WTF-Beta

Why did the chicken cross the playground?

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To get to the other slide.

I have been to the Czech Republic often…recently, but also once or twice before 1989. Always for concerts or music festivals. The beer is tremendous. The bread is wonderful. A bit hard to be a vegetarian there (ate a lot of “smaženy sýr” (fried cheese). But some Italian and vegan restaurants have taken hold.

One surprise is the proliferation of tea-houses. Often frequented by younger folks, perhaps it is a reaction to the dominant beer culture.

OMG, so sorry. This sounds unsustainable. I don’t know what GHB is and I’m not sure I want to. Sounds like you need to take drastic action.

We DVR all the Colbert shows, but we don’t watch every one. I did like his stinging commentary about Trump.

But all there late-night shows fall into a routine. Steve Allen had man-on-the-street. Carson had the psychic bit. Letterman did the pet tricks. etc. Colbert had the “first drafts” and Colbert Questionnaire, which was really dumb. It always got predictable. If you’re so creative, make up a new idea at least once a week.

That said, this does sound like self-censorship.

@Steve-Miller said in What’s cookin’ good lookin?:

In an effort to eliminate doom scrolling, which was harshing my mellow, I’ve been watching YouTube cooking shows and listening to cooking podcasts.

The internet will just have to get along without me.

I’ve learned a lot, and I’ve especially learned that even classically trained chefs do things differently from one another. So I ask you:

Apron or no? Towel hanging from apron?
Usually no. But I’m warming to the idea after splattering food on nice clothes.

Bench scraper? Or scrape cutting board with knife? Blade up or blade down?
I have a bench scraper somewhere but can’t find it. Essential for baking but not average cooking. I use a knife, blade up.

Garlic in with the aromatics or just for the last minute for fear of burning?
Depends.

Jarlic? Frozen garlic?
No.

Countertop trash bowl when chopping?
Since we now have mandatory composting, all food scraps go into the compost container…next to the counter, at counter level.

Mis en place?
When I need lots of ingredients, as in a stir fry.

Clean as you go or all at once?
If I need to use a lot of bowls or utensils then I will try to clean at least some as I go.

Where do you stand?
In front of the counter!

Nice!

TJ’s closed their one store in NYC that carried wine. Strange.

Wow, I had no idea. Anyway, it was always sencha or shincha for me.

Rode my bike in the park for 45 minutes. Need to get some piano practice in too. Then make dinner, a veg curry.

Yesterday I planted 4 new herb plants: 2 basil, 1 chervil, 1 winter savory. Will probably need watering tomorrow.

My wife’s from Texas and attended one of those camps as a girl (not Mystic). At the one she attended, the housing was up a hill and substantially built. Only recreational activities took place near the water.

Just FYI, PDQ Bach has a Concerto for Horn and Hardart.

@Axtremus said in Flush your toilets!:

So flushing the toilet is like practicing the piano; you just cannot go too long without doing it.

In the following famous quote, just replace “practice” with “flush.”

If I neglect to practise for one day, I notice it; if for two days, my friends notice it; and if for three, the public notice it.

You can eat both the pads and the fruit…if you get fruit. I think the fruits may be pretty small in these eastern species.

We noticed that two of the toilets in our house had somehow deteriorated. One had a low water level with scraps of black material in the bowl. The other had a leak around the base.

So we had a plumber in today. There was nothing technically wrong with the toilets, but the innards needed replacing. One was located on the third floor, which we rarely use. The other in the basement...which we never use.

The plumber explained that toilets need to be used or they deteriorate. Furthermore, this is an old house (c. 1887) and the waste lines were designed for toilets that used massive amounts of water compared to modern toilets. So the measly 2 gallons or so that our efficient 21st century toilets use aren't adequate to keep the lines working properly. We've also seen buildup in the pipes because there's not enough water pushing it through. Big pipes need volume pushing toward the sewer.

The remedy: flush the upper floor and basement toilets even if we aren't using them. If we're in those spaces occasionally, we're to flush them whether they "need" it or not. Just to keep them functioning.

I've seen those opuntias in the sandy soils of East Hampton, New York, by the beach. Flowering too. What an unexpected treat!

Somebody help me with my tarragon! It’s out of control.

It got to 102F in NYC the last couple of days. We do have an A/C for the bedroom but we put it in storage for the cold months. Drinking plenty of water. The climate control system under the piano does its thing well. I dare not go out to ride my bike till the temperature drops.

Liberal Arts FTW!

Fifty-One

Given the situation we find ourselves in
We often wonder how we got here
Those who claim that life is short
Must be either insatiable and or megalomaniacal
Or they have a skewed view of
Things which is more than understandable
Given the situation we find ourselves in

I try to wear a watch just to avoid pulling out my phone to find out the time.