Well, that's it. This afternoon I took my old car to the dealer, and finally gave it up. The final mileage was 144,260.3.
Now, it may seem excessive dedicating two blog posts to what is, in truth, an inanimate object. But I had that car for eight and a half years, which is a full quarter of my life thus far, so I don't care.
While taking it on its final journey, I couldn't help but feel a little emotional (in a totally manly way, of course). The universe, though, was seemingly oblivious to the momentousness of this event, for instead of the requisite triumphant fanfares, I was met with a rather annoying traffic jam. Stop-start driving all along that last 1.3 miles. Yay.
Anyway, I took the car in, and with a heavy heart I surrendered the keys. Fortunately, the sting of loss was rendered somewhat less painful immediately, as I got in to my shiny new(er) car, and found that it is far superior in every way. Which is as you would expect, really - it would be a bad sign if car technology hadn't advanced in the eight years between the manufacture of the two cars.
Still, it's just not the same.
#7: "Star Wars: Scavenger's Guide to Droids", by Rodney Thompson, Sterling Hershey, Patrick Stutzman and Robert Wieland
Friday, January 22, 2010
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Noooooo!
The exhaust on my car started making a funny noise on Friday. A trip to Kwik-Fit confirms that one of the sections nas been damaged, and would need to be replaced. However, the cost to replace is greater than I am willing to spend to keep the car on the road, and so the time has come for a new car.
Sadly, this means that I won't be able to get my car up to the 150,000 miles I had hoped to reach before replacing it in June; in fact, on my way to look at a new car today it reached 144,000 miles. Still, a nice, respectable total for a car that has done me great service.
It will be sad to see it go. On the other hand: new car!
#4: "Star Wars: The Clone Wars Campaign Guide", by Rodney Thompson, Patrick Stutzman, and JD Wiker
#5: "USB Complete", by Jan Axelson
#6: "Nation", by Terry Pratchett
Sadly, this means that I won't be able to get my car up to the 150,000 miles I had hoped to reach before replacing it in June; in fact, on my way to look at a new car today it reached 144,000 miles. Still, a nice, respectable total for a car that has done me great service.
It will be sad to see it go. On the other hand: new car!
#4: "Star Wars: The Clone Wars Campaign Guide", by Rodney Thompson, Patrick Stutzman, and JD Wiker
#5: "USB Complete", by Jan Axelson
#6: "Nation", by Terry Pratchett
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Experimental Cookery Tuesday: Final Thoughts
And so, I have come to the end of my Experimental Cookery series. I said at the outset that I would carry on until I gave myself food poisoning, I reached the end of the book, or I got bored. Well, frankly, I got bored, and so have decided to stop (a decision made easier by reaching a point where all that remains is seafood). Also, I am now busy three Tuesdays of every month, which has really created problems for the series going forward; at the very least it would have had to be moved to a different day.
I know quite a lot of people have been enjoying the series (mostly because they have said as much). I hope you won't be too disappointed at it coming to its end. As much as anything, I didn't want this blog to turn into "I sat a sandwich today". I shall try to write more entertaining things in future, albeit on different subjects.
I have felt that this experiment has been a resounding success. I have tried a number of things that I simply would never have tried otherwise, including some seafood and even parsnips. I have cooked a range of food quite beyond what I would have done otherwise. I now have a freezer filled with several weeks of curries. And I have generally enjoyed myself.
My favourite chapter in the book was most definitely the curries chapter, followed closely by the stir fries, and then the mince. Between these three chapters, I could probably eat quite happily for a year. The weakest was the salad chapter, followed by the pastas.
I do recommend "Jamie's Ministry of Food". The book is a nice, simple introduction to cooking, and Jamie clearly knows what he's about. There was basically nothing in there I couldn't handle, and the range of meals was pretty good.
Going forward, I do intend to continue expanding my repetoire of meals. To that end, I have purchased a book entitled "Chinese Food Made Easy" by Ching-He Huang, which looks decidely intriguing. I'm also on the hunt for a really good Indian cookbook; if you know of one then please suggest away! However, I have no intentions of working through another cookbook in the same manner as this one; my intent will always be to dip in and out at random, with an emphasis on trying new things. (Oh, and in restaurants I will continue my policy of ordering largely at random.)
And so, that's that. Thanks for reading!
I know quite a lot of people have been enjoying the series (mostly because they have said as much). I hope you won't be too disappointed at it coming to its end. As much as anything, I didn't want this blog to turn into "I sat a sandwich today". I shall try to write more entertaining things in future, albeit on different subjects.
I have felt that this experiment has been a resounding success. I have tried a number of things that I simply would never have tried otherwise, including some seafood and even parsnips. I have cooked a range of food quite beyond what I would have done otherwise. I now have a freezer filled with several weeks of curries. And I have generally enjoyed myself.
My favourite chapter in the book was most definitely the curries chapter, followed closely by the stir fries, and then the mince. Between these three chapters, I could probably eat quite happily for a year. The weakest was the salad chapter, followed by the pastas.
I do recommend "Jamie's Ministry of Food". The book is a nice, simple introduction to cooking, and Jamie clearly knows what he's about. There was basically nothing in there I couldn't handle, and the range of meals was pretty good.
Going forward, I do intend to continue expanding my repetoire of meals. To that end, I have purchased a book entitled "Chinese Food Made Easy" by Ching-He Huang, which looks decidely intriguing. I'm also on the hunt for a really good Indian cookbook; if you know of one then please suggest away! However, I have no intentions of working through another cookbook in the same manner as this one; my intent will always be to dip in and out at random, with an emphasis on trying new things. (Oh, and in restaurants I will continue my policy of ordering largely at random.)
And so, that's that. Thanks for reading!
Experimental Cookery 'Tuesday' #69: Moroccan Lamb With Couscous
It turns out that this is the penultimate "Experimental Cookery" post. There will be one more, acting as a wash-up for the series. No, the pun wasn't intentional.
Anyway, the Moroccan Lamb turned out to be another flirtation with food poisoning, but was another dodged bullet. The meal was all nice and easy to prepare and serve, and tasted nice enough. I don't think the lamb was cooked as thoroughly as I would have preferred, but one of the advantages of eating by candlelight is that one gets to avoid seeing the true horror of such things.
My final assessment of the meal was that it was okay, but was rather bland. I think in future I would be inclined to use more cumin throughout and to not deseed the chilli to give the sauce rather more kick.
Still, I would count that as a qualified success, if not the resounding victory I would have hoped for from the final meal in the series. Still, that brings the chapter to 8-0, and marks a decent place to stop. Next up is something else entirely...
#2: "Pathfinder: What Lies in Dust", by Michael Kortes
#3: "Pathfinder: The Infernal Syndrome", by Clinton Boomer and James Jacobs
Anyway, the Moroccan Lamb turned out to be another flirtation with food poisoning, but was another dodged bullet. The meal was all nice and easy to prepare and serve, and tasted nice enough. I don't think the lamb was cooked as thoroughly as I would have preferred, but one of the advantages of eating by candlelight is that one gets to avoid seeing the true horror of such things.
My final assessment of the meal was that it was okay, but was rather bland. I think in future I would be inclined to use more cumin throughout and to not deseed the chilli to give the sauce rather more kick.
Still, I would count that as a qualified success, if not the resounding victory I would have hoped for from the final meal in the series. Still, that brings the chapter to 8-0, and marks a decent place to stop. Next up is something else entirely...
#2: "Pathfinder: What Lies in Dust", by Michael Kortes
#3: "Pathfinder: The Infernal Syndrome", by Clinton Boomer and James Jacobs
Saturday, January 02, 2010
How Pathfinder Lost its Way
Just over eighteen months ago, Wizards of the Coast released a new Fourth Edition of the Dungeons & Dragons game. Shortly thereafter, I posted to the effect that there were some things I liked, some things I really didn't like, and some distinct oddities in the new rules. At length, I concluded that I wouldn't be switching to the new edition.
However, when Wizards released the Third Edition, they also released the core of the system under an Open Gaming License, allowing anyone to take the rules and develop their own adventures, expansions, and even revisions. As it became apparent that Fourth Edition would not be similarly open, and that the revisions were receiving a distinctly mixed reception, a company called Paizo announced that they would be doing their own revision, entitled Pathfinder.
I had eagerly awaited Pathfinder. Indeed, I had hoped to get it on release day, only to find that I was in France at the time, and so could not. Still, I got the new rules as soon as I got back, and spent some time reading them. I finally finished the Core Rulebook just before the New Year, and have since read the Bestiary.
And my impression? Will I be switching to this new version of the game?
Um, no.
There is an awful lot I like about Pathfinder. The core of the game is recognisably the same as the game I have been playing for six years, with some key improvements. A lot of the options that used to be wasted space in the books (being clearly less good than the others) have been improved, to the point where the game once again has seven good races and eleven good classes.
The big improvement to the game comes in the form of "Combat Maneuvers", which have standardised the old systems for disarms, sundering, grappling, and the like into a single coherent system. This is a very strong mechanic, and one of those "I wish I had thought of it" developments.
But the problem with Pathfinder is that it is not "better enough" to compel a switch. My existing group are all very familiar with the 3.5e of the rules. We all have the rulebooks, and although there are some things that bug us, we never had huge problems.
To switch to Pathfinder, we would all need to invest in copies of the new rules (granted, I have a set, but the others do not), they would all need to read the 576-page core rulebook, and then we'd need to spend some time assimilating a whole host of minor and annoying changes. The force of inertia is just to strong.
My other issue with Pathfinder is that it features yet another round of "power creep". It seems that with each version of the game, the numbers get bigger - in the 3rd Edition, a Fighter of a given level had certain abilities; in the 3.5e revision, that same Fighter got some new powers that made him just that bit more powerful; in Pathfinder he's just a bit more powerful again. The monsters are all more powerful too, so it's not a massive issue by itself, but given that the biggest weakness of the 3.5e version was that the numbers got out of hand as the game went on, this does not bode well for the new version.
I'm also saddened by a number of missed opportunities in Pathfinder. The Fourth Edition of D&D introduced a marvellous new concept called Skill Challenges. That mechanic could have been adopted, adapted and improved for Pathfinder, but alas has not. Similarly, Fourth Edition introduced some powerful new methods of designing encounters; these have also been ignored. And where 4e made the 'low-level humanoids' more distinct from one another, Pathfinder leaves them as-is, leaving Kobolds, Orcs, Goblins, Hobgoblins, Gnolls, Bugbears and Lizardfolk feeling very much like the same monster in different masks. It's a shame.
I don't want to come across as being too negative. I really like Pathfinder for what it is. I certainly prefer it to D&D Fourth Edition. And, if I were making a recommendation to a new player, that would be the game I would suggest. On balance, I even say it is a better game than 3.5e. It's just not "better enough" for me to switch over.
#1: "Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary", by Paizo Publishing
However, when Wizards released the Third Edition, they also released the core of the system under an Open Gaming License, allowing anyone to take the rules and develop their own adventures, expansions, and even revisions. As it became apparent that Fourth Edition would not be similarly open, and that the revisions were receiving a distinctly mixed reception, a company called Paizo announced that they would be doing their own revision, entitled Pathfinder.
I had eagerly awaited Pathfinder. Indeed, I had hoped to get it on release day, only to find that I was in France at the time, and so could not. Still, I got the new rules as soon as I got back, and spent some time reading them. I finally finished the Core Rulebook just before the New Year, and have since read the Bestiary.
And my impression? Will I be switching to this new version of the game?
Um, no.
There is an awful lot I like about Pathfinder. The core of the game is recognisably the same as the game I have been playing for six years, with some key improvements. A lot of the options that used to be wasted space in the books (being clearly less good than the others) have been improved, to the point where the game once again has seven good races and eleven good classes.
The big improvement to the game comes in the form of "Combat Maneuvers", which have standardised the old systems for disarms, sundering, grappling, and the like into a single coherent system. This is a very strong mechanic, and one of those "I wish I had thought of it" developments.
But the problem with Pathfinder is that it is not "better enough" to compel a switch. My existing group are all very familiar with the 3.5e of the rules. We all have the rulebooks, and although there are some things that bug us, we never had huge problems.
To switch to Pathfinder, we would all need to invest in copies of the new rules (granted, I have a set, but the others do not), they would all need to read the 576-page core rulebook, and then we'd need to spend some time assimilating a whole host of minor and annoying changes. The force of inertia is just to strong.
My other issue with Pathfinder is that it features yet another round of "power creep". It seems that with each version of the game, the numbers get bigger - in the 3rd Edition, a Fighter of a given level had certain abilities; in the 3.5e revision, that same Fighter got some new powers that made him just that bit more powerful; in Pathfinder he's just a bit more powerful again. The monsters are all more powerful too, so it's not a massive issue by itself, but given that the biggest weakness of the 3.5e version was that the numbers got out of hand as the game went on, this does not bode well for the new version.
I'm also saddened by a number of missed opportunities in Pathfinder. The Fourth Edition of D&D introduced a marvellous new concept called Skill Challenges. That mechanic could have been adopted, adapted and improved for Pathfinder, but alas has not. Similarly, Fourth Edition introduced some powerful new methods of designing encounters; these have also been ignored. And where 4e made the 'low-level humanoids' more distinct from one another, Pathfinder leaves them as-is, leaving Kobolds, Orcs, Goblins, Hobgoblins, Gnolls, Bugbears and Lizardfolk feeling very much like the same monster in different masks. It's a shame.
I don't want to come across as being too negative. I really like Pathfinder for what it is. I certainly prefer it to D&D Fourth Edition. And, if I were making a recommendation to a new player, that would be the game I would suggest. On balance, I even say it is a better game than 3.5e. It's just not "better enough" for me to switch over.
#1: "Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary", by Paizo Publishing
Experimental Cookery 'Tuesday' #68: Griddled Lamb Chops with Chunky Salsa
This is the penultimate "Experimental Cookery" post. With the exception of the fish dishes, I have now tried almost all of the full meals from Jamie's book, I am getting rather bored with writing these posts, I feel they are becoming repetitive, and I don't really want this blog to devolve to "I ate a sandwich today". So, once I have finished the 'meats' from the "Quick Cooking Meat and Fish" chapter, I am going to call time on this series.
The griddled lamb chops were both quick and easy to prepare. Chop, cook, chop (again), mix, and we're done. However, I did find myself rather concerned that I may have given myself food poisoning: the meat came out rather pinker than I had expected. Still, it tasted fine and I have not died, so far at least.
The result of this meal was a distinct success. I would definately have this again, although I'll probably cook them for a bit longer next time. Also, I may be inclined to try some of Jamie's other salsas.
Anyway, that's 7-0 for this chapter. I think it's safe to say that this one is a winner. Hopefully, I'll have opportunity to try the final meal, "Moroccan Lamb with Couscous" early next week, and then I'll post a wash-up for the experiment.
The griddled lamb chops were both quick and easy to prepare. Chop, cook, chop (again), mix, and we're done. However, I did find myself rather concerned that I may have given myself food poisoning: the meat came out rather pinker than I had expected. Still, it tasted fine and I have not died, so far at least.
The result of this meal was a distinct success. I would definately have this again, although I'll probably cook them for a bit longer next time. Also, I may be inclined to try some of Jamie's other salsas.
Anyway, that's 7-0 for this chapter. I think it's safe to say that this one is a winner. Hopefully, I'll have opportunity to try the final meal, "Moroccan Lamb with Couscous" early next week, and then I'll post a wash-up for the experiment.
Books of the Year 2009
So, all through last year, I kept a running tally of the books I had been reading through the year. I thought it would be interesting to look back at the books I have read in that time. So, here's the compiled list:
As can be seen, this gives a grand total of 56 books for the year, of which 22 were books for various roleplaying games, be they the core rulebooks, supplements, or adventure modules. The most read author was Ian Fleming, with 12 books (13 if you count "Devil May Care", but I don't). Other favourite authors were Bernard Cornwell and Conn Iggulden, neither of which is a surprise.
The best novel of the year by quite some distance was "The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak. Honourable mentions must go to "Nineteen Eighty-four" and "Watership Down", both of which would have been the winners by a long way in any 'normal' year. The most disappointing book of the year was "A Sword From Red Ice", which was a rather poor follow-up to two other volumes, both of which had been excellent.
In 2010, my provisional goal is to read 60 books, or roughly five a month, an even more punishing rate than last year. I'll be applying the same rules, with one notable addendum when reading a compiled version of novels, if I have already read some of the component parts, I don't need to reread them to include the whole in the list. This will be relevant when I read "The White Queen", which is now only available with two other novels I have already read, and perhaps also with "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe".
Moreover, in 2010, I also intend to read 20 novels from my master list of "books to read". This list is made up of a combination of two "100 best" lists, the recommended reading list from the 1st Edition DMG, and the recommended reading list from Pathfinder. There are some 250 items on the combined list, although I've already read about 50, and some few are no longer available (and were trash anyway).
And so, onward!
- "Excelsior: Forged in Fire", by Michael A. Martin and Andy Mangels
- "Moonraker", by Ian Fleming
- "How to Fossilise Your Hampster", by Mick O'Hare
- "Pathfinder: Into the Darklands" by James Jacobs and Greg A. Vaughan
- "Pathfinder: A Memory of Darkness" by J.D. Wiker
- "Twenty Years After", by Alexandre Dumas
- "Diamonds Are Forever" by Ian Fleming
- "The Orc King" by R.A. Salvatore
- "Star Wars Roleplaying Game Saga Edition Core Rulebook" by Bill Slavicsek, Andy Collins and JD Wiker
- "The Lords of the North" by Bernard Cornwell
- "Starships of the Galaxy" by Gary Astleford, Owen K.C. Stephens and Rodney Thompson
- "Pathfinder: Descent into Midnight" by Brian Cortijo
- "Emperor: The Death of Kings", by Conn Iggulden
- "Watership Down", by Richard Adams
- "From Russia With Love", by Ian Fleming
- "Pathfinder: Howl of the Carrion King", by Erik Mona
- "Star Wars: Invincible" by Troy Denning
- "Pathfinder: House of the Beast" by Tim Hitchcock
- "Sword Song", by Bernard Cornwell
- "Doctor No", by Ian Fleming
- "Pathfinder: The Jackal's Price", by Darrin Drader
- "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding
- "Pathfinder: Dragons Revisited", by Mike McArtor
- "Pathfinder: Guide to Absalom", by Owen K. C. Stephens
- "Pathfinder: Legacy of Fire Players' Guide", from Paizo Publishing
- "Emperor: the Field of Swords", by Conn Iggulden
- "Pathfinder: The Great Beyond", by Todd Stewart
- "A Sword From Red Ice", by J.V. Jones
- "Goldfinger", by Ian Fleming
- "Pathfinder: Dungeon Denizens Revisited", by Paizo Publishing
- "Shadows Linger", by Glen Cook
- "For Your Eyes Only", by Ian Fleming
- "Pathfinder: The End of Eternity", by Jason Nelson
- "Pathfinder: Bonus Bestiary", by Paizo Publishing
- "Krondor: the Assassins", by Raymond Feist
- "Pathfinder: The Impossible Eye", by Greg A. Vaughan
- "The Pirate King", by R.A. Salvatore
- "Emperor: The Gods of War", by Conn Iggulden
- "The Book Thief", by Markus Zusak
- "Thunderball", by Ian Fleming
- "Nineteen Eighty-Four", by George Orwell
- "The Spy Who Loved Me", by Ian Fleming
- "Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay", by Green Ronin Publishing
- "Pathfinder: The Final Wish", by Rob McCreary
- "On Her Majesty's Secret Service", by Ian Fleming
- "The Princess Bride", by William Goldman
- "You Only Live Twice", by Ian Fleming
- "Career Compendium" (for "Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay"), by Fantasy Flight Games
- "Azincourt", by Bernard Cornwell
- "The Man with the Golden Gun", by Ian Fleming
- "Octopussy and the Living Daylights", by Ian Fleming
- "Devil May Care", by Sebastian Faulks (writing as Ian Fleming)
- "Pathfinder: The Bastards of Erebus", by Sean K. Reynolds
- "Pathfinder: The Sixfold Trial", by Richard Pett
- "Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook", by Paizo Publishing
- "Lankhmar", by Fritz Leiber
As can be seen, this gives a grand total of 56 books for the year, of which 22 were books for various roleplaying games, be they the core rulebooks, supplements, or adventure modules. The most read author was Ian Fleming, with 12 books (13 if you count "Devil May Care", but I don't). Other favourite authors were Bernard Cornwell and Conn Iggulden, neither of which is a surprise.
The best novel of the year by quite some distance was "The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak. Honourable mentions must go to "Nineteen Eighty-four" and "Watership Down", both of which would have been the winners by a long way in any 'normal' year. The most disappointing book of the year was "A Sword From Red Ice", which was a rather poor follow-up to two other volumes, both of which had been excellent.
In 2010, my provisional goal is to read 60 books, or roughly five a month, an even more punishing rate than last year. I'll be applying the same rules, with one notable addendum when reading a compiled version of novels, if I have already read some of the component parts, I don't need to reread them to include the whole in the list. This will be relevant when I read "The White Queen", which is now only available with two other novels I have already read, and perhaps also with "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe".
Moreover, in 2010, I also intend to read 20 novels from my master list of "books to read". This list is made up of a combination of two "100 best" lists, the recommended reading list from the 1st Edition DMG, and the recommended reading list from Pathfinder. There are some 250 items on the combined list, although I've already read about 50, and some few are no longer available (and were trash anyway).
And so, onward!
Friday, January 01, 2010
My Year in 2009
2009 was a long, hard year. To be completely honest, I'm glad it is over. Still, there remain a couple of tasks to do, one of which is to post my review of the year. So, here it is:
My Year in... Work
2009 was a bad year in work. There were several reasons for this. The economy hurt us the same as it hurt everyone else (although, fortunately, we were able to avoid any job losses, so we were better off than many others). We also suffered from a rather terrible inability to get our projects finished, out the door, signed off and concluded - they seemed to go on and on and on, lingering long past the time we should have moved on.
But also on a personal note, I did not do my best work in 2009. At the start of the year, I set a Super Secret Goal for work, which promptly had to be abandoned. Unfortunately, at much the same time, coupled with the endless stresses of the year, I seemed to find it increasingly hard to get up in the mornings, to stay motivated and on task, and to generally do my best work.
So, 2009 was a really bad year for work. I'm certainly intending that 2010 will be better in this regard - although work was almost the only thing that went badly in 2009, it is such a major part of life that a bad time at work can really mar the overall performance of the year.
So, must do better.
My Year in... Gaming
The only other part of the year that I found disappointing was in gaming, although here the report is sharply divided.
For the first ten months of the year, the gaming scene was bad. The plan to focus on getting the group together in the early months of the year failed due to cancellation after cancellation. Then there was a hiatus for the band competition season, and then we were back, but with lots more cancellations. What gaming we got done was really good, and I very much enjoyed running Star Wars Saga Edition, but there just wasn't enough.
However, things turned around dramatically in November. Having concluded that the existing situation was unacceptable, I went and set up a second group in Falkirk, and have been engaged in a D&D (3.5e Eberron) campaign since, meeting on alternate Tuesdays. This has been going really well; in fact, I find myself having the odd problem that we're getting towards having too many players, rather than too few.
At the same time, the existing group (that I thought was dead) has had something of a revival, and we've suddenly managed to get together for several sessions of the Warhammer campaign I prepared on this blog. It has been going very well indeed, and looks to be another strong campaign.
In 2010, then, I'm hoping that this trend continues. I would like to run the Warhammer campaign to conclusion, and then run the "second season" to my Star Wars campaign, all while running the Eberron campaign in parallel. Things are looking better on this front than they have for a long time.
My Year in... Band
It has been a year of very hard work for band, but a very successful one also. We managed to qualify at three of the four Majors we entered, and won two prizes in Minor competitions. Additionally, we ran very successful trips to France and Ireland (although we didn't qualify at the latter, something of a fly in the ointment). We also hosted a very successful concert in October, raised about four times as much money for the band as in the previous year, and rebuilt a much stronger financial foundation for the band.
All in all, a lot of hard work, but it paid off handsomely.
In 2010, we are hoping to do well enough in competition to actually advance out of our grade and up to grade 4A. A change to the competition rules means that we won't have to pre-qualify at most of the competitions (probably only the World Championships and at Cowal, because of the number of bands present), while the promotion of several bands has really opened the field for us. Add to that the dedication of the current band members, and the addition of several new members, and we're in great shape.
Definitely looking forward to success in 2010!
My Year in... Love
Awesome. That is all.
My Year in... Resolutions
I completed ten of my eleven goals for the year, and had to abandon the last due to circumstances beyond my control. As such, 2009 was a really strong year.
In 2010, I hope to have a similar success, although I am intending to try to avoid the "tyranny of goals" this year by not setting goals that absorb my every waking moment.
My Year in... Travel
Trips to France and Ireland with the band, plus a trip to England for a wedding, made 2009 a successful year, despite my not wanting to spend money on expensive foreign holidays.
My Year in... Faith
Holding steady. No great advance to speak of, but neither was there any great crisis of faith to report.
One possible weakness is that I have stopped attending church on Sunday mornings (but still go in the evenings). This is mostly because of some serious roadworks, which make the drive across deeply unpleasant; I really don't want to do that drive four times on the Sunday, and neither do I want to spend every Sunday afternoon at the parents' (I love them and all, but I can never get anything done there, even if I take my PC, and I can't afford to waste Sunday afternoons).
My Year in... Health
Mostly, I'm in very good health. Certainly, I'm in much better health than most people, so I probably shouldn't complain. However...
I had to take two days off work due to illness this year. The first was a really bad cold, which had me bed-ridden. Annoying, but something that couldn't be helped, and something that passed quickly.
The second, though, was due to a neck problem that has now been ongoing for ten weeks, which is a real problem. I have been to the doctor and given pain killers and anti-inflamatories, and also some exercises to do, and have been referred to see a physio. So, that's all in hand. Still, it's a real pain, and it just hasn't gone away, and it's a big problem.
With a lot of luck, that will get resolved soon - it's having quite a bad effect on my life generally, and is largely preventing me from exercising, which is having the nasty side-effect of letting my weight gradually creep back up due to difficulties in exercising.
(I will have to do something about that in 2010 - I didn't go through all the pain of losing that weight just to put it all back on again!)
My Year... Overall
Mostly, 2009 was a good year. Actually, in several keys was, it was a spectacular year, of the sort I wouldn't have dared to dream of 12 months ago.
But work... work was a real killer this year. If there is one thing I would change if I could, it would be that. In 2010, I will need to focus on that. (Although, hopefully, it will also improve naturally - my estimates were always that things would be bad until June 2010, so if that is right...)
Anyway, I'm definitely looking forward to 2010. I haven't been this optimistic about a new year in a long long time.
My Year in... Work
2009 was a bad year in work. There were several reasons for this. The economy hurt us the same as it hurt everyone else (although, fortunately, we were able to avoid any job losses, so we were better off than many others). We also suffered from a rather terrible inability to get our projects finished, out the door, signed off and concluded - they seemed to go on and on and on, lingering long past the time we should have moved on.
But also on a personal note, I did not do my best work in 2009. At the start of the year, I set a Super Secret Goal for work, which promptly had to be abandoned. Unfortunately, at much the same time, coupled with the endless stresses of the year, I seemed to find it increasingly hard to get up in the mornings, to stay motivated and on task, and to generally do my best work.
So, 2009 was a really bad year for work. I'm certainly intending that 2010 will be better in this regard - although work was almost the only thing that went badly in 2009, it is such a major part of life that a bad time at work can really mar the overall performance of the year.
So, must do better.
My Year in... Gaming
The only other part of the year that I found disappointing was in gaming, although here the report is sharply divided.
For the first ten months of the year, the gaming scene was bad. The plan to focus on getting the group together in the early months of the year failed due to cancellation after cancellation. Then there was a hiatus for the band competition season, and then we were back, but with lots more cancellations. What gaming we got done was really good, and I very much enjoyed running Star Wars Saga Edition, but there just wasn't enough.
However, things turned around dramatically in November. Having concluded that the existing situation was unacceptable, I went and set up a second group in Falkirk, and have been engaged in a D&D (3.5e Eberron) campaign since, meeting on alternate Tuesdays. This has been going really well; in fact, I find myself having the odd problem that we're getting towards having too many players, rather than too few.
At the same time, the existing group (that I thought was dead) has had something of a revival, and we've suddenly managed to get together for several sessions of the Warhammer campaign I prepared on this blog. It has been going very well indeed, and looks to be another strong campaign.
In 2010, then, I'm hoping that this trend continues. I would like to run the Warhammer campaign to conclusion, and then run the "second season" to my Star Wars campaign, all while running the Eberron campaign in parallel. Things are looking better on this front than they have for a long time.
My Year in... Band
It has been a year of very hard work for band, but a very successful one also. We managed to qualify at three of the four Majors we entered, and won two prizes in Minor competitions. Additionally, we ran very successful trips to France and Ireland (although we didn't qualify at the latter, something of a fly in the ointment). We also hosted a very successful concert in October, raised about four times as much money for the band as in the previous year, and rebuilt a much stronger financial foundation for the band.
All in all, a lot of hard work, but it paid off handsomely.
In 2010, we are hoping to do well enough in competition to actually advance out of our grade and up to grade 4A. A change to the competition rules means that we won't have to pre-qualify at most of the competitions (probably only the World Championships and at Cowal, because of the number of bands present), while the promotion of several bands has really opened the field for us. Add to that the dedication of the current band members, and the addition of several new members, and we're in great shape.
Definitely looking forward to success in 2010!
My Year in... Love
Awesome. That is all.
My Year in... Resolutions
I completed ten of my eleven goals for the year, and had to abandon the last due to circumstances beyond my control. As such, 2009 was a really strong year.
In 2010, I hope to have a similar success, although I am intending to try to avoid the "tyranny of goals" this year by not setting goals that absorb my every waking moment.
My Year in... Travel
Trips to France and Ireland with the band, plus a trip to England for a wedding, made 2009 a successful year, despite my not wanting to spend money on expensive foreign holidays.
My Year in... Faith
Holding steady. No great advance to speak of, but neither was there any great crisis of faith to report.
One possible weakness is that I have stopped attending church on Sunday mornings (but still go in the evenings). This is mostly because of some serious roadworks, which make the drive across deeply unpleasant; I really don't want to do that drive four times on the Sunday, and neither do I want to spend every Sunday afternoon at the parents' (I love them and all, but I can never get anything done there, even if I take my PC, and I can't afford to waste Sunday afternoons).
My Year in... Health
Mostly, I'm in very good health. Certainly, I'm in much better health than most people, so I probably shouldn't complain. However...
I had to take two days off work due to illness this year. The first was a really bad cold, which had me bed-ridden. Annoying, but something that couldn't be helped, and something that passed quickly.
The second, though, was due to a neck problem that has now been ongoing for ten weeks, which is a real problem. I have been to the doctor and given pain killers and anti-inflamatories, and also some exercises to do, and have been referred to see a physio. So, that's all in hand. Still, it's a real pain, and it just hasn't gone away, and it's a big problem.
With a lot of luck, that will get resolved soon - it's having quite a bad effect on my life generally, and is largely preventing me from exercising, which is having the nasty side-effect of letting my weight gradually creep back up due to difficulties in exercising.
(I will have to do something about that in 2010 - I didn't go through all the pain of losing that weight just to put it all back on again!)
My Year... Overall
Mostly, 2009 was a good year. Actually, in several keys was, it was a spectacular year, of the sort I wouldn't have dared to dream of 12 months ago.
But work... work was a real killer this year. If there is one thing I would change if I could, it would be that. In 2010, I will need to focus on that. (Although, hopefully, it will also improve naturally - my estimates were always that things would be bad until June 2010, so if that is right...)
Anyway, I'm definitely looking forward to 2010. I haven't been this optimistic about a new year in a long long time.
Endurance Test
Yesterday, apart from a quick trip to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription and a quick trip to Tesco to pick up some wine, I spent the day doing exactly one thing: reading. I started the day some 250 pages short of the end of the compilation of Lankhmar stories, and really didn't want to carry it through into the new year. And so, I can now complete my list of books for last year:
#55: "Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook", by Paizo Publishing
#56: "Lankhmar", by Fritz Leiber
#55: "Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook", by Paizo Publishing
#56: "Lankhmar", by Fritz Leiber
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Experimental Cookery 'Tuesday' #67: Parmesan Chicken Breasts with Crispy Posh Ham
This was an odd one. The original plan was for me to cook them last Friday. However, due to a combination of not being bothered and also suffering a PC meltdown, I instead had pizza. Therefore, the plan was revised to have them on Saturday. This was then scuppered by PC World.
The revised revised plan saw me cook up the chicken on Saturday (to prevent it from going off), but not eating it until Monday. This worked fine, mostly.
The food came out of the pan looking good enough to eat. However, by Monday it had cooled, and really didn't look appetising. However, I duly heated it in the microwave, and gave it a try. And it was okay - not great, but okay. I suspect it would have been better had I eaten it right away, but even then I doubt it would have been as good as some of the other options in this chapted.
Still, I think that's enough to take this chapter to 6-0, despite this being the weakest entry so far.
Next up is "Griddled Lamb Chops with Chunky Salsa", and then Moroccan Lamb with Couscous". I hope to tackle one of these before Christmas and the other in the week after. Once I've done that, I'm going to leave this book behind due to the remaining meals all being fish.
The revised revised plan saw me cook up the chicken on Saturday (to prevent it from going off), but not eating it until Monday. This worked fine, mostly.
The food came out of the pan looking good enough to eat. However, by Monday it had cooled, and really didn't look appetising. However, I duly heated it in the microwave, and gave it a try. And it was okay - not great, but okay. I suspect it would have been better had I eaten it right away, but even then I doubt it would have been as good as some of the other options in this chapted.
Still, I think that's enough to take this chapter to 6-0, despite this being the weakest entry so far.
Next up is "Griddled Lamb Chops with Chunky Salsa", and then Moroccan Lamb with Couscous". I hope to tackle one of these before Christmas and the other in the week after. Once I've done that, I'm going to leave this book behind due to the remaining meals all being fish.
Experimental Cookery 'Tuesday' #65: Crunchy Garlic Chicken, and #66: Best New Potatoes
I did these a couple of weeks ago.
The chicken was fine - it was easy to make, and tasted good. The only oddity was that they came out green instead of the brown colour in the book. I think this was due to my adding too much parsley, although I only did what the book said.
Anyway, that takes that chapter to 5-0.
The new potatoes were also something of a success, although they could probably have done with a minute or two more cooking. So that would be 3-1 on "Delish Veg".
The chicken was fine - it was easy to make, and tasted good. The only oddity was that they came out green instead of the brown colour in the book. I think this was due to my adding too much parsley, although I only did what the book said.
Anyway, that takes that chapter to 5-0.
The new potatoes were also something of a success, although they could probably have done with a minute or two more cooking. So that would be 3-1 on "Delish Veg".
The Strange Liberation of Loss
After a long, hard week I got home last Friday expecting to have a couple of nice restful days. My game had been cancelled, so I had two full days 'off', during which I was all set to do some light preparation for my Eberron campaign, do a bit of reading, watch some TV, and generally laze around.
Immediately on arriving home, I switched on my PC, then went to make a cup of coffee while it started up. My PC is getting old - it takes several minutes to warm up. I'm sure it didn't used to be so slow.
Anyway, when I came back, I was faced with the horror of a "Windows Failed to Start" message, followed by a cryptic error number.
There then followed a couple of days of messing around, the full horror of which I won't go into. Eventually, I found that the solution was an easy fix - just a bios setting to change. Unfortunately, the setting in question was in a hidden menu that I simply could not access. And so came the ultimate indignity: I had to take it back to PC World for repair!
I eventually got the PC back on Monday, having had the hard disk blanked and the system restored to factory settings. A nice clean slate to work with from here. Since then, I have been busily re-installing software, rebuilding my data, and generally wasting lots of time getting the system working again.
For the past year or so, I kept saying to myself, "I really must get one of those big external drives, and set up automatic backups. It sure would suck if my PC died and I lost all the data I've spent years building up." I kept saying that, and saying that...
About three months ago, I finally bought one of those big external drives, and set up automatic backups. This proved exceptionally fortuitous, as I was thus able to restore all my documents and files after getting the PC back. Huzzah! (And also: bloody hell, that was lucky!)
There's just one minor problem: it seems the the automated backup system does not include email. So, all the emails I have stored since forever (back to my first PC in 1994!) and all of my email contact details, and all of that stuff, is all gone!
I expected to by much more dismayed about this that I actually am. The thing is, while it sucks to lose data, and especially to lose it when I thought it was safely backed up, it's also true that I hadn't looked at most of those emails in years. Indeed, I had folders entitled "From 2007", "From 2008" and "Older" into which I just threw the appropriate emails and forgot about them. So, in many ways, it's a relief to be free of that junk. I wasn't using it, so I haven't really lost anything.
The one thing I did lose was the license key to a particular piece of software I have used only occasionally (but, like much occasional-use software, when I wanted to use it, I really wanted to use it). Even here, though, there's no great problem - they have been able to regenerate and resend the key.
Plus: now my PC is more up-to-date even than it was before the problem hit, and doesn't have quite so much lingering "junk software" lying around. So, really, it might not be the worst thing that has ever happened. Maybe.
Immediately on arriving home, I switched on my PC, then went to make a cup of coffee while it started up. My PC is getting old - it takes several minutes to warm up. I'm sure it didn't used to be so slow.
Anyway, when I came back, I was faced with the horror of a "Windows Failed to Start" message, followed by a cryptic error number.
There then followed a couple of days of messing around, the full horror of which I won't go into. Eventually, I found that the solution was an easy fix - just a bios setting to change. Unfortunately, the setting in question was in a hidden menu that I simply could not access. And so came the ultimate indignity: I had to take it back to PC World for repair!
I eventually got the PC back on Monday, having had the hard disk blanked and the system restored to factory settings. A nice clean slate to work with from here. Since then, I have been busily re-installing software, rebuilding my data, and generally wasting lots of time getting the system working again.
For the past year or so, I kept saying to myself, "I really must get one of those big external drives, and set up automatic backups. It sure would suck if my PC died and I lost all the data I've spent years building up." I kept saying that, and saying that...
About three months ago, I finally bought one of those big external drives, and set up automatic backups. This proved exceptionally fortuitous, as I was thus able to restore all my documents and files after getting the PC back. Huzzah! (And also: bloody hell, that was lucky!)
There's just one minor problem: it seems the the automated backup system does not include email. So, all the emails I have stored since forever (back to my first PC in 1994!) and all of my email contact details, and all of that stuff, is all gone!
I expected to by much more dismayed about this that I actually am. The thing is, while it sucks to lose data, and especially to lose it when I thought it was safely backed up, it's also true that I hadn't looked at most of those emails in years. Indeed, I had folders entitled "From 2007", "From 2008" and "Older" into which I just threw the appropriate emails and forgot about them. So, in many ways, it's a relief to be free of that junk. I wasn't using it, so I haven't really lost anything.
The one thing I did lose was the license key to a particular piece of software I have used only occasionally (but, like much occasional-use software, when I wanted to use it, I really wanted to use it). Even here, though, there's no great problem - they have been able to regenerate and resend the key.
Plus: now my PC is more up-to-date even than it was before the problem hit, and doesn't have quite so much lingering "junk software" lying around. So, really, it might not be the worst thing that has ever happened. Maybe.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Not quite dead
I have fallen behind on maintaining the blog, primarily due to a recent bout of PC problems. Normal service will be restored shortly.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Goals 2009 Wash-up
Last night was the final meeting of my Spanish course. It has been good!
Amongst other things, this completes the last of my goals for the year. So, as promised, here is the wash up, followed by some thoughts.
And so, there it is. Ten complete, and one abandoned. Frankly, I consider that a rather spectacular result for the year. Some thoughts:
Goals for next year?
Well, I will have some. I even have a couple in mind. However, I don't as yet have anything concrete. And, frankly, given how busy I am and am going to be, I'm not sure I will really be able to juggle goals on top of that.
Amongst other things, this completes the last of my goals for the year. So, as promised, here is the wash up, followed by some thoughts.
- Super Secret Goal #1. Complete.
- Super Secret Goal #2. Abandoned in April.
- Books. Complete.
- Weight loss. Complete.
- New skill.The Spanish course finished last night. However, a new course starts in January, which will pick up where this one left off.
- Car fund. Complete.
- General finances. Complete.
- Band. Complete.
- The house move. Complete.
- TV. Complete.
- RPGs. Complete. We have actually managed to get together for three whole sessions of the Warhammer campaign (including two in a row!), and should be getting together for another on Saturday (three in a row!). Additionally, I have started up a second campaign in Falkirk, meeting on almost alternate Tuesdays.
And so, there it is. Ten complete, and one abandoned. Frankly, I consider that a rather spectacular result for the year. Some thoughts:
- The tyranny of goals: For about six weeks there, I was juggling about six different goals concurrently, and so found that my every waking moment, and almost every waking thought, was dedicated to one or another of these goals. This was not a terribly pleasant experience. Next year, I'll either not be setting so many goals, or I will time-limit them so that there is a limit to how many are running at once.
- That one abandoned goal. Circumstances required that that goal be put on the back-burner indefinately. However, that goal is still important, and is therefore something that is going to have to be one of my main focuses for next year.
- Once a goal is finished. I have barely read anything since completing that goal. Since coming off the diet, I haven't been anywhere near as rigourous about what I eat, and have regained more weight than I really would have liked (though not a disasterous amount). The amount of TV I watch has gone up and down over the course of the year. In all cases, I have taken the view that once a goal is done, it is done. However, there may be an argument for some goals being considered ongoing matters, and not to be neglected once the (usually arbitrary) target is reached.
Goals for next year?
Well, I will have some. I even have a couple in mind. However, I don't as yet have anything concrete. And, frankly, given how busy I am and am going to be, I'm not sure I will really be able to juggle goals on top of that.
Monday, November 30, 2009
First Sunday in Advent
Yesterday was the first Sunday in Advent, and so I promptly went all Christmas-y. To that end, and having completed a rather nasty cleaning job on the apartment, I proceeded to put up my decoration.
I have also donned my Christmassical Trevor t-shirt once more, and have started work on my festive beard, making an heroic return after its year in the wilderness. I felt there was a need to return to the traditional fripperies of the season.
I have also donned my Christmassical Trevor t-shirt once more, and have started work on my festive beard, making an heroic return after its year in the wilderness. I felt there was a need to return to the traditional fripperies of the season.
Experimental Cookery Tuesday #64: Pork Kebabs
I did indeed do the Experimental Cookery Tuesday last week, but just never got around to updating the blog with the results. I've been absurdly busy.
The short version is that the kebabs were quick and easy to make, and they tasted much as I would have expected, which was quite nice. Also, I managed to avoid poisoning myself, which is always a plus.
That's really all there is to say about that. Next up is "Crunchy Garlic Chicken", which I'll actually be tackling on Friday as I won't have time tomorrow.
The short version is that the kebabs were quick and easy to make, and they tasted much as I would have expected, which was quite nice. Also, I managed to avoid poisoning myself, which is always a plus.
That's really all there is to say about that. Next up is "Crunchy Garlic Chicken", which I'll actually be tackling on Friday as I won't have time tomorrow.
Uh-oh
Apparently, Swine Flu has reached my place of work. This is not a good sign.
One advantage we do have is that the office is not air conditioned, which should hamper the spread of the virus. Also, the person involved caught the symptoms early, and has promptly isolated himself. Still, it doesn't bode well.
That said, I suppose if I have to catch it, it would be better to catch it before Christmas, rather than over the break. That would suck.
But not tomorrow. I refuse to get sick before tomorrow.
One advantage we do have is that the office is not air conditioned, which should hamper the spread of the virus. Also, the person involved caught the symptoms early, and has promptly isolated himself. Still, it doesn't bode well.
That said, I suppose if I have to catch it, it would be better to catch it before Christmas, rather than over the break. That would suck.
But not tomorrow. I refuse to get sick before tomorrow.
Gaming Revisited
A couple of months ago, I blogged about the cancellation of the regular Saturday game, and how I suddenly found I was no longer "a gamer", so much as "someone who games occasionally". I also said at that time that I found this entirely unsatisfactory.
So, not being one to just accept when things aren't right, I set about fixing the problem.
To that end, and after some investigation, I set up a Meetup group dedicated to D&D in the Falkirk area. This has proven to be a success, meeting and (perhaps) exceeding my expectations. The second meeting is tomorrow night, during which we will probably kick off a new D&D campaign set in Eberron.
There's just one problem: in amongst all the chaos, I've been so busy that I haven't had time to do more than jot down a few very basic notes for the outline of the campaign. I didn't really want to have to run the first session without proper preparation, but it does look like this may well have to happen.
At the same time, my Saturday game seems to have found itself a new lease of life. After a couple of false starts, we finally managed to get together for a game two weeks ago, and then again on Saturday. It's starting to look like the interest may be starting to come back there, and we may be able to pick up the pace again.
Of course, that means I now have two full campaigns to juggle, two sets of players to manage, two sets of characters to challenge, and two sets of adventures to prepare. And that on top of band practices twice a week (and probably bag packing most weekends), my Spanish course, and then a trip to the Squirrel Ballet. Plus, somewhere in there I am supposed to do some Christmas shopping.
Life is quite hectic at times.
So, not being one to just accept when things aren't right, I set about fixing the problem.
To that end, and after some investigation, I set up a Meetup group dedicated to D&D in the Falkirk area. This has proven to be a success, meeting and (perhaps) exceeding my expectations. The second meeting is tomorrow night, during which we will probably kick off a new D&D campaign set in Eberron.
There's just one problem: in amongst all the chaos, I've been so busy that I haven't had time to do more than jot down a few very basic notes for the outline of the campaign. I didn't really want to have to run the first session without proper preparation, but it does look like this may well have to happen.
At the same time, my Saturday game seems to have found itself a new lease of life. After a couple of false starts, we finally managed to get together for a game two weeks ago, and then again on Saturday. It's starting to look like the interest may be starting to come back there, and we may be able to pick up the pace again.
Of course, that means I now have two full campaigns to juggle, two sets of players to manage, two sets of characters to challenge, and two sets of adventures to prepare. And that on top of band practices twice a week (and probably bag packing most weekends), my Spanish course, and then a trip to the Squirrel Ballet. Plus, somewhere in there I am supposed to do some Christmas shopping.
Life is quite hectic at times.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Christmas Lights and the Environment
In pretty much every town centre up and down the country, you will now find they have put up their Christmas lights, which are lit for several hours every night. They're quite pretty, and generally rather nice (despite it not being December yet).
They are also, fundamentally, a waste of large amounts of energy.
So, here's the thing: if the powers-that-be are really, truly as worried about climate change as they keep telling us, why is this waste of energy acceptable? Sure, it wouldn't be much fun to ban the lights... but it would be rather less fun (I imagine) to find the world becomes uninhabitable.
(I expect the likely response to this is that they'll claim the lights are used in a "carbon neutral" manner - they've offset the cost to the environment by planting some trees, or paying for China to build a cleaner coal power plant, or something equally silly. The problem with this argument is that carbon offsets are a big con, a way for people to salve their guilt without actually having to give anything up. If they're really, truly as worried about climate change as they claim, they should be paying the carbon offsets and not putting up the lights either. In fact, they should then be using the money saved on all that power they're now not wasting to pay for more carbon offsets. A Christmas present for the whole world, if you will.)
They are also, fundamentally, a waste of large amounts of energy.
So, here's the thing: if the powers-that-be are really, truly as worried about climate change as they keep telling us, why is this waste of energy acceptable? Sure, it wouldn't be much fun to ban the lights... but it would be rather less fun (I imagine) to find the world becomes uninhabitable.
(I expect the likely response to this is that they'll claim the lights are used in a "carbon neutral" manner - they've offset the cost to the environment by planting some trees, or paying for China to build a cleaner coal power plant, or something equally silly. The problem with this argument is that carbon offsets are a big con, a way for people to salve their guilt without actually having to give anything up. If they're really, truly as worried about climate change as they claim, they should be paying the carbon offsets and not putting up the lights either. In fact, they should then be using the money saved on all that power they're now not wasting to pay for more carbon offsets. A Christmas present for the whole world, if you will.)
Monday, November 23, 2009
Experimental Cookery Breakfasts 12: Fresh Fruit Platter
I finally got around to finishing off the breakfasts chapter of Jamie's book.
To be honest, I think it was a bit of a cheat to have a 'recipe' that was essentially, "Get some fruit. Put it on a plate. Add yoghurt. Eat."
Still, never mind. It was nice enough.
That concludes the chapter at 7-5 in favour. (Yes, I had to go back and find that number.) The result would have been much better, except for all the many eggs. I think my favourite was the smoothies, while the loser was clearly one of the eggs. But which one? We hates them all... I think the omelette, purely because it was more hassle than the others.
I have now moved my secondary bookmark to the start of the soups chapter, and will probably work through that chapter gradually. Between now and Christmas, I also intend to tackle the remaining half-dozen 'meats' in "Quick-Cooking Meat and Fish", and then I think I'll retire this book and move on to something else.
(Incidentally, I've noticed that this is beginning to turn into "Steph/ven's Food Blog". That's not really my intention. However, at the moment my internet connection is down, so I'm trying to do the minimum online I can get away with without letting tasks just pile up.
To be honest, I think it was a bit of a cheat to have a 'recipe' that was essentially, "Get some fruit. Put it on a plate. Add yoghurt. Eat."
Still, never mind. It was nice enough.
That concludes the chapter at 7-5 in favour. (Yes, I had to go back and find that number.) The result would have been much better, except for all the many eggs. I think my favourite was the smoothies, while the loser was clearly one of the eggs. But which one? We hates them all... I think the omelette, purely because it was more hassle than the others.
I have now moved my secondary bookmark to the start of the soups chapter, and will probably work through that chapter gradually. Between now and Christmas, I also intend to tackle the remaining half-dozen 'meats' in "Quick-Cooking Meat and Fish", and then I think I'll retire this book and move on to something else.
(Incidentally, I've noticed that this is beginning to turn into "Steph/ven's Food Blog". That's not really my intention. However, at the moment my internet connection is down, so I'm trying to do the minimum online I can get away with without letting tasks just pile up.
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