Good morning everyone, cold but dry here at the moment.  Christmas is certainly rushing down upon us now, well done on making a start on your presents Yogi.  I am hoping to pick up the last few Christmas cards in a wonderful local shop later after my flu jab, if not then I will have to order online - if they don't have a good selection.

 

I haven't seen any Christmas adverts yet, but no doubt I will, I think the penguin one is probably going to be the best.  Is that the John Lewis, I did love the snowman one a year or so back and the little boy planning his Christmas present for his parents.

 

Enjoy your day everyone

There is a website called http://www.notonthehighstreet.com which has some unusual gifts, and some of the charity websites have some different stuff. 

The penguin ad is the John Lewis one - it's lovely!

BBC science article on the different types of taste which they posted yesterday.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-29912877

They say that there are five different categories of taste neurons, salty, bitter, sour, sweet or umami.

The first four are obvious and those categories have been known for a long time but have any of you come across unami or know what's that like (without resorting to a Google search ) because I don't.

 

I'm guessing it's Japanese and I've never tried Japanese food.

 

Interesting EL, I see that umami refers to rich meaty flavours.

 

PS Google search, of course

I see it's to do with monosodium glutamate being different to salt.

So it's meaty and salty?

 

I'm quite sensitive to MSG, it gives me a terrible headache which feels like someone is crushing the top of my head in a vice.

Yogi, it's quite common for people to have reactions to MSG such as headaches. It's less often used in Chinese cooking than it used to be as a result but it is still used.

My friend and I used to go to this lovely Chinese restaurant for lunch, but every time we went, we had this bouncing sore head afterwards because they were heavy handed with MSG in their soups. A change of starter solved the problem for us.

Hi Velvet. 

Well done on being the bookies.

 My day has been thrilling - cleaning the oven and ironing.

 

Greetings Velvet Congrats on beating those bookies

 

Yogi, that is a really thrilling day

Velvet, have you got some Sturgeon to go with that smoked Salmond

Nearly nodded off already, so I better say goodnight and sweet dreams now.

Night owl hugs.

*night owls*

Aw sweet dreams yogi and to all who've already turned in for the night

Velvet, sounds a very exciting day, well done on your achievements

brilliant website  - love it

night yogi and summer

Good morning everyone.

 

It has been raining overnight and is overcast atm.

 

Fell asleep really early last night but woke at 1.30am and couldn't get back to sleep. Might need a nap in the afternoon.

 

Have a good day everyone,

Good morning everyone

 

Dark clouds here, dry at present, some rain forecast this morning, then dry for a while, but then heavier rain for the rest of the day and tomorrow morning.

 

Anyone using Virgin broadband and use their family filter may have had big problems surfing at the weekend as the server they use for filtering websites had problems.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-29988123

I don't use the filter as it's just myself using my computer and I thought that the filter could cause a slowdown.

We didn't have any problems so I assume we don't use the family filter either, El.

Yogi, I think for exisiting users the Virgin filter is off as the default but for new users the default is on. I doubt if the filter problem was the cause of Skylark's computer problems as she didn't have Virgin cable.

 

Morning all damp and dreary here today, but who cares when I have just been given a christmas jumper with flashing lights on!

Yogi that's a long night, I hope you can catch a nap later to make up for it. Is PB coming this week?

Hi Summer. I'm okay atm but I think I'll try to get an hour in the afternoon.

 

PB is coming on Saturday and she is staying overnight.

Good morning everyone, dry here for the moment.  I couldn't keep my eyes open last night either and had to settle down at 9.30.  Like you Yogi I woke up at 12.45 thinking it was much later, gave me quite a shock.  I managed to get to sleep again though, I hope you manage to get a nap later

 

What's on the front of your Christmas jumper Summer?  It sounds lovely, will you wear it to work?

 

Enjoy your day everyone

Thanks Squiggle, and I'm glad you were able to get back to sleep.

Yogi, I hope you are able to get a nap later

Squiggle, I'm glad you were able to get back to sleep. Everyone wakes up during the time they are otherwise asleep but not sufficiently for it to register until they go back to sleep.

 

Summer, I wonder if it's a Christmas tree, Santa, reindeer or penguin on the front of your jumper.

Hi everyone  
Sorry to hear some not sleeping well, i have the same problem, its not pleasant feeling tired the next day. Apart from that hope you all well. 
Summer, hope you are wearing your jumper today  There are some lovely ones around, going to get my son one. he never wears a jacket so at least if he is out and about over the season he will have a warm jumper on!! He has hinted at one from Santa so all good. Its now choosing one.....

Velvet what are you like 

My comp issues are more old age than anything else (the comp not me!)  No i dont have Virgin, i pop in my postcode now and again on the site, but still says not available in my area. 
Have a good day, whatever you all are doing  

Hi Skylark

I know what you mean about not getting enough sleep though with me it tends to be the following day that I feel tired.

I thought it was more a case of old age with your computer rather than anything else. One day Virgin will lay cables in your area. I was luckly in that one of the earleist cable companies was based in my area so most of the area does have access. The company was eventually swallowed up into what is now Virgin.

 

Good to see you back, Skylark.

lol @ the bit in bold ^^^^

I hope you mange to get some sleep tonight. I'm tempted to ask Mr Yogi to hit me with a mallet if I can't sleep tonight - but he might actually do it!

 

Me too, El. NTL laid cables in my area very early on, before they were bought over by Virgin.

Haha it's a gingerbread house! It does have a tree on too though.
It says "do not wash" which isn't very good, so I'll keep it for home. I do have a few for work from last year though so plenty of fun ahead.

Lovely to have you back skylark

Yogi, aw how exciting, I bet you're looking forward to PB coming!

Summer, I hadn't thought of a gingerbread house jumper

A gingerbread house jumper - how lovely. My friend in Canada makes gingerbread houses each year with her children.  Evidently you can buy all the bits you need ready made and then just ice as you build it.

 

Definitely not a mallet Yogi, please   I take paracetomol every night before sleep - the doctor prescribes them for me, but if I have had trouble sleeping I keep a supply of Panadol Night.  I don't know what's in them but they never fail to give me a good night's sleep.

Squiggle, according to the NHS choices website besides paracetemol, Panadol Night contains Diphenhydramine which is an antihistamine which works by blocking the effects of histamine and causes drowsiness. So it's that which helps to give you a good night's sleep. A lot safer than the use of a mallet and not as painful.

 

I'll opt for a warm bath, followed by some hot chocolate, instead of the mallet.

 

I haven't seen a gingerbread house jumper, it sounds lovely.

 

I am, Summer.

One seriously complicated watch is to be auctioned off:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blog...ine-monitor-30002096

The price is astronomic though.