No, they will do the ball-kicky thingy again on Sunday. If they win it will never be finished. It will be talked about for the next 55 years (at least 🙄).
Well, a good day for me in that my new phone screen arrived in less than 24 hours and it has been fitted to my phone without mishap. I now have a shiny, working phone.
Tonight's tea will be some form of chicken curry with rice, and an aubergine dish to use up some of the aubergine that keep being delivered (younger son hates aubergines so get overlooked).
Younger Son is a man after mine own heart: aubergines are in the same food category (if you can call it that) as porridge and Marmite. Someone else can have my share.
Supper was another cheat, but quite nice: a ready-to-mix Caesar salad with all the bits, to which I added the chopped-up meat from the remaining chicken thighs and a chopped avocado. No matter that I only remembered to add the Parmesan shavings when I was half-way through ...
I used my 15% voucher to get a steak, a macaroni cheese ready-meal*, some salmon and a quantity of Doux de Montagne, which is rapidly becoming the house CHEESE chez Piglet now that I can't get Jarlsberg in nice big blocks without rind.
Given the company of some oatcakes and a few grapes, it makes a very satisfactory lunch.
* a rather silly thing for me to have, as I make a rather decent macaroni cheese myself, but for some reason it appealed. I may well add some bacon and tomatoes, just to make it a bit more interesting.
The UK is no longer going to require quarantine for double vaccinated arrivals from amber countries. That means that this summer we should finally be able to see my parents for the first time in a year and a half. They are supposed to be joining us in foie gras land for three weeks in August.
Please cross everything and say your prayers if you're that way inclined. If this gets cancelled, I'll be more disappointed than you can possibly imagine. As will they. Captain Pyjamas is the only grandchild they have, and they haven't seen him since Christmas 2019.
Went out to our fave Turkish restaurant, which was as excellent as ever. The barbecue is in the same space as the dining, so the aromas are mouth-watering. Only regret is you can never finish all the delicious sides of rice, salads, grilled onion and sauces.
This time two years ago we were in Heidelberg buying prams. We all called the bump ‘Baby One’. Now we call her Anuka and she calls herself ‘Anu’. We have video chats with her almost every day.
It's all balls...although at least the Tokyo thing won't be entirely given over to kicking and hitting them, will it?
O, and were there enough STRAWBERRIES to feed the Faithful at the ball hitty thing?
And...and...if In-ger-laaaaaand win the ball kicky thing, Big Friend Boris has promised us an extra Bank Holiday, so that we can all go out and spread Ye Plague even quicklier!
I wonder if he'd have been as quick to declare a Bank Holiday if it had been Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland who had made the final.
It's not even that I don't want England to win - I don't much care either way unless they're playing Scotland - it's the braying about it and taking the credit by Boris and his chums that rankles.
Sorry - Celtic Fringe moment.
This'll be the first time in ages that I haven't seen a single ball hit in anger at Windlebum; I used to be a huge fan, but tbh I haven't really missed it.
It's not even that I don't want England to win - I don't much care either way unless they're playing Scotland - it's the braying about it and taking the credit by Boris and his chums that rankles.
Sorry - Celtic Fringe moment.
My wife - Scottish, living in Wales - feels the same. Here's an article from today's "i" - not necessarily 100% objective, you understand: https://tinyurl.com/4nbpybxa
O well - the ball kicky thingy has at least given Boris an excuse for a bit more cosplay, in the form of a footie T-shirt, he having pretty well exhausted the possibilities (?) of hard hat, white coat, and hi-viz jacket...
Not a sporty person myself but happy to watch football (though the tension is not good for me!).
A good productive day today, I have done some admin, expenses claims and mandatory training in Equality, Information security and GDPR. The latter reminded me that I needed to do the annual spring cleaning of my files. I am feeling very virtuous.
Tension? I just find it tedious. Hour and a half and what 2 goals, three if you're lucky.
And people slag off cricket where the score is in the thousands.
Tension is where Australia are ten ahead, there's one over left and your no. 11 batter who as a bowler can spin a ball so it turns through 90 degrees before it even pitches, but nevertheless at the crease gives the impression he's never held a cricket bat before in his life, is facing the bowling...
I once heard an interview with Phil Tufnell (I think it was) talking about what it was like to go in as number 11 bat against Shane Warne. "You swing at it and then you open your eyes, and Oh God, I'm still in..."
Devon Malcolm. If things were bad enough he had to bat, it was roughly equal chances each ball of a 6 or being out.
Chosen stroke and outcome seemed entirely unconnected to each other or to the delivery. I still remember the commentary "Devon Malcolm facing the bowling now. Place your bets please!"
... Here's an article from today's "i" - not necessarily 100% objective, you understand: https://tinyurl.com/4nbpybxa
Possibly not, but spot on all the same - well said Mr. Campbell (and Mr. Neville for that matter).
Having taken an inordinately long time to get home (the train I would have taken was cancelled due to shortages of staff, and the next one was late due to an Ongoing Police Situation in Falkirk), I was glad of the "instant" macaroni cheese - it may not have been haute cuisine, but I didn't have to cook it or queue up for it.
Now chilling with a bowl of olives*, a glass of WINE and, shortly, the Grauniad crossword.
* if it was a really big bowl, would it be a mount of olives? I'll see myself out.
Interesting wander today - taking bravery in both hands and getting the bus somewhere else, fortunately a pretty empty bus both ways, as mask wearing was patchy. I reckon 19 July is going to be more unsafe, and getting out now is slightly better. We went to a river wildlife park, with apparently otters and bitterns, not that I saw any, just the hides and trail information. There were definitely dragonflies and great crested grebes, and some amazing sculptures. I really liked the metal and wood combinations, huge recreations of insects in metal on wood, like these stag beetles (link). We didn't see all the sculpture trail, because we were also geocaching, and from where we came in we walked 9 miles anyway. Definitely worth doing, and home before the yellow warning rain descended.
Supper was chicken and chorizo kebabs that we found adorned with a yellow sticker yesterday, rice and quinoa mix, coleslaw made with carrots, onion, cabbage and kohlrabi, plus almond Magnum equivalents (vegan version for my daughter, cheap supermarket version for me).
Tea was delivered as per the lockdown Friday custom. We went for a new online only place that claimed to do Hawaiian fusion. I ordered ‘poke bowls’ which turned out to be Japanese style food; raw fish, sushi rice, edamame, pickled seaweed and cucumber, with pickled ginger and wasabi, and accompanied by chicken gyoza and some kind of fish ball. Pudding was overly sweet strawberry cheesecake mochi. Very good food and reasonably priced.
Today's excitement: laundry, possibly a spot of House Work (but don't hold your breath) and an Expotition to Sainz Breeze with the trusty trolley, as my WINE supply is getting very low.
There may be smoked salmon blinis on the horizon somewhere too; I bought a little packet of mini-blinis in M&S yesterday with the thought they might be nice with smoked salmon and cream cheese. I may also toast a couple of them to have with my scrambled eggs for brunch.
I got my my member's badge and certificate in the post today! The Cloud Appreciation Society seem very efficient indeed.
My certificate says:
We do hereby certify that Wesley J joined this society on [date] and will henceforth seek to persuade all who'll listen of the wonder and beauty of clouds.
They send you Cloud-a-Day e-mail, if you so choose, all of which are very instructive.
Some of the English classes I teach are for engineering students, and I've learnt that gases (i.e. clouds) behave like liquids, so I really look forward to finding out more about the wonder and science of clouds!
Clouds aren't gases. They're tiny liquid droplets. Liquids differ from gases in that they are not compressible to any degree, while gases are. That's the basis of hydraulics, and is why air in your brake pipes stops them working.
We upped anchor after the storm front had passed and are now sailing up the channel in some sun, aiming to get into Gosport at high water. A brilliant few days, although I ache all over from using muscles unused to the hauling, etc, for a while.
If happiness is a full fridge, Mr F and I should be ecstatic. Managed both Sainsbury's and Aldi in just an hour, by splitting forces - though it meant we ended up with two blue cheeses (great minds etc).
Steak'n'chips tonight (because Saturday): monkfish with tomato and ginger sauce tomorrow.
I had a rubbish night's sleep, mainly because I knew I had to be up early to help out at our local literature festival. That was daft as I'm a natural early riser anyway. Did my stint, picked up a rather yummy piece of millionaire's shortbread on the way back, and crashed out for an hour or two after eating it with a cup of tea.
I'm now back up and in what @Piglet would call domestic goddess mode. Mind you the first task was transferring the scrappy bit of paper with our notes about things we want to change about our new house to an excel spreadsheet isn't that domestic. Next task re-arrange some of the kitchen cupboards. After having been here six weeks I think its time to review what works and what doesn't
You've been there six weeks already????? Crikey!
I can now join @Firenze and Mr. F in the Full Fridge Club; you're right - it is a rather good feeling. I couldn't find any ready-cooked chicken in Sainsbury's (I may have just not been looking in the right place), but I got a quiche Lorraine and the ingredients for a salad (and potentially for a potato salad too), so that should do for supper.
I also got three bottles of a Chilean Sauvignon Blanc that I haven't tried before, on the principle that it was reduced to £6 a bottle, so even if it's not the very best, I won't have spent a fortune on it.
I also got three bottles of a Chilean Sauvignon Blanc that I haven't tried before, on the principle that it was reduced to £6 a bottle, so even if it's not the very best, I won't have spent a fortune on it.
Wow - it's going to be quite an evening at Casa Piglet!
Stir fry for us, our usual on a Saturday evening. Last week we were away so it seems ages since we've had it. With Barefoot Merlot... mmmm...
My husband is away this weekend, so I'm debating whether or not to open a bottle of wine. I'm watching the live streaming of an event from the Book Festival tonight, and either before or after ,depending on how hungry I feel, I'm intending to have pasta and pesto. Wine would go rather well with either of those things.
Chosen stroke and outcome seemed entirely unconnected to each other or to the delivery. I still remember the commentary "Devon Malcolm facing the bowling now. Place your bets please!"
I did enjoy that little exchange upthread! Sadly, the level of tension in England's white-ball games thus far this year has been the square root of bugger all (apparently Matt Parkinson bowls very like me, though with somewhat less of a frog in a blender action than yours truly), but the less than summery weather has meant the pitches we've played on are not easy to bat on, low scores, and tight games, so there's been some enjoyable tension closer to home.
I also got three bottles of a Chilean Sauvignon Blanc that I haven't tried before, on the principle that it was reduced to £6 a bottle, so even if it's not the very best, I won't have spent a fortune on it.
Wow - it's going to be quite an evening at Casa Piglet ...
It's all right - I'm not drinking them all at once!
The wine - Phantom River - is OK; I wouldn't rave about it, but it's what David would have called "decent quaffing wine" - the sort you might serve at a party.
Now I'll need to find some people to invite to a party ...
David used to reckon sitting on the village green - preferably under a tree* - watching an amateur cricket match with a nice real ale was one of life's little pleasures, even if you hadn't a clue what was going on.
* as I come from Orkney, he had to explain to me what a "tree" was ...
Glad the wine was quaffable, @Piglet . I opened an Argentinian Malbec which went well with both the pasta and pesto and the very entertaining author talk.
I'm trying to avoid as much football mania as I can, I've been enjoying the Tour de France instead.
Packets of Tunnocks tea cakes, (Dark Chocolate) on special offer in the village shop this week!
Mr Alba kindly bought them for Me, so they are appropriately hidden away so as not to tempt him.
The American essayist E. B. White wrote a letter early in his life, while he was driving a Model T across the States. He said about Montana that you could agree to meet someone under the tree outside Helena with no possibility of confusion.
Comments
No, they will do the ball-kicky thingy again on Sunday. If they win it will never be finished. It will be talked about for the next 55 years (at least 🙄).
Definitely need it now that little fact has been brought to my attention.
There was. It is much missed.
Tonight's tea will be some form of chicken curry with rice, and an aubergine dish to use up some of the aubergine that keep being delivered (younger son hates aubergines so get overlooked).
Supper was another cheat, but quite nice: a ready-to-mix Caesar salad with all the bits, to which I added the chopped-up meat from the remaining chicken thighs and a chopped avocado. No matter that I only remembered to add the Parmesan shavings when I was half-way through ...
I used my 15% voucher to get a steak, a macaroni cheese ready-meal*, some salmon and a quantity of Doux de Montagne, which is rapidly becoming the house CHEESE chez Piglet now that I can't get Jarlsberg in nice big blocks without rind.
Given the company of some oatcakes and a few grapes, it makes a very satisfactory lunch.
* a rather silly thing for me to have, as I make a rather decent macaroni cheese myself, but for some reason it appealed. I may well add some bacon and tomatoes, just to make it a bit more interesting.
Please cross everything and say your prayers if you're that way inclined. If this gets cancelled, I'll be more disappointed than you can possibly imagine. As will they. Captain Pyjamas is the only grandchild they have, and they haven't seen him since Christmas 2019.
And the ball hitty-hard-by-men-in-white-with-long-wooden-paddles thing begins its series against India starts on August 4th.
O, and were there enough STRAWBERRIES to feed the Faithful at the ball hitty thing?
And...and...if In-ger-laaaaaand win the ball kicky thing, Big Friend Boris has promised us an extra Bank Holiday, so that we can all go out and spread Ye Plague even quicklier!
I wish others could as well!
It's not even that I don't want England to win - I don't much care either way unless they're playing Scotland
Sorry - Celtic Fringe moment.
This'll be the first time in ages that I haven't seen a single ball hit in anger at Windlebum; I used to be a huge fan, but tbh I haven't really missed it.
They do race some fast red cars though.
A good productive day today, I have done some admin, expenses claims and mandatory training in Equality, Information security and GDPR. The latter reminded me that I needed to do the annual spring cleaning of my files. I am feeling very virtuous.
And people slag off cricket where the score is in the thousands.
Tension is where Australia are ten ahead, there's one over left and your no. 11 batter who as a bowler can spin a ball so it turns through 90 degrees before it even pitches, but nevertheless at the crease gives the impression he's never held a cricket bat before in his life, is facing the bowling...
Chosen stroke and outcome seemed entirely unconnected to each other or to the delivery. I still remember the commentary "Devon Malcolm facing the bowling now. Place your bets please!"
Having taken an inordinately long time to get home (the train I would have taken was cancelled due to shortages of staff, and the next one was late due to an Ongoing Police Situation in Falkirk), I was glad of the "instant" macaroni cheese - it may not have been haute cuisine, but I didn't have to cook it or queue up for it.
Now chilling with a bowl of olives*, a glass of WINE and, shortly, the Grauniad crossword.
* if it was a really big bowl, would it be a mount of olives? I'll see myself out.
Supper was chicken and chorizo kebabs that we found adorned with a yellow sticker yesterday, rice and quinoa mix, coleslaw made with carrots, onion, cabbage and kohlrabi, plus almond Magnum equivalents (vegan version for my daughter, cheap supermarket version for me).
There may be smoked salmon blinis on the horizon somewhere too; I bought a little packet of mini-blinis in M&S yesterday with the thought they might be nice with smoked salmon and cream cheese. I may also toast a couple of them to have with my scrambled eggs for brunch.
My certificate says:
They send you Cloud-a-Day e-mail, if you so choose, all of which are very instructive.
Some of the English classes I teach are for engineering students, and I've learnt that gases (i.e. clouds) behave like liquids, so I really look forward to finding out more about the wonder and science of clouds!
Bliss. And great fun
Your comment is proud-ly appreciated.
Steak'n'chips tonight (because Saturday): monkfish with tomato and ginger sauce tomorrow.
I'm now back up and in what @Piglet would call domestic goddess mode. Mind you the first task was transferring the scrappy bit of paper with our notes about things we want to change about our new house to an excel spreadsheet isn't that domestic. Next task re-arrange some of the kitchen cupboards. After having been here six weeks I think its time to review what works and what doesn't
I can now join @Firenze and Mr. F in the Full Fridge Club; you're right - it is a rather good feeling. I couldn't find any ready-cooked chicken in Sainsbury's (I may have just not been looking in the right place), but I got a quiche Lorraine and the ingredients for a salad (and potentially for a potato salad too), so that should do for supper.
I also got three bottles of a Chilean Sauvignon Blanc that I haven't tried before, on the principle that it was reduced to £6 a bottle, so even if it's not the very best, I won't have spent a fortune on it.
Stir fry for us, our usual on a Saturday evening. Last week we were away so it seems ages since we've had it. With Barefoot Merlot... mmmm...
I did enjoy that little exchange upthread! Sadly, the level of tension in England's white-ball games thus far this year has been the square root of bugger all (apparently Matt Parkinson bowls very like me, though with somewhat less of a frog in a blender action than yours truly), but the less than summery weather has meant the pitches we've played on are not easy to bat on, low scores, and tight games, so there's been some enjoyable tension closer to home.
The wine - Phantom River - is OK; I wouldn't rave about it, but it's what David would have called "decent quaffing wine" - the sort you might serve at a party.
Now I'll need to find some people to invite to a party ...
Thank you.
(Actually, I quite like the bit in cricket where you get to sit around and drink nice cold drinks...).
* as I come from Orkney, he had to explain to me what a "tree" was ...
(BTW - there's a Tree in Kirkwall, isn't there?)
I'm trying to avoid as much football mania as I can, I've been enjoying the Tour de France instead.
Mr Alba kindly bought them for Me, so they are appropriately hidden away so as not to tempt him.
Then we want watched an Avengers episode - sadly we're past the Emma Peel years and into Linda Thorson.
The American essayist E. B. White wrote a letter early in his life, while he was driving a Model T across the States. He said about Montana that you could agree to meet someone under the tree outside Helena with no possibility of confusion.