It's been a fine day today, loads of Sun.

Had some bacon ribs for tea after the Tomato soup.
Was going to have a Haggis, but delayed it till tomorrow night.
O/H is trying to cut down on the cholesterol as she has a test in a week, so she's going to take it easy.

Evening.

Quite a nice day here after a frosty and misty start.

Hope your Mum got her TV tuned OK Mollie.
And I hope your OH finds something in his line.

Not sure what the Permalink button is for? I pressed it, but it didn't seem to do anything?  
Also I notice, at the top right of the page, next to your username, it gives you the option to upgrade to something?
Been too frightened to press that.

Had a mushroom and bacon omlette with chips and green beans.

Good Morning Everyone.

It's a lovely day here, Sun is getting warmer that's for sure.
Just had 3 soft boiled dippy eggs with toast.

Having Haggis for tea tonight with some veg and tatties.

Good afternoon all

Lovely day here too Hicky. And as you say, the sun is getting warmer and stronger now. Sounds like you enjoyed your eggs today.   Your poor OH having to cut down on her colestrol, it's not easy to work out what has this colestrol and what doesn't. I had cheese and tomato on toast for brekkie, I enjoy that done in my halogen oven. Enjoy your haggis for tea tommorrow.

Emptybox
Didn't notice that permalink, think I will just ignore it too. The typing all looks different here to me now.
My son successfully retuned my mums tv, through her freeview box.
Is it warmer in the day up there yet?
I bet your omlette was nice, I love mushrooms. When I cook them on their own, I do them with a bit of marmite and a little water, instead of frying with butter, because they abosorb a lot of fat.

OH wasted time yesterday driving for 6 hours. Job was nothing to do with what he does, don't know why they wanted to see him.   So he still keeps on looking.

Time to take the dog a walk, she loves going out when it is sunny though.

Have a good day. x

Hi Mollie.

Just put some Samosa's in the oven for a snack.

Will sort the Haggis later, bought a Swede and have spuds ready.

That's bad, you O/H having to travel to a pointless meeting about a job that wasn't in his line.

Evening.
Had trouble getting on here  earlier. 

Sorry your OH had a wasted journey Mollie. Did he get any travel expenses?

Had a busy day today. Working all day.
Did some clearing up and painted a gate this morning, and cut a hedge this afternoon. 
I was surprised at the amount of snow left in the village that I was working (about 4½ miles from me). The lawns were still covered, yet the snow has all gone from mine.
It was sunny but cold.

Had a steak pie with potatoes and carrots with gravy.

BBC4 are doing a Heavy Metal night tonight.
I'm in me element (bangs head...ouch)  

Hi Emptybox.

Seen a few good programs tonight, and Lady Gaga on Wossy.
She's pretty good really.
Had my Haggis with the usual swede and mash, very nice.

Not into Heavy Metal really.

Had a nice shopping trip to M&S in Birkenhead, just got a few meals for next week, plenty of fruit, and a load of jellies with fresh fruit in, some tubs of fresh Red Crab leg flesh, so much better than the ex frozen stuff really.

Hi Hicky.

I did my weekly shop today as well. Just in the local haldanes though.
I don't think it's as good as the previous Somerfield.
There doesn't seem to be as much loose fruit and veg, and less choice.

I like ham in my lunch-time sandwiches, but i can never find any nice stuff in the supermarket. It's either the expensive honey or mustard roasted stuff, or the cheap reconstituted stuff.
I like the ordinary breaded ham. Think I'll have to look in the butchers.

It was rather wet today, but milder than before. The snow on the hills is going now.

Spaghetti Bolognese night for me.

Good morning all
another bright sunny cool winters morning, my fave type of weather.
Hopefully we will be ablet to take the dog a nice long walk on the seafront when we take son to drama later.

Emptybox
Glad to hear you got back to work yesterday. I expect you will have plenty to catch up with soon. I am surprised they still have a good snow cover so close to you. Maybe this a sign of a good summer to come this year? Hope you enjoyed your sphag bol. What a nuisiance that your new supermarket doesn't match up with your old one. Good idea to try the local butchers. Unfortunately OH doesn't get travel from would be clients, so it is annoying if he has to go on a wild goose chase.
LOL at you head banging. I too am not into heavy metal. I like dance type music, grew up as a dancing clubbing girl, so still like that sort of music.

Hicky
do you have the family coming over today?
Did you enjoy your Samosas?  are they those things with a thin crisp batter cover, filled with veg, or veg meat mix?  If so, I did try some veg ones at a friends once, and liked them.
We too went to M and S foodhall yesterday. And got quite a lot of food treats. We all  like the pototo cropuettes they do there. As well as the plain ones, they now do cheese, and cheese and onion ones too.
Friends treated me , OH and daughter to the carvary yesterday, which they insisted on doing, because we had treated them to some threatre tickets when me and daughter couldn't go because of illness. It was delicious. Huge choice of veg, I had a veggies option that was so nice, and so plentiful, that the others shared it too. It was a big light puff pastry with melted brie and asparagus in it. Yummy.

I did some clothes shopping, and got a zip up fleece for son, 2 long sleeved T shirts, a flowery skirt, pair of pink sunglasses for me, a warm fleecy pair of pyjamias for daughter, and it only cost £23. Good old Primark.

Hope you all have a good Sunday. xx
the piccies appear to have vanished for me today

Afternoon.
A lovely day here as well, and milder than it has been (8 degrees).
I can see life in the garden at last.

Hope you enjoy your dog walk Mollie.

Got some ironing to do later, then I think I'll have a chicken stirfry.

Hi Emptybox & Mollie.

Didn't manage to get on earlier, it was up and brekki and out, we took my Grandson with his Dad, one of my Lads and his Partner and my O/H, we first went to the Candle Factory, had a couple of hours there, young one made a candle and painted a glass holder for his Mum.
Then we went to the Ice Cream Farm which was fairly close, had a good time there, they had Animals as well.

Pity you can't find the right Ham Emptybox, your Local Butcher probably has it in.

It's been a Glorious day here as well Mollie.

I love Samosa's Mollie, any type does me.
They are Triangle shape, and I heat the Oven to 175 put them on a baking tray and wait for oven to reach temperature, then put in oven and time for no longer than 10 minutes.
Of course I eat them with Chili Pickle, Yum yum.

The M&S food hall is defo worth a look round, didn't find it expensive, but a good choice of fesh food.

Good Morning Everyone.

A nice crisp morning here, if you like that sort of thing, not so keep myself, prefer temp to be 20C or more.
Just having my first cup of tea while things are quiet.
Must read the paper now as well.

Another day over.

Had a good day really, was having bacon & Liver ready meal, had some Spud and swede from the weekend, made some extra bacon and made some gravy, quite good in the end.

I've got 2 days off he wants me to work Thursday as a boss is playing Golf Wednesday.

Evening.

Quite a mild day here.
I was cutting a big hedge, and I was sweating at one point.
Had to take my woolly hat and fleece off to stop myself over-heating.
There was a frost overnight, but it was away quick.

I'm going to try to grow some tomatoes in the greenhouse, like my Dad always did.
I bought some seed and have planted them in a propagator on the window sill.

I also bought some seed potatoes and some pea seeds, and will make a wee veg patch in one of the flower beds.
My dad used to have a much larger patch, in one of the neighbour's gardens, but he gave it up a couple of years ago.
I've never had time for doing much gardening at home before now, but I think i want to grow a few veg. Might plant some lettuce and stuff later in the year?

Hi Emptybox.

Lovely morning here today, lots of Sun.

I took my greenhouse down, gave it away, gets too hot, was only and 8 x 6ft, far to small to do anything with.
Tried all the Toms etc outside last year, some was ok, the Beetroot was fantastic, the peppers are pretty hard to grow.
The Lettuce is easy but you'll have to give a lot away, you couldn't eat it all, and you need to plant some every week or it's all ready at the same time.
The Pea's seem to grow fine, as do beans, but it's an expensive hobby, it ends up a lot more than buying it as I bought the plants not the seeds.

Spuds usually grow well, best in big tubs or bags of compost.

Good afternoon all
We had a busy day out all day in Cardiff yesterday. Had a nice walk down the river, went to book shop because kids wanted some new books, and we had a nice meal out (Pizza), paid for with our Tescos vouchers.
Another lovely sunny day here today.

Hicky
That visit to the candle farm followed by the ice-cream place sounded good. Do they make the ice-cream there? Was it nice?  I think I will buy some samosas for the family to try next time I go shopping. Hope you enjoy your 2 days off. Are you still going to grow your own veg this year, even though you don't have the greenhouse? Who did you give it to?

Emptybox
I'd love to grow my own veg, they just taste so nice compared to shop bought. Good luck with your new venture, sounds like a nice hobby for you, especially if you have the room. Glad to hear you are able to get back to work, and are feeling warmer now outdoors, whilst hedge cutting.

Hi Mollie.

The Ice Cream was made on the Farm, a big production system was needed to keep up with the sales, of course you could buy tubs of 2 or 4 litre in any flavour, there was at least 20/30 flavours I had the Rum and Raison.

You can get loads of Samosa's from the Deli counter at Sainsbury's at any time, I usually get the Veg ones and heat them up in the Oven, of course you can heat them in the microwave if you want them to remain soft, but I like them with a crispy pastry.

I gave the greenhouse and a 8x5 wooden shed to one of the men who was a friend of the feller who put my new fences up, he has an allotment so they are always handy.

Not sure what i'm doing on the veg front, I can never resist somehow, so i'll have to see.

Just been to get a new headlamp bulb fitted at Halfords, don't like a headlight out.

Got a letter off the tax man, the statement says i've overpaid by £1,204.80, very strange, don't know how that is, I just paid what the accountant said I should pay by 31 Jan 2010.

I wouldn't knock it Hicky. Better in your pocket...
Perhaps an age allowance that your accountant forgot to claim?
Or perhaps the tax people haven't a clue?

My greenhouse is only 6' by 8' as well, but that's enough for a few tomato plants.
My Dad tried growing those outside one year, but hardly any ripened. Just doesn't get warm enough up here usually.
The home grown ones taste nicer than the bought ones. That's my main reason.

I'm only going to put a few things in the flower bed, just for the sake of growing a few really. I'm not going to dig up the lawn or anything.  

A cloudy, but mild day here.
I've reduced the amount of time the heating is on for.
It's now on for 2 hours in the morning, and from 5pm.
I'll reduce the time further as it gets milder.

Hi Emptybox.

I've been comparing the Accountants computation and the tax man's.
Can't see where the error is really, I'll have to speak to the accountant or go and see them.
The warering for the Toms was difficult in the greenhouse, have been growing Toms on and off for 30 yrs but had more luck 30 yrs ago, we just don't get the right weather now, can't see another reason.
We got so much rain last year during the growing season that it swamped them over and over, so you need to keep the rain off watering them.

I wouldn't worry about your heating if you have a room stat, if the weather is warm then it won't turn on, it only turns on if its cold.

Hi Hicky.

Yes. You've got to keep the tomatoes in the greenhouse well watered. My Dad used to stand the pots on gravel trays, and keep the trays watered.
There's a device to automatically open the window as it gets hotter.

I haven't got room thermostats as such.
Each radiator has a valve that you can turn from Off through to a max value of 5.
Obviously, the higher you set it, the hotter it heats the room, but it does turn off when the room gets up to heat.
It's probably not very up to date, but the landlord installed it, so there's not much I can do.
It would be handier if you could set the temp you want, and were able to leave it to it, but i have to keep turning it up and down.
Some of the radiators I can leave alone, like the ones in the hallways etc, but the main lounge is badly insulated, and I think the radiator is always working against the heat lost through the large, single glazed, picture window.

Hi Emptybox.

My greenhouse was all automatic, roof window, side window, watering, but it wasn't very successful so scrapped it.

You need a Room stat, should be in the hall really, not by a radiator or door, you can get a wireless one now that you just fit on the wall, and a device that connects to your Boiler to pick the signal up and control the boiler.
The stats on the radiator are pretty pointless really unless all doors in the house are kept shut as they should be, but it's not the best way to control whether the boiler is running or not.
If you had big heat losses in a particular room then the boiler would be supplying heat all the time to compensate.

No, there's nothing like that Hicky.
The boiler itself has a temperature control inside the casing, with the same 0 - 5 scale. It's set to 2½, which I suppose is the medium value? Thinking about it, that might be the thermostat for the hot water?
The only modern thing is the timer, where you can program the times that the boiler comes on for the central heating and the hot water. 

The system was just put in by the local plumber, rather than a specialist firm.
It works well enough, I suppose, but would be better if the house was properly insulated with double glazing throughout.
Ah well! I've just got to work with what I've got.
If the price of oil goes much higher next year I might just use the central heating to keep the house at a base level, and use electric or calor gas heaters in the rooms that I'm in, to bring the heat up to a comfortable level.
I'll see.

Been colder today than Yesterday, but sunnier.

Good evening all
Hicky...
Hope you had a nice day off today.
I'll have to remember to get some of those samosas next time I am in Sainsburys. I'd do mine in the oven too to make them crispier.
Wonder what the tax overpayment was for? We had a company tax refund, but it was only for £15!

Emptybox
Yes, I am sure your home grown veg will just taste so much nicer, so will be well worth the effort. We grew a few strawberries when we were in our old house, but forgot to take the heavy pot with us when we moved. They were delicious.
Glad to hear you can at last turn the heating off for a while. Did you do some gardening work today?

Right time to take daughter to college for her English class.

Hi Emptybox & Mollie.

The temperature control inside the boiler casing is just to set the temperature of the water in the boiler, it might be for the water or the heating or both.
In the boiler there is usually a pair of connections that have a link across them which is the connection for a remote thermostat, a wireless stat is then fitted in the hall and a receiver unit by the boiler is connected to the boiler using probably 4 wires, 2 for the stat connection and 2 for the supply to power the unit, the remote wireless unit has a small battery to power it.
It would need to be done by someone with the necessary knowledge of course.

You really do need Double Glazing, and a reasonable price is £300 a window or just over, 3 for £1,000.

Hi Mollie.

I'm going to find out from the accountant that worked out what I owed, I can't understand what has gone wrong, I'll let him sort it out.

Meant to say before, I got my Chipped Passport back, that's one problem less anyway.

We went out this afternoon for a Fish and chips from a rather good eat in/take away place, they do the best fish ever, O/H had Chicken.

Working tomorrow for a change.
Then I get 3 days off.

That was quick with your passport Hicky.

I wasn't working today Mollie. I was waiting in for another CD player that I bought to replace the deal that fell through.
Hope it comes tomorrow morning, cos there's some work I really have to get done.
I suppose my neighbours could take it, but they work as well, so there's no telling if any of them would be in.

Had beefburgers, chips, fried egg and steamed broccoli tonight.
A strange combination, but it worked.

Hi Emptybox.

Wasn't expecting my Passport back so quick, maybe it's a slack time, well it probably will be, not a Holiday period coming up just yet.
And with paying the P.O. to check it probably helps.

Hope your stuff comes, this waiting in is a pain.
I was suposed to be off today and a bed is being delivered for one of my Lads chidren, but with working we've had to get a friend to come as O/H works at certain times today so we are sending a Taxi to pick her up, if O/H went to collect her she might have missed the delivery.
No harm in having some veg with your burger and chips, some of the combinations I eat are crazy.

You wouldn't believe it, after making all the plans to have someone in the house all day, the bed flatpack was delivered at 7.15 this morning, of course there was noone in, anyway the boxes where left in the porch, which was lucky.

Was fairly busy at work, just had Tomato soup and Asparagus spears chopped and sauté'd in butter with a touch of sea-salt and pepper, I had 2 breasts of Duck which I fried and sliced and had with the Asparagus.
Just had a Fresh Fruit Jelly.

Watching MasterChef now, for a few Tips.

Good evening all
Hicky
that was a complicated day to arrange, that you needn't of arranged at all, because they left it in the porch.  Good job they did though.
Hope your delivery came too Emptbox, it is a nuisance if you have work to get on with, and have to wait in for it.
Yes, as Hicky says, no harm with mixing and matching all food types. I had a vegetables in a white sauce pie from M and S with jacket potato, peas and sweetcorn, and plenty of salad cream, followed by my fave blueberry crumble and custard.
Hope you aren't too tired after your busy work day HIcky.
Glad to hear your passport came ok, not long till you go away now, is it? I wonder if you will be home in time for the BB launch?

OH has to renew his Australian passport, just incase no work surfaces here soon. Yet over in Oz, they are having trouble finding people in his field.  Shame it is the other side of the world though.    
What a lovely sunny day it was here today, I got lots and lots of washing dried on the line today.  And we took doggie a walk to the post office to post off my latest set of Tescos vouchers. We are sending for a set of 7 Poiriot books for the kids, Heat mag sub for a year for me, National geographic sub for daughter, and a choccy hamper from Thorntons.   And we had that £60 meal at the Pizza resteraunt a few days ago. Not bad for just saving our shopping, and petrol tokens.

Have a good evening all .

Did you know that google added nearly all UK streets onto their Streetview today?
We have been having great fun looking at houses we used to live in.
Just realised, I can take a peak at yours Hicky, wonder if you will be in your garden?
The pic of our house was taken last summer because we can tell by the plants in the pot outside.

Hi Mollie.

You tea sounded nice as well, I just love Salad Cream, O/H doesn't like it, But I can't eat Salad without it.

That's a good lot of stuff your sending away, great stuff.
You've done well from your shopping ans Fuel anyway.

I'll look into google street-view, I looked at it a few years ago, but wasn't too impressed.

Hi Hicky and Mollie.

I had a bit of a similar thing with my delivery.
I waited in all morning, and nothing came, but I had to go out in the afternoon, because i had promised a woman that I would tidy her garden on Wednesday or Thursday, and of course the delivery came when I was out. But luckily the guy had the foresight to leave it in the greenhouse. It's all working fine anyway.

You certainly get value out of your Tesco vouchers Mollie.   Wish I got vouchers from my supermarket.

I'm not keen on salad cream. I don't like the smell of it. That's all we had when I was a kid, but I like proper mayonnaise now.  Still get the stuff in a jar though. haven't made any myself.  

I was watching Country House Rescue tonight. I think it was a good one. Especially when the guy dressed up as a Yeti.

Thanks for the tip on Streetview Mollie.
My house isn't on it obviously, but I've just been looking at the hotel I was born in.
Looky

Good Afternoon Everyone.



Been to M&S, O/H wanted some more Crab Leg meat, got a few other bits as well.

Some more Jellies and some fruit.



Had to go and pick a car up as well, an Aunt was parked at the Concourse as she went to the see the Doc, he kept her and sent for an Ambulance and took her to hospital.

I took the car home to her house.

Sorry to hear about your Aunt Hicky.
Hope it's not too serious?

Just back from the supermarket.

Had a bit of a skive today, after working hard Yesterday afternoon.
Horrible grey, cold day today.

Hi Emptybox.

Haven't heard how Aunt is yet.

Watching MasterChef.
Had a Cod Loin, coated in flour to fry in butter with pepper, had Scallops with it, yummy.

Have ordered an egg cooking device from Amazon, it goes in the pan with the eggs and tells you when to remove them for soft, medium or hard, and I ordered a new knife sharpener as well, I usually use the sharpening stone but thought I would give this a try.

That sounds a tasty supper Hicky.

I had roast pork with potatoes, green beans and gravy.
A man of simple culinary skills, me.

Watching this Eurovision choosing programme.
I haven't got high hopes.  
Don't think it was fair to put groups in who haven't worked together for long.
Think it has to be Josh, for the song?

I've got some crossed metal thing for sharpening knives. It's not much good though.

Hi Emptybox.

It looks like a lad will win this show anyway.

The whole set-up is floored, they would need months to train but no-one will pay, we just don't spend the money in this country.

I've got so much stuff in the freezers, keep forgetting to look in them.

Need to get a washer or a new pipe that links the water supply to the washing machine, been looking for a small leak for days, but only after the dishwasher had been on.
There's a workbench fitted over all the machines so you have to pull them out from the front, found it anyway and turned the tap off.

Tellt ee  

Well done, finding that leak Hicky.

Good evening all
Hicky
Sorry to hear about your aunt, good job you were around to sort her car out. Must of been a bit of a shock for her to be sent straight to hospital after a visit to the docs. Hope they will help sort her out ok.
That egg cooking thing sounds rather clever. What sort of jellies did you get from M and S?  Do you mean the ones you add hot water to, or kiddies type of sweets that are jellies? Glad to hear you found the leak ok.

Emptybox
Glad your delivery arrived ok. I like that country house rescue too. What a gorge house it was this week.   Thanks for the linky, how interesting to see the hotel where you were born. It looks like a nice place. 
I love mayo, as well as salad cream.

Have been shopping in Tescos tonight. All helps add to the vouchers.
We are off to Asda for brekkie tommorrow.