Saturday, March 29, 2008

VGA Cable - Shopping - Sun then Rain

This walk at Richmond Hill is quite famous, and both Sickert and Sisley painted versions of it. But I can't find either. Perhaps they weren't very good paintings and are not anthologised but hiding in the 'stacks' of some obscure gallery.

The hotel you can see in the middle distance is the Petersham Hotel. If we became bored with the Richmond Gate (in the old days) we used to walk down the hill and have a meal there. Ted Davison used to let his dog Caesar have a run in the field.

The food wasn't as good as The Richmond Gate but there is a lovely view of the Thames.


Picture 2 is another 'go' at the Flowering Currant. Less 'less' than yesterday's but I hope conveys more, wthout falling into 'dustiness' as Bungus calls it.

A quiet day, - bright sunny start followed by storm clouds and eventual rain. A typical day in fact.

We went into Mansfield to buy a VGA cable from Maplins to attach my laptop to our new TV in its monitor role. Needless to say I can't get it to work, but Steven is coming over tomorrow. I've printed off pages from my 'online' laptop manual and now know that I need to experiment with [Fn]+[F3] and perhaps tinker with [F8] and [F9]. The problem will be solved.

Comments..... Jill....... I agree with you about unpleasant people on the TV and feel under no compulsion to watch. The most distasteful people and events on the Radio seem much more acceptable. No idea why. Sometimes we watch BBC 24 but their propensity for showing exactly the same footage, endlessly, and often within a few seconds, irritates me to the point of leaving the room. And the reporters also jar. Why is a report considered better if the journalist speaks while walking towards the camera. And I'm just not interested in the stupid views of the stupid people who make statements outside this and that. And when was it decided that judicial sentences would be 'handed down'. Judges and Magistrates sentence people, they don't hand them anything, either up or down........(OK. We've got your drift. Get on with it....Editor)

So pleased your arm satisfied the consultant and that you can drive again. You must be patient while it continues to heal and de-traumatise itself. Also pleased to hear that you enjoyed your Craft Fair and the folding plastic flower vases intrigue me. Are they plastic vases? Or vases for plastic flowers? And do they hold water? If so they sound very handy. I laughed aloud at the notion of you sitting halfway up Perry's stairs to watch the television.

Bungus...... Glad eating has eased, as a chore, - so many things yield to a toothless chew and mouth-melt eventually. But not salad which, like most northern men, I always consider a punishment for some misdeed anyway. Tomatoes are the honourable exception. I agree with your criticism of the grill against the frying pan - but it is so much better for you dear boy ! Personally I think oven bake does bacon better, and many other frying-candidates too.

I'm sure some-one will be contacting The Sports Desk on Monday morning about the issues you raise. I was very close to The Stags ground this morning when we went to Maplins.

Quotation time...... This one, from my igoogle homepage, just sounds like hot air to me - and so rude:-

"Never explain--your friends do not need it and your enemies will not believe you anyway"


2 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a beautiful Sunday morning; we should have put the clocks forward sooner. I actually feel quite chipper today. I’ve sown my tomato seeds and even put some potatoes (Pnk Fir Apple and Swift) in a special growing bag.

I have never seen such a red Flowering Currant in my life. They have all been dusty pink (does a feeling of déjà vu overcome you). It is like having the volume turned up too much.

Surely the unpleasant people on TV are frequently more entertaining than the nice ones. (Alan Sugar and Antique Mahogany David are two exceptions; I switch over from them straight away. No doubt there are others and no one will agree who they are).
You really have got a monk on (north Notts expression) and the editor is right to call a halt.

I think they must be plastic vases because why on earth would anyone make vases specially for plastic flowers (unless they could sell them, of course). But I do find it difficult to understand a need for folding vases.

Eating not so good as I hoped because of sore gums. But at least there is no pain from the tooth.
I have just finished and enjoyed my lunch of roast beef (which I had to cut very small), mashed and roasted spuds, roast veg, cauli and Yorkshire pud followed by raspberries and cream (or ice cream).
You are absolutely right about traditional salad, including tomatoes if not fresh off the bush (when did ‘vine’ become the word? I think no more than 5 years ago).
That said, some 'different' salads (raw calabrese, onion, cheese & mayo; beetroot and broad beans) are delicious. The rocket, baby spinach and watercress mix is no doubt very nice in a sandwich (I have always liked watercress anyway, from the days when I picked it from the spring on Brick Kiln Lane).
I have never tried roasting bacon but I did used to enjoy roasted sausages. I like bacon fried because you can fry the egg in the fat (if it is decent bacon) then tip the tinned tomatoes into the pan. I am not too concerned about which is better for me, as your exclamation mark suggests should be the case. I only have bacon about once a month anyway (except when on holiday).

Anonymous said...

I've never tried roasting bacon - but I regularly roast sausages. I prefer fried bacon too, for frying the egg in as Bungus says, but I am also a fan of fried bread. I don't have it very often, only when we have a proper joint and there is some good dripping. But we did have a whole roast chicken today - so it is dripping on toast for breakfast tomorrow, and maybe fried bread for supper....

It's one of the few things you can't get on board one of these luxurious ships, one aimed at the American market. I always try, and end up with bread dipped in beaten egg and fried - which isn't bad - but then they cover it in icing sugar, and it is revolting. On the Saga ships it isn't on the menu, but they always did me some if I asked.

That Petersham Hotel has gone very up-market, we had Sunday lunch there with some friends about two years ago and it was £30 a head, three courses, quite good but not outstanding. Fi and I went there when we trying to find a venue for the shindig last Saturday (now that's a funny word - should it involve dancing?) and they wouldn't have children under 12. And it had a very strong smell of something floral - not a nice smell, but a sort of artificial one, like a floral disinfectant. We wondered what they were trying to cover up!