or close to full moon tonight. 99% and waning, according to my calculator. But it has a sickly yellow colour, and not the silvery white I'd usually expect. Nor the buttery yellow of July. I suspect Sahara dust again. Mind you, when I look at it I see two moons. The double vision persists (again, don't think this is MG related) and the left eye is giving trouble weeping and painful again (which is almost certainly MG). 

I feel like going to QEH and demanding a date for the appointment with Dr. Jacinto I was promised weeks ago, but frankly, I am quite certain that the chance of an answer before the new year is absolute zero. I guess I will wait until next week and start a programme of frequent visits until I get the appointment date & time. I'd probably best figure out how to get there and back on the bus, so as not to drive out previous gasoline. I had an app on my phone that tell you how to get from A to B and arrive at a specific time using the Transport Board busses. But I deleted it and can't remember what it's called. Let me poke around a bit... Ok seems I could catch a 16A which runs past my house every hour or so, and get off right by the hospital. And I presume the outbound 16A would bring me back again. We will see next week.

Oh, now I'm listening to Ten Years After playing I'm Going Home, from Woodstock. This was a breakout moment for them and still my favourite version of my favourite track of theirs. The shifting back and forth between quiet drum beats, yowling guitars and shrieking vocals, then back to quiet mumbling and light drum bests can best be appreciated by head-banging and playing air guitar as you listen. You will forget that the lyrics of this classic song consist almost entirely of the phrase "I'm going home!", repeated approximately 3,174 times, with very little else in the way of vocal embellishments.

And here I am now, contemplating what I could go into the kitchen and cook. I could fry an egg, but I have nothing to eat it with. I suppose I could make a cheese omelette. Or I could boil pasta, but the big pot is in the fridge full of soup. I could have soup, of course, but I've had two big bowls already this past 24 hours. I could make a nice dish of rice with corned beef, carrots, some sort of beans or peas. Or I could eat another packet of Eclipse... I know! BRB! In fact, prolly best I end this here. Go cook/eat my midnighter, then have a shower, lock the door, read my book and get some sleep before getting up in the morning to have lunch at 9:30. 

Tomorrow's blood sugar is going to be in orbit!

[andidante]

11 hours ago, Netfoot said:

Watched a couple movies today but I've been watching a show called Blue Eyed Samurai which is an anime action series, and I've been enjoying it. Strange, because I don't usually watch animations (or "horror") but this was recommended by The Critical Drinker so I  gave it a watch and enjoying it so far.

 

 

My son watches anime a lot. I will ask him if he has ever seen the show you are watching. 

I do hope you get your appointment with the doctor soon!

Is there any job you can do from home on the computer or something? Not sure what would be available where you live.

[Netfoot]

So, after a large lunch and dinner yesterday, plus crackers in between, along with several cups of sweet tea, I was hungry yesterday night and went out at almost 2:00 in the morning and cooked myself some oatmeal. I didn't have any raisins so I put in a lot of sugar and some milk. It was a double-sized portion. It was more than my bowl could hold so I had to have two helpings. And I had a mug of sweet tea as well.

Do when I tested my blood sugar this morning I was a little surprised to get a reading of 3.7 mmol/L. Flashing red light and all. So surprised I was, that I grabbed another test strip and did the test again. This time, the reading was ... 3.7 mmol/L. Somehow, after all those carbs yesterday (the soup is mostly carbs, after all) plus all that sugar in mugs of tea and two bowls of oatmeal, my blood sugar is "dangerously low"?

I just had another bowl of soup for lunch and there is enough for another bowl for dinner (mostly broth, not a lot if solid veggies left). I think I will give soup a miss for a while after that.

I'll go out and collect my tablets from the pharmacy and probably but a bag of chow for Mo on the way home. 

7 minutes ago, andidante said:

My son watches anime a lot. I will ask him if he has ever seen the show you are watching. 

I think it originated on Netflix. Not sure. If he is an anime aficionado he may not agree with my assessment of the show. I very rarely watch animation so my opinion is not really an educated one. I'd be interested to hear his opinion on whether it is worthy.

[andidante]

1 hour ago, Netfoot said:

I think it originated on Netflix. Not sure. If he is an anime aficionado he may not agree with my assessment of the show. I very rarely watch animation so my opinion is not really an educated one. I'd be interested to hear his opinion on whether it is worthy.

He has heard of it, but has never watched it. He has watched Cowboy BeBop, FLCL (no idea) and Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood. Those are the ones he really liked. 

[Spunkygal]

Perhaps if the field dries out by the weekend, it would be worth using the gas to take Mo out there for some fun!

[Netfoot]

33 minutes ago, Spunkygal said:

Perhaps if the field dries out by the weekend, it would be worth using the gas to take Mo out there for some fun!

I really want to do this! But last time I tried it, that was the day nobody showed up! I can't seem to get the guys to agree to pick a day and go up so we can get some flying in, plus some face time. Mo would love the opportunity to get out of the house but he would love it a whole lot more if his friends were there for him to get a head rub and a back scratch from them. 

[Spunkygal]

Tell them that this is a good way to recalibrate for the new year! Friends, flying and puppy love.

[Netfoot]

19 hours ago, Spunkygal said:

Tell them that this is a good way to recalibrate for the new year! Friends, flying and puppy love.

I will do that!

All the soup is gone. Had a bowl for lunch and another at 5:00 PM. And a bowl of cavatappi at 9:30 as well. 

Went out and got my meds. On thee way home I went looking for a 2Kg sack of chow for Mo ($28.99) but two groceries were out of stock. This usually means the agent is also out of stock. So I picked up 2Kg of something else ($18.75) for him. I hope he will eat it. Also bought some minimal supplies for myself. 

Had great fun walking across the parking lots while shopping. It is like being drunk. You think you are doing one thing but your legs do something else. Only not as fun as being drunk because you aren't drunk. The shaking hands is also a real pain but fortunately they only shake some of the time.

Last night, Mo decided he didn't want to be inside when I closed the house. (He always gets a chance to decide for himself, in or out, when I am locking up.) So, I locked him out last night. Maybe an hour later, he was barking furiously, under the window. And he continued to bark for a while before giving up. I was just too tired to get out of bed for a puppy with a serious need to come in and out all night long. Finally opened up at 6:20 this morning and he came in but sulked on the floor instead of hopping into bed for a cuddle. It didn't stop me from sleeping in a little. 

This mornings BS readings are worrying me a little. I'm using plenty of sugar in my tea and eating mostly carbs so I don't understand why. Here is a plot of the readings over the last few weeks.

You can see that in recent days the numbers have been low. Compare with the same plot over the last 12 months or so.

I get my excursions but not so many low ones in a short interval. (You'll see another concentration at the start of August. That's when I started work at Cattlewash and was getting sunstroke every day and couldn't eat anything without immediately feeling sick.)

Mo just came in, spent a minute peering out the window and is now curled up against my tummy... window again... he's gone. He's back. He just did a side-flop onto my legs, missing the equipment by about half an inch. 

Listening to Loaded by Primal Scream, from their Screamadelica album. "We wanna be free. We wanna be free to do what we wanna do. And we wanna get loaded. And we wanna have a good time. And that’s what we’re gonna do. (No way, baby, let’s go.) We’re gonna have a good time. We’re gonna have a party?" With that sample from Peter Fonda's biker movie The Wild Angels, the band kicked off this iconic remix of an earlier track of theirs.

And now a transition to Locomotive Breath by Jethro Tull, from Aqualung, back when flautist Ian Anderson would stand on one leg on stage and leap rapidly from one leg to the other while playing.

Obviously I was born too late to experience the really good drugs.

Which brings me to another matter I have heard about but find very hard to believe. I've heard that one of the US cellular providers (T-Mobile?) Will now fine you if you say anything in your text messages that they don't like. Fineable "speech" to include any unacceptable texts about political, 2A, pro life/choice, etc, stuff they disagree with. Fines anything up to U$3,500 per offending text. You'll want to adopt one of the messaging apps that is end-to-end encrypted. I'd suggest Telegram over WhatsApp because the state has their hand so far up SuckerBorg's ass they literally use him like a sock-puppet. But you do you...

Mo just got up and did another side-flop directly into forbidden territory. He now lahay here, sprawlax, waiting for tummy rubs. 

Well, I guess I'd better go rub that tummy!

Edited December 29, 2023 by Netfoot

[Ancaster]

 

On 12/19/2023 at 10:30 AM, Schnickelfritz said:

I asked Mr Schnickelfritz for ideas for lathe turned gifts (his second job is woodworking on a lathe) and he suggested

............

Would have answered sooner but I was down a deep rabbit hole listening to Tammi Terrell.

I cut out some of your reply Ms-or-Mr-Best-Moniker-I've-Seen-on-Internet-today Schnickelfritzenheimergewurtztraminerunterbegangenen, but I would also like to suggest a potato masher.  The best one I have ever used was one a friend made for my parents decades ago on his lathe.

Edited December 29, 2023 by Ancaster

[b4pjoe]

T-Mobile To Fine Customers for Sharing Content It Doesn't 'Agree With'?

Consider the source...

Quote

On Dec. 24, 2023, conservative activist Laura Loomer alerted consumers to an upcoming change in the terms of service of the telecommunications company T-Mobile via a screenshot and a post on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter.

According to Loomer's tweet and the screenshot, the company "quietly updated their TOS [terms of service] to include fines for content they don’t agree with."

The actual changes...

Quote

While terms-of-service changes were indeed coming, Loomer's tweets weren't accurate.

T-Mobile is not going to begin fining everyday customers who distribute content that the company doesn't agree with. In posts on T-Mobile's support forum, representatives from the company explained that the change will only affect commercial, mass-texts, like those found in marketing campaigns, and that no private users will be fined.