Trick or Treat Avoidance

How late do I have to stay at the gym to avoid the trick or treaters?  Is Dom going to answer the doors?  Let's hope for another quiet year.

Quarry Hill Rip Off

All the free parking was taken, we went to Quarry Hill instead.  "HOW MUCH?!"  I saw the board and screamed.  What a rip off!  Remind me to avoid where possible!!

True York Experience

We dropped off Little Rome at Gary's and followed by a true "York Experience", ie queuing on the ring road to go to shopping centres.

Before our quest, we had a rustic English lunch at a garden centre.  I was pleasantly surprised by the quality and amount of their offerings.  Then we joined the bumper to bumper queue to Clifton Moors.  It was full of shoppers.  We went into many shops, tried out sofa, looked at hamsters, shop for bargain food and groceries.  Then we joined back onto the bumper to bumper queue on the ring road to leave York.  I am glad I don't live in York!

Autumn Stock Audit

I didn't actually do an audit, I just realised I ran out of pearl barley.  I took the opportunity to have a stock check and replenish some pasta, rice noodles etc.  I am quite impressed with the ASDA and Home Bargains offerings.

Marinated and Pummeled

Just to try different massages, I thought I would go for a full body massage, without giving the masseuse too much instruction.  I was marinated and pummelled.  I wouldn't be doing this type of massage any more, I can just pummel myself at home.


I later searched for the massage oil, they are not cheap!

Porky Heaven

I got a couple pack of pork mince, and as I cook them, it smells delicious.  This is really encouraging me to eat more meat!  Only if I can store the smell for later!

Question Paper

Writing question paper is not easy.  I have been helping Sarah, and now I am helping Steve.  We could no longer assume the candidates know the basic, we have to ask something very trivial just to ascertain they meets the minimum standard.

Placbo Carpet Shampoo

I used my Vanish carpet cleaner again.  I am not sure it is working, I don't even think placbo works either.

Fan on a Crumbling Walls

We were installing a toilet fan.  Everyone thought it would be straight forward, but it was everything but.  The wall was crumbling, and the previous decorators could not be bother putting it right, so there was no means of fixing the fan.  I was thinking about botching it, but there weren't even enough wall left to botch.


To properly fix it, I would need sand and cement, but since we have not got that and I was not prepared to get a bag of cement just got that, we used the next best thing, poly filler.  I started out just gluing bits together, then I decided to build it out properly.  I built it out and let it cure.


When we come to fit the fan, it was very snug.  We had to trim out the poly filler.  We still cannot fit the fixings as the wall is now more uneven than before.  It will be another few hours work of work to even out the wall, paint and refit.

IKEA Day

Most people just have a day out at IKEA, but we managed to go to IKEA twice in a day and cook IKEA dinner at home.


We first went to IKEA to survey what we need, helping ourselves with the pristine food samples before going to a walk.  Then after the walk, we actually bought what we jotted down, and on our way out, we bought IKEA frozen dinner.


We must remember to go to IKEA early for the pristine nibbles!

Loaded Car

Kendrew had dealt with rubbles, bicycles, people and general stuff.  I was really testing her limit when I loaded her with racking.  Metal, relatively heavy, long, I could feel Kendrew complaining when I was driving along, and trying my best to avoid sudden acceleration and deceleration.  There are times when van is easier.

D-Shape Toilet Seat

I got a quick release D-shape toilet seat, even though neither Sarah nor I have a D-shape bowl.  I fitted it on my toilet anyway, it fitted okay, except it does not cover a tiny bit of the bowl.  I will remember not to buy a D-shape seat without a D-shape bowl!

Misleading Book Title

There was a book talk, with the word 'science' in the title, so we went.  We were very misled, it had nothing to do with science...

Dysoning

I have never used a Dyson before.  We borrowed one and we got so much dirt out!  I am quite impressed, apart from I am not prepared to pay for that amount of money for a vacuum cleaner.

Painting Protection

There is always splash backs, blobs and flicks when you paint, there is no prevention, just protection.  You cannot make an omelette without cracking a few eggs.

Sweetpea Pantry Grainy Brainy Buckwheat & Flax Pancake Mix

Another trial product, continue our French theme, it turned out very nice, Sarah even says she will splash out at full price!

Mung Dal

I grew up eating mung beans products, but I don't know what to do with a big bag of mung kernels.  We made some tarka daal with mung dal, they are alright, I will try to use my stash up that way.

Sweetpea Pantry Playful Pizza Dough

I got this from the marked down pile.  It worked well, it rises slower than normal, tasted okay.

Minature Slow Cooker

We were given a slow cooker when someone bought it by mistake.  It is only 1.5L size!  When we started using it, it is smaller than personal size!  Even if you fill it to the brim, it delivers 4 meals at a push!  And the outer case is hotter than the crock pot.  Get rid!

New Family Member Geppetto

I adopted a hamster from Preloved.  He is a roborovski, which is tiny and really quick!  I hope he enjoys the new household.

Mushroomed Out

I bought a box of mushroom for £1 on Saturday, I had mushroom soup for the last few days.  I am a little mushroomed out!

Drains Care

Drains can have lime scale build up much like the kettle.  I need to put more chemical down the drains in the name of drains maintenance...

Seedy Tree

The tree outside my house was dropping all its seeds in my garden.  And because of the design of the seeds, they are quite hard to remove.  Damn nature!

FirstDay Family & Friends Bus Tour

First is still doing the group bus ticket.  We did 6 bus journeys, beating the previous record of 5 journeys!

Why can't other cities doing something similar?!

Light Night 2017

I organised an AVEN meet at Light Night again this year.  The shows were interesting...  We did not make it to the Leeds Docks, and after I know about the moon display, I was extra sad.

I always thought it is spelt "derailer", I am still not sure why it has a "French" spelling.

derailleur

play

noun de·rail·leur \ di-ˈrā-lər \

Definition of derailleur

:a mechanism for shifting gears on a bicycle that operates by moving the chain from one set of exposed gears to another

Gun Violence

Using the orange man's quote, Gun violence "is a situation that should've been handled 25 years ago, 20 years ago, 15 years ago, 10 years ago and five years ago, and it could've been handled much more easily."


Gun operation should be licenced like the model in driving.  A theory, a practice, with restriction on persons with mental and physical issues and any mis-use resulting in licence being revoked and ban, and subsequently impounding guns.

Tennis in the Dark

The Sun is setting earlier and earlier.  We don't even have enough light to play till 7om.  It is time to go back to the gym...

Dash Cam

I had never played with one until today.  I was tempted by a discounted cam.  I played around with it, but I think it is a little dumb and it keeps forgetting the time.  I consulted others regarding dash cam, and noone seems to be particularly keen on them.  I am going to return it.  I am glad I have tried.

Cycling with an Ill-fitted Bike

I was free this Sunday, and I was trying to see if anything was going on in Manchester.  One of my friends was with the bid Labour protests.  The other mentioned about cycling, I jumped in. 

I took little Rome transpennine ride, and it was horrendous.  When I arrived, we jumped on the bike almost immediately.  I was using Hannah's bike, which had a small frame and low seat.  I tolerated it anyway.

We opted for some hilly ride, and Sofy took me thorough parks, which made the ride extra muddy!  Along the way, Sofy offered me sugar gel, which I refused.  I had a really bad sugar crash just a day ago!

We did 25 miles, which was a lot on a ill-fitted bike!  I was aching.

On the way home, the transpennine was fully of spray!  It was horrible!  By the end, little Rome's electrics were really unhappy, and I had to bump start it at Sainsbury.

When I got home, I decided to rinse off the sand elsewhere, so I went to the gym.  Exhausted!

Kirkstall Bridge Inn

The Bridge Inn was made famous by a picture of two men drinking in the flooded beer garden a few years ago when it was flooded.  I did not want to park in town, so I suggested to go to Kirkstall Bridge Inn for dinner. 


When I arrived, I saw two table of older men drinking, I was not sure if it was the right pub for us.  Then more people started arriving in the pub, the clientele was quite diverse and I felt reassured.  The menu looked very gastronomic, along with the price... David had a chicken burger and I had a pizza.  Then both turned out to be very nice, I would definitely eat there again.