What are you doing today?

[Huntn]

My big plan is to hang Christmas lights on the gazebo, part 4 of the Holliday Honeydew list. I started yesterday, and it rained on me.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Stay well, stay sane and stay safe.

Just arrived at the hotel. A beer, burger and bed. So that’s a BBB then for me. Long day.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Just arrived at the hotel. A beer, burger and bed. So that’s a BBB then for me. Long day.

How the beer went down well, and that the burger was tasty, and that the bed is warm and welcoming.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Here, I have been making phone calls, and earlier, braved the elements to head out and collect my organic milk and organic cream.

 

[Alli]

Made a mid-day meal cause I have class at dinner time. I can’t believe I only have two more weeks of classes. Once January rolls around it’s study for comps, start writing the first three chapters, and on to full-time dissertation.

 

[lizkat]

Here, I have been making phone calls, and earlier, braved the elements to head out and collect my organic milk and organic cream.

We have some less than great weather coming in here as well... so this morning I had hastened to put in an Instacart order while shopper drivers would still be happy to deliver it. Re-upped on an assortment of fresh produce including late summer squash --with a nod to that season's passing-- and some new season apples that I start craving this time of year.

Today I've been fixing some playlists that didn't transfer well to my MBA 2020 when I first brought the lists over, not realizing I idn't have some of the songs in them on board yet. Fun, not the chore I had half thought it might be.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

We have some less than great weather coming in here as well... so this morning I had hastened to put in an Instacart order while shopper drivers would still be happy to deliver it. Re-upped on an assortment of fresh produce including late summer squash --with a nod to that season's passing-- and some new season apples that I start craving this time of year.

Today I've been fixing some playlists that didn't transfer well to my MBA 2020 when I first brought the lists over, not realizing I idn't have some of the songs in them on board yet. Fun, not the chore I had half thought it might be.

This coming Saturday will mark the last day of the year that the best stall in the farmers' market will put in an appearance; we chatted by phone today, and I pleaded with them to hold two boxes of eggs for me, but each week, as the hens are laying fewer and fewer eggs, the number of eggs that are available for sale decrease.

And - with frost approaching - some vegetables, such as chard, are no longer available.

Well, I shall head in early on Saturday, with my bags, and buy whatever I can.

 

[Clix Pix]

Puttered around with this-and-that, and spent about an hour or so playing with the camera and a couple of lenses to see what I could create.....

 

[Alli]

This morning we’ll head to the fix-your-phone shop to see if they can repair my husband’s Pixel. He left it in the car once too often and the battery expanded and pushed out the back. I’d rather he just buy a phone from the AT&T store, but he’s stubborn. And an Android fan. (Yes, ours is a mixed marriage.)

Later we’ll take the scenic drive over the bay, even in the rain, and pick up some Satsumas which are still plentiful on my late father-in-law’s trees. My brother-in-law doesn’t give the trees the love his father did, but that doesn’t stop them from producing.

 

[Eric]

This morning we’ll head to the fix-your-phone shop to see if they can repair my husband’s Pixel. He left it in the car once too often and the battery expanded and pushed out the back. I’d rather he just buy a phone from the AT&T store, but he’s stubborn. And an Android fan. (Yes, ours is a mixed marriage.)

Later we’ll take the scenic drive over the bay, even in the rain, and pick up some Satsumas which are still plentiful on my late father-in-law’s trees. My brother-in-law doesn’t give the trees the love his father did, but that doesn’t stop them from producing.

Sounds like a great way to spend the day. I know what you mean about Android users, when I see a text message coming from my mom in green I cringe lol.

 

[Apple fanboy]

How the beer went down well, and that the burger was tasty, and that the bed is warm and welcoming.

Beef went down fine. The bed was fine. The two idiots that came back to their room at 1:30 am and chatted loudly for nearly an hour was not fine. Needless to say when I got up at 6 I wasn’t exactly quiet myself. The exact opposite in fact.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Beef went down fine. The bed was fine. The two idiots that came back to their room at 1:30 am and chatted loudly for nearly an hour was not fine. Needless to say when I got up at 6 I wasn’t exactly quiet myself. The exact opposite in fact.

Glad you enjoyed your beer.

How did it feel to stay in a hotel?

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Got soaked - horrid hailstone showers, actually, the sort of showers that utterly transformed the meaning of the noun "shower", as they were sustained downpours of hailstones, freezing and very wet - at the farmers' market early this morning, - and not really inclined to venture out again today, although some beer would be both wonderful and very welcome.

Changed and enjoyed a scalding hot shower when I returned home.

So, showers, piping hot at home, and horrid hailstones outside, are on my mind.

At the market, I purchased some meat - from the organic butcher's stall (stewing beef, and some chicken thighs - organic, free range) as I plan to prepare some spicy, and warming, goulash over the week-end.

Generally, I don't eat much meat, and prefer that it is ethically reared - with an eye for environmentally aware and sustainable values, as well - when I do, but winter does occasionally call for a meat dish, or two, whereas I can easily survive on a diet of vegetables, bread, fruit and cheese in summer. And some fish. And perhaps pasta or rice when necessary. And beer. And wine.

Anyway, the main reason I ventured out today is that today is the last day this year that the best organic vegetable stall - with by far the best eggs - planned to be present at the market: Thus, my purchases included eggs, and root vegetables (carrots, parsnips, onions, celery, leeks, celeriac), garlic, chilli peppers, ginger, a few small beets, and, dark green kale, while, at another stall, I also bought lemons, grapefruit, apples, (two different types, a type not dissimilar to Cox's, and some sharp cooking apples), sweet potatoes, aubergines, tomatoes, and cucumber.

Yet another stall yielded Gorgonzola cheese, and olives. They had forgotten to bring their jars of salted anchovies in olive oil, a staple of my store cupboard, and had also omitted to stock their own Cheddar.

The stall selling honey was not present, and neither was the stall selling oranges (for juicing), - but it was (and is) an absolutely hideous day, so one cannot blame them; if I had not needed to purchase eggs (and some meat, for I have been thinking of a spicy meat stew for days), I would not have ventured forth on such a filthy day, either.

Actually, this morning, looking at the stall holders, notwithstanding the impressive advances made in the production of rain gear, and appropriate winter clothing, in the 20th and 21st centuries, while they did look a bit more modern than their medieval forebears, (and the market - which dates from the Middle Ages, takes place alongside the railings of a large medieval church completed in 1320), candidly, they would not have been out of place in a medieval, or Renaissance, painting of the sort made famous by the work of Pieter Brueghel.

I also paid a visit to the French bakery, and acquired French bread (a campagne style French stick), French rye bread, and two raspberry croissants, one of which was devoured with butter and raspberry jam, and coffee on my return home.

 

[Alli]

Finally sunny! Thank goodness cause today we’re going to meet a former student for lunch at one of the lovely outdoor venues that have popped up all over our downtown district. It should be nice in the sun even though it’s a little chilly.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Glad you enjoyed your beer.

How did it feel to stay in a hotel?

Three hotels.
First hotel in central London was in Regents Park. 300+ room hotel. 15 rooms occupied. Other than having breakfast delivered to your room and a choice of either the hotel delivering dinner to your room or getting a takeaway delivered (which we did) and eating it in your room, felt almost normal.
Second hotel in Leeds all the cups and spoons were replaced with disposables. Breakfast was collected downstairs and taken back to your room. Although I had my evening meal delivered to my room from the hotel (pretty average).
Third hotel in London (post lockdown) was busy. Felt pretty normal. Had breakfast and dinner in the restaurant. Although the wooden spoons for cereal was just weird.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Three hotels.
First hotel in central London was in Regents Park. 300+ room hotel. 15 rooms occupied. Other than having breakfast delivered to your room and a choice of either the hotel delivering dinner to your room or getting a takeaway delivered (which we did) and eating it in your room, felt almost normal.
Second hotel in Leeds all the cups and spoons were replaced with disposables. Breakfast was collected downstairs and taken back to your room. Although I had my evening meal delivered to my room from the hotel (pretty average).
Third hotel in London (post lockdown) was busy. Felt pretty normal. Had breakfast and dinner in the restaurant. Although the wooden spoons for cereal was just weird.

Good grief.

Disposable cutlery ad crockery; ugh.

A hotel is not the sort of grotty takeaway that you used to visit as a student when pubs shut.

What is wrong with a very high (sterilising) heat to clean and sterilise cutlery in a dishwasher?

 

[Clix Pix]

In a word: staffing..... Hotels have had to cut their staffs significantly due to the pandemic and few to no bookings. That's why a lot of hotels in the US have closed their restaurants and bars even when there is no lockdown or simply a modified version of one. Some simply provide limited services such as self-catered breakfast in the morning without other meals provided at all, or some have enough staff to provide a limited room service menu. Much depends, of course, too, on the location of the hotel, if it is in an area where there are a lot of restaurants which can provide carryout services or if it is in a somewhat distant or remote area where there are few places to eat.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

In a word: staffing..... Hotels have had to cut their staffs significantly due to the pandemic and few to no bookings. That's why a lot of hotels in the US have closed their restaurants and bars even when there is no lockdown or simply a modified version of one. Some simply provide limited services such as self-catered breakfast in the morning without other meals provided at all, or some have enough staff to provide a limited room service menu. Much depends, of course, too, on the location of the hotel, if it is in an area where there are a lot of restaurants which can provide carryout services or if it is in a somewhat distant or remote area where there are few places to eat.

I see your point, and it is a good one.

Having said that, I no longer find the vibe of "student hostel" one that would attract me, should I find myself in a position where I would have to stay in a hotel; the whole point of hotels is not just the convenience, but also the fact that you can enjoy some creature comforts you would not be able to avail of at home.

Here, chez moi, I had a chat with Decent Brother for an hour and a half this afternoon; wines, music and both parents featured as topics of conversation. By mutual consent, we agreed to stay away from Brexit, Mr Trump, other politics, and indeed, football, as subjects for congenial conversation.

 

[DT]

Got our (main, live) tree yesterday! It's a beaut

We have a super nice artificial from Balsam Hill, pre-lighted, we got that a few years ago when we were almost always traveling for Xmas, it's like a 6', so not huge. In the last couple of years, we've been spending the end of the year at home, so we use that tree in front of the house (I can see it right from my seat here in the downstairs office), and went back to a bigger live tree for the TV room. In the stand - which is this neat one we got several years ago, it uses the hole the tree lots use, so easy and stable - it's around 100"tall

That's partially decorated, lights are on, we have a ton of other ornaments and whatnot (I can see that one from my corner too!).

Lighted garland is on the stairs, stocking hung up, and I repaired the amazing dancing Homer (Simpson), so he's occasionally kicking in with words of wisdom

I'm working on some code, watching some football, having a few beverages. JB made some delicious chili, so having that for dinner. The little G is working on some homework, she showed us her handwritten Xmas list, she has things organized by source and category, hahaha

 

[leekohler2]

I just signed up! Hi all you former MR people! I'm back!