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Post by denise15601 on Nov 10, 2022 22:20:45 GMT
70's today, heavy rain tomorrow. Then Saturday's high will be 39. Ugh.
But it has been really nice for the past 2 weeks, so we have been lucky.
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val2525
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Post by val2525 on Nov 11, 2022 0:45:21 GMT
Amazon is advertising heavily online. Some of the ads are cute but a lot are really stupid and bad. You'd think they wouldn't need to advertise at all however.
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Post by staytuned on Nov 11, 2022 0:56:49 GMT
You read about it, see a million photos of it, but nothing prepared me for seeing it in person, particularly on a quiet November day when the winds were sweeping across Salisbury Plain. It was almost eerie.
I take it it's still fenced around it? Still looks like you can get close enough to get some "vibes".
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Post by chapeaunoir on Nov 11, 2022 8:31:59 GMT
Yes, the henge itself is a protected area but you can get pretty close up. You can roam freely around the neolithic burial mounds and ground features.
The street grid in Winchester was laid out in 880 with the High Street - the main shopping street, existing since roman times and having been a main street since then. The architecture of downtown is a melange of 14th century to 20th century buildings just all mashed together. It's also pedestrianised and busy - the entire town is busy, actually. I was climbing up along a narrow stairway in one of the buildings to see what was up there and got this shot. It's actually a mild example. The Eclipse pub shown in the middle is a half-timbered building built in 1540 and has been a pub since 1750. There's a kebab house in a 14th century building nearby - no one thinks anything about it. The food here is really good. Not sure why we haven't been in all the time we've spent here, but somehow now.
And this, after 3 years away, was one of the best things - a signpost on one of the local trails - the South Downs Trail - popping up in the woods pointing to adventure! It was SO good to get my boots back into the dirt here and go for a long, satisfying hike!
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Post by staytuned on Nov 11, 2022 14:42:30 GMT
One thing I love about the UK is how well preserved the buildings are and the uniqueness. Around here, if a house or business shows age, it gets torn down or renovated to a "Home Depot" version that not only sucks the character out of the building, it sucks character out of the city/town, too.
Keep those pics coming, Chap! Sounds like you've got your sense of taste back and endurance to enjoy your trip.
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Post by staytuned on Nov 11, 2022 14:43:03 GMT
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Post by chapeaunoir on Nov 11, 2022 16:43:35 GMT
We spent more time in Winchester Cathedral again today. During our visit there, there was the 2 minutes of silence to commemorate Remembrance Day, which is held in considerable reverence here. There had been people walking around the church, a group of primary school aged kids, a small tour, etc. And at the tolling of the bell complete silence fell, and remained for two minutes. The Dean of the church said a prayer after the silence. One year we were in London for Remembrance Day - near the Cenotaph and the Queen was there. There were?? 100,000 people crammed into the area in any case (it's really easy to get a crowd that large together in London - for the 2012 Olympic Parade an estimated one million people crammed the pavements, tops of buildings and every window that opened to watch it - the crowd just materalised). At an rate, London is really noisy - you have to shout to be heard in the streets and everyone just bellows conversationally on top of all the noise. When that bell tolled, that entire big city just went dead.silent. Cars, busses, everything just stopped. It was eerie and very moving.
My sense of adventure is thriving, but alas, I still don't have much of a sense of taste. Liquids are better than solids, but I can tell the food is fresh and if it has a sauce or soup, I can taste that. I'm grateful for anything at this point.
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Post by staytuned on Nov 11, 2022 16:58:48 GMT
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val2525
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Post by val2525 on Nov 11, 2022 17:39:51 GMT
Looks like I'm making chili tomorrow instead of today. Not a problem, tomorrow will actually be cold so it works out. I forgot I had a HEB ready to bake meal in the fridge that I need to use up today. Pork medallions with apple herb butter and butternut squash with apples and pecan praline topping. It's not what I usually get in the RTB meals (too much sugar) but it sounded good and makes for a nice holiday change If it's good I might pick one up for Thanksgiving instead of making a turkey meal that always ends up too much food one person can eat in a week I just looked online and the HEB cranberry pork sausage is finally in! They only make it at Christmas and it's really good. It's also surprisingly low in sodium (for sausage that is) so I always buy a LOT and freeze a bunch so I can enjoy it all year long. I'll have to pick some up today. Life is good Attention cat AND dog people - Chewy has a sale on now of cat & dog toys at buy 3, get 4th free and it includes cat scratcher houses (even Christmas ones) and cute dog sweaters. /PSA
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Post by chapeaunoir on Nov 11, 2022 17:48:27 GMT
Winchester Cathedral was founded in about 650, but the present cathedral was started in the 10th century, and got added onto, enlarged, sometimes a tower fell down so it would be remodeled - it's like an organic thing. A lot of it is 13th century, and to my mind the Medievals were the greatest builders the western world has ever known - incredible buildings that reached to the heavens, built by hand and human labour. The cathedral is almost 600 feet long - it's mind boggling.
At any rate, during this period (1000 -1300s) Christianity and the 'old religion' weren't all that far apart in the minds of the everyday people, and a lot of this is reflected in the work the stonemasons and carpenters/carvers and painters did when they built this church. There was also a lot of humour and whimsey. So you'll sit in the choir stall, look to your left and OMG! who are THESE little guys, one on each side of a pew decoration!
On a 12th century screen are all kinds of mythical beasts and the locals going about their business:
Look under some of the choir seats...
As in every other old cathedral I've been in, the Green Man occurs everywhere - a symbol of nature, as if to say "You may be raising great monuments to the glory of God, but you had best not forget where you came from."
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Post by chapeaunoir on Nov 11, 2022 18:09:24 GMT
Rambling to the way back oldest part of the cathedral where a lot of people don't go, we find this solitary unknown knight, the carving of his name long since worn away. Like the rest of that portion of the cathedral, he's probably from the 900s, possibly a hero of the Norman Conquest, but the face carving looks closer to Anglo-Saxon. The bones of six Saxon kinds and one Saxon queen rest here, so it's possible.
One last photo: I got to the very back of the cathedral and tried to get a photo of the length of its nave all the way to the front door. It's hard to see, but the smallest little archway in the center of the photo is the front - hundreds of feet away.
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Post by denise15601 on Nov 11, 2022 18:18:17 GMT
Did anyone hear about a lettuce shortage? I don't know if it is a specific kind. My friend said that a guy at Sam's told her. I can only eat iceberg and when I went to Walmart last week,there were only a few heads left.
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kritter
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Post by kritter on Nov 11, 2022 18:52:32 GMT
I didn't hear about a shortage but I noticed that in HEB's bag salad section that there were a bunch of open slots in the iceberg section. Maybe just a truck delay but maybe an iceberg delay. Those things are amazing. I am totally addicted to them because they are so easy plus always tasty. I haven't had the pork medallions one yet because I have focused on the salmon ones but I am getting salmoned out. I had this one www.heb.com/product-detail/h-e-b-meal-simple-butter-topped-beef-petite-sirloin-steak-with-loaded-potato-boat-avg-0-67-lb/3144596 last night. Plus 40% Off on some things. I can pass up most sales but never a Chewy sale. Never! Waiting for this cold front to hit. Got bedding for Chance in the cat pen, trash can out of the alley, and ready for hibernation. Got all errands done yesterday. How many days until Spring?
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Post by labbypaws on Nov 11, 2022 19:36:51 GMT
www.businessinsider.com/taco-bell-chick-fil-a-subway-panera-lettuce-shortage-2022-11Apparently hitting restaurants too. “The shortages are part of a larger problem across the industry. Both romaine and iceberg lettuce are in short supply, and prices are high when restaurants can buy the vegetables. The average price of a box of iceberg lettuce was $67 at the end of October, compared with $14 during the same period in 2019, Restaurant Business Online reported, a nearly 400% price increase over three years.”
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val2525
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Post by val2525 on Nov 11, 2022 19:45:03 GMT
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Post by denise15601 on Nov 11, 2022 22:05:00 GMT
www.businessinsider.com/taco-bell-chick-fil-a-subway-panera-lettuce-shortage-2022-11Apparently hitting restaurants too. “The shortages are part of a larger problem across the industry. Both romaine and iceberg lettuce are in short supply, and prices are high when restaurants can buy the vegetables. The average price of a box of iceberg lettuce was $67 at the end of October, compared with $14 during the same period in 2019, Restaurant Business Online reported, a nearly 400% price increase over three years.” Thanks! Iceberg is the only kind that I can eat. Darn it. With my hypoglycemia and the fact that I can't have folic acid foods, I am running out of foods that I can eat.
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Post by denise15601 on Nov 11, 2022 22:05:37 GMT
I wish that we had HEBs here!
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kritter
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Post by kritter on Nov 12, 2022 17:11:39 GMT
53 degrees here with a high of 60 today. BRRRRR! If I didnt have all these cats living here, I would be on my way to visit Tabby and her 83 degree weather.
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Post by Tabby on Nov 12, 2022 17:23:54 GMT
Come on down, Kritter. You're always welcome! This area dodged a bullet - direct hit from Nicole, but very, very little damage, other than beach erosion. So everything is open, and the weather is great.
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kritter
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Post by kritter on Nov 12, 2022 17:43:16 GMT
Come on down, Kritter. You're always welcome! This area dodged a bullet - direct hit from Nicole, but very, very little damage, other than beach erosion. So everything is open, and the weather is great. I am really jonesing for that seafood restaurant on the beach that we went to. Oh, and the bar-b-que place too.
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val2525
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Post by val2525 on Nov 12, 2022 18:12:16 GMT
I'm the opposite of Kritter - I love the weather today! Sunny with lower humidity so it's a crisp cold. It's the middle of November - it's about time it started feeling like fall. Although the 60's would be nice too LOL. Guess I better get moving. I have some returns to take to the UPS Store when I pickup my mail, some returns and a pickup at Kohls, and I still need to get the chili started. Although I could make that tomorrow. I'm using frozen beef crumbles so there's no rush to cook the meat. www.poundofground.com/HEB had a coupon for them this week and a pound of the crumbles ended up being cheaper than a pound of fresh ground round. I've used them before and they taste good. They're sooooooo convenient too. So yeah, since I goofed off a bit too long this morning, chili might be for tomorrow. I have a Macys return but I'll go Monday night since the store is much slower on weeknights. I need to take a return back to Belk too, maybe I'll do that today (the store is about 40 minutes away). Gotta go check the traffic on that one.
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Post by staytuned on Nov 12, 2022 19:03:40 GMT
Currently 38 degrees, raining and overcast. I do need to haul up a few more things from the Cube, but I'll wait til tomorrow when the sun might peek out. Down parka, gloves, hat and boots are at the ready for the next 4-5 months of miserable weather.
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kritter
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Post by kritter on Nov 12, 2022 19:14:03 GMT
I had a look at the recipe for chili that is shown with that product.
Celery in chili? What kind of insanity is that? Must be some kind of yankee chili.
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val2525
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Post by val2525 on Nov 12, 2022 19:30:56 GMT
peaceloveandlowcarb.com/kickin-chili-low-carb-gluten-free/Above is the recipe that I used last time, but I used half/half ground beef and ground turkey, added diced bell pepper in place of the celery (who puts celery in chili?) and I used Penzey's Adobo, garlic and Arizona Dreaming spices in place of all the individual spices. I omitted the pickled jalapenos since I didn't have any. It was really good. Even using the no salt added tomato products. I'm lazy this time, I'm just using all ground beef this batch.
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Post by labbypaws on Nov 12, 2022 20:56:59 GMT
It was 66 degrees. We found out the club work party year starts in November so we did our third year work party today. One more to do - next November or later.
I cleaned the bathrooms. That was enough for me. Ribs are still a bit sore so I didn’t want to overdue it. He did work outdoors. We usually finish up around 10:30 or 11.
Anyway I got a bit ticked because the rules say a work party every year the first 4 years or $100 extra membership fee each year ($200 for the 2 of us). I asked if they keep track of them because a coworker said he only did the first one. I would have thought if you didn’t do a work party they add it to your dues.
He said it was on the honor system. Seriously? You keep attendance for a reason. Well we will do another one next year because it is the right thing. But it makes me mad that people get away without paying the added fee.
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Post by staytuned on Nov 12, 2022 21:25:02 GMT
What's a "club work party"? Heck, if someone's going to make me work, they'd better pay me the $100 instead of the other way around.
Temp down to 34 and rain is visible so must be freezing up. Winter hasn't even started and I already hate hate hate it.
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Post by pyrexandpearls on Nov 12, 2022 21:40:16 GMT
... slowly backs out of thread..... I put celery in my chili LOL. Well, let me rephrase, I use celery when I make this specific chili and I swear its good! Its not a knock your socks off flavor punch chili, but I think it's a good dupe for Wendys without the nasty day old hamburgers they use. I usually freeze some of the leftovers in smaller portions for the oh so healthy chili cheese fries. (And, FWIW, this site is my all time favorite food blog. I use a ton of her recipes (she was a private chef) and they almost always hit the mark. I love her easy chicken tikka, baked Chinese orange chicken, and vodka sauce in particular.) dinnerthendessert.com/wendys-chili/I had an interesting week this week. Tuesday morning I left for work and had only made it about 2 blocks from my house to a 4 way intersection and then witnessed the worst car accident I've ever seen. I was sitting at the light, about 5 cars back, and I saw the stoplight violently shake and in the blink of an eye I witnessed this SUV swerve back into the intersection, go off a hill and go airborne, knock down part of a fence and an ENTIRE small tree, and land on its roof. I am nearly 100% certain that the woman driving did not hit the brakes and was accelerating as she came off the hill - there was no sounds of braking, no tire squeals or blackmarks and the grass she drove over as complete undisturbed. Not to mention the fact that she had already hit the stoplight pole (and clipped the tire of another car) before all the other issues. I pulled over and called 911 as the woman in the car behind me ran down the hill. 911 advised me to tell her not to get the lady out but it didn't matter anyways as she was completely stuck as the car landed basically flat on the roof after being in the air. I was amazed when she stood up on her own after the firefighters got her out (and she as in the TRUNK - not sure if she was thrown or crawled back there) but she was immediately placed into the ambulance and taken away. Another person who stopped said she had been driving very erratically before it happened so I don't know if she was drunk, having a medical issue, or something else entirely. Craziest thing I have ever witnessed by far!
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kritter
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Post by kritter on Nov 12, 2022 22:07:24 GMT
If I am going to eat chili, it is going to be the knock your socks off flavor chili and it does not include celery.
Celery in chili turns it into a thick soup.
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Post by labbypaws on Nov 12, 2022 22:34:23 GMT
What's a "club work party"? Heck, if someone's going to make me work, they'd better pay me the $100 instead of the other way around. Temp down to 34 and rain is visible so must be freezing up. Winter hasn't even started and I already hate hate hate it. Part of our dues for the gun club. Yacht clubs and the like usually also have work parties. It gets chores done without having to pay someone or expect all the members to pitch in. First 4 years - one a year. Then we are done with it and the younger, newer members can do it. They usually get about 20 people each month. I figured it out the reverse. $100 is 5 hours of my pay. Rather do 2.5-3 hours of work instead of spending my pay on it. Double it though because we have to do the same for hubby. ‘Luckily the work parties end early for a club tour which we don’t have to do.
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Post by labbypaws on Nov 12, 2022 22:36:35 GMT
Pyrex, sorry you had to see that but you knew what to do. Good job.
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