Twixtmas DIY

We ordered some new door handles before Christmas.  I fitted them, they look nice.

There were a lot of gardening and garden tidying.  Loads to do in twixtmas!

Twixtmas Shopping

Much to our dismay, nuts are not yet on sale.  On the other hand, we picked up a lot of cheese.

Day 6 The Netherlands - Gouda

I bid my friends goodbye, I left and went to Gouda.  I changed the original plan in order to go to Gouda on Thursday, when the flour windmill was open. 

I walked through the Hague, onto the train and arrived in Gouda.

I went to the flour mill first, bought ourselves some wholemeal flour.

Then I walked into town, around the market, bought a sausage roll and a cheese roll.  Their sausage roll has more spices.  The cheese roll's cheese were milder.

I went to the syrup wafel factory and actually paid for a tour.  I had A LOT of wafel.  Unlike stoopwafel, which is one wafel halved and filled, syrup wafel is two wafel stuck together.  Double the amount of crunch.

I walked past a chip shop and saw a shrimp croquette, which I missed when I was in Amsterdam.  I ordered one, whilst waiting, I saw the fish shop next store were also doing shrimp croquette, cheaper!

I ate the first shrimp croquette, it was full of brown shrimp, very shrimpy.  Surely the fish shop knows what they are doing, so I went to the fish shop.  I asked what were their kibbling, and they said cod, so I asked for a portion of fish and a shrimp croquette.  The fish were nice, and the shrimp croquette was spicier but a lot less shrimp.

I decided to save a tiny amount of money by taking regional train/bus to the airport.  

Distance travelled on foot, approximately 8 miles.

Dutch food:

Dutch crisps, garlic

Dutch Sausage roll

Siroopwafel

Kibbling, cod

Garnalkroket, shrimp x 2

Dutch cheese roll

Day 5 The Netherlands - The Hague

I borrowed a bicycle and went around The Hague.

I first went to the Hague market.  It is very similar to English markets.  The Dutch loves fried fish so much, the few fried fish market stalls were already busy before noon, but why can't they just state what fish they are?  Then I cycled to the organic market, which was very quiet with very few stalls, possibly due to Christmas time.

Then I cycled to the Peace Palace again, and popped into the visitor centre.  I cannot believe they charges for toilets, so I left.  I cycled to the International Criminal Court, they closed for the holiday, otherwise I could have went in for a tour.

Last of all, I cycled to the Mall of the Netherlands, which is a Westfields.  I had a walk around.  Their Haribo also doesn't sell normal fizzy cola anymore!

I cycled back, we spent the rest of the afternoon setting up a new game.  We went out for dinner and came home for a game.

Distance travelled on foot, approximately 3 miles.  Distance travelled on bike, approximately 15 miles.

Dutch food:

Dutch chocolate biscuit

Dutch hotdog

Day 4 The Netherlands - The Hague

I walked around the Hague for two hours whilst my friend was at the climbing wall.  We had lunch at a pub.

We went to see the coast, we saw some wind turbines, possibly Dutch.  

We went home for dinner, we had pasta and more sausages, it was 94% pork, which was quite nice.

We played a board game viticulture.

Distance travelled on foot, approximately 7 miles.

Dutch food:

Dutch beef stew

Bitterballen

Dutch/Heineken Cider

Dutch sausage

Day 3 The Netherlands - Amsterdam / The Hague

Final day in Amsterdam.  I had a morning coffee in a local cafe.  Their little treats look awfully like chopped up pain au chocolat.

I walked into town, picked up another few snacks and zigzagged to the station.

Since I still have time, I had another ferry hop.

I got into the Hague.  There were a few things shut on Christmas day in Amsterdam, there were many things shut in the Hague.  I walked to my friend's flat and settled in.

We popped by the Peace Palace before dark and went back out to have dinner in a Cantonese restaurant, it was okay.

Distance travelled on foot, approximately 5 miles.

Dutch food:

Chicken Sausage roll

Mokka Gebakjes

Day 2 The Netherlands - Amsterdam

Forecast was bad so I just tried to make the most out of it.

I went to a local cafe, Berry, to have a Dutch breakfast.  Followed by a local craft market and a stroll at the food court. 

Then I went back via another supermarket called Jumbo to drop off dinner and straight back out to the Christmas Market had an overpriced sausage.

I popped in the Diamond Museum, had a look at their workshop.

I went to complete the evilness with some chips.  Faber has 3 or 4 men managing the queue...

It started raining, and I cannot believe the Dutch Boots were selling very substandard umbrellas.  The rest of the afternoon was trying to dry off.

Distance travelled on foot, approximately 4 miles.

Dutch food:

Dutch cheese on bread

Rookworst Sausage

Friet

Bread

Chicken sausage

Day 1 The Netherlands - Amsterdam

The forecast was dry, so I had to make the most out of it.

I got up relatively early.  I first walked towards city centre, I even walked past the red light district before noon.  I got some croquettes and got some extra food from Aldi and came back to the hostel.

I had a little rest then went back to town from another main streets, then I remember, there were "free" ferries.  So I walked to the pier and took different ferries back and forth, gave my legs a little rest. 

I also remember the homomomument.  So I paid a visit.

I walked back via Lidl, bough more food.  Then back to the hostel.  Both Aldi and Lidl were slow, compared with their counterpart in England and Germany.

I really wanted to go to the Christmas Market whilst dry, but I really cannot moved further...  So I settled in.

Distance travelled on foot, approximately 12 miles.

Dutch food:

Veal Croquette

Beef Croquette

Cheese Soufflé

Special Croquette, chicken and beef

Apples

Bread

Ham

Eierkoeken

Day 0 The Netherlands - Amsterdam

It turned out to be a very long day, long windy day.

I booked a cheap, split journey to the airport.  We left the house in good time, bumped into the neighbour, and a chat, then we had to speed walk to the station!

Once I got to the airport, I waited and got a Too Good To Go. It was acceptable, but it was the cheapest thing I could get at the airport.

I already got a notification that the plane is delayed, due to high wind, Storm Pia.  After one and a half hour, we boarded.

It was very bumpy, even the takeoff was a little hairy.  It was not helped by the "sound effect" of all the children oooing and ahhing.  When we landed, there were applauds...  Amsterdam was warmer than Manchester.

Instead of taking the train into town centre and walk two miles, I took the train one stop into the suburb and walked from there for 2.5 miles.  Except, road diversion and getting lost, it was closer to 3 miles.

I finally checked in and went to the supermarket to get some basics.  What a long day.

Distance travelled on foot, approximately 5 miles.

Dutch food:

Bread

Turkey?

Traveling Essentials

In-date GHIC, phone with roaming facilities, old EURO in the piggy bank, debit card with reasonable exchange rate.  All set to go.

Darlington Market

We had lunch at the Urban Deli in the Darlington Market.  It was very reasonable priced, the warm soup and the toastie were very good.

More Chestnuts

We bought a few chestnuts from the local green grocer, they were supposedly Italian, and they were massive.  I preferred the Spanish M&S ones this year.

Air Fried Chestnuts

They turned out much better than oven baked.

Vehicle to Grid

Someone in the inverter industry doesn't understand the point of vehicle to grid, worrying... Why do I want to buy a new battery when I have a battery on wheel, and it can also contribute to grid stability, why not?

Birmingham Christmas Market

I popped by the Birmingham Christmas Market.  Their overpriced sausages were cheaper than Leeds.  I even had a curry wurst, but the ones in Germany were better.

Chocolatey Cocktail

My colleagues ordered a chocolatey cocktail, and I said, "is that an orgasm?"  They were confused.  One of the colleagues knows about it.  I looked at their menu, it is missing some key ingredients to be an orgasm, nevermind.

Too Good Its Gone

 I booked a Too Good to Go, only had it cancelled, so disappointed!

PV Project Snag

This installation could have been better in so many aspects...  #

Snagging ongoing.

Christmas Party

I helped Sarah hosting this year's galette party.  I think it went well.

Late Harvest Carrot

Late harvest carrots, once frozen, it turned out infinitely better I imagined them would be.

 

Hot Springs

I think hot spring is just hot springs.  But my cousin thinks the sulphuric hot spring is more authentic.

Near Zero Production

We are getting closer to Winter Solstice, the day is getting shorter, with a bit of cloud, some days I am getting practically zero production from the PV system.

The other day, it was generating 38W, and I moved the snow, it was still only generating less than 100W.  We just have to accept the Winter!

Annual Christmas Light Repair Session

Once a year we take the old christmas light out, we bypassed the old dead bulbs to get as much bulbs lit as possible.  That's now done for another year.

Conservatory Payback

My PV system should be paying me back in 9 years.  How do I calculate the payback on my conservatory?  I am not convinced a hard roof would have that much "added value" either.

Holiday Home Multi Listing

My sister has heard horror story on holiday home booking websites. It doesn't help that the one she looks at is listed in multiple websites and their calendars are not synced. Let's hope for the best...

Gym Membership

I picked up a gym membership on Black Friday sale again.  It is extra good price as the single price has gone up to prohibitive. My local gym has been refurbished, I am looking forward to going more.

Garden After Hard Frost

After the snow came, the garden looks a lot deader.  I have cleared off a little more.  I worked so hard that I snapped my shovel handle...

Garforth Repair Cafe

Garforth Repair Cafe is definitely a lot more organised.  I am glad I went and I helped a little.  Whatever the problem is, we should always start at level 0 basic investigation...

Conservatory Modernisation

I am now thinking how to modernise the conservatory.  I don't know why solid roof become so trendy...

Office Move

A few of us moved the office, it was hard work.  We are now closer to the coffee, but further from the shower!

Honey Roasted Cashew

These honey roasted cashew from Grape Tree does taste of honey, interesting.

Does the Cam Freeze

My sister asked me a random question, "does the Cam freeze?".

I answered no before I look up the answer.  I am pretty much right, the last time it froze, supposedly, 1997. 

Overpriced Sausages

I already had an overpriced sausage in York Christmas Market, I was tempted to get one from Leeds.  I priortised being in a warm bus this time.

Saving Session

Octopus Saving Sessions are back.  I have "saved" 0.21kWh on my first session.  It is not much, but I think I am saving the planet by sitting in the dark.

Black Friday Deals

I am not usually tempted by thr Black Friday Deals, but we did see some irresistible deals!  let's hope they turn out as good as they look online.

Double Checking Solar Math

Ruth kept saying she feels she is getting more Sun than predicted.  At first I thought she was just feeling positive, then I double checked her quote, I think her solar design was wrong, the solar prediction was wrong, which is very strange, because we uses the same software. Either way, I wouldn't recommend anything different.

Iceland Blue Dragon Crispy Duck

We bought a crispy duck from Iceland.  It is okay, I found the sauce being a bit acidic. 

Ham Hock Shortage

Not only Mackenzies stopped selling ham hocks, Marr Grange also sold out theirs!  Why is it so hard to get one?!

Hotel Too Good To Go

I picked up some Too Good To Go leftover breakfast from a Hotel.  It was really good and generous!  It is a little evil to have it all myself!

Weekday York

We went to have a walk in York before Yan going back on the train.  We went to Clifford's Tower, it has been recently renovated, and it is very well done.

Christmas market is already on, so we had a easy weekday morning stroll, so much more pleasant than a weekend chaos!

Weekday Harrogate

I took Yan to Harrogate and we managed to get into Betty's within 3 minutes of arrival.  We were there for 2 hours.  I am not too impressed with their Kedgeree.

I am sad that Mackenzies no longer does ham hock, if they are not selling anything unique, I don't see why I would need to return...

Yan continues to support Yorkshire economy!

York Designer Outlet

I took Yan to York Designer Outlet, and she was supporting the Yorkshire economy!  I wasn't much help when it comes to shopping.

Bye Bye Tetley

We went to The Tetley, it might be the last time before it is shut.

London Air

When I got out of King's Cross, I think the air was better than I remembered.  Was it the ULEZ or just the proliferation of electric and hybrid cars.

Leeds District Heating

I went to listen to Leeds Pipes talk about Leeds district heating.  It is interesting.

Lüften

Lüften means airing out the house, which I also love to do.  It could be inefficient, but it is less inefficient if you hadn't actually heated the house.  I think only mechanical ventilation can reduce this practice of manually opening windows.

Not Jerusalem Artichokes

The flower that I thought was Jerusalem Artichoke, turned out not to be Jerusalem Artichoke.  Anyway, I had to thin they out away from the path.

Persuaded Hinges

My door was slightly catching as the top hinge dropped.  I was about to buy some replacement hinges, and I saw a video, they just took the pin out and bend the knuckles back?!  My little 3" hinge pins were not removeable, so I just bashed them with a mallet, and it worked!  Sorted, few quid saved!

Pigeon-Proof Bird Feeder

So only small birds can get into our new birdfeeder, even a little robin was struggling to squeeze in.  I saw on the video that dangle chains around the bird feeder also deters pigeons, so I put a bird feeder out with chain, let see if it works.

Watercress

Watercress in Cantonese is called "Western Vegetable".  Now it all make sense, they are from here!

Patisserie Valerie Afternoon Tea

So after the saga 5 years ago, I finally got around to getting a Patisserie Valerie Groupon. It was nice.

Curry Week

We first had some home made Japanese curry on Tuesday, then we had some Bangladeshi curry from the local curry house, then back to home made Chinese curry.  They are all very mild, and they are not helping in keeping us warm!

Heating On

I finally gave in and turned the heating on!  Actually once it got to temperature, it does last a little while.

RHS Bridgewater

Last time we only went to the cafe, this time we finally went into RHS Bridgewater, except half of the garden was closed to public due to a fungal outbreak...  When will we get to see the garden!

Garden Touring in the Rain

We stopped by Abbeywood Gardens, it was pouring down, I passed!  I will be having a cup of tea inside. And they overcharged me for my pot of tea...

Castle Day

Continue our North Wales Cadw exploration, we did Harlech, Criccieth, Caernarfon and Plas Mawr in the same day, that was a lot of stairs!

And Rhuddlan the day before.

Quids in!

Rusty Chester Waitrose

We were looking for stops on our Westbound journey, and I found Chester Waitrose, not only it was a Waitrose, is one of those "rusty" building.  Shame the coffee machine wasn't working!

Sun in the Eye

On my early drive South, a van hit the barrier and rolled across the road, and when I was inching past it, I can totally see, rather not see, because the Sun was in the eye.  We should always be careful for adverse driving condition, not just weather.

Space2 Sewing

After helping out at the repair cafe and made acquaintance with Space2, I went to use their sewing machine to make some alteration to my curtains.  I cannot believe it took me altogether 2 hours, but it would have taken much longer if I have done everything by hand!

Garforth Halloween

The two big houses at the top of my street had decorations on, although I am near a primary school, I am far enough from the other main residential streets.  Maybe, maybe I don't have to hide in the dark anymore!

Squirrel Proof Bird Feeder

We got a "Squirrel proof" bird feeder.  The fat balls are going down very slowly, and I have not seen the birds.  We finally saw a few birds, the chubby ones were struggling, but the smaller ones have no problems.  I supposed that is for the best.

Post Covid Dining

We went to one of our old haunts with one of our Groupons.  Not much changes, expects things got more expensive.  We love midweek deals.

Chess Scoring II

 In order to get high score,  you must get an unforetunate dumb opponent. 

Beef Rib

Not all ribs are the same.   We picked up some beed rib,  they were not "short ribs",  aka meaty bits.   So the meat to bone ratio wasn't very good.  Lesson learnt...

Magic Cheese Scone

I had a cheese scone in a garden centre,  it was very nice,  and the magic ingrident is... sugar. 

Vanity House Projects

I only just starting to understand, some people's PV projects are mere vanity.  Solar panels are to accessorizes the house, and any unnecessary "upgrades" are just vanity.  I prefer my equipment at home to be purposeful.

vanity
noun
van·​i·​ty ˈva-nə-tē
pluralvanities
Synonyms of vanity
1
: inflated pride in oneself
2
: something that is vain, empty, or valueless

je ne sais quoi

 I personally equate je ne sais quoi to whatchamacallit.

Benedetta

I just watched a file on a nun in middle ages called Benedetta, apparently it was based on true story.  It is pretty good.

Ultra Low Voltage Capacitors

Someone's sewing machine pedal stopped working, and was thought it was the capacitor.  They bought some ultra low voltage capacitor, rather than the 230V rated.  I am not sure what you can do with those capacitors, robots?

On the other hand, the lead was very old and it has a nick, it is best if they replace the whole lead.

Sewing Machine

I was playing with Janome sewing machine.  I didn't have an instruction manual, so it took me a while to look up online for a video explain how they work, I got it working at the end.

Solar Positive

One of our friends has a very happy with her new solar PV system.  I have very happy that she is happy with her installation.

Mortice Lock

I am so used to uPVC door cylinders, I only just fully understand what a Mortice lock is.  Ultimately, the wooden door is probably the weak point than the lock itself.

Writer's Strike

American writer strike is finally over.  I am looking forward to all the comedy and walk shows.

Zero Waste Failure

It looks like the zero waste fad is dying down.  I went all the way to the "sustainability store" to get some loose product, in particularly, I wanted pistachio, but their zero waste section has shrunk down to the corporate sponsored products and literally the handful of cheap yet best selling products?  I am disappointed.  

When a robot can fills a bag precisely, why would you let an untrained human pay for the privilege to fill a bag and waste food?

The Farewell

The Farewell was free on Channel 4.  I knew about the movie, but I never got around watching it.  It was pretty good, fairly realistic.  On the other hand, who is red star?  What a massive product placement.

Ripley Top

Potentially the last diary ice-cream in the year, I went for a "Ripley Top". It was nice.

 

Boil the Kettle Question

When looking at the PV system, I wonder, can you boil a kettle with it (without drawing from grid)?  And the answer is often no.  Apparently that is probably true even if you have a battery.  What is the point?

Solution: get a slowing kettle...

Fishy Miso

I picked up some miso from the shop.  Sarah saw the fish and asked if it was miso, then I said it if definitely miso.  When I read the ingredients, it contains fish!  It turns out to be very nice.

Shone

The Sun shone,  s'hone.

"What? "

Shone,  past tense of shine.

"You mean the Sun shone,  shaun? "

No,  the Sun shone,  so I have a scone.

Unless you mean,  the Sun shaun,  you have a s'gone. 

Air Fryer Chips

Aldi was doing potato on their super six,  and I took the opportunity to practice my air fryer chips!   Pretty good I must say. 

Late Sprouting

Autumn has set in,  I tried to sprout some basil.   One has sprouted,  but we are not sure it can grow much more the rest of the year...

Hawes Yarnbombers

We rode to Hawes and saw the impressive handy work by the Hawes Yarnbombers.  Let's hope their installation will help the funsraising effort in aid of Yorkshire Air Ambulance. 

York Unlocked

We went to York to look at a few historic buildings for free.  They are either normally closed to public or chargeable.   I went to Bar Convent the first time and the Guildhall was interesting.   Definitely will be going to York for York Unlocked next year. 

Brazilian BBQ

We went to our first Brazillian BBQ for lunch.  With the recent practice,  I did not overload,  too badly.

If a normal mixed grill is 16 quid,  why not supersize it,  throw in a decent salad for 20? 

Holgate Windmill

Last time we were at Queen's Mill,  Castleford,  they mentioned Holgate.  I finally got around to visit on an open day and bought some flour.   Let see if they are any good! 

Unnecessary Click and Collect

I was in this big chain homeware store looking for the discounted compost.   The shopkeeper said it much have run out.   I looked online,  reserved them and went back to the store.  

If they are not using their floor space or all the browsers,  then what is the shop for? 

Off-Grid PV

My neighbour insists he wants his system off-grid.  I was curious, so I clicked around on Open Solar.  I am not convinced his decision was well informed.

Post Covid Buffet

So I went to the first buffet since the pandemic.  It was above par, which was good.  And I had it at lunch, so I had plenty of time to digest.  For a tenner, I had a big lunch, these days, you need like 7 quid for a normal lunch, so I might as well!

MG4

I had a try on an MG4.  Apparently Morris Group is wholly Chinese owned and Chinese make.

The car was pretty good, the adaptive cruise control was also pretty good.  Then I saw one of these MG4 malfunctioned on the news, scary!

Scan Tat

Some say Scandinavian are minimalist, but clearly they also like tat, otherwise there wouldn't be Flying Tiger or Søstrene Grene.

Leamington Spa

The last time I was in Leamington Spa, I was changing on the train, I didn't really look at the town.  This time we had a good look at the town, it has so much shops!  Who knew! This well hidden shopping paradise?!

Soft Close Hard Open

We finally got around to replace the hinges with soft close hinge, but little do we know, it also spring open!

Leeds Bread Coop Child

I have raised the Leeds Bread Coop fetus into a productive child.  But I think the child is already starting to diverge from her mother!

Treeless Gap

 We only went to Sycamore Gap two months ago.  Some bastards fell the tree!

Smaller PV

My PV is oversized, so I can save the planet by feeding in low carbon electricity for the masses.  On the other hand, if you want to optimise for payback, you should just get "enough" to offset your energy bill.  Selling to yourself is always the biggest return.

Eufy on Loan

I put Eufy to work nearly everyday, and she has been a good little worker, sometimes too keen. 

She is now on loan.  But without setting up a new wifi, she cannot be scheduled, even if you have the app, they do not talk directly apparently.  So far she has been picking up loads of dust, exactly what we want.

History or Philosophy

David told me he saw a discussion on Muslim conquest's affect on Spanish culture and identity.  I think can either be discussed as a history topic or a sociology and philosophy, but their views does not converge.  It is always good to laydown ground rules or discussion before jumping into it.

Leeds Bread Coop Mother

Leeds Bread Coop has always make their mother dough available.  When we were this, they actually had some boxed ready to go.  When I say box, I mean some 10mL worth of it.  Let's see if I can keep this fetus alive!

Lesvos

After listening to a bunch of old podcast, Lesvos has moved up the bucket list.  Greece, it would make a good Winter destination.

Another website with the Lesvos URL mentions about the refugees, which I totally forgot about.  But supposedly they are gone, and the island would like the tourists to come back.

Rachel Dolezal

It is an old news, I cannot believe I have not blogged about her.  Rachel Dolezal, what a character.

Beryl E-bike Leeds

Electric bikes have started to appear in the city centre.  It is really designed for the people on the Otley Road corridor, so not sure I would get to use it.

ULEZ's Revenge

Did the idiots reverse the decarbonise target in response to the ULEZ decision to keep the air clean in the big city?

Radiator Flossing

Before Autumn sets in, it is time to clean the radiators.  My feather dusters aren't quite long and slim enough, so I managed to get one from the market.  It worked well enough, maybe it can never be 100% dust free.

Rollover Hamburger

I had a Rollover hamburger, yellow label, it is weird.  They should keep to their hotdogs.

Time Sensitive Token

Authentication token is typically a code generator using time.  My phone is always ahead, and that resulted in my token being invalid!  I doubt the telephone support would ever be able to work it out.  I am glad I sorted it out myself.

Unflurry Mcflurry

We went to a local McDonald's, I cannot believe they didn't flurry my Mcflurry!

Bye Bye Whinmoor

Sale has completed!  Shame we haven't had the opportunity to use the Starship robots when we were around.

Wilko Closing Sale

I have been to Wilko twice just to see what else I can pick up before they disappear.  I did find a few things I wanted, and a few that the liquidation sale gave me the necessary encouragement.  I wish we had bought more!

White Chocolate Digestives

They were on the shelves, and I was slightly tempted to buy.  Then when were met McVitie's in Halifax, they haven't brought any with them.  I finally tasted one, it is awful.

Innate Wolves

Just ban all dogs, they will always be wolves.

Honest Government Ad by Juice

The Juice Media makes funny videos that really makes you cry inside...

Free Starters

 We went to redeem the free Pho starter voucher we for from York.  It is extra nice when it is £free"!

Roasted in Harlow Carr

I have not been back to Harlow Carr for over 10 years.  I barely talked around because of the scotching temperature!

Easy Fenugreek

Fenugreek is this year's microgreen champion, it is unbelievably easy to grow and travels well!

Random Stickers

We forgot the usefulness of the stickers.  We repurposed the message board by covering the sponsored company names.  We also cover up some old doodles with stickers, so useful.

Not-So-Micro Green

When I grow microgreen with compost, I will throw the compost out with the last few unharvestable microgreen.  They actually turn into something bigger in the new environment, which is still edible.

Lettuce Failure

We sprouted the seed from last year's lettuce, all of them died apart from one.  This last one was developed another pair of leaves until it also wilted in the heat...  I give up on trying to grow lettuce!

Superglue Surplus

I hate it when I broke something and I need superglue to fit it.  I hate it even more to have to by=uy a tube of superglue and leaving it dry as there are not many things else needing it.

This time, at least I used another drop on another thing.

RSPB For Cars

We went to the Motorist.  I made the analogy of RSPB for cars.  We go there to see rare, weird and flashy cars, and us sparrows and pigeons can go too.

September Heatwave

Just when people thinks the summer was over, we are hit by another heatwave.  My carrots were looking a little sad.  I really did not ask for this much Sun.

Don't Forget Tanya

Need batteries?  Call Tanya!

How could I have forgot about her!

Promote Wholefoods

Eating "Ultra-processed food" is clearly the eater's choice (usually).  UPF is here to stay because we are all lazy.  Instead of demonising UPF, which essentially we are demonising human, which is already done.  We should be promoting wholefoods.

The Battery Saga

So Danby's battery died and the car won't crank over.  It is 9 years old, so I am certain it was the culprit.  After trying to jump her, unsuccessfully, I asked the neighbour to move his car so I can scoot back and let Pizza out.  Ever so helpful, he chimed in it could be the alternator.

I left the car on charge whilst we were out, the battery charged up from 9V back to 12V, but it still won't crank over.  So I started battery shopping. 

I first searched for mobile battery fitting.  Halfords somehow does not do my battery.  I clicked through Nationals, and placed an order, only to be cancelled after they decided they do not do mobile fitting and their sister Halfords does not stock it.  Useless.  Nationals also do not do delivery, so that is them out.

The whole time I was screaming "'ow much?!"  These days car batteries are close to £200!

So I thought I would just pay over the odd and get AA to come, so I placed an order, only to be told there is an additional surcharge, so sack that.

I contacted some mobile mechanics and Whocanfixmycar.  Some of them quoted, automatically, only to confirm they don't do mobile fitting.  One mechanic quoted, wanting £120 for a cheap battery and £60 to fit.  When I asked him to get a different one, he wouldn't, so let's park that.  One other mobile mechanic, recommended by Steve, wasn't that keen to quote, when I told him I am getting the battery and he said he would fit at £40, but didn't give availability.

I looked at a few videos online, it seems straight forward enough.  One video said I would need to reset the ECU, but the rest didn't so I kept my fingers crossed.

So I ended up getting a Yuasa from GSF.  I waited and waited, and it was delivered by UPS at 4:30pm.  I decided to do it myself, I put the battery in and Danby started, hurray!  I took her out on a spin, to the tip with bags of gardening waste and the battery.

Danby was so happy that, her Start/Stop started almost straight the way.

Tree Pruning

I started tidying the trees and overgrown bushes.

Then we got onto the bigger stuff. The Hollies were over 3 meters, so I had to chop the top off, this is some 1.5 meter of height. Endless!

On the plus side, I am getting a lot more morning Sun.

'Ow Much

I have plenty of practice of the Yorkshire War Cry!  

Garden Centre Sunday Roast

We had a Sunday Roast from Garforth Garden Centre.  I didn't have high expectation, and I wasn't disappointed.

Aberford Show

We popped to see the Aberford show.  They managed to get the Lord Mayor of Leeds to give away awards.  

We were very disappointed that all the pubs in Aberford was shut.

Anvil Secateurs

I finally got an anvil secateurs, it still twists a little.  Useless...

Sun Hat Functions

We bought a hat from a charity shop, it has a short tab, on the outside.  We still haven't figured out what is its function.

Free Click and Collect

No more free click and collect from Sainsbury's anymore!  I guess I will have to actually go to a shop!

Deadheading on Tree

We all know to dead head flowers, but most people cannot be bothered to deadhead the flowers on tree!  So it took me a whole week to trim back dead branches and remove years of old fruits on the two little trees!  Let's hope they are happier with the improved air flow.

Car Best Buy

Someone asked me what is the best car, I don't know what to say.  It is down to usage and ultimately personal choice.

Overgrown Clematis

We finally got around to take down the overgrown Clematis, 30 years overgrown!  We removed 2 bulk bags worth of materials from it.  If they come back next year, we will keep a close supervision on them.

Calderdale Pride

We went to Calderdale (Halifax) Pride.  It was a fun day out.  I was very happy McVities was there.  It saw shame Nestle wasn't!

Dormer Solar Problems

In additional to all the problems I hate about the dormers, insulation, flat roof, etc.  A new one is emerging, the disabling effect on solar installation.  You would have to install the solar panel around it, where the dormer will cast a shadow over.  The dormer flat roof is unlikely to be able to take additional panels and they have to be placed on load spreaders.

LifeWire Electric Motorcycle

LiveWire, formerly known as Harley Davidson Livewire, was having a demo day near me, so I went to have a go on one.

It rides like a bike, which was a good start.  The suspension was set to stiff, so it was a bit bumpy.  Other than the price and the charging issue, its a good bike.

Topcliffe Pork Ribs

Just when I finished paying the for the hamhock and the beef rib, I asked about the pork ribs.  Pork ribs were listed on the board, but it wasn't behind the counter.  As soon as I asked for it, I can see to the back butcher counter, someone just trimmed out the ribs from the carcass.  I then asked for half of a rack.

It made very good BKT.

Plant Identification Jerusalem Artichokes

I was clicking around watching gardening videos, then I came across Jerusalem Artichokes, it looks awfully similar to something I have in the garden.  I went out and check, I am now convinced it is Jerusalem Artichokes.  We shall find out in the Winter...

Topcliffe Beef Rib

I saw the beef rib on the counter, so I asked for one rib.  Then obviously, it will not fit in the pot, so I asked for it to be sawn in half, he joked that would be two ribs.

I have slow cooked the beef rib, and finished off in the air fryer.  It was really nice!

Methley Bridge Farm Shop

Methley Bridge Farm Shop, on the other hand, was a little disappointing.  They are more a sandwich shop than a farm shop.  They were selling packaged meat from Malcolm Michaels. 

Topcliffe Hamhock

I have been meaning to check out Topcliffe Grange Farm.  It is right off a 60 miles per hour road, so I kept missing it.

I managed to turn in.  It is very much a farm shop, vegetable and meat.  The few customers before me were buying large quantity of meat, some 40 sausages or 5kg worth of mince, I wasn't.

There some were prices on the table, but they have missed out the ham hock.  I bought a ham hock for £3.  It was acceptable, but nothing to write home about.

Wakefield Statue

Whilst we were in Wakefield, we checked out the statue that made the news, the Amazonian Love God. It is cute, and inoffensive (apart from the prominent codpiece), I don't know why some people complained about it.

Wakefield Cathedral Kitchen

We saw one of old food video about the Wakefield Cathedral Kitchen, a cafe.  I double checked online to make sure they serve breakfast.  We finally went to visit it, and it was closed!  A year ago!  So I did the community service to update on a few online directory, let's hope fewer people go and left empty handed.

Folding Bike Town Cycling

I took the folding bike to town again.  I am slowly understanding the benefit of a folding bike in a city.  For a start, being able to store it inside, not having to bring a lock, and much safer.

Wheel Alignment

My wheel alignment apparently was out, slightly bit, that was enough to ruin my tyres.  On the other hand, you cannot just get it adjusted every few months.  If you go to get them check, they will always find misalignments.  Fewer wheels are better.

Britain's Horror Homes

I was watching an old TV programme, Britain's Horror Homes.  It justifies so many of my fears.

Leeds' Pride

We went as early birds again, they have expanded the stalls to the City Square, which was good.  The weather held up, an excellent day out.

Queen's Mill

I went to Queen's Mill once for an event, I saw some flour, but I don't think anyone was taking the payment for the Mill, so I didn't get any.  I went back, the miller was showing us around, telling us how he mills the flours. The flour is very reasonably priced, so we bought a couple, let hope they are good!

National Tyres is now Halfords

I was doing some tyre shopping.  National and Halfords price were so similar!   Then saw the banner saying National isnow Halfords! 

Bargain Hunt at Holland and Barrett

I popped in a Holland and Barrett to check out for bargains.   I came out with a fully loaded tote bag for less than a tenner! 

Interdental Brushing

I got retaught how to clean teeth.   Apparently flossing is out,  interdental brushing is in...

Saving Account Interest

For a long time,  flex saving accounts were paying anything.   Now it is!  I left a few hundreds in for a few days,  that was enough to show some interest! 

Tons of Fire Wood

My neighbour had just received a delivery of a couple tons of fire wood, there were some 6 bulk bags worth of wood, in Summer!  Surely it was some kind of special offer.

McLaren In Real Life

 I was at the Motorist over the weekend, and I saw a McLaren in real life.  It is £150k worth of car!

Happy Valley Pride

I popped by the old haunt Hebden Bridge to check out the Happy Valley Pride.  It was very nice atmosphere, and I had a crepe for lunch. 

General Heath Advises

Coming out of the supermarket with a bag full of evil food, I saw the sign at the pharmacists' door saying Free Blood Pressure test, so I thought, might as well, I hasn't had one done for a year.

My readings were good, but I got a obligatory general health messages, beware of caffeine, hydration, beware of sodium and spices, exercises.

New Bike in Town

My first outing with my newly acquired folding bike was straight into city centre!  I am not sure she should have a name, none of my bicycle had a name. 

Single gear is a bit hard work!

 

Bye Bye Film

I have sold all my film cameras!  Bye bye 35mm films.

Electric Scooters

I was walking around a trading estate waiting for my garage to open, and I came across Man Firth, a electric scooter shop.  Apparently some electric scooters can go up to 60 miles per hour.  Absolutely crazy!

Keelham Ham Hock

I could not recommend Keelham as a cafe destination, their kiosks were chaotic.  Food service were not brilliant, there really is no reason to go for an overpriced sandwiches and sausage rolls there.

Their farm shop offerings were reasonable.  I picked up a ham hock, it was mild but nice.  It was on a small side, but I could believe it came from a happy pig.

Photovoltaic System Batteries

There are actually three issues when it comes to a PV system batteries, most people only focus on their calculation on the batteries itself.

First of all, the additional wiring and the additional fire risks.

Second, you would need a hybrid inverter, which costs significantly more than a standard inverter.

Lastly, the batteries.  The calculation really hinges on the lifespan of the batteries.  The expected lifespan has goes from hundreds to some claims 4000s.  Even if we assume best case scenario having 4000 discharge cycle at 90% caps, it is less than 11 years assuming single full discharge nightly, will the battery be able to pay itself back within that time?

Cumberland Sausage Curl

We were adamant that we should get a proper curly Cumberland sausage. We got it from Plumgarths.  The longest one they do is 1.8kg!

Before

After

Boating on Esthwaite Water

Esthwaite Water

And we saw the osprey. 

Gaia at Durham

We finally has the chance to look at Gaia.  I think we have been moon gazing for millennia,  the moon will always be more impressive. 

Dramatic Sycamore Gap

I think the weather is always dramatic in Northumberland.

Microgreen Tricks

There was a stall selling microgreen in Garfeast.  I took the opportunity to pick their brain.  I cannot wait to try out their sprouting methods, namely in the dark.

Incredible Edible Garforth

Incredible Edible Garforth was in Garfeast. I took the opportunity to compliment them on their produce.  I took some free seeds to have a go.

Radios

The toy radios had work very well when we have limited phone signals.  Long may the toy lives.

Underground Bakery

Underground Bakery was in Garfeast.  We have tried a sourdough, it was quite nice.

Courgette Season Begins

We have already harvested 4 courgettes.  Let the courgette season begins!

We watched the video about end rot, it has to do with the bees not doing the job properly, we must not kick ourselves for the evenuality.

Homemade Japanese Curry II

So I tried to make the curry using S&B, and their standard recipe, as a basis. I used a braising seasoned spiced broth in place of the stock.

It turns out well.   Lets the experiment continues! 

Homemade Japanese Curry I

We tried to make a Japanese style curry adapting for limited spice mix.

It was edible, there was a umami that reassemble it at time.  

We really need to try it with proper S&B spice. 

Coop Membership

Unlike other supermarket loyalty scheme,  Coop loyalty is a membership with a subscription fee.  

Now Coop is one of my nearest supermarket,  I have been contamplating joining. 

I finally joined today,  and I already earn my membership fee back,  excellent!

S&B Curry Powder

We have finished off the Japanese curry paste from Hong Kong.   Spurred on by the recent curry experience, instead of picking up another curry block,   I picked up some S&B curry powder to cook like a Japanese. Lets the experiment begins!

Streaker

As it turns out,  streaker also means something else.

I checked the dictionary,  running naked is further down the definition list than the normal meaning of streak. 

Streaker Snack

We got some posh snack called Streaker.  They are normally sold at posh places,  but we picked them up from a discount store.   They are quite nice. 

Farewell Cameras

After selling a camera to the camera shop.  I put the rest online.  It only took two days to sell one for the Fujicas.   Let's hope the rest sells well too.

Chat Bot II

So the Chat Bot claims to know Chinese language.   Its command in Chinese is even worse.   Definitely a bot,  block and report. 

Chat Bot

I talked to a person online.  I suspect him/it being a chatbot, inconsistent, incoherent, repetitive, grammatic errors.  Or he is a person failing the Turin test... 

Tuxford Blacksmith

We went to Tuxford for some flour, we were surprise how near the windmill was to A1, we could definitely try to make an effort to go more often.  In addition to the Granary we love, we bought a couple other ones, including Blacksmith.  We were told it will come out black, but it was more like a dark brown.  Anyway, it was an interesting flour.

Hong Kong Barbeque

I did a Hong Kong BBQ for Samuel's family.  So I made a few Hong Kong style things, included a bag of frankfurters and a sweet potato.  Sweet potato was well received by the adult.  Frankfurters were well received by the kids.  Everything is nicer when honey coated.  But I have concluded all chicken franks are awful here...

Temporary Carbon Capture

After listening to a seminar on decarbonisation, it talked about carbon capture, temporary and permanent.  Then I realise, I have a temporary carbon capture system in my house, aka garden with scrubs!  Only if I can quantify the carbon capture capability of it!

Reinventing The Curry

Someone showed me the recipe for "Japanese curry", which includes some liquidised vegetable to thicken it.  I was confused.  I do not know anyone who cooks Japanese curry without using a paste.  So I checked online, and I was right, everyone does use the paste.

Then looking up the history of Japanese curry, it evolved from the English curry a few hundred years ago, with the character of being thickened by flour.

Why do people like to reinvent the curry?  First fried meat imported from Europe into Japan came back as Katsu, and now curry imported from England into Japan comes back as Japanese curry...

Grounds Work Completed

The patio grounds work is done!  Let's the maintenance begin.

Before

After

Cataloguing Photography Assets

It was long overdue, I finally catalogue the cameras and lens, preparing them for sale.  There are 4 cameras, and assorted lens.  Let see if they can go to a better home.

Mesmerism

mesmerize

 
Other forms: mesmerized; mesmerizing; mesmerizes

You meet someone and you can’t take your eyes off them, like you are connected by an invisible cord and can’t break free. Those kinds of people have the power to mesmerize, holding your attention like you’re under hypnosis.

The word mesmerize comes from the last name of 18th century German physician Franz Mesmer, who believed that all people and objects are pulled together by a strong magnetic force, later called mesmerism. If you ever start to feel mesmerized, maybe it’s because you find someone fascinating, or maybe you’ve been hypnotized by a magician. Hard to tell from here.

How can a name become a verb?  I need to stop using this word.

Gardening Extension Lead

One of the overlooked tools for gardening, extension lead...  I am not buying a battery powered kits to be use five times a year.

Lost and Found Digital Images

We are all guilty of not sorting out the digital images and relying on the auto backups.  It took me days to find an image, which I thought I have lost forever.

I really should spend some time sort out my albums.  Physical and digital.

Another Lost Toad

I found another toad, this time around the bins in the front. It hopped away from me and it took some effort before I got it into a bucket, gave it some water and put it at the back garden.

 

Tree Veteranisation

We were in Sherwood Forrest, and I was shock to learn about veteranisation... Poor tortured trees...

Queen of Oz

We have just came back from Sydney, and the Queen of Oz does remind us of why I am was not a fan.

Toy Repair

I was told about damaged battery terminal on a toy radio.   I asked to see it before they go to WEEE bin.   It was actually an easy fix. 

Server Cooling

Liquid cooling for computer has been around for over twenty years.  The latest development of two-phase immersion cooling for servers is quite impressive.

Solar Farming

We have always known about resting the land between crops, or farm something that is regenerative.  What is better than farming solar power and let the land rest for twenty odd years?

Normal COP

The coefficient of performance has improved with the advent of the new refrigerant, they can be in theory as high as 7, however they can still be as low as 2.  And in real life, when the condensers freezes over, I am not sure it can still operate efficiently.

Very East Yorkshire

We went to Spurn discovery centre on the bikes.  It was as far and as wiggly as I remember it...  The cafe was short staffed and short of food, which was quite disappointing.  And all I can see was pigeons and crows...

Water Butt Fill Rate

I estimated my water butt is about 200L.  It took us 4 weeks to run it down in the dry spell.  Although it is only fills by the conservatory roof, it only took 1 day to refill, amazing!

Carnation

There are loads of plants in the garden, which I wasn't planning to add more.  But the local flower sale was selling carnation, so we were tempted.  I cannot wait till they bloom.

Soil Microbiome

I am not too worry about the dish washer killing the soil microbiome, as it is regularly topped up by neighbourhood cats...

Weeding in Rain

We were told weeding in rain is easier, but the recent dry spell means we haven't had the opportunity.  And that I have been working on the patio, so not exactly weeding.

So the moist soil means the plant comes out easier without much digging.  And the added moisture in the root structure meant they are more flexible and less brittle, which means more come out.  On the other hand.  Except I am getting wet, I could do some of the grounds work in the rain also.

Makeshift Gazebo

The parasol only stays in the hole.  Unlike a gazebo, which can be move to where is needed.  So I have to make a shade using my old tarpaulin over where I am working.  It is working poorly, but it certainly helps. 

Rescued Grill

We have adopted an abandoned trolley grill.  It has worked well, I am very happy with it.