The clocks leapt forward an hour overnight. At least we don't have the problems of going round and adjust all the clocks any more. Most are self adjusting, and those that aren't are quickly dealt with.
We were hosting lunch for Urban-Cub and Pistol Pete and Ellie so the Gorse Fox made a timely start on the preparation. In fact it was so timely that he had nearly an hour to kill by late morning. Finally it was time to get everything started. It all came together nicely for one o'clock as planned... with the exception of the crackling which the Gorse Fox managed to burn. Oh well, he won't be going in for MasterChef.
Just after Urban-Cub and the family arrived, Cousteau-Cub came through on a video call to wish the Silver Vixen a Happy Mothers' Day. They had a long chat. Clearly she is getting excited about her imminent return home and thinks she only has 10 more days to work before setting off in a little under three weeks. All very exciting.
Ellie had a nap early in the afternoon while the rest of us sat and chatted in the Orangery. Once she awoke she was up and running around with Nana and Bompa (as she calls the Gorse Fox). They didn't stay too long as they had things to do at home and Urban-Cub was back on duty in the morning.
A very nice family day.
Sunday, March 31, 2019
Saturday, March 30, 2019
Recurring theme
It's been a quiet day. The sun has shone and the sky is blue. It's gorgeous.
The Gorse Fox was awake early and as he was fidgety he got up so as not to disturb the Silver Vixen. He sat and did some reading and writing while demolishing the first, and most important, coffee of the day.
Once breakfast was done and the Silver Vixen was up and about the Gorse Fox went and filled with the water & sand play station. The plug had not been seated correctly and it would take a little determination to get it to seal properly. That done he had a look at some of the solar lights we have in the garden and decided to replace the rechargeable batteries as they were flakey (to say the least).
The afternoon has been spent writing more code. There is a recurring theme in programming whereby you can find tracts of an algorithm that demand recursion as something can be nested to an indeterminate number of levels. The Gorse Fox had just such a problem today and, to be fair, has never found an elegant way solving it. That's not to say he hasn't solved it - just that it is inelegant. Well the code isn't going to used multiple times, nor sold to Google nor Microsoft, so he isn't too worried.
Anyway we now have some very solid progress towards the capture of all of the Google+ data. There is still more to do... but the major problems are out of the way.
The Gorse Fox was awake early and as he was fidgety he got up so as not to disturb the Silver Vixen. He sat and did some reading and writing while demolishing the first, and most important, coffee of the day.
Once breakfast was done and the Silver Vixen was up and about the Gorse Fox went and filled with the water & sand play station. The plug had not been seated correctly and it would take a little determination to get it to seal properly. That done he had a look at some of the solar lights we have in the garden and decided to replace the rechargeable batteries as they were flakey (to say the least).
The afternoon has been spent writing more code. There is a recurring theme in programming whereby you can find tracts of an algorithm that demand recursion as something can be nested to an indeterminate number of levels. The Gorse Fox had just such a problem today and, to be fair, has never found an elegant way solving it. That's not to say he hasn't solved it - just that it is inelegant. Well the code isn't going to used multiple times, nor sold to Google nor Microsoft, so he isn't too worried.
Anyway we now have some very solid progress towards the capture of all of the Google+ data. There is still more to do... but the major problems are out of the way.
Friday, March 29, 2019
Animals
It's Ellie's Birthday. It's hard to believe that she's two already but time does fly. The plan for the day was to meet up at Marwell Zoo and spend a day showing her the animals.
Pistol Pete and Urban-Cub had arrived before us and were enjoying a coffee in the gift shop when we arrived. That seemed like a good way to start the adventure so we joined them. Once suitably watered we headed out into the park.
The first stop was the penguin enclosure. Ellie didn't seem too sure at first and had to be convinced that they were like strange ducks. (She like ducks). She soon settled to the idea and then demanded that we march onwards. We passed various animals in their enclosures, but it was the flamingoes that next caught her eye. She seemed rather intrigued by the whole concept of the top-heavy birds on their spindly legs.
We wandered on through the park. Cheetah, warthogs, leopards all warranted a stop and in the distance we could see the giraffes and various antelopes and zebras. Ellie was intrigued by some of the cats but and how big they were, but not overly fussed by the antelopes or zebras. Well that is until one of the zebras lay down to enjoy a dust bath - she thought that was funny.
We arrived at the meerkat enclosure in plenty of time for their feeding session. One of the staff entered the enclosure and gave an informative talk about the cheeky little animals while being mobbed by them for the food she had with her. They really were every bit as cute as they seem (though apparently can be vicious if threatened).
When feeding time was over we moved on to see the mongoose enclosure before stopping in the children's play area. Ellie headed straight for the slide (unsurprisingly). We stayed there quite a while before moving on to the tropical house.
The tropical house was filled with exotic butterflies, birds, sloths, tortoises, and incorporated a huge aquarium. There were several school parties going round when we were there so it was a bit frantic but there really were some lovely specimens.
We stopped for a drink and a snack. Again there was a small play area with a slide. so as soon as Ellie had finished her ice cream, she headed for the slide while the adults finished their drinks. We moved on. Ellie was absolutely captivated and highly amused by the monkeys and lemurs as we made our way through the various enclosures and runs, then we stopped by the tiger enclosure and agin she was in awe of the big cat and kept comparing him to Jasper.
Then we looped back round by the giraffes and back down to the penguins. It was getting late in the afternoon and was time to head home.
Back home we had some birthday cake and Ellie spend her presents. We had a made half hour where she played with he new doll - picking her up and putting her in a buggy, then removing her and putting her in a cot. Back and forth she went. The doll must have dizzy at the end of it as we certainly were watching her. Then Ellie came out into the Orangery where we had got a water and sand play station. We hadn't loaded it with sand yet, but even with the water it was going to get messy. She loved it and it is clear that it will be a great success.
Eventually it was time for them to go, but we'll see them again on Sunday for Mothers' Day.
Pistol Pete and Urban-Cub had arrived before us and were enjoying a coffee in the gift shop when we arrived. That seemed like a good way to start the adventure so we joined them. Once suitably watered we headed out into the park.
We arrived at the meerkat enclosure in plenty of time for their feeding session. One of the staff entered the enclosure and gave an informative talk about the cheeky little animals while being mobbed by them for the food she had with her. They really were every bit as cute as they seem (though apparently can be vicious if threatened).
We stopped for a drink and a snack. Again there was a small play area with a slide. so as soon as Ellie had finished her ice cream, she headed for the slide while the adults finished their drinks. We moved on. Ellie was absolutely captivated and highly amused by the monkeys and lemurs as we made our way through the various enclosures and runs, then we stopped by the tiger enclosure and agin she was in awe of the big cat and kept comparing him to Jasper.
Then we looped back round by the giraffes and back down to the penguins. It was getting late in the afternoon and was time to head home.
Back home we had some birthday cake and Ellie spend her presents. We had a made half hour where she played with he new doll - picking her up and putting her in a buggy, then removing her and putting her in a cot. Back and forth she went. The doll must have dizzy at the end of it as we certainly were watching her. Then Ellie came out into the Orangery where we had got a water and sand play station. We hadn't loaded it with sand yet, but even with the water it was going to get messy. She loved it and it is clear that it will be a great success.
Eventually it was time for them to go, but we'll see them again on Sunday for Mothers' Day.
Thursday, March 28, 2019
Regime change
The conversation that the Gorse Fox was having yesterday with the Mighty Atom revealed that he too has a new job. He now fulfils the role of Technical Lead for Industrial Sector within Starfleet. This made the Gorse Fox chuckle as it was about 20-21 years ago the he too held the role of Technical Lead for industrial sector. He hopes that the Mighty Atom enjoys it as much as he did at the time.
It's been a quiet day today. Usual bits of accounts and then sorting out the Ocado delivery. Then, as we are having the family over for Mother's Day, we had to go and raid Sainsbury's. We clearly timed it well as we were there and back within 40 minutes.
Urban-Cub and Pistol Pete turned up with Ellie during the afternoon. With Ellie's birthday tomorrow there were things to drop off and arrangements to be made. We had a pleasant hour or so before they had to head off. We'll see them all again tomorrow when we muster at Marwell Zoo!
It's been a quiet day today. Usual bits of accounts and then sorting out the Ocado delivery. Then, as we are having the family over for Mother's Day, we had to go and raid Sainsbury's. We clearly timed it well as we were there and back within 40 minutes.
Urban-Cub and Pistol Pete turned up with Ellie during the afternoon. With Ellie's birthday tomorrow there were things to drop off and arrangements to be made. We had a pleasant hour or so before they had to head off. We'll see them all again tomorrow when we muster at Marwell Zoo!
Wednesday, March 27, 2019
Another Era ends
The Gorse Fox has heard today (from the Mighty Atom) that Blambo is about to retire from Starfleet. So another era comes to an end. He was a great character and great asset to the company over the years. He ended up in the Executive Briefing Centre - which given his somewhat irreverent view of the world seemed quite bizarre.
Anyway the Gorse Fox is pleased for him and hopes he enjoys his retirement as much the Gorse Fox is enjoying his. Hopefully he too will see it as an opportunity to get a bit fitter, as he's had several health scares over the past few years.
Anyway the Gorse Fox is pleased for him and hopes he enjoys his retirement as much the Gorse Fox is enjoying his. Hopefully he too will see it as an opportunity to get a bit fitter, as he's had several health scares over the past few years.
Soil
Apparently, the answer lies in the soil. Now, the Gorse Fox isn't quite sure what the question was, but at least he knows where the the answer will be... but back to that later.
It was another gorgeous Spring day and a lovely day to get out and play some football. The Gorse Fox headed across to Worthing and met up with the "lads". We had a good turn out and ended up with 9-v-9 (three of the players were guests from the Worthing club and one asked to join us on a long term basis - which was nice.
The came was bit like ping pong with so many players on the pitch but it was all played in the best of spirits. At half time the Gorse Fox's yellow team were 2-1 down, but soon clawed things back in the second half. We got the score to 4-2 in our favour before conceding two late goals. An honourable 4-4 draw it was then.
Back home, the Silver Vixen had started doing best and pieces in the garden. The rill had been cleared of the winter weed and leaf detritus and she had started to prepare a hole for one of our roses. (Yes this is the answer). The Gorse Fox helped finish the hole and remove the rose from its pot and seat it perfectly in the hole. Then the appropriate amount of back-fill and mushroom compost was applied, the horticultural fabric replace, and the slates replaced. Hopefully this will now allow the rose to flourish.
The Gorse Fox has contacted a garden services company. One of our trees has obvious taken a battering in the winter gales and is leaning at quite an alarming angle. Hopefully these lads can come along and get it sorted out and staked properly.
It was another gorgeous Spring day and a lovely day to get out and play some football. The Gorse Fox headed across to Worthing and met up with the "lads". We had a good turn out and ended up with 9-v-9 (three of the players were guests from the Worthing club and one asked to join us on a long term basis - which was nice.
The came was bit like ping pong with so many players on the pitch but it was all played in the best of spirits. At half time the Gorse Fox's yellow team were 2-1 down, but soon clawed things back in the second half. We got the score to 4-2 in our favour before conceding two late goals. An honourable 4-4 draw it was then.
Back home, the Silver Vixen had started doing best and pieces in the garden. The rill had been cleared of the winter weed and leaf detritus and she had started to prepare a hole for one of our roses. (Yes this is the answer). The Gorse Fox helped finish the hole and remove the rose from its pot and seat it perfectly in the hole. Then the appropriate amount of back-fill and mushroom compost was applied, the horticultural fabric replace, and the slates replaced. Hopefully this will now allow the rose to flourish.
The Gorse Fox has contacted a garden services company. One of our trees has obvious taken a battering in the winter gales and is leaning at quite an alarming angle. Hopefully these lads can come along and get it sorted out and staked properly.
Tuesday, March 26, 2019
Pitching up
It was glorious Spring day. The Gorse Fox decided it was time to get his legs out. Tracksuit was folded away and shorts were broken out. Today's footballers would be dazzled by the flash of pale skin between his socks and shorts. He would need all the help he could get, after nearly two weeks away.
The teams looked fairly well balance and the Gorse Fox played for the white-bibs in the first hour. We won the first game, then drew the following two games. The Gorse Fox played the last of those games in goal - and managed to keep a clean sheet. The first hour was quite enjoyable, but the time in goal cut the Gorse Fox's coverage by about 1.5 kilometres.
I the second hour we the Gorse Fox was playing for the blue bibs. Again we were fairly evenly balance, but despite the the blue-bibs managed two wins and draw. Again the Gorse Fox spent one game as goalkeeper, and again managed to keep a clean sheet.
Overall the Gorse Fox was about 2.5 kilometres down on his usual Tuesday coverage, so really must try to avoid playing in goal if he can. Having said that, two of his regular football friends comment how trim he was looking - well this wasn't from the exercise per se, but the last week has seen the Gorse Fox shed 6 or 7 pounds while under the weather.
Back home, he has spent much of the afternoon coding. There seem to be so many variations for which he has to find identifying features and programmatically extract them for onward processing. This could take quite some time, but it's worth doing as there were so many posts made over the years in Google+.
The teams looked fairly well balance and the Gorse Fox played for the white-bibs in the first hour. We won the first game, then drew the following two games. The Gorse Fox played the last of those games in goal - and managed to keep a clean sheet. The first hour was quite enjoyable, but the time in goal cut the Gorse Fox's coverage by about 1.5 kilometres.
I the second hour we the Gorse Fox was playing for the blue bibs. Again we were fairly evenly balance, but despite the the blue-bibs managed two wins and draw. Again the Gorse Fox spent one game as goalkeeper, and again managed to keep a clean sheet.
Overall the Gorse Fox was about 2.5 kilometres down on his usual Tuesday coverage, so really must try to avoid playing in goal if he can. Having said that, two of his regular football friends comment how trim he was looking - well this wasn't from the exercise per se, but the last week has seen the Gorse Fox shed 6 or 7 pounds while under the weather.
Back home, he has spent much of the afternoon coding. There seem to be so many variations for which he has to find identifying features and programmatically extract them for onward processing. This could take quite some time, but it's worth doing as there were so many posts made over the years in Google+.
Monday, March 25, 2019
Retail
The plan was simple. Head to Fareham and wander around the toy store to try and find something that fitted some of the preconceived ideas that tase had come up with. Then, as it would certainly be lunchtime, we would pop in to TGI Friday.
Well the plans didn't quite work out. We got to the shop and quickly found exactly what the Silver Vixen had in mind. Car loaded we realised it was far too early for lunch so as we drove away we developed Plan B.
Plan B saw us stopping at Gunwharf Quays for a stroll around and a bite to eat. Well, the stroll around turned into a bit of retail therapy with stops in various stores and huge collection of bags and receipts being gathered. Though not planned it was very successful and we collected some good bargains.
The one thing that wasn't successful was the Gorse Fox's attempt to get some football shorts. He tried in Under Armour - they had none. He tried in Nike - they only had Chelsea shorts. He tried in Adidas - they only had Man Utd shorts. Now he realises this is an outlet mall so really only sell the unwanted gear that have left over - and clearly anything to do with those teams is unwanted... but you would have thought they had some unbranded shorts. (In the end the Gorse Fox ordered some from the Spurs Shop when he got home).
We stopped at "Coast to Coast" for lunch. We sat out on their patio enjoying the lovely warm Spring sunshine. There seemed to be only one waitress working and she was rushed off her feet. Having said that, nobody seemed to have to wait long for her attention. The Gorse Fox was very impressed with her service as he tucked in to a lovely rack of ribs and the Silver Vixen enjoyed a steak. The Gorse Fox made sure she got a decent tip at the end of the meal. We won't have to eat again today!
Binge
Well that was a very enjoyable evening. Last night we settled down and binge-watched 5-6 episodes of Bosch (Season 4). Like the books, the TV series is so well crafted, and Titus Welliver in the lead role has completely supplanted my mental image of Bosch from reading the novels over the years.
Like previous seasons, the story is an amalgam of more than one book, but they are woven together so well that it is seamless.
Couple more episodes to go one evening this week.
Brilliant TV from Amazon.
Like previous seasons, the story is an amalgam of more than one book, but they are woven together so well that it is seamless.
Couple more episodes to go one evening this week.
Brilliant TV from Amazon.
Sunday, March 24, 2019
Tap, tap, tap
The Gorse Fox has spent the much of the day back at the computer. The code is beginning to blossom but there is still a great deal to do. The biggest issue is actually working out all of the various permutations of where the data is stored within the Google Plus posts. Having examined a large number, he is now beginning to get an idea how the data will need to be parsed.
The plan is to parse each of the posts and reformat them into a single large file. This will then be passed through an existing program that the Gorse Fox uses on a daily basis to move data from this blog to the private blog.
The plan is to parse each of the posts and reformat them into a single large file. This will then be passed through an existing program that the Gorse Fox uses on a daily basis to move data from this blog to the private blog.
Saturday, March 23, 2019
More code
Last night's chicken biryani was not a huge success. The Gorse Fox cooked one last week which smelled and tasted wonderful, but the texture wasn't quite right. Last night the texture was much better, but the flavour wasn't as good. It was far less subtle and sophisticated. First thing this morning he has been through and modified the recipe yet again, ready for the next attempt.
Much of the balance of the day has been spent writing and wrangling code. The Gorse Fox spent a disproportionate amount of time trying to beat one bug to death. In the end he resorted to Google and found that this was not unique to his code. It was in the underlying release of the compiler
Plan B was needed.
The Gorse Fox would install a second instance of the language using a different release and different implementation. Then he could run the two in parallel. That seemed such a sensible idea. It didn't work. The second installation failed.
Plan C was needed.
Moving from 'tawnyowl' to 'eagle' the Gorse Fox fired up the big old PC. Language was quickly installed and code retried. It worked first time. The Gorse Fox is now happy that he can get on and write the code he wanted, but is frustrated that he's having to use 'eagle' to do it. (Maybe it's time to get another Raspberry Pi?).
Someone has come up with idea for running the two language implementations in parallel, but so far the Gorse Fox hasn't stopped to try it as it looks as if it will take some faffing about.
Much of the balance of the day has been spent writing and wrangling code. The Gorse Fox spent a disproportionate amount of time trying to beat one bug to death. In the end he resorted to Google and found that this was not unique to his code. It was in the underlying release of the compiler
Plan B was needed.
The Gorse Fox would install a second instance of the language using a different release and different implementation. Then he could run the two in parallel. That seemed such a sensible idea. It didn't work. The second installation failed.
Plan C was needed.
Moving from 'tawnyowl' to 'eagle' the Gorse Fox fired up the big old PC. Language was quickly installed and code retried. It worked first time. The Gorse Fox is now happy that he can get on and write the code he wanted, but is frustrated that he's having to use 'eagle' to do it. (Maybe it's time to get another Raspberry Pi?).
Someone has come up with idea for running the two language implementations in parallel, but so far the Gorse Fox hasn't stopped to try it as it looks as if it will take some faffing about.
Friday, March 22, 2019
Code
Well it had to happen. Having thought about some options overnight the Gorse Fox decided that it was time to crank out some code to transfer the extracted data from Google+ to his private blog. Now this is likely to take a little while as he has to work out the existing format of the extract and decided what needs to be done in order to file it away properly. This will, no doubt, be an iterative process... but at least it's under way.
The Gorse Fox has also spent some time on the phone with John Lewis to ensure that the promises made last week, regarding reimbursement of fees, were followed up. It's not so much that he doubted them, it was more case of making sure the reimbursement happened on the right credit card (as the original one was they one we had to have replaced). That's now done.
He's also been on the phone to Virgin Holidays (and emailed Sandals) to request a specific room in the resort when we arrive in the late Spring. Old Bill and Lady Penelope did a bit of a recce and came back with specific room numbers that are worth requesting.
The Gorse Fox has also spent some time on the phone with John Lewis to ensure that the promises made last week, regarding reimbursement of fees, were followed up. It's not so much that he doubted them, it was more case of making sure the reimbursement happened on the right credit card (as the original one was they one we had to have replaced). That's now done.
He's also been on the phone to Virgin Holidays (and emailed Sandals) to request a specific room in the resort when we arrive in the late Spring. Old Bill and Lady Penelope did a bit of a recce and came back with specific room numbers that are worth requesting.
Thursday, March 21, 2019
Hands that Do Dishes
The Gorse Fox is relieved of his dishwashing duties. The nice chaps turned up from John Lewis (finally) to remove the old, defunct model and replace it with a new shiny model. The Gorse Fox was surprised at how quickly it was all installed. We've had a quick test run to check for the basic operation and ensure there were no leaks, but the proper test will begin tonight after supper.
The Silver Vixen is still below par, but was well enough to drive herself into Chichester for a hair appointment this morning. That is quite an improvement as yesterday that was not even on the cards. Her throat is still very sore, however, and there's some way to go before we can declare her well.
The Gorse Fox is also still suffering from a sore throat, but fortunately that is the limit of his symptoms.
Alongside other activities today, the Gorse Fox has found a plug-in for his private blog which runs through the entries and chases down any images that have been linked. It then goes off to find the image and sucks into the blog itself so that it can stand alone, even if the images go away from their original locations. He's testing this out on the test blog on "tawnyowl" at present. If this works out, then he will run it against the full blog on "peregrine". All this came about as part of a distraction while deciding what to do with the data extracted from Google+.
The Silver Vixen is still below par, but was well enough to drive herself into Chichester for a hair appointment this morning. That is quite an improvement as yesterday that was not even on the cards. Her throat is still very sore, however, and there's some way to go before we can declare her well.
The Gorse Fox is also still suffering from a sore throat, but fortunately that is the limit of his symptoms.
Alongside other activities today, the Gorse Fox has found a plug-in for his private blog which runs through the entries and chases down any images that have been linked. It then goes off to find the image and sucks into the blog itself so that it can stand alone, even if the images go away from their original locations. He's testing this out on the test blog on "tawnyowl" at present. If this works out, then he will run it against the full blog on "peregrine". All this came about as part of a distraction while deciding what to do with the data extracted from Google+.
Wednesday, March 20, 2019
Closing down
You may have heard that Google are closing down their Google+ system. This is a shame because it was far better than Facebook but never really gained sufficient traction. The Gorse Fox received an email telling him that he could extract his data if he wanted, so he followed the instructions and several minutes later he had a zip file of several thousand posts and several thousand photos nestling on his system. He spent some time looking through these earlier and it triggered quite a few interesting memories. Now he has to decide if they are unique enough that they should be processed and stored into his private blog. His gut feeling is they should and they probably don't duplicate entries from this blog.
The Gorse Fox cancelled football again today as he doesn't want to leave the Silver Vixen alone, though she is improving slightly. The Gorse Fox's sore throat remains unchanged, but isn't getting worse.
The Gorse Fox cancelled football again today as he doesn't want to leave the Silver Vixen alone, though she is improving slightly. The Gorse Fox's sore throat remains unchanged, but isn't getting worse.
Tuesday, March 19, 2019
Eye Spy
The Gorse Fox cancelled any thoughts of going to football today. He has developed a bit of a sore throat - no doubt in sympathy with the Silver Vixen. Besides which, he really didn't want to leave her alone for too long. That said, he did have to make a quick trip in to Chichester to visit the Bank. Fortunately, the buses were quick and he was there and back within the hour.
This afternoon has been spent looking at some holiday brochures he picked up in Chichester, and also looking at options here in the South for a short break later in the year. We think we have found just the place, a nice hotel in Sidmouth, but now must try and nail down some dates and get something booked and on the calendar.
To add to the discomfort that the Silver Vixen is feeling at present, her eye has started to weep. This wa inconvenient to say the least so in the end we decided that a trip to the pharmacy was in order. We came home clutching some drops that she has to take for several days to try and sort it out.
This afternoon has been spent looking at some holiday brochures he picked up in Chichester, and also looking at options here in the South for a short break later in the year. We think we have found just the place, a nice hotel in Sidmouth, but now must try and nail down some dates and get something booked and on the calendar.
To add to the discomfort that the Silver Vixen is feeling at present, her eye has started to weep. This wa inconvenient to say the least so in the end we decided that a trip to the pharmacy was in order. We came home clutching some drops that she has to take for several days to try and sort it out.
Monday, March 18, 2019
Improving
Well the Silver Vixen is improving; whatever it was that knocked her for six yesterday is obviously no longer acute. That's not to say she's back to normal, but is certainly better than yesterday.
We had been creating a pile of stuff for the recycling centre. The Gorse Fox had meant to take it away for several weeks, but only noticed it on days that the centre is closed. Finally, he got his act together on a day when he could do something about it. So it was that the car was loaded up with crockery, old clothes, old kitchen utensils, Tupperware, and heavens knows what else.
The Gorse Fox saw Two Hats. The butter chicken recipe was a great success apparently. The Gorse Fox is not surprised.
We had been creating a pile of stuff for the recycling centre. The Gorse Fox had meant to take it away for several weeks, but only noticed it on days that the centre is closed. Finally, he got his act together on a day when he could do something about it. So it was that the car was loaded up with crockery, old clothes, old kitchen utensils, Tupperware, and heavens knows what else.
The Gorse Fox saw Two Hats. The butter chicken recipe was a great success apparently. The Gorse Fox is not surprised.
Sunday, March 17, 2019
Plans change
The Silver Vixen has been under the weather today so the Gorse Fox cancelled his football to ensure he could be around to look after her every whim or fancy.
So that he could keep and ear to her, he is sitting in the study tapping quietly on his keyboard. Much of the day was dedicated to genealogical research or at least research that has a family history theme. As part of this he has created a Facebook group for all his cousins on one particular strand of the family. Hopefully this will help glean additional insights as well as spread the research we have already done.
Not much else to say today other than we have the details of Cousteau-Cub's return journey now, so everything is under way.
So that he could keep and ear to her, he is sitting in the study tapping quietly on his keyboard. Much of the day was dedicated to genealogical research or at least research that has a family history theme. As part of this he has created a Facebook group for all his cousins on one particular strand of the family. Hopefully this will help glean additional insights as well as spread the research we have already done.
Not much else to say today other than we have the details of Cousteau-Cub's return journey now, so everything is under way.
Saturday, March 16, 2019
Travel Agent
It's been a very quiet day. Old Bill and Lady Penelope arrived home from the Caribbean and informed us that they have all the information we need for our forthcoming trip with regards to rooms to select and things to do. There's still quite a few weeks left before that all becomes relevant. First we will have Cousteau-Cub coming home and we must get her all settled in.
As there are some special offers on at present, the Gorse Fox spent several hours this afternoon looking at holiday options for late in the year or maybe next year. One side was a trans-Canada railway journey - but that does seem a little expensive. Then he looked at the option of a hiring a motorhome to do the trip (or parts of it). That seems like a more affordable option - but there's one hell of a lot of driving to do. Then he decided to look further a field. He's looked at Cape Verde, Antigua, Santorini, Mauritius... even Fiji. So far there's nothing that floats our boat (oooh, there's an idea - a narrow boat up the canals; maybe not).
As there are some special offers on at present, the Gorse Fox spent several hours this afternoon looking at holiday options for late in the year or maybe next year. One side was a trans-Canada railway journey - but that does seem a little expensive. Then he looked at the option of a hiring a motorhome to do the trip (or parts of it). That seems like a more affordable option - but there's one hell of a lot of driving to do. Then he decided to look further a field. He's looked at Cape Verde, Antigua, Santorini, Mauritius... even Fiji. So far there's nothing that floats our boat (oooh, there's an idea - a narrow boat up the canals; maybe not).
Friday, March 15, 2019
A Firm Word
John Lewis eventually called. They were apologetic as you might expect. The Gorse Fox had a firm word with them but despite this they could not actually reschedule the delivery last night. The scheduling team finish at 17:00 and by the time we were having the discussion it was well gone 18:00. The chap explained that he would be leaving strict instructions for a follow-up today.
It was mid-morning when the follow-up call came through. Again, the Gorse Fox was firm and expressed his disappointment clearly and politely. New installation date is now agreed for next Thursday and all of the service charges will be waived. The Gorse Fox is frustrated with the delay - and should have asked them to provide some moisturiser for his dishwasher hands - but feels that they have responded in an adequate fashion.
Ellie was with us until early afternoon when Urban-Cub came to collect her. She has been a little off colour and was certainly not herself over the last couple of days. Let's hope she shakes off whatever is ailing her and she is quickly back to normal.
Two Hats popped in. He is going to try the Butter Chicken recipe for his Instant Pot. The Gorse Fox loaned him the recipe book so he had a starting point. Meanwhile the Gorse Fox tried another frittata for lunch. This was marginally more successful than the first attempt, but was still not quite right. It tasted ok, but the "loaf" still didn't come out of the tine properly and there was a lot of fluid from the cheese leaking out. Will have to try with a different cheese next time. Cheddar is just too greasy.
Chicken cacciatore is planned for tonight.
It was mid-morning when the follow-up call came through. Again, the Gorse Fox was firm and expressed his disappointment clearly and politely. New installation date is now agreed for next Thursday and all of the service charges will be waived. The Gorse Fox is frustrated with the delay - and should have asked them to provide some moisturiser for his dishwasher hands - but feels that they have responded in an adequate fashion.
Ellie was with us until early afternoon when Urban-Cub came to collect her. She has been a little off colour and was certainly not herself over the last couple of days. Let's hope she shakes off whatever is ailing her and she is quickly back to normal.
Two Hats popped in. He is going to try the Butter Chicken recipe for his Instant Pot. The Gorse Fox loaned him the recipe book so he had a starting point. Meanwhile the Gorse Fox tried another frittata for lunch. This was marginally more successful than the first attempt, but was still not quite right. It tasted ok, but the "loaf" still didn't come out of the tine properly and there was a lot of fluid from the cheese leaking out. Will have to try with a different cheese next time. Cheddar is just too greasy.
Chicken cacciatore is planned for tonight.
Thursday, March 14, 2019
All Washed Up
The Gorse Fox may have mentioned that we recently purchased a new dishwasher. John Lewis contacted the Gorse Fox on Sunday to confirm it would be delivered today between 11:00 and 21:00. Then yesterday they made contact to say it would be delivered between 11:00 and 13:00 and we would get a more accurate time slot this morning. This morning they burst into life again and confirmed the 11:00 to 13:00 time slot and assured the Gorse Fox they were on their way.
Mid-morning the phone rang. It was the delivery chap. "We have your integrated dishwasher on board but they have only allocated me a slot to install a stand-alone machine. It cannot be done in the time allocated. Do you want us to deliver and then we'll send out a team to install in the next few days? or shall we take it back to the warehouse? Customer Services will get back to you to confirm installation whatever you decide".
The Gorse Fox was not impressed. This is the second time that we have been let down by the delivery team (the first time was for the washing machine, last December). Now, it's not the delivery crew's fault - so the Gorse Fox expressed his annoyance (saving his powder for the Customer Services team) and told them to take it back to the warehouse.
So far, six hours on, Customer Services have not made contact.
Mid-morning the phone rang. It was the delivery chap. "We have your integrated dishwasher on board but they have only allocated me a slot to install a stand-alone machine. It cannot be done in the time allocated. Do you want us to deliver and then we'll send out a team to install in the next few days? or shall we take it back to the warehouse? Customer Services will get back to you to confirm installation whatever you decide".
The Gorse Fox was not impressed. This is the second time that we have been let down by the delivery team (the first time was for the washing machine, last December). Now, it's not the delivery crew's fault - so the Gorse Fox expressed his annoyance (saving his powder for the Customer Services team) and told them to take it back to the warehouse.
So far, six hours on, Customer Services have not made contact.
Wednesday, March 13, 2019
Blown Back
Storm Gareth kept it up. There were the odd lulls overnight, but by morning it was very stormy again.
The Silver Vixen headed off to Pilates and the Gorse Fox headed to Worthing for his football. The game was made much more interesting by the wind which randomly swept the ball from beneath your feet or completely changed the direction in which you had kicked it. Today was a close game, and the Gorse Fox thinks it ended up as a 3-3 draw. The Gorse Fox scored one of the goals and was set to score another when he was scythed down from behind. Unfortunately the resulting free lick was squandered which kept the scores even.
The Biryani that the Gorse Fox made last night smelled absolutely wonderful and tasted really good. His only criticism was that the texture wasn't quite right. The Silver Vixen liked it though, so that's a real bonus. The Gorse Fox has annotated and adjusted the recipe for the next attempt.
We have Ellie with us for the next couple of days so this will give the Gorse Fox a chance to catch up on the latest news from Peppa Pig. It is certainly more interesting than Brexit and the self-serving little slime balls in Parliament and the EU.
The Silver Vixen headed off to Pilates and the Gorse Fox headed to Worthing for his football. The game was made much more interesting by the wind which randomly swept the ball from beneath your feet or completely changed the direction in which you had kicked it. Today was a close game, and the Gorse Fox thinks it ended up as a 3-3 draw. The Gorse Fox scored one of the goals and was set to score another when he was scythed down from behind. Unfortunately the resulting free lick was squandered which kept the scores even.
The Biryani that the Gorse Fox made last night smelled absolutely wonderful and tasted really good. His only criticism was that the texture wasn't quite right. The Silver Vixen liked it though, so that's a real bonus. The Gorse Fox has annotated and adjusted the recipe for the next attempt.
We have Ellie with us for the next couple of days so this will give the Gorse Fox a chance to catch up on the latest news from Peppa Pig. It is certainly more interesting than Brexit and the self-serving little slime balls in Parliament and the EU.
Tuesday, March 12, 2019
Blown away
Well the latest storm rattled in this morning. Storm Gareth, as named by the Irish Meteorological Service, apparently. It certainly made the football a bit lively!
The Silver Vixen had already adapted her plans. She was going to meet a friend at Highdown Gardens, take a packed lunch, then after they had eaten head on to their Embroiderer's Guild meeting. The 'meet at Highdown' bit was a non starter so they agreed to meet at the friend's house and carry on from there.
The Gorse Fox went along for football. The turn out was somewhat curtailed by the weather, but we still managed to field 4 small teams. The Gorse Fox played for the Green team, and it was absolutely clear from the get go that we were going to be pounded. So it turned out. We really only had 2 mobile players and had the weakest of the goal-keepers. Jack and the Gorse Fox did their best but we lost all three games. One of the biggest handicaps for all of us was the wind. It was so strong that that it would whip the ball away from under your feet, or divert a pass, or stop a pass dead in the air. It was really quite bizarre. Anyway we shipped 9 goals over the three games, and the Gorse Fox only managed to score one in reply.
This afternoon he has been experimenting further with OneNote as a long term replacement for Evernote. It is still looking good and unless something crops up in the next day or so, the deed will be done!
This year's Council Tax statement arrived this morning. Needless to say, it has gone up, but actually the increase was £12 per month less than the Gorse Fox had budgeted for the year, so that was pleasing.
Chicken Biryani is planned for tonight, so the Gorse Fox made a quick dash to Sainsbury's when the rain stopped. Fresh coriander is now 'in stock' in the kitchen.
The Silver Vixen had already adapted her plans. She was going to meet a friend at Highdown Gardens, take a packed lunch, then after they had eaten head on to their Embroiderer's Guild meeting. The 'meet at Highdown' bit was a non starter so they agreed to meet at the friend's house and carry on from there.
The Gorse Fox went along for football. The turn out was somewhat curtailed by the weather, but we still managed to field 4 small teams. The Gorse Fox played for the Green team, and it was absolutely clear from the get go that we were going to be pounded. So it turned out. We really only had 2 mobile players and had the weakest of the goal-keepers. Jack and the Gorse Fox did their best but we lost all three games. One of the biggest handicaps for all of us was the wind. It was so strong that that it would whip the ball away from under your feet, or divert a pass, or stop a pass dead in the air. It was really quite bizarre. Anyway we shipped 9 goals over the three games, and the Gorse Fox only managed to score one in reply.
This afternoon he has been experimenting further with OneNote as a long term replacement for Evernote. It is still looking good and unless something crops up in the next day or so, the deed will be done!
This year's Council Tax statement arrived this morning. Needless to say, it has gone up, but actually the increase was £12 per month less than the Gorse Fox had budgeted for the year, so that was pleasing.
Chicken Biryani is planned for tonight, so the Gorse Fox made a quick dash to Sainsbury's when the rain stopped. Fresh coriander is now 'in stock' in the kitchen.
Monday, March 11, 2019
Little Grey Cells
It's been a funny day. The Gorse Fox hasn't really done anything that he had originally set out to do. One of the many advantages of being retired is that you can get distracted and it doesn't matter. That's what has happened today.
Yesterday the Gorse Fox made some lovely crackling alongside the roast potatoes and pork. The problem arose when this cracked one of the Silver Vixen's teeth. This morning she contacted the Dentist and they were able to slot her in, late morning. She pottered off to get the tooth sorted and The Gorse Fox looked something up on the computer. This got him thinking of Evernote - which he has used extensively over the years to take and synchronise notes between devices. Apple has "Notes" which performs a similar function so the Gorse Fox tried some of the more esoteric notes in Evernote and was delighted to find they worked well in the Mac's Notes app. Then it dawned on him that he also uses his Android tablet and there is no Mac Notes app available for that. Mmmm.
Well then the penny dropped. The Gorse Fox already pays a subscript for the Microsoft Office products and they include OneNote. Well that was it. He downloaded OneNote on the MacBook, the iPhone, and the Lenovo Tablet and imported all of his Evernote notes. He'll have a bit more of a play, but it seems daft having Evernote (and paying for it) when he's also got OneNote and is paying for that also as part of the MS subscription.
The Silver Vixen is home and the dentist did a good job of sorting her out. The Gorse Fox has decided against making Bognor Rock for tea.
Yesterday the Gorse Fox made some lovely crackling alongside the roast potatoes and pork. The problem arose when this cracked one of the Silver Vixen's teeth. This morning she contacted the Dentist and they were able to slot her in, late morning. She pottered off to get the tooth sorted and The Gorse Fox looked something up on the computer. This got him thinking of Evernote - which he has used extensively over the years to take and synchronise notes between devices. Apple has "Notes" which performs a similar function so the Gorse Fox tried some of the more esoteric notes in Evernote and was delighted to find they worked well in the Mac's Notes app. Then it dawned on him that he also uses his Android tablet and there is no Mac Notes app available for that. Mmmm.
Well then the penny dropped. The Gorse Fox already pays a subscript for the Microsoft Office products and they include OneNote. Well that was it. He downloaded OneNote on the MacBook, the iPhone, and the Lenovo Tablet and imported all of his Evernote notes. He'll have a bit more of a play, but it seems daft having Evernote (and paying for it) when he's also got OneNote and is paying for that also as part of the MS subscription.
The Silver Vixen is home and the dentist did a good job of sorting her out. The Gorse Fox has decided against making Bognor Rock for tea.
Sunday, March 10, 2019
All that blusters
Well that was a blustery night and, if anything, it seems to have strengthened this morning. The Gorse Fox could feel the house vibrating during some of last nights gusts.
We had football this morning. There was debris spread across the roads from overnight winds but they were clear enough by 10 this morning. It was good to see John back from bandit country and playing this weekend. He hasn't played much in Essex as he found it a bit to violent there! We played on the yellow team, together but halfway through the second half he had to leave. He was feeling faint and sick. The Gorse Fox chatted to him later and asked if he had any blood pressure issues. Sure enough he was on tablets to manage his blood pressure and this the first time he had played since last November. He does walk regularly, but as the Gorse Fox pointed out - that is nowhere near as intense.
Anyway, back to the game. The yellow team got absolutely hammered. So much so that the Gorse Fox has no idea what the final score was. Certainly we score about 7 goals - 3 from the Gorse Fox - but the Oranges must have got twice that at least.
Back home, the Silver Vixen is in the sewing room working on her latest project and the Gorse Fox has been looking at some holiday deals and ideas. Nothing immediately suits the bill but we are in no particular hurry.
We had football this morning. There was debris spread across the roads from overnight winds but they were clear enough by 10 this morning. It was good to see John back from bandit country and playing this weekend. He hasn't played much in Essex as he found it a bit to violent there! We played on the yellow team, together but halfway through the second half he had to leave. He was feeling faint and sick. The Gorse Fox chatted to him later and asked if he had any blood pressure issues. Sure enough he was on tablets to manage his blood pressure and this the first time he had played since last November. He does walk regularly, but as the Gorse Fox pointed out - that is nowhere near as intense.
Anyway, back to the game. The yellow team got absolutely hammered. So much so that the Gorse Fox has no idea what the final score was. Certainly we score about 7 goals - 3 from the Gorse Fox - but the Oranges must have got twice that at least.
Back home, the Silver Vixen is in the sewing room working on her latest project and the Gorse Fox has been looking at some holiday deals and ideas. Nothing immediately suits the bill but we are in no particular hurry.
Saturday, March 09, 2019
Friends
Saturday has been a day to spend with friends. We headed up across Harting Down, through South Harting, Petersfield, Selbourne, and Alton, en route to see Betty and Barney Rubble in Odiham. It was a nice drive on a blustery, but sunny day.
As we came through Selbourne the Gorse Fox and Silver Vixen were amused by the presence of a chap standing in the road holding traffic while squad of army cadet crossed the road. Why amused? Well every member of the squad wore high visibility jackets - with the exception of the chap standing in the road holding the traffic. Then to add a degree of irony we realised that the cadets were wearing high visibility jackets over their camouflage gear - which rendered it somewhat redundant.
We carried on to Alton only to find significant redevelopment taking place and roads that we had planned to use were closed. We followed the diversion but even then found ourselves emerging at a further huge development.
We arrived at Betty and Barney's and settled down for a coffee and chat, catching up with all the family news. It's always nice to catch up with old friends. At lunch time we leapt into their Prius and whined out of Odiham towards Church Crookham. We had a table booked at The Exchequer. Nuzzling the car in past the Bentleys and other luxury motors we made our way into the pub and found our table.
They were very busy but it did give us time to study the menu. We started with a sharing platter of seafood. This was absolutely delicious, thought the Silver Vixen found the crab a little strong.
We then went on to our main dishes. Both the Silver Vixen and the Gorse Fox had some battered haddock which was beautifully crispy and thoroughly enjoyable.
The pub was very nice but being busy was extremely noisy. It didn't help that the table of four who settled next to us seemed to be amateur town criers or maybe trainee foghorns. As nice as the food was, it was actually a relief to get outside into the peace and quiet when we had finished.
We went back to Odiham and settled back in for an afternoon of tea, cake, and chat.
It was just getting dark as we said our goodbyes and left. We took a slightly different route home. The Gorse Fox couldn't be bothered with the cross-country stretch from Petersfield to Chichester, so we stuck on the A3 and grabbed the A27. Longer maybe, but much quicker.
As we came through Selbourne the Gorse Fox and Silver Vixen were amused by the presence of a chap standing in the road holding traffic while squad of army cadet crossed the road. Why amused? Well every member of the squad wore high visibility jackets - with the exception of the chap standing in the road holding the traffic. Then to add a degree of irony we realised that the cadets were wearing high visibility jackets over their camouflage gear - which rendered it somewhat redundant.
We carried on to Alton only to find significant redevelopment taking place and roads that we had planned to use were closed. We followed the diversion but even then found ourselves emerging at a further huge development.
We arrived at Betty and Barney's and settled down for a coffee and chat, catching up with all the family news. It's always nice to catch up with old friends. At lunch time we leapt into their Prius and whined out of Odiham towards Church Crookham. We had a table booked at The Exchequer. Nuzzling the car in past the Bentleys and other luxury motors we made our way into the pub and found our table.
We then went on to our main dishes. Both the Silver Vixen and the Gorse Fox had some battered haddock which was beautifully crispy and thoroughly enjoyable.
The pub was very nice but being busy was extremely noisy. It didn't help that the table of four who settled next to us seemed to be amateur town criers or maybe trainee foghorns. As nice as the food was, it was actually a relief to get outside into the peace and quiet when we had finished.
We went back to Odiham and settled back in for an afternoon of tea, cake, and chat.
It was just getting dark as we said our goodbyes and left. We took a slightly different route home. The Gorse Fox couldn't be bothered with the cross-country stretch from Petersfield to Chichester, so we stuck on the A3 and grabbed the A27. Longer maybe, but much quicker.
Friday, March 08, 2019
Deliveries
The Gorse Fox was up first and had 45 minutes to drink his coffee before Ellie stirred and the Silver Vixen got up. It was bright but cool outside and Jasper was intent on going in and out as often as he could.
Pistol Pete arrived mid morning. He had been for a doctor's appointment first thing, but now came along to collect Ellie. The Gorse Fox must comment that he's looking trim and fit, which is good.
The rest of the day has been quiet, other than the occasional deliveries and chirping of the washing machine as it finishes each load. The postman delivered a new "insert" for the Silver Vixen's sewing machine cabinet. This time it fits perfectly, so the Gorse Fox wrote back to company to thank them for their attention and for creating a new template and cutting the new insert. The Silver Vixen also received a new specialised foot for one of her sewing machines. The butane cylinder also arrived so that the Gorse Fox can fill his fancy new culinary blowtorch. (He clearly watches too much Masterchef).
We are still awaiting several further packages from Amazon, but they are likely to turn up late this afternoon if experience is anything to go by.
Pistol Pete arrived mid morning. He had been for a doctor's appointment first thing, but now came along to collect Ellie. The Gorse Fox must comment that he's looking trim and fit, which is good.
The rest of the day has been quiet, other than the occasional deliveries and chirping of the washing machine as it finishes each load. The postman delivered a new "insert" for the Silver Vixen's sewing machine cabinet. This time it fits perfectly, so the Gorse Fox wrote back to company to thank them for their attention and for creating a new template and cutting the new insert. The Silver Vixen also received a new specialised foot for one of her sewing machines. The butane cylinder also arrived so that the Gorse Fox can fill his fancy new culinary blowtorch. (He clearly watches too much Masterchef).
We are still awaiting several further packages from Amazon, but they are likely to turn up late this afternoon if experience is anything to go by.
Thursday, March 07, 2019
Oops
Pistol Pete brought Ellie round late in the morning and she will stay with us overnight. As usual she has been a joy to have around as she played and ran, and ran, and ran, and ran... her grandfather is proud of the way she never stops running.
At lunchtime the Gorse Fox decided to try a recipe for frittata, prepared in the Instant Pot. It should have been easy, but one cock up followed another. Firstly the Gorse Fox, having prepared the vegetables and layered in a springform baking tin, poured in the egg and milk mixture. This immediately started to leak out of the bottom of the container. In his hurry to save the situation he poured it into a stainless steel bowl (that he had forgotten to grease). He then put it in the Instant Pot and fired it up. It was ten minutes into cooking before he had finished clearing the mess and realised that he had forgotten to add some of the ingredients - most importantly, the cheese. When it was "cooked" he add the cheese in a single layer and grilled it. Then turning it out it became clear that it was stuck to the bowl and the cheese had given off so much oil that it flooded the plate again and he had to clear up again. Not one of his finest culinary moments.
Despite this, the Gorse Fox was pleased to see that Two Hats and Tinkerbell have bitten the bullet and ordered an Instant Pot.
We had a nice long video call with Cousteau-Cub and The Mask today. Clearly The Mask is enjoying his holiday and getting in some lovely diving with Cousteau-Cub. It does look as if he's caught the sun today, though!
At lunchtime the Gorse Fox decided to try a recipe for frittata, prepared in the Instant Pot. It should have been easy, but one cock up followed another. Firstly the Gorse Fox, having prepared the vegetables and layered in a springform baking tin, poured in the egg and milk mixture. This immediately started to leak out of the bottom of the container. In his hurry to save the situation he poured it into a stainless steel bowl (that he had forgotten to grease). He then put it in the Instant Pot and fired it up. It was ten minutes into cooking before he had finished clearing the mess and realised that he had forgotten to add some of the ingredients - most importantly, the cheese. When it was "cooked" he add the cheese in a single layer and grilled it. Then turning it out it became clear that it was stuck to the bowl and the cheese had given off so much oil that it flooded the plate again and he had to clear up again. Not one of his finest culinary moments.
Despite this, the Gorse Fox was pleased to see that Two Hats and Tinkerbell have bitten the bullet and ordered an Instant Pot.
We had a nice long video call with Cousteau-Cub and The Mask today. Clearly The Mask is enjoying his holiday and getting in some lovely diving with Cousteau-Cub. It does look as if he's caught the sun today, though!
Good Start
Well that was a good start to the day. The Gorse Fox did his usual morning check of online accounts and found two transaction amounting to over £500 of "pending" on one account. Quick phone call to Barclaycard soon saw an end to that. Card is now disabled and we await a new one.
The Gorse Fox is glad he checks these things so regularly but is troubled at how anyone got hold of the information.
The Gorse Fox is glad he checks these things so regularly but is troubled at how anyone got hold of the information.
Wednesday, March 06, 2019
Loafing about
Quite wet overnight but it had stopped raining by the time we got up and about. The Silver Vixen had her Pilates class and left first, and the Gorse Fox had football.
Football was a very tight affair. The game ended up 1-0 and the Gorse Fox was on the losing side. He did, however, thoroughly enjoy the cut and thrust of the game. He was interested to hear when we returned to the dressing room that the the other team had determined that they had to keep the Gorse Fox deep in defence and their tactics were to prevent him from roaming forward. This, they said, would give them a chance. The Gorse Fox was flattered.
The afternoon was quite wet but didn't really affect us.
The Gorse Fox decided to try a new recipe tonight. He made a large beef and bacon meatloaf. This was a great success and there is sufficient left over to sort out tomorrow's dinner also.
Football was a very tight affair. The game ended up 1-0 and the Gorse Fox was on the losing side. He did, however, thoroughly enjoy the cut and thrust of the game. He was interested to hear when we returned to the dressing room that the the other team had determined that they had to keep the Gorse Fox deep in defence and their tactics were to prevent him from roaming forward. This, they said, would give them a chance. The Gorse Fox was flattered.
The afternoon was quite wet but didn't really affect us.
The Gorse Fox decided to try a new recipe tonight. He made a large beef and bacon meatloaf. This was a great success and there is sufficient left over to sort out tomorrow's dinner also.
Tuesday, March 05, 2019
Banned
Well that was an interesting morning. As it's Shrove Tuesday and the Gorse Fox know that the Silver Vixen likes pancakes he made up some batter and greeted the Silver Vixen with some lovely thick American-style buttermilk pancakes. He must say that he was very pleased with the outcome, and so was the Silver Vixen. They were very filling, and absolutely delicious with a drizzle of maple syrup over them.
The Gorse Fox had his usual football session. The first hour was going well and we had won our first two games and were just swapping pitches for the next game when there was a ruckus and a lot of shouting. The Gorse Fox wasn't sure what was going on but it soon became clear that one of the usual suspects had lost his cool again and this time the ref had stepped in and sent him off. It escaped from there and in the end he was ejected from and banned from the sports centre. Silly little chap just has no control of his temper or his mouth... and by the age of 70+ is unlikely to ever change. (Interestingly he was a diplomat before he retired).
We drew our last game of the hour and then we changed personnel and swapped to the small 5-a-side cages and played three more games of 4-a-side. They proved to be hard work. The Gorse Fox's team lost the first and second game but managed to get win in the last game. Only one goal for the Gorse Fox today.
As the Gorse Fox writes this, the Instant Pot is busy cooking Murgh Makhani (Butter Chicken). It smells wonderful. The Gorse Fox has reduced the salt and omitted the cayenne this time so that it should be milder for the Silver Vixen.
The Gorse Fox had his usual football session. The first hour was going well and we had won our first two games and were just swapping pitches for the next game when there was a ruckus and a lot of shouting. The Gorse Fox wasn't sure what was going on but it soon became clear that one of the usual suspects had lost his cool again and this time the ref had stepped in and sent him off. It escaped from there and in the end he was ejected from and banned from the sports centre. Silly little chap just has no control of his temper or his mouth... and by the age of 70+ is unlikely to ever change. (Interestingly he was a diplomat before he retired).
We drew our last game of the hour and then we changed personnel and swapped to the small 5-a-side cages and played three more games of 4-a-side. They proved to be hard work. The Gorse Fox's team lost the first and second game but managed to get win in the last game. Only one goal for the Gorse Fox today.
As the Gorse Fox writes this, the Instant Pot is busy cooking Murgh Makhani (Butter Chicken). It smells wonderful. The Gorse Fox has reduced the salt and omitted the cayenne this time so that it should be milder for the Silver Vixen.
Monday, March 04, 2019
On the buses
There had been a lot of rain overnight but it was drying up by the time we came down for coffee. There was a chilly wind, but it was bright and sunny.
The morning was consumed with domestic trivia and a quick trip to Sainsbury's to top up on some of the essentials that we don't choose to order from Ocado. Then the Gorse Fox had to pop in to Chichester.
He just missed one bus but realised it the an earlier bus running behind schedule. Hi bus arrived on time and whizzed into Chichester with but a single stop.
The Gorse Fox was early for his appointment so went for a walk round the town. Heading up towards the Cathedral he ducked down a path he hadn't previously taken and cam across this courtyard behind the Cloisters. It was very tranquil and the Gorse Fox could imagine sitting there in perfect peace on a nice warm day.
Things can change quickly near the coast. By the time that the Gorse Fox had completed his appointment and was ready to head home, it was thrashing down with rain. He headed for the bus station, lackey-split, and waited under cover for his bus home.
Needless to say it cleared up again almost as soon as he got in the door back home. It has turned into a nice afternoon. Old Bill and Lady Penelope have just dropped their keys in as they are off to the airport and then Jamaica, and the Silver Vixen has popped out to a meeting. The Gorse Fox has tidied another shelf in his wardrobe... who says retired people don't have fun?
The morning was consumed with domestic trivia and a quick trip to Sainsbury's to top up on some of the essentials that we don't choose to order from Ocado. Then the Gorse Fox had to pop in to Chichester.
The Gorse Fox was early for his appointment so went for a walk round the town. Heading up towards the Cathedral he ducked down a path he hadn't previously taken and cam across this courtyard behind the Cloisters. It was very tranquil and the Gorse Fox could imagine sitting there in perfect peace on a nice warm day.
Things can change quickly near the coast. By the time that the Gorse Fox had completed his appointment and was ready to head home, it was thrashing down with rain. He headed for the bus station, lackey-split, and waited under cover for his bus home.
Needless to say it cleared up again almost as soon as he got in the door back home. It has turned into a nice afternoon. Old Bill and Lady Penelope have just dropped their keys in as they are off to the airport and then Jamaica, and the Silver Vixen has popped out to a meeting. The Gorse Fox has tidied another shelf in his wardrobe... who says retired people don't have fun?
Sunday, March 03, 2019
Organisation
It was very windy and wet overnight and indeed it has remained so throughout the day. It's not cold, however.
The Gorse Fox had football this morning. We started with one set of personnel but by half time had to swap people round to even things up. The 5-a-side was fairly intense and by half time the Gorse Fox's Orange team were about 8-4 ahead (with 5 goals from the Gorse Fox). In fact, he had decided to pull things back a bit as it was becoming a bit of a rout. In the second half, with the adjust team balance it became a lot harder, particularly as one of our team pulled a muscle had to swap places with the goal keeper. He tried his best but was severely restricted in his movement. The Yellow team started to claw back the goals as the Gorse Fox was really the only truly mobile player on the Orange team and was playing in almost every position on the pitch. The game ended up a draw. Nobody is sure quite what the score was, but the Gorse Fox scored two more goals and thing it ended up 12 each.
Back home the Silver Vixen is busy with her sewing. The Gorse Fox decided to impose some organisation on his wardrobe. A pile of clothes has been set aside for disposal, and several shelves have been tidied up. Marie Kondo would be proud. There are several more shelves to attack, but there's no sense in overdoing it. They can wait.
The Gorse Fox had football this morning. We started with one set of personnel but by half time had to swap people round to even things up. The 5-a-side was fairly intense and by half time the Gorse Fox's Orange team were about 8-4 ahead (with 5 goals from the Gorse Fox). In fact, he had decided to pull things back a bit as it was becoming a bit of a rout. In the second half, with the adjust team balance it became a lot harder, particularly as one of our team pulled a muscle had to swap places with the goal keeper. He tried his best but was severely restricted in his movement. The Yellow team started to claw back the goals as the Gorse Fox was really the only truly mobile player on the Orange team and was playing in almost every position on the pitch. The game ended up a draw. Nobody is sure quite what the score was, but the Gorse Fox scored two more goals and thing it ended up 12 each.
Back home the Silver Vixen is busy with her sewing. The Gorse Fox decided to impose some organisation on his wardrobe. A pile of clothes has been set aside for disposal, and several shelves have been tidied up. Marie Kondo would be proud. There are several more shelves to attack, but there's no sense in overdoing it. They can wait.
Saturday, March 02, 2019
Tracking or Trekking
It's been a grey day, windy and cool. There was nothing on the agenda so we just pottered. The Silver Vixen was concentrating on her latest sewing project and the Gorse Fox was at the computer.
The thing about investments is that they need to grow. Putting money into most savings accounts doesn't really cut the mustard as growth is glacially slow. The Gorse Fox has spent a lot of today reading up on various investment options, bond portfolios, trackers, funds, and heavens knows what else. Most of these seem to outperform standard savings accounts over time. Now, the Gorse Fox is not a gambler and would not dream of risking our future prosperity, but that doesn't mean that a well thought out, balanced investment is off the table. He just needs to sleep on it and weigh the options against the charges and risks.
Having spent the morning looking at trackers, he decided he needed to stretch his legs. So this afternoon he moved on to trekkers and went for an hour walk. It was just starting to spit with rain as he wandered back through the door.
Two Hats popped in. The Gorse Fox had been extolling the virtues of his Instant Pot when we were out on Thursday. This got Two Hats interested so he came round to find out more. Having done a sales job on him, the Gorse Fox sent him home with the manuals so he can read more about it. He did also offer the recipe books, but that's probably a little premature. It will be interesting to see if he orders one.
The thing about investments is that they need to grow. Putting money into most savings accounts doesn't really cut the mustard as growth is glacially slow. The Gorse Fox has spent a lot of today reading up on various investment options, bond portfolios, trackers, funds, and heavens knows what else. Most of these seem to outperform standard savings accounts over time. Now, the Gorse Fox is not a gambler and would not dream of risking our future prosperity, but that doesn't mean that a well thought out, balanced investment is off the table. He just needs to sleep on it and weigh the options against the charges and risks.
Having spent the morning looking at trackers, he decided he needed to stretch his legs. So this afternoon he moved on to trekkers and went for an hour walk. It was just starting to spit with rain as he wandered back through the door.
Two Hats popped in. The Gorse Fox had been extolling the virtues of his Instant Pot when we were out on Thursday. This got Two Hats interested so he came round to find out more. Having done a sales job on him, the Gorse Fox sent him home with the manuals so he can read more about it. He did also offer the recipe books, but that's probably a little premature. It will be interesting to see if he orders one.
Friday, March 01, 2019
Shish
Yesterday evening at Reina Kitchen was an absolute pleasure. The bus rattled us into Chichester in no time and though quite early we were shown to our table immediately. The Gorse Fox started with a dish of halloumi and spiced sausage and the chose the mixed kebab as main dish. They were superb and he would heartily recommend them. The Silver Vixen chose moussaka, but was a little underwhelmed by the dish. Two Hats chose a dish based around lamb cutlets and that looked superb. One suspects that the Silver Vixen will go for the cutlets next time.
Unlike last time, we kept a close eye on the time and managed to leave the restaurant and get onto the bus within a couple of minutes. We were home by 21:30 and settling down for a bit of TV before bed. It had been a lovely evening.
It's a bit grey today, but not cold. The Gorse Fox spent the morning doing the accounts and researching some savings account options. We have one account that isn't really providing the results that it should so we're looking for an alternative.
After lunch the Gorse Fox made the most of the dry, mild weather and took a walk. Headphones clamped firmly to his head he listened to an audio book as he wandered the streets. The Silver Vixen is making the most of the peace and quiet to get another sewing project under way.
Unlike last time, we kept a close eye on the time and managed to leave the restaurant and get onto the bus within a couple of minutes. We were home by 21:30 and settling down for a bit of TV before bed. It had been a lovely evening.
It's a bit grey today, but not cold. The Gorse Fox spent the morning doing the accounts and researching some savings account options. We have one account that isn't really providing the results that it should so we're looking for an alternative.
After lunch the Gorse Fox made the most of the dry, mild weather and took a walk. Headphones clamped firmly to his head he listened to an audio book as he wandered the streets. The Silver Vixen is making the most of the peace and quiet to get another sewing project under way.
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