I have spent a hot weekend with Betty.....

Boring until just now. Tell us more, oh Ellpus!

What.....about the house hunting, or about my frazzled danglies?

Oh, the house hunting, silly!

Well, we are moving to an area about 100 miles from our present home, so every search involves about 90 minutes each way on the motorway.
Consequently, we try to pack as many appointments in as posible, which is all very good in theory.
In practise, each house we see takes longer than expected, so by about midday, we are running just to keep up. Personally, I can look at a house and its location from the outside, and 90% make my mind up. If I think "no", then spending time inside is a total waste, IMO.
But my better half seems to LOVE looking at peoples decor...kitchens etc, and this is what causes us to end up disappearing up our own rectums by the end of the day.
Another search is scheduled for next weekend. So, if I appear "tetchy" over the next month or so, YOU'LL BLOODY WELL KNOW WHY....OK?

All right, she says soothingly, I understand. I expect to be doing that in Albuquerque later this summer. I was shown five houses just before I left the last time I visited....

Given my price range, I got to see some real dumps, plus one or two possibles, which helped to reassure me re my sanity. By the time I do seriously househunt there, the temperature should be up in the low 90's for most of the day. I trust this will quicken my decision making.

Lots of deep breathing, methinks.

So, in an affort to cheer me up, I want to hear about how wonderful everyone's weekend has been.

There is to be NO discussion about interior decor, curtains or fitted cupboards.

Topics can include drunken binges, rock concerts, unbridled sex, good meals, chocolate and unbridled sex.

Did I mention weekend naughties? Well, if I didnt, that could be included as well.

And food. You can see I'm after some comfort here.

Signed Desperate of Droitwich.

I am shocked, and deeply dismayed, that a Lord of your stature has to do his own house hunting. Surely, you could find some real estate type peasants to do this for you? :wink:

I didn't know that times had gotten that bad over there....

I went to a rock show on Friday and a concert last night, had a beer or 100, and am going to jam again tonight.

I went out wednesday, friday and saturday nights and will be going out again tonight. What a week!

I am just about to check some cookbooks for recipes for, get this and see what you can make of it, rump roast..., which I just purchased from my local co-op at great expense. It is a product of the Humboldt Grassfed Beef Company, which I support, mostly. Not the co-op, the beef.

I'll be back to tantalize you, lord.

I can report my end-of-spring cold is finally breaking up.

<scratching head>

How can he move Droitwich Manor?

<scratching head again>

How many flatbed trailers would it take?

Will the turrets fit under the bridges?

....and in these hard times, will he personally have to be driving these trucks?

Some of us will volunteer to help him drive, no?





Gave up on internet recipes, they are full of flakes and bits and mushroom soup. And my books are pretty much packed. Thus, I'm winging it.


So, seared surface of roast for not very long in olive oil. Put said roast into fairly tight pot, a small Le Creuset thing, m'very best pot. Added 1/2 cup of aging Poliziano red wine, about 3/8 cup of pure not holy olive oil, a hand grab of sliced garlic, some fresh oregano, but I hope not too much, some fresh basil leaves, fairly spare, more later, and, oops, I forgot the red chili pepper. Oh, and some sliced red onions, not saute'd first, hmmmm, filled the pan near to top with water, covered it with the heavy lid that comes with the pot, and set the babe in something like a 280 degree oven.

It's only a three pound roast, what do you think, that I'm rich? It'll probably be a small taut brick in just a bit.

Perhaps, but at least a tasty brick. How can you go wrong with red wine, garlic & herbs?!

I already killed it, I think. Took it out of the oven to check and it is bubbling away. Yaaack, too hot.

Sliced brick sandwiches on the morrow?

This was just after a successful cooking adventure, so perhaps I was too forward in my hopes...

Hard to find plain old braising recipes. At least quickly, anyway. They are generally tuned to crockpots...


It's fun to pack my cookbooks. Sort of a love affair...


I've sent about 50 to a pal so far.

Yah, I know recipes are on the internet.. but there ain't nothin' like a book, unless it is a hand scrawled recipe....

Sorry, sorry, tangent, tangent, and back to sweaty underpants.....


with of course a cool brew of some sort.

I'm an Australian cricket tragic - how do you think my weekend was???