Norfolk Birding

We actually saw some birds in the salt marsh in Norfolk, when we don't have much luck in other reserves.

We saw some little egret, lapwings, maybe avocet and a whole lot of black headed gulls.

Cromer

We finally went to the famous Cromer.  There was one thing in my mind, Cromer crab.  Except, it is low season, for the fishers and the crab, we walked all over town and only found one place that sells them.  The crab was very soft, aka delicate.  I rather like my big meaty ones...

Bloaters

So we learnt about bloaters in Great Yarmouth.  And apparently any smoked herring can be called red herring...

Second Hand Smoke

We visited a friend who smoke.  Being winter, they were smoking inside, we were being smoked like a salmon...  We went home to have a second shower and washed everything we wore...

Boxing Day Shopping

I still love to talk about my favourite coat being from Next Boxing day sale.  These days we don't have much hope on that.

We did get some real bargain from the supermarket.  We got tangerine, oranges, duck turkey roulade, mash and a few other goodies for 10 pence each!  What a feast!

Bog Standard Christmas Dinner

Previous years have been beef, this year we had turkey crown.  Some may say we had the bog standard Christmas dinner, cannot ask for more.

Christmas Eve Shopping

We were curious about the potential bargain we could get on Christmas Eve, grocery wise, so we did went out.  We didn't go out that late, so our discounts weren't that crazy, we did grab a few nice things.

Surplus Christmas Dinners

At the work do, there were two/three no-show, that means we had spare dinner, and lucky that we did.  Someone mistakenly ordered the vegan option had a spare to go to.  And those of use shared the seconds.

Cold Day Battery Maintenance

Pizza was struggling to start, and we managed to start it and took her on a spin.  The battery is only 4 years old, it was strange.

Fabric and Frost Protection

When the heating system's thermostat isn't at the coldest place in the house, it really doesn't provide frost protection.  So I bought myself a tubular heater, and I am happy how it is protecting my conservatory.

Gone Fibre

The Black Friday internet deal has finally been delivered.  It is really fast indeed!

Slow Cooker Ham

I cooked a ham in the slow cooker and finished it in an air fryer.  Considering the ham needing to be low cooked, so slow cooker isn't really slower than other low heat cooking.  I shall do it again!

Heat Loss Calculation

I asked Matt about heat loss calculation, he said Q=UADT, which is right.  So I looked online, there are online resources to do so, such as Heatpunk.  It is simple enough to use, beats using an excel spreadsheet.

Leeds Christmas Market 2024

I haven't been back in the Leeds Christmas Market with friends for years.  This year, we went on a weekday, extra quiet, extra pleasant.

They put on a gingerbread light show at the Queen's as a result, they are also hiring additional traffic warden to make sure people don't get too distracted and walk in front of the buses.

Coincidently, there were a lot of police still sorting out a road traffic accident happened earlier in the afternoon.

We finally visited the Northern Monk Market, they were full of fusion food...  Midweek Christmas Market is definitely the way to go.

Challenge Completed

I have progressed well with the Sainsbury's Count Up To Christmas Challenge, but since I have been away, I didn't think I would achieve more.

We went to the shop this weekend, and managed to get closer and closer.  At last, I was 100 points away, and I was not going to fail then!  So I went back in and bought extra vegetable that Sainsbury's want me to buy and viola!  I completed the challenge!  £7.50 worth of Nectar.

Late Advent

We weren't going to get an advent calendar, but since a Lindt one is on marked down, I could not resist.  We had the help from friends to help us catching up, ie eating the chocolate!  It has worked out well, just like the Easter Eggs.

Garage Door Insulation

I used the insulation board to insulate half of the garage door.  I have been looking online ever since.  

Then I checked the rest of the garage door, the bottom third cannot accommodate 1" insulation, so I opted for the foil wrap type insulation.

I taped another layer of bubble wrap for the bottom third for that little more of insulation.

Anywho, it is an absolutely losing battle, because the garage doesn't have a false ceiling, and the roof is the largest area and responsible for the most heat loss...

At least I tried...

Cheap Shoes

I got a pair of quite comfortable shoes in January.  They are already falling apart.  They are still comfortable, just the sole is pretty much gone, and trainers do not let themselves to resoling...  They are in the relegation pile...

Tyre Inflator

Everytime I paid to use the tyre pumps in the petrol station, I have a thought to get my own compressor.  I could even get a battery operated ones, but I am not convinced they will last long enough for their pay back.  I had a food pump, that also failed.  I just have to keep paying to use the maintained industrial compressor at the petrol stations...

Star Shape Flame

Once upon a time, a fellow engineering student was laughing at a research on flame formation and their combustion efficacy.  I not been in academia for decades, but some of the research is still quite, interesting...

Dragon Ball Super

Tom was watching Dragon Ball Super, and I followed suite.  I am fully caught up now.  Let's see when I can see the next ones free on BBC...

Inheritance Tax II

Coincidentally, I went to a seminar on inheritance tax, and the lawyer and the financial advisor expressed the same view of inheritance tax, nothing cannot be solved by careful planning and lifetime wealth disposal.

Dublin - Aftermath

I reckon I walked 6 miles with my heavy backpack.  By the time I got home at late, I just brushed my teeth and slept.

I woke up with a chest pain, and I think it is just muscular skeletal pain...  I got up for a shower and then the massagers are put to work! 

Everything got unpacked and packing for next week, no rest for the wicked... 

Dublin - Day 3

I didn't sleep very well, so I went down for breakfast early, with a lot of mushrooms again.

Then I went to site to one last walk around, and back for second round breakfast, with a lot of mushrooms.  The day before I saw someone with pancakes and I didn't know where they came from.   I finally found it, they were from a machine!

I would have to say the pancake looks better than they tasted.

I was going to sit in our office, but that plan had failed, so I had to wander the city with my heavy back pack!  I wanted to go to sit down in a library, that led me to Chester Beatty, which is no longer a library, but nonetheless, I was able to put my back down and had a rest.  Then I had a look at a Christmas market at Fumbally Stables.

I was able to sit down in a shopping mall for a little while before I went to Bank of Ireland, hoping to see their visitor centre, but as some online comments, it was not open!

I finally went to the airport, and finally had a sit down waiting for the plane, charge up the device and get some work done.

The plane was delayed over an hour, much to my dismay.  I managed to get home before midnight!

Dublin - Day 2

I had a breakfast which includes a lot of mushrooms!

When I nipped out for lunch, came across one of the heaviest downpour I have seen in years!  I was wet in seconds.

Then for dinner, I went for some seafood chowder with seedy soda bread and a cheese cake after, I thought I should try some Irish food afterall.

As it turns out, there are still shop that only accept cash, I went into a shop to see if I can get cash back, but apparently I have to have my physical card, so that failed.

Dublin - Day 1

Only when I got on the A1 Flyer bus I realised I left my wallet at home...  I was able to add my FirstDirect card onto the Apple Pay without the physical card, disaster averted.

My flight was on time and I was in Dublin in mid afternoon still with a bit of light.  I only later found out, I actually bought priority boarding, why did I stand in the slow queue?

I went straight to a Lidl for a snack, but Lidl UK card does not work in Ireland, their staff let me scan theirs, which was nice.

The rain held off so I took the opportunity to walk around and explore.  The evening light show was interesting.

I had some Lanzhou noodles, which I believed to be actually hand pulled. 

Black Friday Best Buy

After some consideration, this year's Black Friday Best Buy (for me) is....... Dimplex tubular heater!

It is the second electric heater I bought this year, it is more expensive than the one I bought earlier, but this is design to serve it's purpose. 

Extra Tax Relief

I was sad that my pension wasn't SMART, but as it turns out, HMRC is actually very helpful!  

Hopeless USB Cables

I don't know why people come to repair cafe for their USB appliances problem when it is clearly a USB cable fault and it is not repairable!  Bin and start again.

Yorkshire Vineyard

We went to a vineyard just a few miles form where I live.  I waited in the car.  The owner likes to chat, so it took a long time before Sarah came out.  Let's hope Ruth like the wine.  If she does, she is getting their wine every year form now on!

Triple Market Day

So we went to Harrogate Christmas market, then we found out the artisan market was also on.  The candy cane express missed the trick, they can definitely move some of the punters down.

On our way home, we popped by the Christmas craft fair in Queen's Mill. 

We bought nothing...