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Home > Blogs > Norfolk Single Dad > Posted in February 2007 Norfolk Single DadPosted in February 2007A slice of English life in all its glory, through the eyes of a 39 year-old single dad and his amazing 4 year-old son.... Butternut Squash with Tomatoes and Chickpeas
Source: Eddie2sox A really filling meal - comfort food in vegetarian form! If you don't like squash, you can use the sauce with baked potatoes instead.... Ingredients
2 medium-sized butternut squashes, about 700g each, halved lengthways and seeded
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 onion, roughly chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
400g can plum tomatoes
400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
300ml vegetable stock
2 tbsp tomato puree
1 tsp caster sugar
handful of baby spinach leaves (which I forgot!)
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C. Arrange the squash cut-side up in a large non-stick roasting tin. Brush with the oil and season well. Drizzle with the balsamic vinegar and roast for 45 minutes until just tender.
2. Meanwhile, put the onion, garlic, tomatoes, chickpeas, stock, tomato puree and caster sugar into a large saucepan. Bring to the boil, break up the tomatoes slightly and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened.
3. Season to taste. Stir in the spinach and cook until just wilted. Serve the butternut squash with the sauce spooned over.
Takes 1 hour 20 minutes; serves 4.
Per serving: 239 kcal; 10g protein; 41g carbohydrate; 5g fat; 0 saturated fat; 8g fibre; 2g added sugar; 0.78g salt.
Notes
Don't forget the spinach! This meal is surprisingly filling and would make a great vegetarian comfort food meal. Looks pretty cordon bleu but it's really easy. To report this post follow the permalink aboveSticky Glazed Gammon
Source: Eddie2sox A "zingy" way to cook gammon which is really healthy. Lean steaks are served with nutritious bulghar wheat and green vegetables Ingredients
85g bulghar wheat
85g fresh or frozen peas
1 large leek, thinly sliced
1 orange, halved
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp clear honey
1 tsp dijon mustard
2 lean gammon steaks
1 tbsp mint sauce
Method
1. Preheat your grill to High. Tip the bulghar wheat and 450ml of cold water into a large saucepan, bring to the boil and simmer for 8 minutes. Add the peas and leek and bubble for 3-5 minutes more, until soft.
2. While the bulghar bubbles, make the glaze. Squeeze the juice of one orange half into a pan, stir in the Worcestershire sauce, honey and mustard and simmer for 2 minutes until sticky. Season the steaks with pepper only, put them on the grill rack (no tray) and grill for 5-6 minutes each side, brushing frequently with the glaze.
3. When the bulghar is cooked, drain it, season well and mix in the mint sauce. Cut each steak in half and serve on the bulghar, with the remaining orange half cut into segments.
Takes 30 minutes; serves 2.
Per serving; 465 kcal; 45g protein; 55g carbohydrate; 8g fat; 2g saturated fat; 5g fibre; 7g added sugar; 6.8g salt.
Notes
I enjoyed cooking this meal, and it turned out fantastically yummy! When you make the glaze though, use a little bit more honey and cook on a high heat to "sticky" it up enough. I'd never used bulghar wheat before this, but I will definitely be doing so again! To report this post follow the permalink aboveQuizzes, Myths And Education
Source: Eddie2sox Quiz goes well, busting a myth, and educating Sam! Woolpack Quiz Night
This went really well last night, competition was fierce, banter was fiercer, and a good time was had by all. Plus we made a tiny bit of money for our charity, which will add up over the year. For the first time at The Woolie the scores were tied at the end, meaning the Tie Breaker was actually needed......it's always a numerical question and the team guessing closest to the right answer wins. Last night, with scores level at 38 apiece, The Four Twots (I know.......) won through, guessing that the percentage of people living in Lithuania who are actually Lithuanian was 78%. The Good Losers went for 100%, miles away from the correct figure of 80%.
Next quiz is Sunday 25 March, kick off 8.30pm. Great conversation afterwards about the TV programme Myth Busters, where two American geeks try to disprove commonly misheld beliefs, such as that a sinking ship sucks it's crew and passengers down after it, and that goldfish have no memory. Co-incidentally, yesterday I received an email that busted a myth too.........
9/11 Myth - Busted!
Did anyone else, a few years ago, receive an email that was doing the rounds, that read like this:
"This is something to think about! Since America is typically represented by an eagle. Saddam should have read up on his Muslim passages... The following verse is from the Quran, (the Islamic Bible) Quran (9:11) -- For it is written that a son of Arabia would awaken a fearsome Eagle. The wrath of the Eagle would be felt throughout the lands of Allah and lo, while some of the people trembled in despair still more rejoiced; for the wrath of the Eagle cleansed the lands of Allah; and there was peace. Note the verse number!!!!!" Yesterday I got a forwarded email that said:
"Our crack team of scientists searched multiple online databases which contain the Quran in it's entirety. The word "eagle" does not appear anywhere in the Quran, the Koran or even the Quarahnne
Our scientists then went to google.com and typed in "online quran" to locate an online copy of the book. Here is the actual Chapter 9, verse 11 of the Quran
009.011 YUSUFALI: But (even so), if they repent, establish regular prayers, and practice regular charity,- they are your brethren in Faith: (thus) do We explain the Signs in detail, for those who understand. PICKTHAL: But if they repent and establish worship and pay the poor-due, then are they your brethren in religion. We detail Our revelations for a people who have knowledge. SHAKIR: But if they repent and keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate, they are your brethren in faith; and We make the communications clear for a people who know."
Myth Busted!
Educating Sam
As a dad, one of my jobs is the education of my son, Sam. Not just sums and seasons, but life skills, manners, and "useful" stuff too. I thought I'd just make a note of a few things Sam has been learning recently, some are educational, some are just things that will make him a better person.
Spires & Domes: We spent half an hour wandering round town looking upwards, and learning that the pointy bits on top of buildings are called spires, and the round bits are called domes. Sam pointed out the dome on top of the cinema and the THREE spires on top of St John's church in The Walks.
One Louder: In the car Sam loves listening to music, and often asks for it to be louder. I limit the volume to 11 on the CD player. It used to be 10, but then I agreed to "one louder". Sam now understands that "one louder" is the very loudest that anything can be - exactly in the same way that Spinal Tap's amps went up to 11 (see quote from the film). It's the kind of thing all boys ought to know: Nigel Tufnel: The numbers all go to eleven. Look, right across the board, eleven, eleven, eleven and...
Accelerator Brake Clutch: An invaluable start to his driving education. Sam can name 99% of the items inside our car, and we recently moved down to the pedals. Not only does he now know what the accelerator and brake do (clutch is slightly trickier), but he made the ABC connection with the alphabet all by himself.
Sausages: In another effort to immerse Sam in popular culture, I described to him how, long long ago, on a TV programme called That's Life, there was a dog that could say "sausages"...like this...."sau.......sa....ges....." Sam has now added this impressive impersonation to his repertoire (Victor Meldrew is his best), and may well be driving his mummy mad with it. To report this post follow the permalink aboveKid's Chicken Curry
Source: Eddie2sox Another Annabel Karmel recipe, make note of it just in case I am refused copyright permission (applied for).... This is the recipe that my 3-year-old absolutely loved, and I have to say I do too, having scoffed some straight after I finished cooking it.
Ingredients
3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 chicken breasts, cut into chunks
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 medium apple, peeled and thinly sliced
100g baby sweetcorn, cut into quarters
1 tbsp korma curry paste
1/2 tbsp mango chutney
1 tbsp tomato puree
100g frozen peas
150ml coconut milk
1 chicken stock cube, dissolved in 150ml boiling water
salt and ground black pepper
Method
1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a wok or frying pan and stir-fry the chicken for about 4 minutes. Remove the chicken and set aside.
2. Heat the remaining oil in the wok and saute the onion and garlic for 3 minutes, then add the apple and sweetcorn and stir-fry for 3 minutes.
3. Add the korma curry paste, mango chutney, tomato puree, frozen peas, coconut milk, chicken stock and chicken pieces and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Season to taste.
Makes 2 portions.
My notes
I found this incredibly easy to make, and doubled all the ingredients to make lots of curry to put in the freezer. I really enjoyed eating this myself, and after Sam's brilliant reaction to it I will definitely be making this again very soon. Sam was not sure about the baby sweetcorn, so next time I will use more peas and apple and give the sweetcorn a miss until he's a bit older. Delicious! Sorry about the dodgy photo (those aren't chips, they're baby sweetcorn quarters!)....Annabel Karmel's After School Meal Planner published 2006 by Ebury Press Random House. To report this post follow the permalink aboveShameless Plug! Woolpack Quiz Night, Sunday 25 February!
Source: Eddie2sox Yup, I run the quiz at The Woolie, and it's really good! But I would say that wouldn't I? Kick off is at eight, get there by half seven to get a good table, brush up your current affairs!
It's worth a visit, if only to bump into foxy chicks like Annabel and Jane (see photo, New Bob's missus plus daughter)! To report this post follow the permalink aboveKing's Lynn Mart
Source: Eddie2sox It's just another town fair, but KL takes it upon itself to endow it with some old, poncey rubbish to attract tourists.... Today Sam was here and last night we decided to go to the fair today, WHATEVER the weather. Picked Sam up from nursery at half three yesterday and we had chip butties for tea (it's what his mummy's been giving him on a Friday night) before a nice bath and playtime then bed. Lovely bedtime actually, Sam told me two or three times "Daddy I really love you" before eventually nodding off.
Saturday dawns, Sam had a good night's sleep, Daddy didn't cos he never does when Sam's around. We did enjoy a nice morning just playing, reading, sticking, racing, with a spot of brekkie chucked in. Sam had his first portion of Annabel Karmel's "Kid's Chicken Curry" for dinner.......started off eating just the rice til I said he should try the curry.....try a big piece of chicken.......he spooned up some sauce and a chunk of chicken.....pushed it into his mouth with a look that said "I will not like this Daddy, and I told you so"......however! After a second or two his expression changed to "Actually this is very lovely, and I want to eat more of it, but I will not say so because I will look silly". So he scoffed a lot of that til he was full, result!
So, it took a while for the after effects to wear off the little champ, but eventually we set off for the fair. Came back 5 minutes later so Sam could have a wee, then set of again. Saw Big Roy, yelled and waved. Arrived at Tuesday Market Place at 2.
Well, we had a FANTASTIC time at the fair! Sam was really excited with all the noise and music and people. First ride we saw was the dodgems.....Sam seemed a little unsure so I said let's watch for a while then you can decide if you want to have a go. He did! So we found a dodgem car and climbed inside. Strapped Sam in, put me arm round him, and although he said otherwise he looked a little scared! Eventually we got rolling, and we managed a few laps (deliberately) on the edges, driving without bumping. Then, naturally, someone bashed us, Sam laughed, and I knew it would be OK. We spent the rest of the ride hunting down whichever car Sam took a fancy to, while occasionally being whacked by someone else. Fantastically, towards the end, Sam took over steering, and completely obliterated two of our rival cars, side on, full speed, laughing while he did it. Maybe he did take in some of last summer's banger racing after all?
After that we went on a tour of the fair, Sam hopping on rides left, right and centre. The big wheel, Helicopters, Mini-Vehicles, Crazy Cottage, Harleys, Mini Trains, you name it. One ride he was initially wary of but decided to try in the end was the Mini-Waltzers.....he enjoyed the ride a lot, until the point that the woman operator gave him an extra spin. After that he LOVED it, laughing like a drain and trying to focus on me every time he passed - usually unsuccessfully. I think this whetted his appetite for the big surprise later on.....
After the rides we decided to have a go at a couple of "Win A Prize" stalls. Sam picked the Hook A Penguin and the Hook A Character From Top Film "Cars" stalls, and obviously won a prize on each. However, at 3 years old, winning a prize for Sam was a real achievement not just a giveaway! Well done Son! He won a police officer set and a Coca-Cola articulated toy lorry. Tat, but absolute hard-earned treasure for my brilliant little boy!
And then...."Can we go on that Daddy?"
"The waltzers? The grown-up waltzers?"
"Yeah, The Wotsers."
So I took Sam up onto the platform and said we'd watch for one ride to see what he thought. He looked "mad for it" and when the ride stopped he was off towards car number 1, and installed in the seat before you could say "Paul Robinson." I tentatively "packed" him in next to me, as the ride was VERY fast and the cars had been spinning at Puke Factor 7. We started......slowly. Sam was quiet. The first "fast" spin and Sam giggled. Then we started spinning, fast, with big G-Forces, and Sam was laughing his head off! The ride lasted ages, occasionally I couldn't see Sam's face which was a slight worry, but I could hear him laughing and making his "I'm falling over in a funny way" noise (think Jimmy Saville "uh-uh-uh-uh-uh guys and gals"), so everything was just fine. He even started experimenting with the new feeling of G-force, by lifting his legs up one at a time - when he lifted them both up they were instantly plastered to the back rest of the car! We eventually slowed down and stopped, Sam jumped up, wobbled this way and that way then sat back down again. I tried standing up.....decided to give it a few seconds....we eventually weaved our way off the Waltzers giggling like idiots.
Time for something to eat, then one last ride, then home. Sam was happy with that idea too. We had one minor blip when the blokes at the bungee-bouncing thingie told us Sam was too small to have a go - Sam had a few tears of disappointment but forgot all about it when faced with a humungous burger van. Sam chose sausage and chips, I went for hog roast, and we sat next to the Gallopers eating our tea and waving at people we knew. Hi Janet, Hi Louis' mum, Hi Steve! For his last ride Sam chose to go on the mini-vehicle roundabout again, on a police motorbike, and then happily jumped off ready to head home. He is SUCH a good little boy.
Even the walk home was great! We were obviously both in a fantastic mood and we chatted away loud and lairy all the way. Too loud on occasion I think. When we reached the swimming pool zebra crossing, there was what looked like black paint splashed over the "stop the traffic" button. Sam said "There's bird pooh on it!"
"Yeah, and it's black bird-pooh too, which is the worst kind," replied Daddy, unaware that another family had walked up behind us. Cue three giggly young girlies bursting out laughing, and loudly whispering about it "black bird pooh"...."The worst sort...." etc. Seemingly NOT what mummy wanted to hear, WHOOPS!
Then halfway through The Walks, we were passing a dysfunctional family struggling with their toddlers. Now, me and Sam had spotted the Moon out early, during daylight, and had been discussing why. Quite often when we're talking about something like that, I will adopt a third-person character for the particular inanimate object, so Sam, me and "it" can have a chat and "it" can sometimes explain about itself (if I know enough about the subject - does this make sense?). So, today, where the hell it came from I have NO IDEA, but The Moon suddenly started talking to Sam in a growly West-Indian accent, which neither me or Sam could understand for a while - thus making us laugh even more. Unfortunately, just as The Moon was talking to Sam about his new toys from the fair, we were walking right past the family - they were black......b******s!
Made it home and we just had enough time to unwrap the new toys, have a quick playtime, and watch You've Been Framed before it was time for Sam to be taken back to his mummy's. Crap end to an otherwise PERFECT day! Loving my little boy SO MUCH! See you on Tuesday Sam, night night xx To report this post follow the permalink aboveAnother Stolen Bike!
Source: Eddie2sox Some lowlife scumbag has stolen my bike - the second one I've had nicked in 5 months! I've had a second bike stolen within five months! First one I was unable to claim on my insurance as it was stolen from work. This one MUST be different, here's why.
It was stored at my home address, locked to a fixed bike rack.
The fixed bike rack is located inside a locked bike shed.
The locked bike shed is located inside a locked car park.
So if I can't claim to have taken "reasonable" security measures this time I will be off the scale angry. I haven't told Sam yet, he was so upset when our first bike got nicked and I don't really have the heart to tell him that it's happened again.
There has been a positive spin-off from the first theft - it served as a great lesson to Sam in bike security. That bike was also locked to a lamp-post, but still went missing. Since then Sam has been a LOT more into locking doors/cars/whatever, and now he has his own bike he absolutely insists it is locked before it is left.
Anyway. Thieving scum who have swiped my second bike. IF I find out who it is before the police do, be REALLY careful OK. To report this post follow the permalink aboveYorkshire!
Source: Eddie2sox Pudding tops award list, pasty lags behind! Nicked from the BBC News website:
It beat the Cornish pasty and the Melton Mowbray pork pie to come first in its category at the Good Housekeeping food awards. It was the first time the favourite regional food had been included in the annual awards. Entries were nominated by Good Housekeeping readers. The magazine's cookery editor Emma Marsden said the Yorkshire pudding was a regional food with nationwide appeal. "It is something people have grown up with," she said. "They are a favourite Sunday lunch accompaniment to roast beef. That's why people love them - and because they're so easy to make."
Are you watching Pasty Muncher! Worzel Gummidge, Jethro, Rick Stein, bloke off Friday Night Show, King Arthur, Bishop Trelawny......your boys took a hell of a beating! To report this post follow the permalink abovePre-Cooking
Source: Eddie2sox Been a good day so far...... Had to nip out to Tesco for a couple of bits......popped into The Woolpack for a quick pint on the way home.....ooooops, ended up having four.......
Karina was in with her adorable puppy Leila (pic), who is virtually doubling in size each week! Settled down for a pint and a chinwag with Vonny (Norfolk's Best Barstaff), Louis, DJ J and John.
For a start.....£250 for a dog? Leila cost that, but you can pop into any big city and grab a dog for free, and they'd probably love you for life if you stick a bowlful of Pal in front of their nose.
Did you know that Johnny Cash was one of America's top code-breakers during the second world war?
Are you gay or lesbian? Does recognising that a member of the same sex is attractive make you bat for the other side? If so, at what level? For example, "most" blokes would say that, yes, Brad Pitt is attractive. Move down the ladder a little.....is James Nesbit attractive? Down further, is the bloke behind the counter at Vancouver Butchers attractive? Where do you draw the line, if at all? As an ugly bloke myself I am well aware of good looking men, but I don't fancy them. You don't have to be a cook to know the soup tastes fantastic.
So onto a dodgy subject.....I don't think IMM would let it stay here, so the key phrases "Joe Strummer", "Eric Clapton", "Kit Kat Shuffle" and "All men are ******* or liars". So true Vonny.
If you go to Africa, beware hippos! They kill more humans every year than lions or tigers or elephants or gerbils.
My mate Louis runs a motor-racing team! They started out called "Team America! F*** Yeah!", but as they've grown they are now known by the catchy title of "Advance Vehicle Rental Scorpio Electronics A Tech Computers Silena Automotive Ma Ha UK Fiesta Boys" If you need any custom made parts for your car speak to Louis! Actually, give young Louis some space, he's just had a "lump" removed from his back which has now gone for biopsy. the more fingers you all cross, the better. To report this post follow the permalink above Life Meanders Onwards....
Source: Eddie2sox ....as usual not much of the shocking variety has happened in NSD's life.... Tesco Invasion?
The picture to the left is an apparent invasion fleet of Tesco trolleys at the Hardwicke shop today! Are they planning on hostile takeovers of Sainsburys / Rainbow / Morrisons? These hundreds of trolleys were parked well away from the store entrance, what CAN they be up to?
On a slightly different subject, Tesco award 1 Clubcard point for every carrier bag you re-use. It's a really good idea, but I don't think the reward is sufficient to encourage enough people to take part. I'm going to contact Tesco to ask them to increase the payback from 1 point to 5 points. After all, Tesco claim huge credit in the media for their "green" efforts, so would it harm them to reward the customers who actually contribute towards their success?
p.s. WHY have you put the price of goat's milk up? £1.24 from £1.18. And why is the home brand stuff the same price as the farm stuff? Are you keeping the price high, artificially?
Sam And Music
Sam was really interested in hearing about my trip to see The View, and thought it absolutely hilarious that Daddy would be jumping around waving his arms and shaking his head, along with "more than a hundred Daddy?" other people. There were 1800 to be precise, but "a hundred" is a huge - in fact THE hugest - number in Sam's world. He wanted a demonstration when we got back to the flats, so I ended up leaping around like a kangaroo with Tourettes in front of the entrance hall - and yes, there were two people leaning out of their windows watching. When we were going back to his mummy's we got stuck at the level crossing, just as Same Jeans was playing. Sam went berserk during the speedy part at the end, so I joined in, and neither of us noticed that the barriers had raised and the lights had stopped flashing. If you were driving any of the cars behind us, SORRY, but at least you know what the arms and heads were going nineteen to the dozen for.....
Pancake Day
We had pancakes for pud last night, expertly cooked by yours truly. Sam, displaying his penchant for healthy eating, refused his first pancake with sugar on, and requested a second, plain one. There was no alternative but for me to dispose of the offending item by eating it. Before the pancakes, Sam demolished a mini cottage pie, cooked following the Annabel Karmel recipe, healthy and filling and obviously really tasty! Off to pick the little fella up again later and I can't wait, he's having hidden veg sauce bolognaise tonight with garlic bread, yoghurt for pudding.
Tomorrow In The Kitchen!
Really looking forward to Thursday, I've just picked up ingredients for two recipes; Sticky Glazed Gammon for me and Kid's Chicken Curry for Sam. Keep your eyes peeled for pics and details of how I get on tomorrow.... To report this post follow the permalink aboveAnother Way To Die In Your Sleep
Source: Eddie2sox Sneezing; When Gorillas Attack!; Last Slice Of Pie; Job Hunt Aaaaaachoooo!
I've woken up with another stinking cold today. S'not fair. This time I am actually succumbing to drugs instead of letting nature take its course, as I've got a voluntary shift this evening. Everything aches, and I am sneezing like a snuff-fiend(very unusual for me). So come on Anadin Extra, get cracking!
A New Way To Die
I had another nightmare ending in my own death last night, this time I was ripped apart by a gorilla in the garden! I can't remember what order these little parts of the dream occurred, but if you can decipher what my subconcious is trying to tell me then please let me know. It was set overseas, rather like an RAF posting, but I wasn't in the RAF in the dream. It was kind of hot and tropical. There was some flooding, and while I was out walking I saw a huge black bear swimming in the floodwater. There were two train engines that didn't run on rails, and could move their front wheels to steer round corners. There was a caretaker who became a country and western singer/drummer, and sang: "You're my friend when I'm hungry, You're my shelter from troubled winds, You're my anchor in life's ocean, But will I ever eat Harle's grapes?"
What the heck is THAT about then? Harle's grapes? And I don't KNOW any Don Williams songs (thank you Google for the words today).
Anyway, shortly after this song I looked out of the window and saw two gorillas in the next garden - I rushed to get a camera to take a picture, went outside, but got spotted by a baby gorilla. This drew the attention of its mum, and she crashed through the hedge and killed me! The moral of this story is what...........?
Family Guy
When I got home last night I was way too excited to go to bed straight away, so I watched some TV, Father Ted was good but Family Guy had me laughing so hard I almost threw up. Which was apt, as it was the episode where Peter Griffin sells his daughter Meg to the local pharmacist to pay off his tab. Peter runs up the massive bill without realising, at one point asking what flavour suppositories are available. Pharmacist asks "You're not eating these are you Peter?" to which Griffin replies sarcastically "Noooooo, I'm shoving them up my butt!" The part which really made me laugh was when Peter arranges a vomiting competition between himself, Stewie, Chris and Brian their pet dog. There is one slice of pie left in the fridge, and Peter acquires vomit-inducing medicine from the pharmacist, saying "Last one to puke gets to eat the pie". Predictably all four of them end up puking copiously over the floor and even each other and nobody wants to touch the pie. Recommended, if you're easily amused in a childish kind of way!
Looking For Work
Well, although I don't feel like it I need to drag my ass into town to trawl the agencies again. If you know of anywhere there's a job going, suitable for a reliable, hard-working bloke like me, drop me a line! Me and Yosser Hughes, kindred spirits..... To report this post follow the permalink aboveThe View ARE on fire!
Source: Eddie2sox Aka "Wasted Little Bloggers".... Last night the NME Rock Tour 2007 was in Cambridge, and me and Brocky 2 set off from The Woolpack, together with two spare tickets (despite repeated attempts to persuade her otherwise, temporary landlady Vonny refused to come with us). Shame on you Dolly Parton!
Brocky was pretty wasted so we had to stop for a "comfort break", then carried on into town and headed for Lion Yard car park. It's about 100 metres from the Corn Exchange. We popped in a couple of typical Cambridge town centre pubs (posh, poncey, pretentious) then I decided it was time to flog the spare tickets. Brocky was impatient for more beer so I told him to go in and I'd find him later....the clown DID go in but then came out again without having his hand stamped correctly, DOH! I shifted the tickets, obviously not going to mention any sums of money in case anyone with a liking for the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 is reading, then had to kiss the ass of the stewards on the doors to get Brocky back in - one steward said "I remember him, he was a pain in the arse first time he came in!"
There were four bands on last night but we'd only really gone to see The View. Mumm-Ra were already playing when we got in, and they were pretty good, however the singer's stage "antics" were very reserved and awkward, climbing onto band equipment then asking for a hand to get down.....The Horrors were next up, and Brocky being rather off it wanted to go home "The View aren't on/The View have been on/ blah blah!" The Horrors were a real disappointment, too grungy for my liking, too many over-indulgent guitar breaks.
Finally it was time for the main event. While we were waiting for the equipment to be swapped, guess who was saying "Shall we get off then?" NOOOOOOOOOO! If YOU want to go out then go, and I'll find you later.
The View ambled on accompanied by deafening Deep Purple (I think) over the PA, and set off at a hundred miles an hour with Comin Down. They followed that with Wasted Little DJs, then were about to start into The Don when Kieron's guitar broke, leading to a five minute pause in the set. Kyle entertained the crowd with a solo version of Face For The Radio, by which time the problem was sorted and the rest of the set began....The Don, Gran's For Tea, Skag Trendy, Posh Boys Can't Play, Wasteland, and Dance Into The Night all followed, before the finale of Same Jeans and Superstar Tradesman brought the house down. The View's younger fans (complete with obligatory boot polish smears on their faces) were in fine voice between the songs, but I still hardly understood a word the boys said in between songs! Never mind, that's such a minor point and doesn't alter the fact that I love this band. Seen them twice now, can't wait to see them again! Hands are aching a bit today, rather too much "air-drumming" on the steering wheel on the way home!
p.s. I have a small video clip from last night which I would love to link here, just to give people a quick idea of the atmosphere inside the Corn Exchange when The View were playing - anyone got ANY idea how to do that? To report this post follow the permalink aboveWoolpack - The Next Generation
Source: Eddie2sox Some of us "young" parents who frequent The Woolpack have been discussing the future, and how the town will cope when our children start going out together.... We think that the future nightclub population of King's Lynn will be powerless to resist the combined charms of "Woolpack - The Next Generation" (WTNG). The fact is they are a group of the most good-looking, photogenic, hilarious youngsters you'll ever meet, and members of the opposite sex will be helpless - especially when they're hunting in a pack. Misty and Sam have already "bonded" incredibly well - Vonny and me felt like gooseberries that day at Legoland.....
Cast List
The members of WTNG are:
Kourtney (9) - Chanie's little sister Misty (6) - Vonny's daughter Ellie (3) - Scott's daughter Sam (3) - my little boy Jack (nearly 1) - Georgie's son
Talking to Georgie and Chanie last night (see photo), we pictured the scene, fifteen years in the future. We've all met in The Woolpack on Saturday night as always, and WTNG are about to head out the door, onwards into town. Us old people are enjoying a riotous game of dominoes, and the sherry and real ale is flowing.
"Kourtney, remember, keep an eye on them!" "Misty, you're the negotiator. If acting reasonably fails, hissy fit is the way forward." "Ellie, try not to humiliate too many blokes tonight with your razor sharp sarcasm please?" "Sam....ONE woman at a time tonight OK...." "Jack....Jack.....JACK! Breaking hearts is NOT compulsory yeah?"
It's going to be messy. To report this post follow the permalink aboveMulti-layer Cottage Pie
Source: Eddie2sox This is a recipe by Annabel Karmel, a top author who writes cookbooks aimed at children and babies. Ingredients
250g swede, peeled and chopped
200g carrots, peeled and chopped
Generous knob of butter
2 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
450g minced beef
1 large onion, finely chopped
100g leek, finely chopped
100g red pepper, finely chopped
150g button mushrooms, diced
4 medium tomatoes, skinned, de-seeded and chopped
1 tbsp tomato puree
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp dried mixed herbs
1 bay leaf
1 beef stock cube dissolved in 350ml boiling water
675g potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
50g unsalted butter
6 tbsp milk
225g frozen peas, cooked
1 beaten egg
Method
1. Cook the swede and carrots in boiling water for 20 minutes, or until tender, then mash with the knob of butter until smooth.
2. Heat half a tablespoon of the oil in a large non-stick frying pan and saute the minced beef for 7 to 8 minutes or until any liquid has been evaporated. Remove the beef from the pan and set aside.
3. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a fairly large casserole and saute the onion and leek for 3 minutes. Add the red pepper and saute for 2 minutes, then add the mushrooms and cook for 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook for 3 more minutes. Add the tomato puree, Worcestershire sauce, herbs, bay leaf, beef stock, and cooked mince, and simmer for about 30 minutes. Season to taste.
4. Meanwhile boil the potatoes for 15 to 20 minutes, then drain. Return them to the pan and mash, together with the butter and milk, until smooth.
5. Place the mashed carrot and swede in the bottom of an ovenproof dish (approximately 18cm in diameter and 7.5 cm deep). Arrange the meat mixture on top, cover with a layer of cooked peas, then top with a layer of potato. Brush the potato with the beaten egg and cook under a pre-heated grill for 6 to 7 minutes, or until the top is browned.
Notes
This recipe may not be here for long, I have asked Annabel Karmel for copyright permission but had no reply yet! The recipe is found in her book "Annabel Karmel's After-School Meal Planner", along with many other great child-friendly ideas. Annabel Karmel's After School Meal Planner published 2006 by Ebury Press Random House.
I would advise anyone to prepare ALL the ingredients before you start cooking, as the timescales are tight when the action starts happening! These amounts made three mini-pies for Sam to eat, and a BIG pie for Daddy, which makes four large servings. This recipe is suitable for freezing. To report this post follow the permalink aboveKing's Lynn Scandal Part One
Source: Eddie2sox You hear stuff when you're a man about town don't you..... Which major King's Lynn company, with large factory premises somewhere roughly in the Hardwicke area, has a head of engineering who personally bypasses emergaency shut-off switches so that production doesn't stop if employees pull the switch?
Which town centre shop has it's fire alarms permanently disabled after a series of false alarms, resulting in an empty shop, last month?
Which large Lynn manufacturer is ridding itself of as many English staff as possible, and replacing them with immigrant workers on 75% of the pay? Tenuous reasons for releasing staff include "too much time off taking dog to vet", and "too much time taking son to A&E at the QEH".
These "obviously made up" facts have been told to me by G, C and L respectively. You couldn't make it up...... To report this post follow the permalink aboveThe name's Teeth......Keith Teeth....
Source: Eddie2sox Bumped into a former workmate from Besspack today.... .....one of the temps who like me, wasn't kept on. Our "very" brief greeting went as follows:
"Hi Shannon, how's it going?"
"Hi Keith, good thanks. See you later, off into town with littlun."
As unremarkable exchange as you could ever imagine. Yet he called me Keith....why? Well, it's made my day, so I'll explain!
One of the jobs we had to do at Besspack was "sorting" which involved checking batches of valves to ensure they were of the ultimate tip-top quality. We'd gather chairs around a bench and get cracking, and inevitably there were never enough chairs. When one person got up for any reason, someone would nick their perch. Shannon had heard a rhyme about this kind of behaviour, which went:
"On your feet, lose your seat, Duh dee duh lose your teeth."
What was the dud dee duh? He couldn't remember and all our suggestions were dismissed:
"If you don't eat beef, lose your teef?"
"If you're Lee van Cleef, lose your teef?"
"Once a thief, lose your teef?"
"Red Indian chief, lose your teef?"
However the most popular was "Name's not Keith? Lose your teeth," suggested by me! Naturally, blokes being blokes, I adopted the nickname "Keith Teeth", and was known by that name by my colleagues.
So.....when I said hello to Shan earlier, and he said "Hello Keith", it made my day. This has been a pointless post, but another snapshot in the life of Sim....errrm....I mean Keith Teeth! To report this post follow the permalink aboveQuick Seafood Paella
Source: Eddie2sox A quick version of the Spanish dish using a bag of frozen seafood mixture! Ingredients
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 red pepper, seeded and sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
230g can chopped tomatoes
1 tsp turmeric
300g long grain rice
1.3 litres vegetable stock (I used only 1 litre and it worked fine, I couldn't fit any more into the pan!)
450g bag frozen mixed seafood (prawns, mussels, squid rings), thawed
175g green beans, halved
1 lemon, cut into wedges (I forgot the lemon, doh)
Method
1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and cook the onion and pepper for 5 minutes until softened but not brown. Stir in the garlic, tomatoes and turmeric and cook for 1 minute more, stirring occasionally.
2. Tip in the rice and cook for 1 minute, stirring to coat the grains. Pour in the stock, stir well and bring to the boil, then simmer uncovered for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice is almost cooked and most of the stock has been absorbed.
3. Add the seafood and beans and cook for 3-4 minutes more. Serve straight from the pan with lemon wedges.
Takes 30 minutes; Serves 4
Per serving: 463 kcal; 32g protein; 75g carbohydrate; 6g fat; 1g saturated fat; 3g fibre; 0 added sugar; 1.91g salt.
You WILL need a very big pan for this, I had to reduce the amount of stock down from 1.3 litres, although it still turned out great and very tasty indeed! Anyone know where I can get hold of a really big non-stick frying pan? To report this post follow the permalink aboveNew day, new mood
Source: Eddie2sox Today started off nice and sunny, and so did I! Seems like I got rid of all my crappy feelings in last night's mega-strop. Which is a good thing. I read back last night's blog entry and it sounded quite pathetic and self-centred - I considered editing it favourably but I figure that it's all about describing how you're feeling - so I'm leaving it as it is. To catch up on a couple of things:
Toothbrush Update
My haunted toothbrush has struck again twice within 12 hours. Last night I'd just got into bed and nodded off when I was woken up by some noise. Took me ages to realise it was the damned toothbrush again. And then this morning.....clean, brown shirt on....put the toothpaste on the brush, and DAMMIT, the bloody thing's off again and pebble-dashed my clothes. Buggrit.
Sam Update
Apparently Sam had a bad night, but right now he's with his mummy at her school, happily playing, drawing and colouring. Phew, sounds like progress. Found out a GREAT Sam-fact last night that I forgot to mention at the time - he's started taking the mickey out of his elders' lack of knowledge of modern music. On a recent day out with his grandma (who's a lay preacher, i.e. she uses a 2000 year old fairy tale book to impose her own outdated standards of behaviour on other people!), Sam started singing "I've had the same jeans on for four days now...." Grandma replied unknowingly "I don't think you have Sam." Sam added "I'm going to a disco in the middle of town...." "Sam, you're far too young for discos!" (assuming the older-person's "I know better" attitude). "No Grandma! It's a song. By The View! Same as Super Trainman." (Sam's attempt at Superstart tradesman!). Nice one Sam, keep the old buggers in their place, with their Jim Reeves and their Meatbloodyloaf!
Afternoon Plan
Got a good plan for the afternoon, involving Diagnosis Murder, Deal Or No Deal, and a lot of cooking! Just been to Tesco for loads of shopping, mainly veg I was pleasantly surprised to realise as I unpacked. Recipes on the cards are "Quick Seafood Paella" for me and "Nicholas' multi-layered cottage pie" for Sam. This is taken from one of Annabel Karmel's cookbooks, if you don't own one AND you cook for kids, GET ONE TOMORROW!
Quick seafood paella should be good, as I love seafood and rice, and it'll freeze for future use. The cottage pie will go down well with Sam, and if I follow the recipe there will be enough to make 3 small pies for him (using individual ramekins, part of the - oops - Annabel Karmel range! see pic) and a bigger one for me, hoorah!
As the Tesco Clubcard vouchers came this morning I got my shopping basically for half-price which were great, so I slipped a few beers into the trolley too. That'll do for watching some football while slobbing on the settee tonight like England's very own Homer Simpson. (Speaking of slobbing in a blokey way, Sam often goes to sleep with his hand down the front of his nappy-pants, he's a typical bloke already!).
Funny how in a few hours you can be at opposite ends of the emotional spectrum. Last night I switched the car stereo off when Super Tradesman came on, because it's one of me and Sam's songs. Today, same song, turned the thing up to eleven ("one louder", for any Spinal Tap fans), so loud in fact that I couldn't hear myself shouting along. And got some funny looks at traffic lights. 38 going on 19. DOH! To report this post follow the permalink aboveSam's ill again, gone back to his mummy's, and I won't see him for a week....
Source: Eddie2sox Which absolutely stinks. Sarah is off to see an old friend for the weekend, so Sam won't be here for his usual Saturday night sleepover. In fact, next time I see the little superstar will be NEXT Wednesday! I sometimes think I whinge far too much about the amount of time I spend with Sam. But that's just in comparison with other single dads I know, who seem happy with their lot, despite seeing less of their kids than I do of mine. This upcoming week without seeing Sam was agreed between me and Sarah. In England, the guideline for access is "every other weekend, plus half the school holidays". Me and Sarah agree that at his age Sam isn't quite ready to be away from mummy for more than one night at a time, so instead of spending the whole weekend with me, every other weekend, he is here one full day every weekend. Same amount of time, spread out more. He's not at school yet so we make arrangements about extra days with daddy when each holiday period rolls around. And, in addition, two nights every week I pick Sam up from nursery, for his tea and bathtime here, which is an extra six hours a week. So what am I moaning about, and why do I STILL feel short-changed? Maybe it's just me feeling annoyed about missing out on so much of Sam's life, who knows.
Sam was here from nine-ish yesterday morning until half past six tonight. We had a pretty good time too until his virus got a hold of him again this afternoon. We'd been to Baker's Oven as a treat, and stopped off for an hour in the park on the way home. Sam seemed fine, but fell asleep watching The Tweenies soon after we got home. He slept for ninety minutes, then woke up coughing - and a check of his temperature gave a reading of 39.8, extremely high. Right away I gave him some Calprofen to try to start reducing the fever, whipped off all his clothes except his pants, and started offering him juice after every cough (thankfully he kept taking it too, what a good boy). And so the afternoon went on in that fashion, checking temperature every ten minutes, giving Sam cold juice, cuddling him when he wanted it, leaving him alone when he didn't. We were due back at Sarah's at six today, but she called to say she had to take one of her cats to the vet, and could I possibly keep Sam til half past. Could I!? Always a daft question. Also had a phone call from someone close who is going through a really bad spell at the moment, and at the same time Sam kept calling for me, so I felt bad when the "other" person said they'd ring back tomorrow.
Well, the ibuprofen slowly worked on Sam's temp, and it was down to just over 38 by the time we had to leave. Still high but nowhere near as bad. Sam himself was also intermittently a lot livelier, in between coughing bouts and yelling in pain because his throat was sore from the coughing. Kept checking if he could move his head and neck without pain (yes), if there was any rash anywhere (no), did his hands or feet hurt (no), just in case the nightmare of meningitis was a possibility. Apparently not, thank gods.
And then the crappy moment when the end credits on The Simpsons appear and I have to say "Shoes on Sam". He knows what it means, I know it, and it's never nice, but tonight I just felt almost distraught. Taking my obviously poorly little star back after nearly 36 hours together, the worst thing in the world. Sam asked to listen to Same Jeans on the CD, which we did, and then when we arrived there he didn't even want to turn off all the bits and pieces in the car, which is ALWAYS one of his favourite little habits. Just about stopped myself blubbing in front of Sam when I left.
Didn't manage to stop myself when I got back home and saw all his stuff, half eaten biscuit, jumper he chose himself, picture he painted yesterday, his little gloves laid on top of my big ones on a radiator ("it will keep them all warm daddy!"). Horrible. To report this post follow the permalink aboveSir Hammerlot Press Release!
Source: Eddie2sox Shock news from The Castle tonight, as Sir Hammerlot opens up about his humiliation earlier in the day. For the full shocking details, read on.... "Brave" Sir Hammerlot tonight issued the following prepared statement through Ye Olde Reuters Internationale:
"Today I let myself and my colleagues down. Killing the bad guys who regularly try to kidnap our princess is what I am paid £47k p.a. plus Glitto Allowance to do, and today this did not happen. I want to apologise to Rita The Rat Princess, Sir Chopalot, Sir Castlelot, and the rest of the guys. And Sir Redshield, who is not, technically, a guy any more, but can still handle her weapon as skilfully as the rest of us. I would like to state that I did not, as reported elsewhere, soil my cast-iron undercrackers, nor did I shout "Mummy, big green nasty man after me" as I fled the castle. I will not be making any further statement, and still remain employed here through the Pertemps Agency."
This apparently honest and open statement was seemingly called into question however when Hammerlot was overheard talking on his mobile homing pigeon as he finished his shift, allegedly saying, "Well yes, I did **** my pantaloons, but you should have seen the size of the ******. Wearing nowt but a horny helmet and a leather posing pouch, with a huge chopper in his hand. I mean, this weapon was even bigger than mine, and as you know Bianca, I can't ******* lift mine off the floor. See you in 10 babe, kung po chicken and special friend rice sounds great. Luv thee!"
Make of this what you will, but the apparent admission - seemingly backed up by the attached candid photo taken by Montgolfier & Sons Paparazzi Of Distinction from a balloon earlier this year - that Hammerlot's hammer is too heavy to be lifted off the ground will come as a hammer-blow (ahem) to the reputation of the Knights Of The Coffee Table, already reeling from the Sir Trumpalot Egg Sandwich scandal before Christmas. Tonight it appears that Hammerlot's reputation, just like his underwear, is in tatters. To report this post follow the permalink aboveThe Window Sill Of Doom!
Source: Eddie2sox The day started weirdly but got better and better....read on for news on Sir Hammerlot's loss of bottle, floating dogs, and the "window sill" moment.... Morning
I left the flat at half eight, to go to buy all the necessary food and medicine for Sam's stay. Unfortunately Tesco are halfway through a revamp of their store layout - they've moved "most" things by an aisle or two but not yet moved the overhead signs - so shopping took longer than I expected and I didn't get to Sam's til ten past nine. Sam seemed perky, Sarah less so but at least acting pleasantly following yesterday's hoo-haa.
We went straight into town to pick up a digital thermometer from Boots, and popped into Poundland (I am such a cheapskate) to nab a new car for the little one. Next it was to Costa Coffee, at Sam's insistance, for juice, coffee and cakes (and a fuss from Sam's mate Ali). We eventually got home and Sam was happy as we pottered around, playing here and there, stopping now and then to watch 5 minutes TV, a really chilled morning which was just what the doctor ordered! Sam had ham sandwiches for dinner, always a winner in his book. His temperature was OK all morning, rising very slowly but still acceptable.
Afternoon
The afternoon started in similar style to this morning, playing here there and everywhere. We decided to make a trip to the library to grab a new book for bedtime, and Sam chose to pedal there on his bike. Got there, locked up the bike (someone stole MY bike despite it being locked up a few months ago, and now Sam is mad on bike security!), chose two books, only to have Sam's library card declined! Seems there are still three books outstanding on it from when we all still lived together - this was news to me so Sarah must have been busy at some point. Ho hum. Sam took it all in his stride, and we set off home, via the park. A lovely three-quarters of an hour was spent on climbing frames, swings and Nellie the Alien Elephant, and then Sam wanted to come home.
Home again, home again, jiggity jig! And in the tower of Sam's castle, a baddie with a large sword has crept up behind Sir Hammerlot! Sam is developing a great sense of humour and sense of fun, and he glanced at me before grabbing Hammerlot, screaming, and making the poor knight "run away" terrified, to hide in his bedroom. He later sneaked back into the castle so that his knight-friends couldn't take the mickey out of him.
Floating Dog - Window Sill - Much Hilarity
While we were waiting for The Simpsons to start, Richard & Judy were showing Youtube clips, which Sam thought were hilarious. In particular a clip that we saw on Saturday's You've Been Framed, featuring two blokes flying a light aircraft. They obviously make the aircraft dive steeply, so that they become weightless, and then behind them you see their pet dog slowly float to the ceiling, and then forwards between their heads. Sam nearly threw up laughing so hard.
Shortly after THAT Sam spotted another of the baddies inside the castle, no doubt trying to catch Rita The Rat Princess and eat her for tea (they haven't managed it yet, she lives like Anne Frank, hiding in the attic in the tower). He grabbed a knight to deal with the bad guy, and accidentally dislodged one of the castle's window sills - which fell unerringly onto the baddie, direct hit, out for the count. Me, doing the voice-over for the baddie, "shouted" (in a kind of Monty Python's Holy Grail way) "Oi, stop chucking window sills at me!" Now, this should really have been too surreal to even register with Sam, but he absolutely peed his pants (not literally) laughing, and then proceeded to use BOTH window sills to batter the poor invader into a metaphorical pulp, all the while saying "That was fuuuuuuuny!" and sniggering. I can't help but be proud....by the way, the photo attached to this blog entry is THE now-infamous window sill, re-attached by Daddy to the window.
At some point in all this we also made JJ from Bob The Builder his own builder's yard, as he wanted to keep Trix and Skip at his own place instead of Bob's. If you understand that then you want too much CBeebies!
Sam scoffed a decent size tea of spaghetti on toast, followed by a yoghurt - not that healthy but I'm happy to see him eating anything right now.
Bathtime & Bedtime
At bathtime Sam wanted to shoot the Matey bottles again, which was great fun and this time I didn't get soaked. He also slipped flat on his bottom at one point, laughed, and immediately tipped a bottle of water over his head. Not bad for a kid who not so long ago hated getting his hair wet!
We had a ten minute cuddle on the settee then it was time for bed. We read The Gruffalo tonight, it's a great book. If you've never heard of it, give it a whirl, your little ones will love it. We said a prayer (I only know one, and I don't know all of that, being non-religious), talked about the days highlights, then lights out for the night.
Sam's now been asleep for a few hours, but he's coughing now and then. His temp is spot on normal, so I hope he gets a really good night's sleep, he's overdue one. Having him overnight mid-week is great, even though it's mainly because he's being taken away for the weekend and I won't see him at all!
Right. I think that's enough here for one evening. Sleep well Sam, Daddy loves you xx To report this post follow the permalink aboveUneasy, nervous, but why?
Source: Eddie2sox Woke up early again, feeling tired and fed-up Well, why am I feeling like this? What's happened to leave me feeling edgy and unsure of myself?
Can't remember any bad dreams (or good ones) last night, so what's the score?
I did have a serious sounding message from my Samaritans boss left on my phone, so maybe I have some subconcious anxiety about that. Going to call him back this morning after I pick Sam up. There was all the stuff with Sarah's emails and Sam's illness.
Picking Sam up at 9 this morning, which I can't wait for..... To report this post follow the permalink aboveSam's ill, and his mummy is stressed!
Source: Eddie2sox Well, Sam is running a temperature and his mummy seems to be really stressing about it - hence the following email conversation after I innocently pointed out that her outgoing emails seem to have the wrong time on them! Email Conversation
I put Sam to bed at 7pm, he was asleep by 5 past, even though he had slept for 2.5 hours this afternoon. At 8.30pm he woke up crying loudly for me, I brought him down stairs as I could feel he had a raging temperature. When I took his temperature it was 40 degrees C (104F) which is the highest he has ever had. 5ml paracetamol took it down to 39.3C but 15 minutes later it was back up at 39.5C so I phoned the out of hours doctor who said he may have an infection, bring him straight up to the QE. We were seen inside 5 minutes and the report is that he ahs some kind of viral infection, he's not hugely contagious, he needs 10ml paracetamol every 4 hours to keep his temperature down and to keep a close eye on him as if his temperature starts to rise sharply it can lead to febrile convulsions. Right now (2206) he's in bed asleep, coughing every now and again, but basically fine. In the car he was much cooler and was chatting away to both of us about a new joke you have told him about dragons and cows? I'll let you know in the morning how he is, and I'll text you so you know I've emailed you. --------------------------------------------- Thanks for letting me know. The time seems weird though, you say it was 2206 but your email is timed at 6 minutes past two? Love Sam, hope he's OK tonight. ---------------------------------------------- Well clearly I lied then. I made the whole thing up. We didn't go to the doctors at all. Actually, I have no control over when you actually get my email, as they are timed at time recieved and not time sent, hence why I put the time in my email. But as you clearly doubt me I can ask the doctor for his timed report if you like. I went by the time on my system clock and my kitchen clock. I then stayed up until 11pm in case you wanted to ask me anything about it. You clearly didn't, even though I had texted to make sure you knew in case you were out. Sam was awake at 11 saying his waist hurt and his legs hurt. Rich and I and sam discussed it, and from what sam said it sounds like he has pulled something slightly in his stomach from coughing, and the rest is just usual aches nad pains from flu. I told him next time he had medicine I would give him calprofen as that would help with the achy bits. He was awake at midnight and was cuddled back to sleep as he couldn't have any paracetamol at that time. At 0315 he woke up aith a temperature of 39.7 and had 10ml of calprofen. He has just woken up and is sat on the sofa watching George Shrinks. He's a bit snotty but not as hot as last night, so I'm holding off on the paracetamol until absolutely necessary. I don't know if we're going over to Carolines and I don't know if he's going over to yours tomorrow. It depends how he is. I'll let you know how he gets on. ----------------------------------- Thanks for the updates. Poor little chap. I never suggested you were lying or attempting to mislead me, but the "sent" time of your email is 8 hours different from the time you send it. I think you're stressed about Sam being poorly so I'll let it go. ---------------------------------------- sent at 0903 according to my system clock.
We're not going over to see the twins today, but grandma might pop over later (grandad is in romania!) so we'll go up to town for 30 minutes if she does so he gets some fresh air and we get some food. I apologise if I sounded shirty earlier, but your doubting what I was saying really irritaited me. I do my best to keep you informed of everything, as it happens, and so to get an email like that was just insulting. ---------------------------------------- You may want to check "Mail ", then "Options" then "Calendar", then "General Preferences", and "Time Zone", as it seems you may be 8 hours adrift of GMT. --------------------------------------------------------------- I am fine about him being poorly. I have the situation as under control as I can do and we are slowly getting his temperature down. The 'recieved' time of my email may be 0206 when I sent it at 2206 (which I make a difference of 4 hours, as opposed to 8, but what would I know, I'm hardly a MENSA candidate am I?, Lol!) but the time that you get it is the recieved time. I shall wait for your apology for both being wrong and being arrogant. ------------------------------------------------- This is what it says! “Date: Sun, 11 Feb 2007 14:08:20 -0800 (PST) From: "Sarah" <@yahoo.com> View Contact Details Subject: SAM POORLY”
--------------------------------------------- Please check the time at the top of this fwd'd mail. There is no problem with my clock. I started the email at 0903 then finished it 4 minutes later. ----------------------------------------- Sarah, just set your timezone to GMT and you'll be fine! Glad Sam is cooling down slowly, let me know if I can still pick him up tomorrow. ------------------------------------------------------ Well then one of us is up the spout somewhere and I shall get Rich to look into it when he gets home. Right now, to be honest, I have more important things to do. I'm glad you clearly noticed that the time on my clock for the sent message was right though and that you apologised for saying I was wrong so vehemently.... His current temp is 38.4 and has been for an hour. We're getting there.
Conclusion?
Sounds like Sarah is really stressing today. She's really IT savvy, but says that emails are timed when received, but it's actually when they're sent. She also says the time difference is 4 hours - from 2200 to 0200 yes, but in this case it's from 1400 to 2200.
I hope she manages to cool down and relax a bit. She's a good mum and Sam is in safe hands, sometimes Sarah needs to look after herself a bit better too! To report this post follow the permalink aboveStreetlights Update
Source: Eddie2sox A while ago I had a whinge about some streetlights in my local park.... You can find the original entry here: http://www.itsmymarket.com/blogs/norfolk-single-dad/small-rant-about-street-lighting-part-one/
Well I just wanted to report that last Friday night ALL the lights along that stretch of the path were fully functional. Praise where praise is due, and a big WELL DONE to King's Lynn Council (and the delightful Sarah, who logged my call).
Norfolk Single Dad - crusading to make Norfolk a better place! To report this post follow the permalink aboveSpicy Pork & Aubergine
Source: Eddie2sox Pork fillet is low in fat and cooks quickly. Here I used it in a curry. Although this is a mild curry, you could increase or decrease the amount of curry powder according to your own taste.
Ingredients
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, sliced
1 small aubergine (about 250g), ends removed and diced
500g lean pork fillet
2 sweet red peppers, seeded and cut into chunky strips
2-3 tbsp mild curry powder
400g can plum tomatoes
Rice to serve
Method
1. Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Tip in the onions and aubergine and fry for 8 minutes, stirring frequently, until soft and golden brown.
2. Tip in the pork and fry for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it starts to brown. Mix in the pepper strips and stir fry for about 3 minutes until soft.
3. Sprinkle in the curry powder. Stir fry for a minute, then pour in the tomatoes and 150ml water. Stir, cover the pan and leave the curry to simmer for 5 minutes until the tomatoes break down to form a thick sauce (add more water if the mixture is too think for you). Season and serve with rice.
Takes 35 minutes; serves 4.
Per serving: 293 kcal; 31g protein; 16g carbohydrate; 11g fat; 2g saturated fat; 6g fibre; 0 added sugar; 0.4g salt.
This proved to be really tasty, and I'm looking forward to the next time I eat it - three spare protions are now safely in the freezer. As always, the photo is my own attempt at the recipe. To report this post follow the permalink aboveSunday morning blues
Source: Eddie2sox Sunday morning is almost always rubbish, because Sam has to be back at his mummy's quite early.... In fact, before half past eight, so they can go to church. This week is no exception, Sam has left and it's drizzling outside, who could ask for more?
Sunday Morning
Sunday mornings usually follow a similar pattern, Sam comes into Daddy's bed about half past five, we get up together when the alarm goes off at six (Sam leaps like a salmon out of bed, I sort of flop over the edge). We aim to be leaving by 8.20 at the latest, so in theory we have nearly two and a half hours for fun, games and breakfast. I don't know how it works, but like I said before, this time flies by in a flash. So....today....Sam appeared at 5:27. We jumped up at 6. Played banger racing, looked at a "Horrible Science" DVD, had some breakfast, woke up all the knights in his castle, did some drawing and painting, then it was time to depart.
Sam is quite often upset to be going back, and today more so than usual. Maybe it's because I only collected him late on yesterday (see below) and not in the morning, and he felt a bit cheated of Daddy time? Who knows. Me and his mum agreed to make a big thing of the times he gets dropped back there, but Sarah often forgets, and she's not been well for a few weeks, so Sam is greeted with a somewhat miserable mummy, which doesn't help. There are only so many ways I can make church sound appealling.
Driving home after dropping Sam off is bloody awful to be honest. There's his car-seat on the seat next to me, empty. His toys are still where we left them when we've been playing. Paints and pens all over the table. Completely depressing.
Saturday
Yesterday was a strange day, what with the nightmare about being shot dead! The negative feelings from this stayed with me until after the MENSA test (which I believe I pretty much messed up, I was just NOT in the mood). Then I got a bus into Norwich town centre to collect Sam, and the day got better, quickly! On the drive home we played The View's album, and Sam kept asking me to re-play "Same Jeans", my toddler ROCKS! We didn't have much time when we got back, but made the best of it and had a lot of fun before his tea was ready - coinciding with the start of You've Been Framed, one of Sam's favourite TV shows. Sam scoffed loads of his bolognaise and all his garlic bread. Little does he know it's not shop bought sauce but Annabel Karmel's "Hidden Vegetable Sauce", containing 100% healthy ingredients. We enjoyed a good bathtime too - and it turned out to be an especially wet one for me! We decided to take Sam's electric water blaster in, which went down very well. The best fun part was stacking up some empty Matey bottles for Sam to shoot at and knock over - I got a bit clever and decided Sam should get some of his own back with a bit of a splashing. So I filled up all the tops of the old bottles, so that when they fell over the water would fly all over Sam. Great theory. In practice, Sam shot the pile up, and - in slow motion - it started falling directly towards ME! Sure enough my plan for the hidden water to fly everywhere worked a treat, and all of a sudden I was almost as wet as Sam was. Sam was gasping for breath laughing, before administering a VERY half-hearted "rollocking" to the naughty Matey men. "Hey You! HAHAHA Don't HAHAHA splash HAHAHAHAHA my daddy!". Thanks for the thought son, now where's me towel? The photo on this blog entry is of the guilty parties....no doubt waiting for their next adult victim.
Bedtime went very nicely and Sam was asleep and snoring by 7.15. I love and miss him so much. To report this post follow the permalink aboveFeeling Negative!
Source: Eddie2sox Not an ideal mood for this test today I didn't get to sleep until really late last night, and then woke up terrified after a nightmare. The dream was a long rambling one, but ended with me getting shot in the face and chest and dying! So I woke up feeling somewhat scared and anxious, and I'm having trouble shaking off those feelings. Just great! To report this post follow the permalink aboveEarly night needed....
Source: Eddie2sox Tomorrow I am taking a MENSA IQ test On Saturday I am sitting a MENSA IQ test. I just think that being a member of MENSA is an interesting item on your CV. I took a MENSA test around/about 1994 with my first wife, because she insisted she was cleverer.....she had 9 GCSE's, I only have 8 O levels.....
Can't remember her score but I got either 158 or 165, and whupped her ass! She "only" got 130-ish. Yup, she was super-clever, but nowhere near me! Wish I'd joined MENSA there and then, wouldn't have to re-sit the test.
After the test I'm getting a bus into Norwich to pick up Sam from his mum for his overnight sleepover, and I can't wait. If you ever get fed-up with having to look after your kid(s) all the time, think about how you'd feel if you couldn't.....it's crap! To report this post follow the permalink aboveCrap joke of the week!
Source: Eddie2sox What's orange and sounds exactly like a parrot? A carrot.
I'm here all week you know.... To report this post follow the permalink aboveThursday has been a good day!
Source: Eddie2sox Who'd have thought that a bland day like Thursday could turn out to be good fun? Got up early, listened to KLFM breakfast show for a while......then switched to Radio 1 and Moylesey.....they're both good, but in different ways.
Eventually time to head out the door......on the way into town I "accidentally" met Scottish and we decided to have a quick pint in the Woolpack......well.....The Woolie was a lot quieter today than last night! Vonny was behind the bar, other folk included Scottish, Carina, Digit, Kelly (aka Niecey), DJ Jay, Suzie Dog.
Same Size AnimalsDebate - if ALL living creatures were the same size, which would win a fight? Conclusion - no decision, except than "man" would lose to EVERY opponent in Round One (even koala bear).
Rattlesnake v polar bear.......we think the snake would win if it could get a strike in, otherwise the polar bear would pick up the snake by the rattle and whack it on the ground like the scum that it is! Undecided as to the outcome.......
Ant v Lion. Nobody could decide who would win this one. Eventually went for lion. Ants, termites, locusts like to hunt in great numbers. One on one we think they would be a LOT less gobby! Oi! Ant! Shut it!
And then someone suggested - what if the matches were played on a home and away basis......killer whale v hamster......obviously on home ground (i.e. the sea) killer whale will have a substantial advantage, plus the whalesong support of the humpbacks and blues (the sperms fell out over a dispute about sprat rights around Orkney). But back on terra firma hamster only has to avoid flapping flippers for a day or two, and will come out victorious. And so to penalties. IF the second leg is inland, the ocean-division have no chance, as they will be dead already, thus a walkover. At sea it's a lottery, but you'd have to back the aquatic shooter purely due to home advantage. Any creature from England, whatever the venue, WILL lose on penalties.
And so to the subject of inter-species card games. We were all a bit mentally fogged by now. But the first example - rattlesnake v meerkat - provides fuel for further debate.
"You've got no hands.!
"OK....Look Mum, No Hands!" Reptiles and cardgames don't mix.
The Big QuestionIF you eat yourself, completely, nothing left, would you weigh twice as much or nothing at all?
How big is King's Lynn?
KL is pretty small, but thinks of itself as pretty big. Speaking to a couple of Scottish mates, KL is as big as a district of Livingston, Scotland. It apparently seems funny to these chaps that KL is seeking "city" status, when it's so small.....what do you think? In Scotland there are now only three types of people - those from Edinburgh, those from Glasgow, and the rest, called "teuchters"! If you're not from a city you're a retard......pretty much how Lynn people see Wisbech.
Quiz Night
Last thing, haul your ass to The Woolpack on February 25 for the quiz, definitely the best quiz in Norfolk! Kick off at 8 pm.
To report this post follow the permalink above Real Names!
Source: Eddie2sox Well, I have tried to be anonymous. But it's impossible. I can't keep changing names! I noticed today a couple of times when I've referred to me or my son by our real names, and changed them.....so......
I'm not Lee, my name is Simon.
Liam isn't Liam, he's Sam. To report this post follow the permalink aboveJeremy Kyle Bingo!
Source: Eddie2sox Does anyone else watch the car-crash TV show aka The Jeremy Kyle Show? Let's face it, it's rubbish! Yet strangely compelling viewing. And they know their target audience, all the adverts are for debt-removal companies, weight-watching groups, personal injury lawyers etc!
You can however have fun at Jeremy's expense, by playing JK Bingo. Randomly pick half a dozen phrases from the list below, and tick them off as he says them (most of them WILL get an airing every day!). Last one to tick off all their list gets the kettle on....and so, the phrases:
"Somebody think about the children!" "There are children involved here" "Let's NAIL this" "Two sides to every story" "FACT!" "True or false?" "Yes or no?" "This is important; look at me" "Let's draw a line in the sand" "Everybody gets their say" "I'm being [totally/completely] honest with you" "Be honest" "Let's cut to the chase" "Great respect to you" / "Total respect to you" / "No disrespect to you" "Its no good saying/lets stop all this/He said She said" "Let's move forward" "I actually believe you can do it" "We have to do this" "I feel sorry for the unborn child" "We can start today" ".... on national television" "Let's bring in the other parts of the equation" "You're a disgrace, madam!" "Fair play to you, mate" "Fair play" "Will you do it - just for me?" "The child is the innocent in all of this" "The man who takes somebody else's child on deserves the most enormous amount of respect, don't you think, ladies and gentlemen?" "Am I right, ladies and gentlemen?" "Go out, get a job, and work like the rest of us have to!" "Me and every other taxpayer..." "It's time to wake up and smell the coffee" "I know about drugs... my brother was a heroin addict" "This is an issue very close to my heart." "I won't go into details..." "I'm 40, I'm getting on a bit." "Disgraceful!" "My sister-in-law was a prima ballerina and weighed 4 and a half stone" "I used to drive through the night to see my kids..." "A brave lady" "Do it now..." CON-TRA-CEP-TION (in aloud and obtuse voice, signalling with his hand as if the word Contraception was in large illuminated writing) "The Voice of reason...." To report this post follow the permalink aboveSpringtime lamb stew
Source: Eddie2sox This is a nice meal for this time of year, real comfort food! The bold type sections are additions by me to the original recipe Ingredients1 tbsp olive oil 12 shallots, peeled 350g trimmed, diced lamb 350g new potatoes, scrubbed and cut into chunks 12 baby carrots, trimmed and peeled 150ml white wine 250ml vegetable stock 3 bay leaves 200g tin chopped tomatoes 100g frozen peas Method1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the shallots and lamb. Fry over a medium heat until they are starting to brown, about 8 - 10 minutes. 2. Add the potatoes, carrots, white wine, stock, bay leaves and tomatoes to the pan. Season and bring to the boil. Cover the pan and leave the stew to simmer gently over a medium heat for 25-30 minutes (after 30 minutes my potatoes weren't cooked, it took 90 minutes! Must have had them on too low a temperature. Best judge this part for yourselves!), until the vegetables and lamb are tender. 3. Stir in the peas and cook for another 2-3 minutes until cooked. Takes 1 hour 10 minutes (depending on your spuds!), serves 4. Per serving: 291 kcal; 23g protein; 21g carbohydrate; 11g fat; 4g saturated fat; 6g fibre; 0 added sugar; 0.58g salt. To report this post follow the permalink above Never did get that pint the other night!
Source: Eddie2sox Can't remember why, but I didn't go for a beer.....memory loss at my age..... Today's been pretty good! I think I had about 6 1/2 hours sleep last night, with the obligatory 15 minutes awake halfway through, but that's not bad.
I was in to see my counsellor this morning - it's a hangover from my split-up, and something I'll be finishing next month. That was OK......but the good thing was getting into town. I had previously spotted a shop selling small sled-like things, so I went to get one. After all, the forecast is for snow and ice for a few days. I duly got hold of a "Kid Skid" which is basically a red plastic disk with a handle on each side to cling onto. Looks like you launch yourself off the top of the slope and hold on, whilst hoping you're not going to die. When Liam saw it he was VERY excited, we tried to see if we both fit on at the same time and we do! So.....here's hoping there IS some snow and ice and that it lasts until Saturday, when I see Liam again. Also in town I popped into Costa Coffee to peruse the paper and do some people-watching, then to Sainsburys to pick up some ingredients for today's cooking.....
And so home. Immediately zoomed off to Tesco to get the rest of the bits and pieces I need, then into the kitchen to get cooking! Liam's meal was fish goujons, and it turned out brilliantly! Very tasty indeed. My tea - springtime lamb stew.
It's 2.35, and time for Diagnosis Murder! It's a crap programme but I love watching it because it just goes in one ear and out the other, you don't have to think about it and you can laugh at all the ridiculously cheesy bits.
After this it's time to pick up Liam from nursery. Got there, Liam stood up to come to me, and at that exact moment had an "accident" and his trousers and pants got soaked - so did his shoes. Poor little chap was inconsolable and crying his eyes out, so I just picked him up and told him it didn't matter, accidents happen. We sat down on the floor and had a cuddle, during which I started to get a bit damp too, but that didn't matter. We changed his clothes, and socks, and I got Liam smiling again with the age old trick of putting his clothes back onto the wrong place - socks on his hands, pants on head etc. He was pretty upset that I'd taken The View's CD out of the car as he wanted to listen to Same Jeans on the way home! He really has a good appreciation of lots of music, from nursery rhymes up to The View, The Kooks, Arctic Monkeys etc! When we listen to Same Jeans he joins in, as do I, and he especially loves the line "Get your feet back on the ground"....where the singer pronounces "ground" as "gra-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-ound", which he copies - makes me laugh me head off every time. At the end of that song the band play the chorus twice more but at twice the speed, during which Liam laughs like a madman, kicks his legs around, shakes his head and wobbles his arms. He is such a star!
Got home and we played with various toys, watched "Raven" (let the challenge........begin!). Then it were time for tea.....and he didn't like the goujons! Have to say I was a bit miffed, as he said "mummy's fish fingers taste nice, they come out of a box in the freezer". Hmmmmm. He could tell I was a little upset he didn't like them I think, and came for a cuddle, and we had a really cool chat about food that is good for you, food that isn't so good for you, etc. We then did Liam's bathtime and had the usual great fun, and then it was time for The Simpsons.
We love watching The Simpsons together. Liam laughs at Bart being rude and people falling over, I laugh at Liam laughing. The downside is that, as soon as the show ends it is time to take him back to mummy's house.........
And so, back here again. Cooking a lamb stew which "should" take 30 minutes, but it's more like 90 now and still not cooked through. I'm going to turn the cooker off and head off down The Woolpack to watch the second half of the football.
And that's my day. To report this post follow the permalink aboveTomato and olive spaghetti
Source: Eddie2sox This turned out to be delicious and - apart from the anchovies - veggie friendly. Best thing is I made enough to save two servings in the freezer! Ingredients: 350g spaghetti 1 tbsp olive oil 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped anchovy fillets 400g can plum tomatoes 100g pitted black olives, roughly chopped 3 tbsp capers, roughly chopped 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Method: 1. Stir the spaghetti into a large pan of boiling water and cook for 12-15 minutes, until just tender. 2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a pan and cook the garlic and anchovies for 2 minutes. Tip in the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes, breaking them lightly with a wooden spoon. Stir in the olives and capers and cook for a further 5 minutes. Season to taste and stir in the parsley. 3. Drain the pasta well and return to the pan. Stir in the sauce, divide between warmed bowls and serve. Takes 15 minutes; serves 4. Per serving: 377kcal; 13g protein; 68g carbohydrate; 8g fat; 1g saturated fat; 4g fibre; 0 added sugar; 1.98g salt. Yes, the picture is my own attempt this very evening, and it was FANTASTIC! To report this post follow the permalink aboveCreate your own euphemism!
Source: Eddie2sox If you've got a smutty mind I think you'll find this website entertaining for at least....ooohh....30 seconds.... http://walkingdead.net/perl/euphemism
Oooooh Matron! To report this post follow the permalink aboveAnother new arrival!
Source: Eddie2sox Today my oldest niece had a baby boy, which means I am a Great-Uncle again.... Sounds OK, but my image of a "great-uncle" is of a wrinkly, grey-haired, bespectacled old codger who spends his days in a huge leather armchair in his study, reading books about stamp collecting, eating Werther's Originals. That is NOT me! The new arrival makes it a total of (we think, but are currently re-checking the numbers) SEVENTEEN great-nephews and great-nieces. It's so unfair, I'm not even 40 yet! My mum and dad have 6 children, between us we have produced 13 more, and those 13 have so far clocked up another 17 - we're taking over the world.... To add to the general confusion in my family, my own little boy is in the same age bracket as most of the great-nephews and nieces, which will be quite strange as they grow up and start having their own kids. As an aside, what relation is my son to my great-nephews and great-nieces? Anyone got a definitive answer? Better pop into Clinton cards to find something suitable to send! To report this post follow the permalink aboveWe're walking in the air!
Source: Eddie2sox When it snows I can't help but think of the cartoon called The Snowman, which is a shame because I hate it....kill The Snowman! I mean, what does this mean: "We're walking in the air, we're walking in the ai-ai-air, the ground is up above, the ground is down below..." Rubbish! So it's a Tuesday and it's snowing just a little bit. Looks really nice so I'll go out for a stroll later, no doubt ending up in Costa Coffee for a spot of people watching and a bucketful of latte. So far today I have made my monthly photo order (see below), took part in Radio 1's pub quiz and received a great picture of Liam this morning wearing full waterproofs with an umbrella, on his way to nursery. I'll be picking him up at 3.30 this afternoon which I am really looking forward to. So, the monthly photo order.....every month I select a few photos taken in the previous few weeks, and get them printed out by a company called Snapfish (you can find them on the internet, and I highly recommend them, excellent prints, cheap prices, super-quick delivery). I print three sets of the pictures, one set goes to each set of grandparents and the third set into my own album. I started doing this when me and Libby split up and I wanted HER parents to still see what me and Liam have been up to. Therefore I sent them, and my parents, a photo album each, which they have been filling up month by month. They all seem to like it! Right, better get going. Housework doesn't do itself does it! To report this post follow the permalink aboveMy toothbrush is haunted
Source: Eddie2sox Either that or it's possessed by malevolent dental-equipment dwelling demons I am the proud owner of an electric toothbrush, as recommended to me by the RAF hygienist. Unfortunately MY toothbrush doesn't seem to be just an inanimate tool to ensure oral hygiene - it picks on me. Sometimes it switches itself on for no reason - usually in the middle of the night, thus scaring me witless. Sometimes it won't switch on at all, which means I have to use it like a regular brush, which is just annoying. Worst of all, sometimes it refuses to switch on, and then, when I take it out of my mouth, it DOES turn itself on, spraying toothpaste all over the place. This sounds pretty funny huh, but believe me I was NOT impressed when it happened minutes before an interview last year - I had to go to meet a potential employer wearing a dark suit with a million tiny white spots all over it. Anyone know of a good vicar, at reasonable prices, who exorcises personal care products? To report this post follow the permalink aboveJob Centre.....
Source: Eddie2sox My temp job ended a few weeks ago, so I need to find some other source of income until the nursing training starts.... So to the Job Centre. I had to fill in forms. I am now "on the system". Ho hum. Because I was so long in town I couldn't speak to someone who really needs to talk right now, which pissed me off greatly. So back home now, feeling a million times better! Tomorrow I pick my little boy up from nursery, and I can't wait, I am missing him so much at the moment. Hoping to speak to him on the phone tonight, but no answer from his mum yet as to when I can call. I'll phone her house soon anyway, just in case the text didn't get through. You know, when you can't be with your son all the time, it's bloody heart-breaking. I love him so much and he loves me too - I know because he sometimes tells me, completely out of the blue. All I can do is be as good a daddy as possible, which means we have a great time when we're together, but also means pussy-footing round his mummy so she doesn't get mad and let that affect him. That's OK. Tonight I am thinking about popping out for a pint! One of my favourite pastimes, which has been impossible for a few days. To report this post follow the permalink above.
Source: Eddie2sox . . To report this post follow the permalink aboveSmall rant about street lighting. Part Two.
Source: Eddie2sox 50 yards further on.... This photo is taken from a point just past that second lamp post. The path isn't well-lit any more, and the shadows on each side look pretty threatening don't they? Along this stretch of pathway there are six lamp posts, but only three of them were working. I'm no politician or policeman, but surely an easy step to increasing Joe Public's confidence in walking in this park is to replace broken bulbs?
Postscript: I phoned the council today to report this, and the call was logged by a delightfully pleasant sounding lady called Sarah (real name). To report this post follow the permalink aboveSmall rant about street lighting! Part One.
Source: Eddie2sox I live near a park which has a bad reputation for muggings at night time. This entry and the next may show you why.... Last night I was feeling MUCH perkier than I had for a few days, and I decided to take a wander in the fog to get some fresh air. On the way home I had to pass through the local park, which has a poor reputation for safety. Now, this doesn't bother me much as I'm 30-odd years old, and don't look like an easy target. However, if I was a single female or an old person, I'd think twice about making this part of my route. The picture on this entry shows one of the main pathways, and it doesn't look too bad does it? Bear in mind that there is a large, brightly lit railway car park just to the left of this picture, and, despite the next lamp-post not working, the one after that is shining bright. So far so good..... To report this post follow the permalink aboveLemon-fried Mackerel
Source: Eddie2sox I really enjoy cooking, and am getting into healthier food. This recipe is really simple, and tastes great! The ingredients are to feed 4 people, just divide them relevant to the number of people you're cooking for! Ingredients: 2 lemons 4 X 300g small mackerel OR 4 X 150g fish fillets 1 tbsp vegetable oil 3 tbsp soy sauce 1 tsp sugar Rice or noodles to serve Takes 25 minutes, serves 4
Method: 1. Thinly slice one of the lemons. Season the fish then place the lemon slices down the length of each. Tie in place with string. 2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and cook the fish, lemon side down, for 3-4 minutes until well browned. Turn and cook the other side for 3 minutes. 3. Add the soy sauce, four tablespoons of water, and the sugar to the pan. Squeeze in the juice of the remaining lemon and simmer for 2-3 minutes until the fish is cooked through. Serve on rice or noodles, and spoon over the pan juices. Per serving: 163 kcal; 28g protein; 4g carbohydrate; 4g fat; 1g saturated fat; 0 fibre; 1.5g added sugar; 2.2g salt.
p.s. the photo is my own version of this recipe, looks good eh? To report this post follow the permalink abovePoorly Saturday
Source: Eddie2sox An unusual, but still fun, Saturday For a start, let me say that I will be changing names to protect the innocent (and the guilty) throughout this online diary. For the purposes of "Norfolk Single Dad", my name is "Lee", my son is "Liam" and my ex-wife is "Libby". Any other names you read will "probably" be made up, where they are real I'll have a specific reason and let you know! Anyway - Poorly Saturday. Saturday is Daddy & Liam day, I pick him up early in the morning and he stays overnight before returning to his mum's in time for church on Sunday. It is, of course, the best day of the week! This week however was a bit different, I have been coughing and puking for 36 hours, and wasn't sure if it would be a good idea to look after Liam in that condition (mind you, it was HIM who gave me the germs in the first place - we've been trying to encourage him to share but some things are best kept to yourself son). Picked him up as normal and Libby gave me some cough sweets - she's been unable to speak for a few days after losing her voice with, presumably, the same bug. The plan was to stay in, at least until my special delivery had been made. Fortunately the courier turned up at 10, so we weren't actually tied to staying indoors at all. It didn't really matter, because I was feeling absolutely washed out and pretty wobbly, so I discounted going out at all. That suited Liam, he loves staying in and playing especially when the weather's freezing like yesterday. We made ham sandwiches for dinner, one of Liam's favourite foods, and as he tucked in I ate one then dashed for the toilet....guess eating is a no-no at the moment! We actually had a great day, playing "knights and baddies" with his castle, racing on his car track, football and bowls in the hallway, and a few games on the Cbeebies website. However, it was obvious I was not getting any better after another dash to throw up, so I asked his mummy if he could come back to her house instead of sleeping over. Now, me and Libby are generally on good terms. Out of every, say, eight weeks, we get on great for seven of them, and then spend a week being really nasty to each other - sounds bad but it is actually beneficial for Liam as we get all our negative feelings over in a short space of time and the little lad isn't affected so much. Yesterday she said it would be OK for him to go back, so I cooked his tea, chucked him in the bath, then we watched You've Been Framed together (one of his most loved programmes) before heading off to the car. I was disappointed in myself, but it was the right thing to do. It proves again that me and Libby were a crap couple but are great parents - last time we had to alter arrangements at short notice was when Liam had to stay away from nursery for a few days, and we managed to look after him between us really well. Finally - what was the special delivery? It was a ticket to see The Guillemots at UEA on Sunday night, but I won't be going now because I still feel 100% dog-pooh! If you want it (for free) and can collect it, let me know! To report this post follow the permalink aboveHello, good evening, and welcome
Source: Eddie2sox Some background info about me and my life I'm a 30-something single dad, currently living in West Norfolk. I'm divorced, but still on pretty good terms with the ex-wife, mainly for the sake of my fantastic 3 year old son. I spent 21 years in the RAF before redundancy in April 2006, since then been paying the bills by temping here and there. The long-term plan is to start training as a mental health nurse in September this year, which will take 3 years to complete. Interests include music (see list), writing pub quizzes, working for Samaritans (but currently having a short break), walking in the countryside, and watching football down the pub! The list of music would, of course, be far too long if it was a complete description of my tastes, so to give you an idea: Currently listening to: The View, The Fratellis, The Voltz, Arctic Monkeys, The Killers, The Kooks. Oldies but goodies: Oasis, The Jam, The Streets, The Housemartins, Blondie, The Charlatans. I think that's a pretty brief description of the author......without any doubt you'll find out a lot more as time goes by. To report this post follow the permalink above |
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