Datchet Days

Here's a strange one: as far as I can tell, they don't have garbage disposals here. As luck would have it, no amount of web searching has revealed an answer as to why. What on earth do they do with the cereal dregs? Another mystery. Here's one thing I know for sure - I miss that silly thing!
|

An aubergine is a lovely purple skinned vegetable. Like the courgette, it is a favorite with vegetarians. Meat eaters will prefer bangers and mash (or chips). Of course, no meal is complete without a glass of squash or a pint of lager to wash it down. For the kiddies, a cup of juice, preferably with no bits. After a quick wipe of the face with your serviette, finish off with a nice pudding: a sweetie or a biscuit perhaps? Or Spotted Dick? Then all you'll need to do is wipe down the hob and cooker and you'll be set. At least until an hour or so later when you'll need a good nosh and have to start all over again.

(An eggplant is a lovely purple skinned vegetable. Like the zucchini, it is a favorite with vegetarians. Meat eaters will prefer sausages and mashed potatoes (or french fries). Of course, no meal is complete without a glass of lemonade or a mug of beer to wash it down. For the kids, a cup of juice, preferably with no pulp. After a quick wipe of the face with your napkin, finish off with a nice dessert: candy or a cookie perhaps? Or steamed cake with raisin bits and custard.<--(Doesn't really translate, thank goodness.) Then all you'll need to do is wipe down the burners and stove and you'll be set. At least until an hour or so later when you'll need a good snack and have to start all over again.)
|

We're just in from seeing the movie Big Fish as my birthday treat. I just figured out that with the current exchange rate (£1 = $1.90) the £31 we spent getting into the movie and setting ourselves up with snacks this evening was the equivalent of $58.90!! Youch. Happy birthday to me, eh?
|

Couple of weeks ago we had friends coming in at Heathrow, Terminal Four. They were to arrive at 6:45 AM. Steve was scheduled to come into Terminal Three at 5:55AM the same morning. The plan was to pick him up then pop over to his office to pick up an extra car (six of them plus luggage), and get back to Heathrow in time to pick them up after they'd cleared customs. Wouldn't you know it? Steve came in late, they came in early, both arriving at about the same time! Unfortunately, it's a long way from Terminal Three to Terminal Four. You'd think they would be fairly close together, wouldn't you? No such luck. I left the boys at Terminal Four with a cell phone to keep an eye out for them while Cara and I went the ten minutes by car to Terminal Three to get Steve. After some rushing here and there to collect cars and dump Steve's bags, we finally managed to get them picked up about 40 minutes after they cleared customs. Not our best example of smooth hospitality!
|

A year ago today, Mayor Ken Livingstone put into place the Central London Congestion Charging Scheme. This was implemented in part to cut down on traffic congestion in the city centre and partially to fund improvements to the public transportation system. So, anyone wanting to drive in the central London area must pay a congestion charge of £5 per car, per day (Monday through Friday, 7AM to 6:30PM). Evenings and weekends are still free. The congestion charge zone is essentially all roads inside the Inner Ring Road. The charge can be pre-paid or paid before 10PM on the day. If it isn't paid before 10PM, the charge goes up to £10 (to encourage prompt payment). Failure to pay by midnight incurs a fine. The charge can be paid online, in some shops, petrol stations and car parks, by post, by sms from your mobile phone, at kiosks within the charge zone or by phone.

The fortunate few who are exempt from charges include: moped and motorcycle riders, those with cars powered by electricity or alternative fuels, vehicles with more than nine seats, military vehicles, breakdown trucks, drivers with disability badges, taxis and reputable, recognised minicab drivers. Blue badge holders (handicapped) from within the European Union are also exempt from these charges provided that they have registered and make a one-off payment of £10.
|

There were some simple "Jane Austen" period costumes to try on when we went to the Museum of Costume in Bath last Saturday. There was also a display of costumes used in the filming of several of "her" movies including: Northanger Abbey, Sense and Sensibility, Persuasion, and two versions each of Pride and Prejudice, Emma, and Mansfield Park. There were also some tidbits about each movie, including the fact that after Pride and Prejudice became popular, Colin Firth auctioned the shirt he wore in the "wet shirt scene" and gave the proceeds to charity!

Bath is also home to the Jane Austen Centre. A visit to the Centre gives insights into her life as well as a glimpse of fashionable life in Bath around 1800, which is when Jane Austen lived there. There is a plaque on a house at No 4 Sydney Place (opposite the museum) commemorating the author who lived there for three years during which time she wrote Northanger Abbey and Persuasion. A definite must for a Jane Austen fan!
|

In the 1st century AD, Romans built a "bath and temple" complex over one of the three natural hotsprings in Bath. Up until the 2nd century there was mixed nude bathing at the baths. But, Emperor Hadrian (of the wall fame) outlawed it. After the Romans left the complex fell into disrepair ("Barbarians" aren't too good at maintenance, apparently). In the early 1700's however, reconstruction began. Recently they've been trying to get the site back to it's original condition and it's is now open for tourists as the Roman Baths Museum.
|

Friday February 13, 01:03 PM

Big hearts and wallets for Valentines By Peter Griffiths

LONDON (Reuters) - Big-spending romantics will splash out billions on their beloved "piglets", "snookums" and "squidgy poohs" for St Valentine's Day. British couples will spend a staggering 2.36 billion pounds on cards, red roses and candlelit meals, with men spending four times more than women, according to Sainsbury's Bank. The ultimate extravagance appeared to be in Scotland, where a hotel offered couples a romantic weekend break for 17,000 pounds. The Scotsman Hotel said the deal included a bath filled with pink champagne and a personal chef to cook breakfast in bed in a suite over three floors. A record 97 couples were due to tie the knot on Saturday at Gretna Green, the Scottish border town renowned for Las Vegas-style "quickie" weddings. Elsewhere, women prepared to take advantage of the Leap Year tradition which says women can pop the question on February 29. Dozens snapped up the chance to take their love to new heights with a romantic spin on the London Eye, the world's largest observation wheel. Operator British Airways sold a one-hour trip with champagne, oysters, strawberries, roses and a camera to record the moment.

CHUCHY FACE LOVES WILLY WUMPKINS

Newspapers prepared to publish their annual cringemaking lists of messages between Valentines with nicknames such as "Willy Wumpkins" and "Chuchy Face". A record 85 million text messages -- seven million more than last year -- were due to be sent, the Mobile Data Association said. Many will ask: "WUBMV?", text shorthand for "will you be my Valentine?" For those staying in, supermarket Iceland promoted a heart-shaped aphrodisiac pizza -- called "Pizzagra" -- made with artichokes, asparagus and ginger.

Keepers at London Zoo encouraged their flamingos to get in the mood for love by building them mud mounds for nesting. "The young birds needed a bit of encouragement," said John Ellis, the zoo's birds curator. "Keepers have had to lend a helping hand." A zoo in Cornwall, southwest England, offered lovers the chance to adopt a sloth or a sea otter.

WAR OF THE ROSES

Supermarket chain Tesco declared war on florists with a dozen red roses delivered at the budget price of 33.50 pounds. Interflora, the flower delivery company, hit back with newspaper advertisements which read: "Flowers from a supermarket? Romance really is dead." But roses, chocolates and red underwear won't put everyone in the mood for love, however. "It is the apotheosis of consumerism," columnist Amanda Craig complained in the Sunday Times. "If you fancy each other, will grotesque underpants make that any better?".
|

During Steve's recent trip to MI, we had the opportunity to chat several times via the web cam. We really enjoy chatting like this and it's a great way to communicate when we are far apart. And, it doesn't cost anything extra. Until we got DSL, we were not able to chat with the web cam, but our connection is finally fast enough. Now, we just need to find a good cross platform web cam software so we can chat with our non-Mac friends and family.

It took a year of asking before we were able to get DSL service. (Even though a couple of times they said "sure" and then later on reneged.) So, up until a couple of months ago we were dialing up to get onto the internet and check our mail. We certainly weren't able to use the web cam - too slow! We aren't anywhere near the speed we get on our cable modem in the states, but it is much better than dialing up.
|

Did you know that grits are amazingly similar to sand? No, I don't mean the taste...I mean the ability to get into everything if given the opportunity.

One of the items on my "buy back in the states" list for Steve is always grits. This last trip he made was no exception, so two cartons of grits were in his suitcase as he winged his way back across the Atlantic. This time however, the one of the cartons of grits managed to lose its top, and spill half of it's contents. By the time the suitcase was opened here, there were grits everywhere. They managed to intersperse themselves in everything including some VHS tapes and a computer keyboard. Most of it we were able to vacuum out, but, if you look closely, there are still a few grits occupying a corner or two of the keyboard. (It's a clear plastic case, thus the grits that are visible but not accessible.)

So, that gets us to the packing advice: *always* pack grits in a plastic baggie when transporting via suitcase.
|

Without really giving it much thought, I had always just assumed that a US movie playing overseas would have the same rating that was attached to it by the Classification and Ratings Administration in the states. However, when a movie is released here in the UK it is with a rating done by the British Board of Film Classification. Here are the categories and the general guidelines they use for them:

Universal
Suitable for audiences aged four and over


Universal Child
Particularly suitable for preschool children


Parental Guidance
General viewing but some scenes unsuitable for some children


12 A
No one younger than 12 admitted without an adult


15
Absolutely no one younger than 15 admitted


18
Absolutely no one younger than 18 admitted


R18
Explicit (only in sex shops)

(The web site at the link above has more specific info on each category, for those who are interested.)
|