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!