Dolfin 85% Belgium

Sarah got me a taster chocolate bar.  It smells like Valrhona.  It tastes better than Valrhona, deeper flavour.  But it is not worth the money.

Emergency Boiler Programming

The boiler has been running a lot lately, and we were roasted at night.  I am convinced it was not the thermostat's problem, so I attended the boiler.  I found a few reference on the internet about idle time, etc, so I reprogrammed the boiler as such.  I also found out about adjusting the maximum temperature allowed for the dial, so I turned down the temperature even without the turn dial, as it has snapped.  Let's hope I have optimized the setting for my needs.

Flooding Dangerously Close

Yan jokingly asked if I was flooded.  Aire has also burst its bank.  Kirkstall and city centre was flooded.  York has also flooded.  Let's hope the water don't get any closer.

ISP Move

The introductory offer has come to an end, I signed up with another ISP.  The migration was scheduled just before Christmas, and I was away the few days before hand.  When I got home, I had a delivery slip about the new router, and we went straight there to pick it up.  When I got home, the old ISP already terminated the service, and luckily we got the router and all was working.  If I had missed the delivery, and the post office shut over long weekend over Christmas, it would be nightmare to find any entertainment.  What a close shave.

Cookies

I thought I will mop up some junks in the computer, I went to delete some history and cookies.  Initially I was deleting cookies one by one, then I realised there were tons of them, and even some of those had not been used for years, were yet to be removed.  I just deleted all my cookies.  I will just have to endure putting in password everywhere.  Also, I should try to do this regularly.

Christmas Service

We were thinking about going to midnight mass, then we ended up going to the Christmas Evening sung service.  As I put it, the most painless.  We went to York Minster.  I was skeptical about the parking situation, although I was assured, "Surely, they will not ticket you on Christmas." 

I was sure York would be completely dead, but there were a few shops, mostly souvenirs shops and pubs open for the tourists, Chinese tourists.

We arrived at the minster just in time for the start of the service.  And there were tons of people arrived late, which was quite impolite.  I wanted to see the restored East Window, but it still wasn't done.  When they passed the basket, I did put some money in.


When we got back to the car, we did pay, but it didn't ask for my paid ticket.  Maybe next time I will try before I pay.

Sarah has an idea that we have to go to different church to have services each Christmas, we shall see about that.

Carol

I have been wanting to watch Carol since it came out.  By now there were only a few Vue showing Carol.  We went into town Christmas Eve.  The town was empty and it was so easy to park.

I have the book, the Price of Salt.  I found it too boring and abandoned it.  The movie was well made, good story.  I may pick up the book again.

Bury Market

Although someone from Bury said she was not impressed with the market, we visited anyway.  Bury Market is quite big, quite busy.  It maybe busier than normal being few days before Christmas.  It is probably bigger than Leeds Market, but it is not easily navigable.  We ate at a Greek deli and Sarah really liked the Meze.  We could visit the market again when we next visit the area.

Solar Powered Little Rome

I had this solar charging pad for years but I never made use of it.  This year I finally hooked it up to little Rome's battery.  The winter sun is low, so I am expecting a very slow charge over winter.  With the sun being out today, I wanted to check the solar panel works, and got my meter out.  It does work, and it will probably only charge on sunny days, but nevertheless it is free power!

Sugar Removal

I thought I would make some sugar coated pecan, and played around with melting sugar.  I did not have any thermometer, so I was not sure what properties the end product would have.  In the process, sugar stuck on everywhere.  I had a hard time scraping it off the surface.  Then I discover they just dissolve into cold water easily.  So I just put wet paper tower on the affected surfaces.  I must be more careful with sugar works.

Internet Content in a Duffel Bag

It sounds about right. I am glad I won't die if internet dies. I will just have to continue this journal in a notebook.

Community Solidarity Belonging

Community building, community service and outreach are the most energy and time consuming aspect of a community. In the internet age, people have no time for that, everyone is pulling quick stunts in the name of visibility and activism. If they are not done with the heart of the community, it is rather pointless. Community, solidity and belonging. Put the graft in, build the community.

Aquaculture

At the first instance, I thought he was anti-fish farming. I do remember when I was small, there were many more seafood that was more easily available. We need to farm more fish, so we can eat more fish.

Moka Pot

After using a cafetiere for a few years, I am thinking about getting a Moka pot like David's.  I looked online everywhere and everyone seem to think the Bialetti is original and perhaps the best.  In my mind I am set to get a stainless steel pot, but I just double checked online, I still think stainless is better.  Let see if any good one comes up in January sale.

Petition

Like the ad man say, interface is everything.  Making communication and interaction easier and people will use it more mindlessly.  Good interface already made life much easier, such as shopping, price comparison, trolling, etc. 

Online petition is harvesting harnessing the political power of the laziness and naivety of people.  There are people who will click on a petition without thinking through the cause, or they may think their little signature does not make a huge impact hence careless about the details of the cause.  They will coerce their friends to do the same, to click on a cause they don't fully understand.  If you have no time to study the issue or the cause, don't click. 

The petition is being abused by attention-seekers to broadcast their issues and thought online.  They are also abused by easily using false identity on their signatures.

Think before you click!

Extra Fibre

I have bought chorizo from Tesco deli before, and they has been good value.  I managed to ask them to chop the end off when I bough it, but I forgot to peel the paper when I cook it.  So this batch of chickpea stew is going to have extra fibre!

Car Wash Bottle

I checked my oil on Saturday, but I did not check the wash bottle.  So on Monday, the wash bottle was empty.  How annoying.  I must remember to top up the bottle every time I open up the bonnet.

Christmas Gifts

There are some bog standard handy snacks we made for Christmas.  The Waitrose chocolate peanut butter cup turned out okay.  Aldi cheap chocolate is quite good as an ingredient.  Paul's shortbread recipe is a great, great in every aspect.

Winter Maintenance

It is the time of the year when I have to do some winter maintenance on my vehicles.  I lifted little Rome onto the paddock, started to charge the battery with the limited solar power.  The car has been checked by Halford, but I checked the oil, it is black but full.  I charged up the battery pack during my long drive.  Got my hands dirty.

Cattlegrid

We had out Christmas do in Cattlegrid.  I had been meaning to go, but never got a chance.  It is a bit wrong to use a cute cow on their website.  I tried the ribs, and they were a little disappointing, it was a little dry and unexpectedly spicy.  I should have had the cow.

Wood Fire Wetherspoon

The Crown in Knaresborough has a wood fire.  It is very lovely.  One of our favourite Wetherspoons.

Reformed food

When we complain about the reformed meat, processed juice, everyone keeps forgetting the first reformed food, bread and pasta.  On the same note, maybe I should think about tofu products.

Wetherspoons List

I thought I would count them up, and Sarah said I should jot them down, so here we go.  I think I had been to more but some of them must have changed hands and no longer listed as Wetherspoons.


The Regal Moon Rochdale
Penderel’s Oak London
The Moon Under Water Manchester
The North Western Liverpool *
The Crown Inn Knaresborough *


The Winter Gardens Harrogate *
The Punch Bowl York *
The Joseph Else Nottingham *
The Bankers Draft Sheffield *
The Queens Hotel Maltby *


The Square Peg Birmingham *
The Atrium NEC Birmingham
Becketts Bank Leeds
Stick or Twist Leeds
Wetherspoons Leeds Rail Station


The Cuthbert Brodrick Leeds *
The Hedley Verity (Lloyds) Leeds
The Three Hulats Leeds *
The Percy Shaw Halifax *
The White Hart Todmorden


The Bright Helm Brighton
The Red Lion Doncaster *
Load Keeper of the Great Seal Oadby *
The William Wygston Wigston *
The Glass Blower Castleford

The White House Scraptoft *
The Water House Durham*
The Paramount Manchester *
The Waterhouse Manchester *
The Broken Bridge Pontefract

The Regal Cambridge *
Swan and Angel St Ives
The Liberty Bounds London *
The Horseshoe Wombwell *
The Briggate Garforth

Monkey Walk Coalville
Cornfield Garage Eastbourne

That's all I got for now.

Creams British Luxury

Creams has a shiny shop front.  Only when we sat down, we realise what the catch was.  The price is not extortionate, but there is no table service.  The ice-cream is very mediocre, but it was not extortionate.  It is a nice place to sit around and try a few other dishes.

Overpriced Bratwurst

We have got to have a sausage in the German Christmas market.  It is totally overpriced but we are paying for the charcoal more than anything else.

Liverpool Park and Ride

It can be very stressful driving in a city you are not familiar with.  I felt a bit hairy when I drive into the bit of Leeds I am unfamiliar with.  So I avoided driving into Liverpool in a car at all cost.  On the other hand, I have enough motorcycle experience to go anywhere I want.


I found Board Green park and ride.  It turned out okay.  I did get lost on the edge of the city but for future reference, it is very easy to get to via M62, I will be using it should I need to go to Liverpool in a car.

Driving Situations

It was rainy and windy on the road, and with a road full of car, and reduced visibility, I want to avoid to be in anyone's blind spots.  It takes a lot of focus to maneuver in and out.  The middle lane drivers really make the situation more difficult.  If I were on a bike, it would be easier to get in and out.

Shit Stirrer

Life is sufficiently annoying, why do we need shit stirrers to make it more miserable!

Aerial and Signals

I am trying to work out the complex cable network in my house, and I cannot get any signals.  How can an aerial stop working?  It is just a piece of metal picking up the waves and a piece of copper taking it into the room.  Everyone said even if I point at the wrong direction, I should still get some signal.


I thought I would ask the telephone man Rob.  He asked if the cable is incorrectly terminated, ie signal earthed.  Which I checked and should not be the case.  He reminded me how the signal went digital, and the analogue booster probably does not have 3/4G filter, which severely interfere with the signal.  Rob kindly volunteer to bring in his digital booster for me to try.  Let see if I can get to the bottom of this.

Gelatine

I have some out of date gelatine I have no idea how to use up.  I really need to find recipes to use them up sooner rather than later.

Ocean and Floodplain Dwelling

From a coastal city, we understand how rough the sea and the wave can be, especially the typhoon season.  I don't understand why would anyone want to live right on the coast and the river.  Especially the sea, the salty moisture is heavy and sticky and bad for everything that stands in its way, including buildings, cars, railings.


Regardless of climate change and rising sea level, why are we 'surprise' that water are unforgiving and will reclaim the land and take everything with it?  Why are we 'surprise' when the land erodes away by the flowing water, waves and currents?


Australia and New Zealand should just open the doors to all the South Pacific neighbours.  In turns, maybe the Australian government can invest in their concentration refugee camp in these remote islands rather than Cambodia. 

novate

CloseStyle: MLA APA Chicago

  

transitive verb no·vate

Definition of NOVATE

:  to replace (an old obligation) by a new obligation

Moments

The unbeatable Moments pecan tart!

Tesco Finest 71% Madagascar Dark Chocolate Bar 100G

This is the last bar in the collection.  I was well prepared for disappointment.  It started off as a Madagascan flavour chocolate, but it is weak and tastes a little powdery. 

Coal

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-34904127


Coal is a good fuel, and it has been phased out.  An end to an era.

Broadband Switch

I am usually a loyal and lazy customer, but after clicking around, I am going all out for changes.  Why are some company much more expensive than other?

Software Bugs

I have been finding a lot of bugs from software that I have to regularly use.  This is slowing down my work.  Why weren't they identified by the professional software tester?!

Islamic Development

Attack on civilians is unethical. It happens a lot in war and unrest, in the name of religion or social ideas.  When the history look back on this turbulent period, will it just read a turbulent period and unrest like in 12th 14th centuries?  It is just a revolution, a social development?

Tesco Finest Sao Tome 71% Dark Chocolate Bar 100G

 

So far, this was the worst in the selection.  It is quite boring, with a hint of burnt cacao bitterness.

Christmas Comes in a Form of Coupons

We had loads of coupon, and on a busy shopping day, we gave them away to people in the queue.  Christmas came early for the fellow shoppers.

Accident Filled Friday

Numerous accidents has caused long tail back on M1 and A1.  I chose M1, then switched back to A1 and still had to queue.  Just when I thought I was back on track, A46 was closed.  I looked at the map and thought I moved past the accident, to find myself in another queue.  I had enough of queuing so I stopped at a pub for some refreshment.

When I was looking on the Google map to see what is the situation, Google knew where I was!  The pub was very pleasant.

The landlord at the pub gave me some directions, but I did not trust myself following the instruction, so I set the Sat Nav on the phone.  The Sat Nav took me thorough Leicestershire 4' and 8' country farm roads, and I absolutely hated it.  Luckily the other cars let me past, they can probably tell from miles that I am not local.

When I pull into town, there was another accident in an opposite lane.

I made it, the normally 2 hours journey turned into 3.5 hours.

Knowledgeable Optician

Sarah and I were talking about floaters in eyes, I asked an optician, and he has given quite a good answer. I asked a few more questions and they were all answered.  I learnt something new!

Tesco Finest 74% Cocoa Ecuadorian Dark Chocolate Bar

This bar is slightly flatter than the Dominican bar.  It is not as rich as the Dominican.  It is quite standard.

Investor's Blues

I got dragged into some Australian investments discussion.  I have to highlight all the costs and risks.  It has been a very draining discussion, and I really wish I was not invited to their conversation.  I can always see the pig behind the lipstick, but everyone is naively more interested in the lipstick.

Crowded Places

I never liked crowded places, now with the threat level high, it is another reason to steer clear or crowded locations.

Japanese Food

When you cannot tell the difference between Japanese food and Chinese food, there is a clue: it's about 30% more expensive.

I went to three independent Japanese restaurants in Leeds, I am not very impressed.

Shibden Hall

We sent to Shibden Hall on a rainy day.  Calderdale Council understandably shut down all the park entertainment for the winter.  We went into Shibden Hall at half price because of the craft fair, Sarah managed to source two presents from the fair.  The house is fairly charming.  We should try to go back on a sunny summer day.

A Sad Day in Paris

A sad day in Paris, a sad day in human civilization.

Moral Bias and Consistancy

More on moral consistency.

Tesco Finest 85% Domaine Rep Dark Chocolate Bar 100G

Tesco was clearing up their discontinued items, and I scooped them up.

The flavour is good, the aroma is not particularly strong, it is smooth.  Reading the ingredient list, they added cacao powder to make it extra high in cacao content, but they mixed it in well, such that it doesn't dry up the throat.  Italian made.  I have picked up a very good bargain! 

Driving Errors

I don't really like driving, and especially around idiots.  There has been a few close calls on cars flying past when I am trying to park or cars flying down a traffic calming area where I pulled out slowly.  I need to adjust my mentality in the car and need to avoid being upset by idiots.

Seedlings

I saved the seeds from this year's sunflower and spring onion.  Sarah insisted they will not grow, I thought I will try before I dispose them.  The sunflower sprouted but the spring onion was not sprouting.  I was going to give up.  Then the little spring onion sprouted.  I can't wait till the extra sunflower seeds I will get next year!

Spectre

We went to see Spectre.  Typical...  No Surprises.

Sewstern Village Bonfire

This is the second official bonfire I have been to.  The bonfire was on a pile of village waste wood.  The firework was not designer fireworks, but they bought a lot of fireworks.  I was more impressed than I expected.

Hardworker

I recognize this.

Bike is Better

On a wet November night, I was glad to drive home from work, at first.  It was not long before I was met with a long tailback.  Unbeknownst to me what went wrong, I took a different route.  I went onto M1, and aiming to get on A64, before I was met with the police blocking off A64 due to an accident.  Instead of turning back onto M1 to Thorner, I travel further south, and come home via Crossgate.  When I got near Leeds, there were more tailbacks.  The signs read Bonfire Night expect delay.

After 70 minutes in the car, I had thought to abandon the car, but I made it to a Tesco to kill some time.  I lost the will to drive the final 1 mile.  The shopping was quite fruitful, and after the rest stop, it only took 10 minutes to travel the final mile, as compare to 20 minutes it would take if I had not taken a break.

If I was on a bike, I would have zip past all the traffic, and I would be home at nearly normal time.  I shall remember the Bonfire night delay next year.  I must also equip the car with emergency food supply.

Biker Down

John emailed us to say they were going to Biker Down in Cheshire.  I have been wanting to go to motorcycle first aid, but I have to give it a miss as I have organized a Christmas meet in Leeds.  So I searched for Yorkshire Biker Down and it found them based in South Yorkshire.  I contacted them, but they are fully booked till next year. I have invited Sarah to join, but it will be too distressing for her.  I can't wait to go on the course.

Microsoft XPS

Everyone prefers PDF, but when PDF printer is not available, XPS is just as good.  Everyone has got Microsoft Windows, so as long as you can send the file and the receiver can read the file, that's all it matters.

Cuffs

The new BBC show Cuffs reminds me awfully lot of Southland.  Minus the guns of course.

Cultura Leicester

We went to Queen's Road for some Sunday lunch, but all the brunch greasy spoons were pack.  Sarah reluctantly took me to Cultura.  Sarah was convinced I will reject the modern British food outright.  We sat down, and I had a pork belly Sunday dinner.  It was very nice.  I reminded Sarah I have taken her to Art's and Reliance.  And Cultura is very much like Art's Cafe.  I can consider going to Cultura again.

Fuel Efficient Diesel Ibiza

After 3 weeks, I finally refueled the car.  I got 580 miles out of a tank, with over 60 MPG, much higher than the bike.  I am quite happy with the efficiency.  Now I need to aim to improve efficiency with my driving and fuel additives.

Preventative vs. preventive

Which stutter invented the word preventative when preventive is perfectly fine.

Pumpkin Carving

Sarah got this pumpkin from her friend.  Neither of us has carved a pumpkin before, nor were we keen about the idea.  We had to do something about the carving pumpkin, so we looked online for pumpkin carving. 

So there were two steps to pumpkin carving, gutting and carving.  We reached an agreement that Sarah was to get her hands dirty from gutting, and I will play with the knives.  We are quite happy with our first pumpkin.

Undoing Filing

Filing is boring and tedious, but it is the only way to be organized.  It is better not file than to file incorrectly.  It is okay to make a mistake, but mindlessly plonking papers in files is the worst.

Moral Consistency

BBC Analysis was talking about Killing Cows.  When we listened to it, it was a moral discussion not a scientific justification.

The first philosophers have pro-life views, and they try to find justifications about not taking animal's lives, and akin it with racism, they called speciesism.  Then some justified non-mammals as not having high cognition to have complex feels and pain, and only eat those lower organisms.  I personally think they are bonkers.

The last philosophers on the shows have a chaotic life view, understanding animals and humans are dying, and the use of their bodies should not be much different, and akin cannibalism to organ transplant, which I find enlightening.

Ultimately, they brought up the issue of moral consistency.  I admit a lot of philosophers are bonkers,  but they are probably consistent, which is actually very hard.  And I have a long held believe people should be consistent of their belief and their actions, rather than being a hypocrite.

Most of the listeners will be as confused as they have started, and started to understand their moral in consistence, but it is probably easier to eat less meat, continue to use their illogical reasons to justify their doings than becoming less hypocritical. 

Lindt excellence dark with crunchy cocoa nibs

I got them from Fulton.  I quite like the cocoa nibs, but the chocolate is not particularly high quality.

Eggless Cookies

I had David and Alvaro around for dinner, and I thought I would make some dessert.  Having no eggs in my house, I have to find some eggless recipe.  I searched and found an eggless cookie recipe, and it looked very safe, so I made them.  They turned out well, Alvaro and David both had two cookies each.  Eggless cookies is definitely better than a flourless cookie!  And they are definitely a good recipe for emergency use.

Tripe

Tripe is the only offal I eat, and I quite like tripe.  I was prohibited from adding the trip in the stew, so I had to cook it some other time.  Sarah was being dramatic about the flavour and the aroma of the tripe.  I will just have to cook them at home.

LKK Sauces

I have always been a big fan of LKK sauces since I was young.  Now I do read the ingredient list, Chinese sauces are often a blend of soya sauce with other cooking wine and ingredients.  But at the end of the day, people don't just buy their sauces for the quality, also the convenience.

Slippery Butcher

I needed a few cuts of beef to go into the beef stew.  I walked around the market, and stopped at this butcher.  I am quite happy with the beef brisket on bones and beef shin.  They only sell tripe in a pre-weighed bag frozen.  I verbally checked 3 times to confirm it is definitely honeycomb tripe, and they said yes.  But when I got home, it was definitely not honeycomb tripe!

When I finished with the shop, he did the sum wrong, and tried to charge me 2 pounds extra.  When I was for the correction, he was not happy.  I am not impressed with them.  I will be careful with them in the future.

Fanned Oven

Sarah loves to tell me how brilliant fanned oven is compared to a traditional gas oven.  I only got a cheap gas stove/oven at home, and every time I bake, I struggle to get it evenly coloured.  While I am at Sarah's, I baked some cheese scones.  The browning on the scone is absolutely lovely.  I am quite jealous!

Out of Date Tins

When I have time, I tidy my cupboards.  It is always good to have a good tally on when I have in store.  I set to arrange Sarah's cupboard, and I emptied out many questionable tins.  I personally also believe preserves, cured, tinned food can last for a really long time after best before date, but then the tin starts to deform, I would not take the chance.  Now begins the process of separating the content and the recyclable tins.

Car Dealer Markup

Apparently it is another business that do 50% markup, no wonder everyone wants a slice of the pie, no wonder everyone hates car dealers.

Polar Bear Transit

These hitchhiker will bump a ride with anything.

Route 59 Cafe

The last ride in the season, Gary suggested Route 59 Cafe.  After some wet bendy roads, we made it.  It is a nice little cafe, I think they are trying to reinvent themselves as a biker cafe, so they took out bikes' pictures, and little Rome made it on the Facebook.

It is not the easiest location, but it is a nice cafe.

4-cylinder Diesel

I spotted another potential car, so I had a test drive 3-days in a row.  The Fiesta drives as I expected from a 4-cylinder diesel engine.  It drives better than the 3-cylinder Ibiza, but I really doesn't care about the drive that much.  It is a good car, with a few mod-con, but I could not justify my first car being so luxurious. 

Seafood Car Prices

When you ring a trader, they put the price up on the car?!  What is wrong with them!

3-Cylinder Engines

I have tried another 3-cylinder engine.  They are definitely jerkier than a 4-cylinder engine, just like when they are on bikes.  But since there is not that much horsepower to weight, it was no point to accelerate hard anyway.

Global Handwashing Day

I was clicking around Wikipedia, and today is Global Handwashing Day.  Then I googled GHD in England, the campaign sort of stopped in 2012.  Basic hygiene is not just for the developing countries, we need to keep up too.

Flimsy Metal Box

I tried out a cheap Japanese car, it is a flimsy metal box with plastic cladding.  I suspect little Rome has more metal than it!

Parody and Spoof

I observed Sarah uses 'parody' more, and I use 'spoof' more.  What is the difference between the two?  Sarah reckons there is a small difference between them.  Sarah reckon 'spoof' means a full-monty parody job, whereas parody can be a short mockery.  The dictionary seems to them they are synonymous.  I will probably still use 'spoof' and Sarah will still use 'parody'.

Lotherton Hall Apple Day

I have not been to a Lotherton Hall Apple day since 2007.  The format has changed a little, the cafe no longer supplies appley food.  Instead, we are sent to the orchard and pick our own apples.  There were a lot of different apples, and Blenheim Orange seemed to be the favourite.  It was always good to spend time outside on a good dry day.

Winey Bolognese

I am running out of freezer space.  I had some red wine frozen, so I might as well used it.  It tasted very nice.  I must keep some red wine in stock.

Candle Lit Weekend

I do like candle light, but I rarely use them at home, so I took the opportunity to use candle instead of light to 'save some electricity'.  Candle really doesn't give out enough light.  I quite enjoy sitting in the dark.

Mischievous meerkats attempt Great Escape from Tropical World

The meerkats made the news.  I always wonder why this had not already happened.

Car Reliability

Reliability is often from the word of mouth.  Someone has a bad experience and their friends would avoid the product.  But how do we know more about reliability without having to buy and try one.  I found a reliability index website, but I think their work is quite incomplete and not sufficiently scientific.  It is a good guide for someone with basic understanding, but it would be bad for someone who would use it as a gospel. 

Pollution

The news is all about 'pollution'.  Everything is pollution.  Any variant to the normal atmosphere is pollution.  So human, all animals and trees are creating pollution.  Even earth is releasing gasses that is pollutant.  Machinery, power generation may produce a little more pollution, a different type of pollution.  A human has a bigger carbon footprint than a standard car.  A human shed a lot of particulate matters, eg dead skins.

The question is if the pollution is disproportionate to its benefits, but this can be very subjective.  Know your own pollution, and don't throw a stone in a glass house, we are all equally responsible to the pollution.

Comparing Apples and Pears

There are so many choices in the automobile market, it is like comparing apples and pears and oranges.  A lot of 'claims' are only valid if you compare with the same car with the same payload just a different engine performance.

I think I know what I want, I just need to scrap the money together.

Loony in a Red Car

On my way to Leicester, I was on A50, travelling parallel with a red car.  The red car just pulled in without checking his blind spot.  I honked a he just didn't care.  He just zoomed away on the busy road.  Asshole!

Ox Cheek

We were going to make some peasant food, a hairy biker's meatball pearl barley recipe.  The mince on offer was sold out, so I had a look at the offes at the butcher counter.  Ox cheek was on offer, so I asked for some.  One ox cheek is over 500g, so I asked for it to be halved.  The girls working at the counter probably never sold one of them before was wondering how to halve it.  They asked which direction they should cut it, and they offered to cut it in either direction.  Then I took up the offer and ask them to give me the top half.

So I happily took the top half of the cheek home and diced it.  I removed as much sinew as I could.  It has more sinew than I initially imagine, but it still has less sinew then shin.

We cooked with stew in a 1.5 hours, and the cheek was already fully cooked. I will definitely consider cooking beef cheeks interchangeably with shins with my stews.

DVD Player for Windows 8

The Toshiba DVD player could not play some of the DVDs from the USA.  So I searched for a DVD player.  I should have look around before click on the first return.  I installed some stupid DVD players with loads of unwanted software that took me all evening to uninstall.  I ended up using the trusted VLC player, it works like a charm.

The stupid DVD player came with something called Chromium, and it was quite embedded in the computer, I had to go into a few layers before I can fully remove it. 

Suchard Sensations 70% Noir Intense

The last of the trio of chocolate from Vienna.  Bog standard 70% bar.

Car?

I still love motorcycle, but it doesn't run across winter. Sarah said I should consider getting a car, but I could not work out what is the best strategy. Lease, used car, new car or just stay on the bus.

Grafting vs Optimism

Optimism does not make the world go around, grafting does. Put in the effort, don't sit and hope.

Hibernation Required

Harsh road ahead, I can either hold my breathe or bite my nail, or just hibernation through the ordeal.

Gruesome Archaeology

I like to learn about Archaeology, but I really don't like looking at dead bodies.

"Where I am From"

I think when I said I am from Hong Kong, I meant geographically.  I think this is true for most people in China.  At the end of the day, when you answer the question, "where are you from?" you are actively selecting what information to disclose.  Only if you feel like, you would disclose "where you are local" for those who would like to learn about you more.

Derby Feste

We went to Derby Feste, which is an art exhibition much like Light Night Leeds.  The acts were very bizarre.  I swore someone has put acid in my drink.

Chicken Butchery

It is fun to get a whole chicken to bone out different joints.  It has so many different cuts in this small animal, making out meal slightly more exciting.

VW Emission

VW Emission scandal has a big effect.  I am quite impressed with this massive German fraud.  Those who want to save the planet, just drive less.

Leap of Faith

When you are very frustrated, you will take a leap of faith.  It is scary, but it needs to be done.

Computer Killer

My hand-me-down geriatric computer maybe very close to death.  It gave me BSODs and overheated.  Maybe I am not killing it, I just happen to be near the death bed when it is dying.

Graduation Goggle

Graduation goggle comes when you are anticipation to leave something.  But graduation goggle can only rose-tint slightly the situation.  Rage really burns down the graduation goggles.

Harpers of Wetwang

Enroute home, we drove via Wetwang.  I was keen to show Sarah my favourite fish cake.  We stopped at Harpers of Wetwang for a quick lunch.  The fish cake was good, it could be better if they were fresh off the fryer.  Sarah also agrees it is the best fish cake she has ever eaten. 

Shoei-Traitor

I have been a Shoei fan.  I have purchased other branded helmets before, but those were all stop-gap helmets.  I took Sarah to a bike shop to browse, then I saw this Bell M5X helmet.  It is unbelievably light-weight.  It is very reasonable priced.  It even came with a good zip helmet bag.  I could not resist!  Let see if it serves me well the next few years.

It is one very attractive helmet indeed!

Quayside

We were in Whitby, and googled the latest fish and chip champion. We went to Quayside.  The fish and chips were nice, and fish cake was overseasoned.  It is good, but I don't know how they select the best chippy of the year.

Cush Drive

There is always something to learn about the bikes. The guy has mentioned about cush drive. Out of all these years, none of the mechanics mentioned about changing it. I mentioned to one of the shop about the sprocket not running correctly, they mentioned about the cush drive, and we did not pursue it. The instructor said I really should have changed them, they are 17 years old with 70k miles on them. I have ordered them, I should be replacing them later in the course.

9th Rock from the Sun

Stephen has got a new show, and he is still funny.

Fiction vs Science Fiction

Sarah and I were discussing about the science fiction genre.  I just call them fiction.  If fictions contains science is science fiction, then even Pixels is science fiction.

Meal Planning

I usually have an idea what I am eating throughout the week, but I always underegg it, literally.  I am just too greedy!

Charity

charity noun char·i·ty \ˈcher-ə-tē, ˈcha-rə-\
: the act of giving money, food, or other kinds of help to people who are poor, sick, etc.; also
: something (such as money or food) that is given to people who are poor, sick, etc.
: an organization that helps people who are poor, sick, etc. : the organizations that help people in need

TED God Communicates to Me

It is like TED can read my mind.




I am quite impressed with this French guy.

Enforced Fun ad Luxury

It is very annoying when someone tells you how to live.  Enforced fun and enforced luxury is worse than charity.

Translated Classics

David is reading Three Kingdoms in English.  I don't know how he does it, it is just weird.  I cannot make sense of the place and people's name.

Nitromethane

For piston heads, "Nitro" is a proper word.  Sarah asked what "Nitro" was, it was just a brand on my jacket, but I also said it is some additives that provides a power boost.  I have looked it up, it is Nitromethane, and it does what I thought it does.  I am definitely not putting it in little Rome.

Migration

We accept people migrate due to different circumstances, but in the borderless new world how do we plan our resources?

Autumn is Here

My Autumn jacket is out, the sky is getting dark.  Autumn is here!  How Summer flies past!

Beetroot Chocolate Brownie

Sarah finally got around to cook her beetroot chocolate brownie.  I helped, but I do not want to try.  It did look like a murder scene, and there is still beetroot red in my finger.  It asked for self-rising flour which is rather unusual for brownies, bit as it contained heavy vegetable, it would need the extra air.  Apparently it is good.

Leicester Trade

Trade was in Leicester Pride.  But no one seems to know what TRADE stands for.  I still could not find it on the internet.  It is a very interesting name for a sexual health organisation.

Lemon with Corn

I like my corn sweet, and mostly on its own, only occasionally I add butter.  Sarah likes her with lemon.  Very weird!

Low Internet Footprint

I am keen on reducing my internet foot print.  For someone with an unusual name, I am relatively low in internet footprint.  I aim to reduce it further.

Deputy

deputy
noun, dep·u·ty often attributive \ˈde-pyə-tē\
: an important assistant who helps the person who the leader of a government, organization, etc.
: a member of Parliament in some countries
plural dep·u·ties
Full Definition of DEPUTY
1 a : a person appointed as a substitute with power to act
  b : a second in command or assistant who usually takes charge when his or her superior is absent
2 : a member of the lower house of some legislative assemblies

Classic Dilbert

When a non-technical manager makes a suggestion, it can be shocking.

Chickpea Stew without Chickpea

I had a lot of onion to go through, so I was going to make some kind of sauce for pasta or cous cous.  I got chorizo at home, so I made my usual recipe of chickpeas stew, besides I did not have any chickpea.  Maybe I should have some dry chickpeas at home for such occasions.

Pied Out

Most of the biker weekend, I am well fed.  This weekend, I was properly pied out.

I was tempted to a chicken and ham pie in a Welsh biker cafe.  It was quite creamy, but a little blend.  By the time I ordered, it was too late to realise I was booked in for more pies the evenings.

I had a Ludlow venison pie at the Queens.  The pie was massive, very flavoursome, very rich, too rich for summer!  I was stuffed.  My stomach did not complain about the deer this time.

The day after, I had fish pie.  The fish pie was quite standard, I quite liked the browned mash on top.  I didn't know normal fish pie is packed out with hard boiled eggs.  It came with some lemon and parsley sauce, which I passed.

Lastly, I had a bite at Sarah's Shropshire beef pie.  I asked the cook, "what made it 'Shropshire'."  She said it was the beer they put in.  Normally, beef pie had ale, stout or red wine, but this one had a hoppy beer.  It was horrible.  I am glad I did not order it.  If it was mine, I would have given up eating it even if I were starving.  It was that bad.  I must remember never to go near beef pie with beer!

Kelsmore at Carvell's

I spotted this ice-cream parlour in Ludlow and I took Sarah to it.  Carvell's sells Kelsmore ice-cream.  The ice-cream was okay, less creamy than expected, the flavour is acceptable,  But I don't think it was exceptional.

Suchard 86% Noir Brut

The last one was horrible, I had no expectation on the rest.  This is better than I expected.  It is not very rich, it is quite 'shallow'.

Suchard Pecan Noir 70%

Cheap Austrian chocolate.  It was quite bad.

Silicon Crisps

I never had salt and vinegar crisps before, because I thought I would not like them.  I am right, they are horrible, they smell like silicon.

Kids are Like Cats

When kids get to a certain age, they develop their own characters, they only like those they like, and ignore everyone else.  If you do something they disagree, they will become other very violent, otherwise, they entertain themselves and keep to themselves.

Kids are Like Dogs

Young kids are like dog.  They love anyone that play with them.  Occasionally, they bite you, and you think it is fun and game, until they decide to attack you and cause actual bodily harm.  Lastly, you would defend them saying they did not mean it.

Mysterious Plants

As I was re-potting the mint, found a little germinated seed.  I cannot quote work out what it is.  I re-potted it into a nursery pot, and let see what comes of it.  I am wishing it would be the lemon!

Lucky BBQs

I have scheduled these August BBQs since beginning of the year.  BBQs in England is never guaranteed.  We were quite lucky that these two occasions, the afternoon was okay, and most of the cooking were done before the really heavy rain came.

Parking Man

The biggest problem about driving into town is parking, to be exact, the packing fee.  I know a few sneaky parking spots, and I tried it on, again.

This time the location was busy, and I had slight difficult parking.  Then the parking man actually came and told me, "You need a permit to park."

I need to be wary about the sneaky parking in the future.

Multi-Baking

I was going to bake two items, and I wrote both recipes on the same bit of paper.  I made so many mistakes!  I really should avoid multi-baking in the future.

Music Playlists

I don't usually use playlist functions.  When I listen to my music, I know who to go to for my mood.  Then I thought I would anticipate for the upcoming gatherings, so I put some random music together in a playlist, hope that would be a suitable entertainment.

Fine Bulgur II

I had some of the fine bulgur with my normal recipe.  I am quite impressed.  It is very quick cooking, "instant'.

Obviously it does not have the same texture as the big coarse bulgur, but it is better texture than cous cous.

Fine Bulgur

I ran out of bulgur wheat, so I went to the shop.  I tried different brand, and I don't have a favourite one.  This time I tried fine bulgur instead of the coarse bulgur.  I was a bit skeptical of my choice, especially I got a giant bag.

I tried some out tonight, it turned out well.  The texture is similar to cous cous.  Most importantly, it is just like the coarse bulgur that it does not overcook.

Mary and Max

I came across this stop motion movie, and since it has got high rating, I went ahead and watch it.

It was very well made, although it was a very sad story between two pen pals.

Fridge Panic

Sarah's fridge lamp went out.  I went into panic mode.  I checked all the electricity leading to the fridge, all were looking okay.  I turned down the fridge to make the compressor to come on.  We checked the temperature.  All seemed okay but I was still not happy.  So I look into the bulb compartment, in view of getting a new bulb.  When I was loosening the bulb, it came on.  Maybe it was just loose all along.  So I screwed it back on and panic over.

Overrated Pizzeria and Burgeria

The new foodie wave have rolled on from café to pizzeria and burger joints.  They are just more disappointments.

I just want honest food;  I simply cannot be bothered with the contemporary hipster twist.

Seasonal Shopping

In summer, everyone wants a bike, bike gear, and perhaps a cottage by the peaks or the lakes.

Lets do those shopping in winter, it should be much better value.

Entertaining Monkeys

When you entertain an animal, you must appear to be interested.

I much rather get a monkey to entertain other monkeys.  I much rather spend my time productively.

RMB Devaluation

I was reading the Economist last weekend, and it had an article mentioning the appreciation of RMB.  I pointed out the article to Sarah, and said someone is trying to drum up false signals and RMB maybe on its way down.  Lo and behold, it has dipped.  I should have sold my RMB years ago!

Avici

I never really look into Buddhism.  I watched a new BBC programme about these ancient thinker.  Then I looked up a few Buddhist terms such as Avici.  I started to understand Buddhism is full of shackles like any other religions.

Is Mr Buddha really a good thinker or just another religion reformer like Jesus?  In short, they both failed to reform their religion, and an awkward if not horrible, yet influential religion was born.

Even Cheaper Milk

Europe has lifted the milk export cap, and we will soon see really cheap milk.

Apparently British and Belgian diary farmers are protesting, but ultimately, they are not competitive in this European market, should the government bend over to help them?

What will be everyone's strategy?  Price mixing, protectionist, or 'go organic'?

Grantham

While I was in the area, I stopped by Grantham.  There were very few attractions, everything are do with either Newton or Thatcher.  I did notice Grantham has lots of coffee shops, a lot of competition.  I stopped at a Kawasaki Café just outside Grantham.  It was a nice café with friendly staff and patrons.

Chicken Hazards

I was a little freaked out of the undercooked chicken and unwashed eggs.

The problem with home grown free range eggs is not only they are not washed, they are also not red lion certified.

Tiger Chocolate Revisit

I disliked Tiger chocolate as an eating chocolate so much that I was unable finish them. I knew I was going to throw them in my baking, and I finally got the chance.

Tiger chocolate turned out to be very good baking chocolate, and probably slightly cheaper than leading brands.  I will stock them up next time I am in a Tiger.

Don't Click

There are a lot of headline grabbing websites and videos.  Avoid them at all cost.  Why traumatize yourself at the same time encourage these posters.

How's Your Diet Going

It was quite funny.

Blog Traffic

Every so often, I will click onto my blog traffic, I always find the stats strange. How do I get Russian readership?

Long Dales Walk

We finally embarked the first stage of Dales Way. I suggested to walk all the way between Ilkley and Burnsall, 14 miles later, we were exhausted and drenched! We made a good start for Sarah.

Changeable Weathers

English weather is very changeable, the last two days was worse! We were drenched from the walk, and my washings were rained on. The Met Office should try harder.

Butter Absorbent

Oatmeal is a good cholesterol absorbent, but it is really bad at binding butter in a cookie. I am never baking high oatmeal-content cookies again.

Konjac

I always wondered what the white noodles were called. Thanks food unwrapped!

Modern Rejection

With all communications being instantaneous, so is rejection. And with some much rejection, you become numbed.

Fictions make Humans

Interesting idea, but this is a sad truth about human?

Windows 10

Sarah's computer has Win 8.1, and free Windows 10 is coming out for computer with Windows 7 and Windows 8.  I don't even know what Windows would be like  Lets hope it is good.

Shortcut

A short cut should ideally be both shorter and faster.  A short cut also implies higher risk in some aspects.  The idea of short cut is provide gain with a small increase of risks. 

What is the point of a shortcut, that has a much higher risks, and definitely not faster.

Near Miss Caused by Weather

On the road, even if you do not make a mistake, you would sometimes get near miss.  For a motorcycle, in bad weather, that often happens.

I really hate it, especially when I did not make a mistake.  On the other hand, it is my experience and calmness that saves a near miss becoming an accident.

Extreme Wuss

Why do things get cancelled for a few drops of rain?

Old Rom

Old Rom now has 70500 on her clock.  That is very old for a little bike.  I hope she is still happy that she is now semi-retired.

Weight Management

As a carb addict, sometimes I am chunkier than I would like.  I need some assistance.

Sketchorama

Sketchorama is quite funny.  They mentioned Sinead O'Connor, she much has been on the news lately.

Den Building Festival

Tetley is putting out a Den Building Festival.  So much fun in city centre Leeds, and I am unavailable that weekend, what a shame.

Meatless Barbeque

Sarah took me to her friend's BBQ Party.  I instantly knew there would not be meat.  The party goers were happy with bread, dips and roasted veg.

Ruminate

: to think carefully and deeply about something

Traffic Condition II

This is exactly what I meant.

Traffic Condition

I turn on my radio, I check before I set off, but we still occasionally get stuck behind road works.  That is just part of road user's life.

Spontaneous Weeks

My forthcoming weeks will be down to the completion of my paragliding.  I am not a spontaneous person by choice!

Boredom Vs Frustration

Boredom and frustration, which one is worse?  I think technically frustration is worse, it kills you from outside, whereas boredom kills you from within.

Ghost Drawn Voodoo Symbols

Cantonese would say, "ghost drawn voodoo symbols".

Someone Got Truthed

Interest Free Money

One of my cards has decided to increase my credit limit.  I will use it as it is interest free for another 10 months.  Are we getting back to the days when banks are giving our free credits to encourage spending?

Solar Panel

I am not a believer of household solar panel, but after I read about it in Yorkshire Reporter, I browsed.

It really is not worth it.  With my south facing tiny roof, with the current feed in tariff, it would bring in maximum £2 a day, and the payback would be over 20 years.  With the clouds, winter and the aging of the panel, it will probably never be paid back.

The feed in tariff has dropped so low, it only attracts those middle class household who loves the idea to claim to have zero-carbon foot print.  They also usually have 2 gas guzzling cars, kids and pets.

Gardening Exercises

All the squatting, lifting in the sun is very tiring!  I am counting them as exercises.

Women's World Cup

I saw the catchup on the BBC, so I clicked into it.  I normally fast forward, and was shock to see 2:0 in 4 minutes.  So I rewind and saw the first two goals, then did the same.  I could not believe it was 4:0 by 19th minutes, so I rewind again.  By the time I saw 4:1, I already lost interest. 

I am sure it would have been a very interesting game live, but I feel a little sorry for Japan.  THe game finished at 5:2.  I suppose, you could always expect the American Women to score!

Lawn Care

On my way back to Leeds, I stopped by a garden centre.  I was looking around the lawn products, and a member of staff came to help me.  We talked about sowing amongst other things.  She asked if I put compost down along with the seeds, and I proudly said yes, as Sarah thought it was some weird practice I invented.

At the end, I got the product on the internet instead.  But she was definitely helpful, I may go to pick their brains again.

Flamborough

Dave took us to Flamborough Head.  It was quite nice, the light house was impressively close and large.  The cafe was very busy and it took them nearly an hour to prepare our food.  I sent for the larger haddock when Dave got the regular.  The fish turned out, I was satisfy that the fish is sufficient large rendering the extra pound.

On the way back, we were met with some rain.  I opted for a motorway route back, where Dave chose a smaller road.

I would certainly consider taking Sarah to Flamborough.

Sat Nav Withdrawal

We were using a Sat Nav for two weeks, and I am still feeling the effect of the Sat Nav withdrawal.  Laziness does brew very quickly!

Short Changed

When you keep a hen, you can never guarantee their production.  So you go to the shop, and when you open a box of egg, you were sold a dozen, you got 11.  Why is it okay?  Fxxking idiots!

Need for Speed

When I am down, upset or frustrated, I like to be on my bike.  Today, I would have a passenger, so that should slow me down.

Mowing in the Rain

The grass grows fast in summer, and within 4 weeks, they were in need of a trim.  I had a rather busy schedule this week, and the only day I can get to it was today.  I also thought the other days were too hot to cut the grass. 


So as soon as I finished the back lawn, it started raining.  I thought I would do the front lawn another day, but there were enough sunlight after the rain stopped, so I finished it off.


The grass clipping were quite wet, and there were 4 carrier bags worth of them.  I really wish the lawn mower had come with a grass box.  It may just be easier to buy a new mower!

Authentic Thai Experience

Thai A Roy Dee has reopened, and we went on the hottest day in 2015.  Thai A Roy Dee has a very simple décor, along with the heat, it was quite a Thai experience.  I had to explain to the fellow eaters that the sticky rice is a different type of rice, it was not the cooking method rendering them sticky, and pad Thai are rice noodles.

Despicable Tesco

The Tesco credit card managed to let me go over the credit limit, then Tesco charge me the over limit charge.  In the letter stating the charge, they mentioned about the over credit would be interest-free for 28 days but they conveniently forgot to say the over credit charge will be applied every 12 days, luckily I called and inquired.

I cannot wait to close this account out.

Long Detour

After driving over 1600 miles without encountering much traffic, my luck ran out.  I was going to take A1 back to Leeds, but the closed A1, I was put on a long slow detour onto A616.  I really should check traffic before going anywhere.

Dragon Boat at Leeds Dock

There were dragon boats race as a part of the Leeds Waterfront Festival.  And the festival was again another ploy to bring people to Clarance Dock.



My Hong Kong friends first reaction was, "the dragon boat festival was last week."  And I got to explain the story of the custom.

It was a nice day out by the dock.

Strewberry!

Sarah identified one of the bushes as a dog rose, and it is weed-like.  So I cleared away some branches recently.  Then their flower died off and the fruit turned red, they looked more and more like strawberry!  They smelt very nice, but the birds got to them.  I did not many to safe the strawberry for human consumption.  Perhaps I will acquire some nets for the future harvests.

Isle Grand Tour: Day 14

We had to drop off the car early, so we set off from Leeds early.  M62 had been kind to us, and we dropped off the car as scheduled.  We waited for a long time for a shuttle to get back to the airport.  It was 11am when we got to Manchester.

We utilised their free shuttles today between station, Great Northern and Northern Quarter.  I took Carol to the finest of Northern Quarter: Pie Minister and Teacup.  She was not too impressed with the venues.  To be fair, Pie Minister was okay, but I think it is a little overrated.

We were stuffed full of cake when we head towards the station.  En-route to the station, I stopped at a Leodis-cum-post-office and Carol finally found a suitable of Manchester United tee for her friend.  We parted at the station, and she made to the plane all okay.

The long and rather exhausting trip has concluded.  I really need to return to a quiet idyllic life.

Isle Grand Tour: Day 13

We were going to stop via Yorkshire Sculpture Park, but since we were not too energetic, I suggested to go to the University of Leicester Botanic Gardens instead.  We had a quick walk around, and Carol thought we were going to see topiary, sculpted plants instead of actual sculptures.  I was glad we did not go to YSP!

We got back to Leeds early.  I had time to go some quick shopping in the market and took Carol to a few funky places.  She was quite impressed with Roast and Conch and the Arch.

We went home early.  Carol got on with packing, and I got on with weeding.  We had some dinner then I remember we had time and we could hit around.  Carol was equally excited about the idea.  Instead of walking down to the tennis court, we drove.  Whinmoor tennis court was occupied!  And since we drove, we drove to Roundhay instead.  Carol called it, "tennis court hopping".

We messed around for an hour before calling it a day.  The newly strung rackets were very good.

When we got home, I got home and carry on with my errands, and so was Carol.  What a productive day!

Isle Grand Tour: Day 12

Before the games, we went to town centre for the market and a quick wander.  I got a giant focaccia for lunch, and Carol stroked an owl.

Due to the cost and the availability of good seats, we opted for Court 1 ticket instead of centre court ticket.  There were plenty of good matches to keep us in and out of Court 1.  Again we were too busy watching games, so we just eat my remaining snacks and the bread.

Again, we left 'early' as we had no interest in the remaining games.  We went to Harry Ramsden's for some fish.  Carol really liked Harry Ramsden.  I also told Carol about their original shop at Guiseley.

When we came back on another long drive, we were thankful that M25 had been kind to us.

Isle Grand Tour: Day 11

As the second day of the tournament, there were lots of matches all over all the courts.  We caught up with Riske at the practice court, and busy all day watching game.  We were so busy watching game and not got an opportunity to queue for food!

We left about 7pm., we could have stayed for longer.  Then we went to Beachy Head.  According to the news, the light house got a new coat of paint in 2013.  I feared it was destroyed by the storm two years ago.

We were going to go to Solo Pasta, rated highly in trip adviser, but we ended up in Wetherspoons for Steak Night instead.

Isle Grand Tour: Day 10

This was meant to be a short and simple day.  I took Carol and Stef into Leicester for a quick walk around, then we shipped off Stef to Manchester.

I arranged for Sofy to catch Stef, and they had a lot of fun!

Carol and I embarked on the long car journey to the south coast.  Thankfully all went okay.  We do so much for the tennis ladies!

Isle Grand Tour: Day 9

I always wanted to see the Burghley House, so I suggested this stop.  Coincidentally, the Rolls Royces show was on and a food market was on, so we were sufficiently entertained without going into the house.  I would still like to go into the house in the future.

Then I suggested to go to Cambridge, which was kind of in the same direction.  This time, we went on a punt.  It was a busy Sunday, and the river was full of punt.  It was not long since we left the carpark and walked towards town, we were stopped by Punting tour operators soliciting boat ride.  We ended up getting a decent deal.

We got on a small boat, right at the front, but since we were too far from the guide, we did not hear much what he had to say.  It was quite a relaxing boat trip.

I took Carol and Stef to Feast of India, I don't think they enjoyed Indian food much, but at least it was an experience.

Isle Grand tour: Day 8

We started the day with more Chinese brunch.  When I ordered beef noodle the cashier giggled.  I suspect it is because Cantonese always ask for beef noodle.

The second day at the Aegon Classic, the first half of the afternoon was filled with rain delay, and it only started to clear up after 4pm.  As a result, we did not finish the day till nearly 8pm.

We arrived in Leicester and went straight to dinner.  We went for Nando's, both Carol and Stef enjoyed the chicken.

Stef and Carol checked into Croft, what a weird place.

Isle Grand Tour: Day 7

We had some Chinese breakfast, send Sarah to the station, and started watching tennis.

The first day of our Aegon Classic.  A full day of sun and a full day of tennis.  Tennis was quite good.

We finished the day with more Chinese food and a quick stroll in the nearby pubs.

Isle Grand Tour: Day 6

The day turned out to be local tour, shopping day before another long drive to the Midlands.

We went to the Selby Abbey, Junction 32, and I went to Haribo.  We had lunch at Primos, which turned out very nice.  Then I actually spent money in Junction 32, and Haribo is a big bargain!

Birmingham traffic was quite bad, the there was two close calls and many honking in Birmingham.

Sarah came down to Birmingham to meet us.  We went to Minmin on Sarah's suggestion, and it was quite good.

Isle Grand Tour: Day 5

Rosslyn Chapel turned out better than expected.  Another long drive back to Leeds, we made a few stops along the way including Angle of the North and Durham.  I passed up all the sights in Durham, and let Stef and Carol to crack on.

It was also a day of hanging out.  When we got home, we chatted till late.  Life is much different between now and then.

Isle Grand Tour: Day 4

I have already forewarned Carol about the Edinburgh traffic.  We did hit the Edinburgh traffic.  With a bit of luck, we found one parking spot in a very busy car park.

Edinburgh Castle was a little disappointing.  The One O'clock gun was 105mm calibre and was very loud!  If I have planned Edinburgh better, I would have seen more museums.

Isle Grand Tour: Day 3

Loch Lomond Hostel was okay, the lake is nice as always.  I suggested a scenic drive in Stirlingshire to get to Falkirk.  Falkirk was okay, the boat trip was okay, it was quite impressive but rather short.  We had to run to the terminal to catch the boat!

The castle turned out better than expected.  I spent some time in the gym and I was exhausted.  The dinner was quite good, I tried a real Cullen Skink, and monk fish.  Not a bad spent.

Isle Grand Tour: Day 2

The day of the driving, we picked up Carol from Manchester and after much flaffage, we picked up the car and drove north.

We stopped by Morecambe and Lancaster before rushing to the Loch Lomond hostel from Glasgow.  There were a lot of driving, and the road leading to the hostel was quite bad.

Lancaster Castle was okay, there were a lot of Lancashire references.  But I think east coast is much better than Morecambe.

Isle Grand Tour: Day 1

Stef arrived today.  We went to Belgrave Food Feast, Knaresborough for the Bed Race and Harrogate Betty's.  There literally were no other things in the tourist information besides those.  Just a quick tour around the area.

Bed race was interesting, it was for a good cause.  And when we got back, we just made the free water taxi.  Sadly Twee was sick and off duty.

Holiday Itch

The long awaited trip is over, it is going to be a new experience to travel with another friend.  Wish me luck.

Baking Soda Toothpaste

I got a tube of baking soda toothpaste, but it really tastes disgusting.  I think I am going to throw it away!

Baking soda belongs in the kitchen!

Tesco Delivered

I have used many online outlets, shops, but I have never used supermarket delivery.  While on the subject of getting delivery, I click around on Tesco.  The supermarkets are all competing to get online customers and the delivery charges are dropping significantly.  It also occurs to me that, since I am no longer within walking distance to a supermarket, it is a good idea to get the bulky and heavy items delivered.  So this order, I have ordered two big bags of composts, two big bags of rices, and some soda drinks, and that is delivery charge well spent!

Market Delivered

Sarah suggested I should look at Market Delivered to get cheap market produces from Leeds market.  Market Delivered presented themselves well in the radio program, and Sarah thought it would be good to give it a shot.  But without looking at the website, I already knew they would not have included the outside stalls, where the real bargains are.

I had a look at the website anyway.  I was right about the participating market stalls, but it occurs to me that it would be a great way for me to get the BBQ items in summer.  I will certainly look again in August.

Sunk Cost

When I say sunk cost, I mean a cost that has already been incurred and cannot be recovered.  So any recovery of the cost is good, any additional spending on the cause would be bad.

When Sarah say sunk cost, Sarah means sunk cost fallacy.  Sarah means human tendency to loss aversion, hence spending on time what's been spent.

Yorkshire Invasion

After Leicester retained Richard III's bone, changes are happening.  The Leicester Cathedral Café is called White Rose Café, and more statues are erected in Richard III's memories.  So the House of York won over Leicester afterall.

Bra Sizes

Every so often, articles in the news or lifestyle sections announce women are not wearing correct bras, and the articles often ignored.  Only recently I realised how prevalent the problem is, so let me do a public announce here and encourage women to measure up.

Buried that Movie

BBC was playing the movie Buried.  It was probably one of the cheapest ever made.  Three minutes into the movie, I already asked how could this movie last 90 minutes.  I fast forwarded all the black screen, and resulted in a 30 minutes quick viewing.

What a horrible movie! 

Cheap is Not an Absolute Term

My colleagues sometimes say, "we can do it for cheaper."  Knowing we have not got time to do it in-house.  It is not cheap on the commodity that we don't have, time.  So we can do it for free, because we are not doing it in the foreseeable future.

Joy, Risks and Adventure

I have advised my friends about risks, and suggested alternative choices.  But freewill and joy always trump common senses.  Some needs a sense of adventure, but adventure is synonymous with underestimated risks.  Only hope I don't have to say, "I informed you thusly."

Civic Duties

I do community services, I consider them my civic duties.  I enjoy fulfilling my civic duties, that does not mean I enjoy all the community services I do.

Tiger Chocolate Tasting II

The second bar of Tiger 85% dark is better in flavour, but it has a funny after taste.

Autisticish

We are learning more and more about brains.  The recent programmes about drinking, criminals and naughty kids all focus on the brains.

The more I look at them, the more boxes I tick.  I still don't understand why eye-contact is required when acknowledging something from other sensory, eg I can listen perfectly well without eye-contact, I can feel touches perfectly well without eye-contact.  Some think it is rude, I said it is unnecessary, maybe it is just Autistic.  I remember sitting in the library and do my mathematics exercises being much more enjoyable than socializing with people, which is again, quite unnecessary.  Also, I keep reminding myself that I need to be less demanding, and chill out, especially at work.

San Andreas

Every few years, you have a movie about an epic earthquakes, usually along San Andreas fault line.  Sometimes it involves some scientists, some rescuers, some governmental involvement. 

Is this how American do their public awareness and public announcement?

Fence Painting

When I was last in Aldi, I found some exterior paint, so I got some for the fence.  Painting is a lot of work, and there are so many panels to paint.  Here are so much work associating with having a house!

The paint is okay, I shall continue painting.

Flourless Brownie

Liv is proper Coeliac, so I thought I would bake some flourless brownies so everyone can share.  I knew some of them called for ground almond, but I was hopeful to find corn flour alternative, such that I don't have to buy additional ingredients.  Some also called for gluten-free flour.  I found a recipe using corn flour, which turned out good.

Flourless brownie yield a lot less than flour alternative, as flour bulk it up.  With less bulking, the brownie is very rich, almost like fudge.  I am glad most people liked them.

Tiger Chocolate Tasting

They taste quite blend, tasteless, lack of depth, much like Lindt, beginner's dark chocolate.

Ticket Closer

These days everyone uses a system to keep track of works, and each work is raised as a ticket.  There are ticket closers out there always looking for way to close ticket without actually resolving the problem.  That is not very helpful!

Gaming Injuries

My neck is still hurting a bit, and it does seems to be exacerbated by playing game on the computer, ie tilting my head in a funny angle.  On the same token, I have similar problem at work, I must pay extra attention.

London Victoria Coach Station

Sarah and I missed a coach from Victoria by 2 minutes due to diversion caused by BUPA run.  Carol and I also missed a coach from Victoria for a few minutes.

I really need to be careful when I use this coach station again!  It is very inconveniently located!

Tiger Chocolate

I never knew of the shop called Tiger until the shopaholics pointed out to me in London.  There are a lot of random stuff, but nothing really caught my eyes.  Just as we left the shop, I saw some dark chocolate, and once I verified that they are from France, I bought a couple bars.  I can't wait to try them.

Old Webcam

I finally got around to install an old webcam to my old PC.  I remember having a driver disc to the webcam, but I never remember to pack it with camera.  So I ended up having to try different online drivers, it was a nightmare.  Just when I was going to give up, it worked.  I am glad most new computers now come with standard webcams, and I don't need to mess with cheap webcams anymore!

Neck Injuries

Having been out of shape for a few years, I played a bit too hard at a tennis session and pulled my neck muscles.  It has been so painful that I resorted in buying neck braces and taking pain killer to control the pain.  I realised, the higher the injuries in the body, the more it associates with mortality.  I am glad to report, it does get slightly better each day.

Case in Point

Aegon Ilkley Trophy

I scouted for some tennis mates online and met Anton.  He is one of the best player I have ever played, besides that Carol's friend, who I have forgotten her name.  Anton is an actual amateur player.

Anton mentioned about an ATP tournament in Ilkley, I googled it when I got home and threw it to Carol and Stef's attention.  I think it will be a good addition to the trip.

Hachez 55% D'Maracaibo Bar

I got this from Hedy.  She knows I am quite picky with my chocolate, and she remembers I mad Hachez before, so she got me this.

This is very mild, smooth.  I am do with bigger punches.

Useless DVD Player

My DVD player is either playing up or useless.  Not only it doesn't play PAL 2, it doesn't play any of my discs, even those I have watched before using this player before...

Ilkley Moors

We continued our Dales way onto Ilkley Moors.  I never stop over at Ilkley, it is indeed a nice town.  We also went to Ilkley Bettys, that has completed my visits to all Bettys!

45 Minutes Per Drinks

I was out with my colleagues, and I wanted to pace my drinking.  I told them I would not drink quicker than 45 minutes per drink for liver does not process the alcohol and leading to drunkenness.  They must think I am a nerd, which I am.

Internet Security

I have been meaning to sort out the out of date anti-virus.  I wrestled with it for a little, and I just settled with simple AVG.  I really have no energy to mess around these days.

Happy Birthday Sarah

Happy Birthday Sarah!  I wish I were spending your birthday celebrating with you.

Process Safety

There are a lot to learn in manufacturing, I only just started on the basics.

Like Ryan say, I changed out of the fluffy flip flops into hard shoes, I hope I can make it.

Weeding

Weeding is an endless task, there is so much chores!

Hornsea and Humber

Shaun got a smaller bike, and two of the guys for tickets, as the result, we kept at a good pace.

We went to Hornsea, it is a good town.  I also crossed Humber twice, luckily it was not too windy.

Mr Moo

I tried Mr Moo ice-cream, I am not impressed.  I would not be eating them again.

UK General Electrion

Conservative Won, just like when Bush won his 2nd term.  People with money really should think about more investment in the next 5 years in conservative government.

Greed for Computers

I got a couple computers at work.  I was called greedy.  I think I a greedy with computers.  I am always happier when I am in a 2-computer household.  These days, we like laptop, desktop and mobiles.

I am happy with my two computers, at home and at work.

Old Slazenger Racket

I just started playing tennis again, I am so out of shape.

I am trying out Carol's old rackets, and they are good, besides his grip is so much smaller than my hand.

At the same time, I should have restrung my Slazenger racket.

Wind Watching

There was only one potential reason I would not like paragliding, now there is a second reason.

I don't like free falling, and due to the nature of flying, there will be occasion when I would experience free falling.

The fact I have to keep checking the weather, including the wind, is annoying.  I think I can be bothered to pick it up...

Corporatey 30 Rock

I started watching the DVDs, and it is very Corporatey.  I need to learn the ways, good tutorials.

Cancer Research Bargain

We swung by Cancer Research and found some bargain.  I got 5 seasons of 30 Rock for 5 quid.  Besides they are in PAL format, I cannot watch it on the DVD player, I have to watch them on the computer...

Another Long Day in West Yorkshire

We picked up on the Dales Way, but due to inadequate footwear, rain and being out of shape, we only did half of what we set off to walk.  We went to a local pub, with good old Yorkshire menu with Yorkshire price.

Because we wrap up early, we fully utilised the bus ticket.  We went back to Leeds and did the grocery shopping, then after dinner we went to Wetherby for ice-cream.  Good value for the bus fare!

Tapioca

I would never buy tapioca to cook at home, but Rachel did.  So we got some and Sarah insisted of cooking it.  It was meant to be "15 minutes", I laughed.  And 75 minutes later, we finally have them cooked through.

There really isn't any benefit cooking a small batch at home.  They do not usually turn out well in small batches.  On the same token, sago.

Personal Space Invasion

Please get out of my head, and it is not a compliments.  It is one of the worst personal space invasion.

Corporatey Welcome

I got a big bag of goodies, a lot of company benefits, and corporate luncheons.  A corporatey welcome to a new era.

Heston Chocolate

I got a box of Heston chocolate, just to try.  I think it is quite overrated, but Sarah likes it.

Geriatric Computers

I decided to take an old computer home and fix it.  Most people asked why I didn't just get a new computer, but fixing old computer is half the fun.  I just want this computer to last for 2 years, and I have another old computer in the pipeline, I can't wait.

Templed Out

I never knew there were so many temples in Hong Kong.  I also learn the extend how Taoism and Buddhism mingled in Chinese culture.  Some of the rites started to "make sense".

Sarah is templed out, and so am I.

Long Drive Out

We arrived into London and got a hired car.  It was getting dark and we did not have the opportunity to check out every knob.

It ended up taking 2 hours to drive back, and it was stressful getting out of London.

If I had found the cruise control knob, it would have made it easier...  Let the journey continues.

Cheung Chau

Cheung Chau was having a Marine Police open day exhibition, it was a good opportunity to go to Cheung Chau.

We took a slow boat into Cheung Chau, it was quite pleasant.  We had a walk around the Cheung Chau Peak, where there were loads of strayed dogs, and they were not friendly.  As the trail did not cover part of a beach, there was a make-shift assault course, which was quite fun.

I was surprised how reasonably priced things are in Cheung Chau.  Besides the sun and the sea, Cheung Chau is not a bad place to live.

We went down to the beach, but it has less sea life then I anticipated, and the beach (LCSD-managed) was cleaner than I anticipated.

After a long day, we took a fast boat back.  Fast boat is always bumpier than slow boat...

Big Buddha

When the forecast turned bad, we cancelled the overnight plan to Mui Wo.  We changed the plan to see the zoological park again, but my mother offered to take us to the Buddha.

We took the gondola to the Buddha.  We hiked up and saw the relic.  We had some vegetarian good and went off to Tai O.  My friends were right, we could do all that in 1 day.

When we were in Tai O, there were fresh seafood, and the squid was even livelier than the one we had on Saturday.  Interesting trip, but it is once for 10 years trip.

Cracked Tooth

I went into my dental check up.  I was only in for the scaling, and the dentist was quite caring and asked if I had any dental complaint.  I said sometimes my left side sore, and he tapped my teeth.  Lo and behold, one of them sounded different, and it felt a little funny.

He suspected it was a cracked tooth, but he explained it is hard to diagnose and crack is mostly fine and invisible.  He explained crown would be the solution to this particular problem, but if it does not resolve the problem, it would just be a waste of money.

It was a good decision to go to a non-profit hospital-backed dentist, he did not appear to push for treatment or greedy.

Now that I know I have a cracked tooth, I will take extra care in chewing on the left side.

Surprised Addition to Itinery - Repulse Bay

We had lunch with an auntie, and she took us to Repulse Bay and Chung Hom Kok.

I have not been to Repulse Bay since I was small.  And even when I had Endee, I went to D'Aguilar's Cape and Shek O.  The temple at Repulse is much more established then I remembered.

The Southern District can be quite nice.

Bill Fighting

As we grow older, the bill fighting grows more fierce!  The two biggest culprits were Queenie and Hedy.

On Saturday we snacked with Queenie and I had the bill in my hand, only to be literally ripped out of my hand at the cashier.

Then Hedy had been paying our meals, and I let her for a couple times.  Then in light of Queenie's incident, Sarah and I had to join force to get the bill off Hedy and shooed her away from the cashier.

Why does everything has to be so dramatic!

Sporty Day

Haylie and I played some badminton in the morning.  I was clearly out of shape, and towards the end after we have warmed up, I played slightly better.

After the badminton, I opted to walk home and counted that as my cooling down.

Then in the afternoon, I played some ping pong with my mother.  She could still slaughter me, but she refrained.  She had no patience for Sarah, so Sarah resigned to be a ball girl.

I still don't know where my badminton rackets went!!

Avenue of Star - Mak Dau

I saw Mak Dau and I took a picture with him.

Most tourists just thought it was a golden pig for good fortune, but Mak Dau is a friend.

Critical Thinking: Inhumane

When we watched the Ocean Theatre show, we know what comments we may get on Facebook.  Then I had a thought, what is the difference between training dolphins and training dogs?  Extension to that thought, what is the difference between keeping dolphins and keeping any mammalian pets?

If the level of domestication is the only difference, then what is the difference between keeping big cats or primates and keeping dolphins?  Having said that, sea mammals have been 'domesticated' for over 100 years?  There are some cultures collaborated with dolphins for hundreds more years.

If the availability of their natural habitat is the difference, then what is the difference between keeping wild boars and keeping dolphins?  Wild boars and other mammals are kept for food, or they are on a relatively early stage of domestication.

If the difference in size of their natural habitat, then it is similar as above.  Primates and wild boars both roam in large areas.

There are a little difference between sea mammals, is it big enough to tell them apart, rendering keeping one inhumane and others listed above not inhumane.