Guys, my newly adult daughter is on an overnight bus with her friend on the way to Adelaide for a few days. I am sad but I’ll be ok.
That’s awesome that she’s having adventures!! What’s planned for ADL?? How has your night been?
They’ll be doing touristy things. Staying in a backpackers hostel. My night’s been good, lots of laughs and now a little bit sad. I am happy for her but a little anxious because this is her first trip without a proper adult. Thanks for asking.
she’ll be fine, you have raised her well 👍😊
Thank you.
I have a very dear older family friend that is in early stage Alzheimer’s. We travelled together about 18 months ago but she is really past it now and we kinda knew that would happen (it was a bit of a last harrah family visit). there’s a family event coming up and she would love to go. I have told her that I can’t manage to find accommodation that will suit us (true) and I also think she is a bit past it (true and said and received with love). But she wants to and is a little bit past reason (keeps saying ‘I will let you know if I can come’) and it breaks my heart. I am gonna zoom her into it (someone in her home can help).
But fuck this getting old business. She was the strongest most capable woman I knew growing up. Always a real rock for me. Aaargghh.
I’m sorry for what’s happening. Dementia related ageing just sucks. 🫂
I’m so sorry. hugs
What are you peasants eating?
Ayyyyyyyye!!! 🎂🎂🎂
Suddenly I don’t want my planned dinner, I want that spread.
I’m also having a seafood feast for dinner
(It’s sardines on toast)
A bit of crab meat rolled down my leg so the dog got some too.
… I had tinned spaghetti on toast. It was delicious OKAY.
Glad you’ve celebrated hard though, this looks amazing and you deserve all of it!!
Thanks
Hot bowl of noodles tonight…
It’s too cold!
Tacos!
Welp, I may feel like my thesis is complete shite and that doing a research project was the worst decision ever that’s dredged up an unrelenting blast of old trauma, but because nobody fucking applies for scholarships in my school, I did… and guess who just got $3000 for filling out some forms - when I’m weeks away from graduating 😂
Sadly, it is taxable as I’m a part-time student, but hell, at least it’ll be in this FY where my taxable income isn’t as high due to having worked part time
Nice. And trust me everyone feels like that weeks away from graduating - you are doing just fine.
Well it’s official.
Hambam is now confidently an off leash walker.
I have waited for this moment for a long time.
Trick was to take him to the same park several times a day so he got over being hyper stimulated / fixated. It worked. Now he doesn’t give two shits about anything… other dogs / kids. So I have upgraded his braincell count to 3, from 2.
Nice. My tip, still keep eyes open for skateboards and electric scooters…took my doggo an extra year after graduating to off lead status before he could see those and not be bothered…
yay, I went to the beach with my new gum boots. The tide was out and I was adventurous and walked right out across the sand flats to the far rocks that are usually well underwater.
here’s a pic looking back at the shore 😊
That’s a beautiful photo.
Thank you. 🙂 It’s a very photogenic place.
That’s so lovely. The sun reflection is beautiful!
I had no idea it was going photograph like that, with reflections, if I knew I would have centred the picture a bit better
Nah, just frame it as rule of thirds. It’s lovely.
Gorgeous photo. Spin is right, the reflection fits perfectly into the right third of the picture
It’s my birthday so that means seafood and cheese platter day.
Happy birthday! This platter sounds nice, which cheeses will feature?
Thanks.
3× Mersey Valleys and a wedge of South Cape brie.
Happy Birthday to my favourite CEO 😘 🐟🦈🎣🍥🦐🧀💐🍾
Thank you. You’re my favourite Seagoon ❤️
Happy birthday!!!
Thanks
Happy birthday CEO. Have a wonderful day!
Thanks.
Enjoy your special day, or 5.
All the best.
Thanks
Happy Birthday! May it be a cracker!
Thanks. It’ll be a 5 day extravaganza.
Hoppy birthday! All the beers you could want are coming your way.
Thanks. Beers tomorrow. G&T tonight
Happy Berfday Chief 🥂
Thanks.
Happy Birthday!🧀🍤🦪
Thanks.
Happy b’day!
Thanks
🎉🎉 happy birthday!! Enjoy the festival of CEO 🍻
Thanks
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEAR CEO!!! I hope you an excellent day and enjoy alllll of the treats!!
Thanks
and 🎂
Thanks
Happy birthday, here is a frozen sardine for your platter: 🧊🐟
Thanks. Just throw it at me, I’ll catch it like a pelican.
Happy birthday! 🎂
Thank you.
Happy birthday CEO! I hope you’ve had a lovely day for it. Can’t go wrong with the oysters etc you had.
Thanks
🎂
Thanks
Happy birthday! 🎂🧀🍤🦪
Thanks
Happy birthday and birth week, CEO!!
Thanks
Happy birthday CEO! Hope you’re having a fabulous day and getting spoilt! 🎂
Thanks. I am.
Happy birthday :)
Thanks
I survived work. Must make tea
I wish I’d taken annual leave tomorrow so I could have a 4 day weekend. Ah well.
Has CEO invited you all to their party tonight or just me?
I’m allergic to karaoke
Booooooo
There will be street artists, unicorns and fairy bread.
Do we get to smash a piano with sledgehammers?
Yeah
yep and apparently it’s not BYO which is very generous of her.
Bribed her with offers of soju and oysters.
That would do it.
I’m not cool enough for parties sadly
Did you try giving her a frozen sardine?
Do we get a share of the caviar?
Step 1 in life admin day complete:
I have a desk
It is much more solid than I expected for the price, and a touch bigger than I was envisaging. It mostly went together easily too, with only a few bolts at the end which were tricky to position and in a place that didn’t allow you to turn the allen key fully. I think I’ve only got three more bits of furniture to assemble now, the two bedside tables and a small shelf.
Edit: and I now have a working computer too! The important peripherals have all been installed: mouse, keyboard, speakers, and cat sleeping mat.
Oooh, that actually might work at my place… Where’d you find it? Allen key = IKEA?
A place called Living Styles, but it was a clearance item which has now been discontinued. I got quite a bit of furniture and decor items from them which have all been really good, so worth a look at any way.
Cuddling with my warm fuzzy baby. Her bunny soft fur, her warm comforting bulk, her sweet good natured face. I love my cat so much and kiss her little head.
I made hash browns. It just ain’t the same. Maybe brushed potatoes aren’t the best for it.
They should be ideal. What recipie did you use?
I followed this one to the letter and it really doesn’t work well. It’s also pretty time consuming
Recipie uses russet spuds - which are not common here. Also they recommend Idaho spuds, also not easily found here. Both of these are extreme ‘floury’ spuds and used for french fries and mashing. If your brushed spuds were a bit more waxy, then I can see that this recipie wouldn’t work so well. Brushed spuds are usually a good allrounder variety, mashes and bakes fairly well, but are not extreme floury or waxy though they do tend more towards the floury sort. I also use a salad spinner to remove moisture rather than the towel method, as I’m lazy and it works very well. I usually add a couple of heaped tablespoons of plain flour and an egg to the shreds (well mixed in) before frying as I find this works to hold the shreds together reliably with practically any potato, and gets nicely crispy.
Also, the heat in the pan matters for getting that nice brown crust. A hotter pan and use a mixture of butter and oil so it doesn’t burn as quickly, then let the hb sit on the heat for a good 5 mins to get a nice crust on it before turning. Cast iron is perfect for hbs, as it holds the heat so well. I think the recipie is probably very good indeed for extreme floury spuds, but might be difficult to adjust for less floury spuds unless you add a bit of flour and an egg to bind.
Interesting thank you 🙏
What was up with them?
I had a look and apparently brushed potatoes are often Sebago which are floury. They would get crispier than a waxy potato but maybe not hold together as well.
There’s also other stuff people do like rinsing the starch off the shreds, squeezing them bone dry with a tea towel or a ricer, and pre-heating the oil before frying.
Using enough oil also makes potatoes crunchier, as well as using a type of fat that can be heated higher. (Not butter, more something like tallow or ghee. Edit: Canola or coconut would also work.)
I’m not an expert and haven’t really made hash browns so there’s no criticism here. Just curious about the science of the process and see people talking about different methods.
Yeah did all that, I used butter and a medium heat setting on cast iron. They really didn’t turn out like I expected. My imagination has got the best of me haha.
Damn. Maybe trial and error will help, or higher heat, or a different recipe.
There’s also r/askculinary on the other place?
Aaaaaaaaaaaargh
what happened?
Nothing, today’s just an incoherent scream day
minus 3.5, feels like minus 6
That’s a pretty brutal back yard. Lumpy lawn and colorbond.
I like to think of it as a blank canvas. Having seen some of the thistles and spikey things that grow as weeds around here I’d also consider lumpy lawn to be a big improvement.
It’s blank for sure. You’ll get to do what you want with it. That is a crispy new looking fence.
Did you mention pulling up plants are your old place or am I getting my moving people confused?
Tubestock natives are usually cheap and often sponsored by councils or bush regeneration projects.
Yes, I have a few plants I’ll be moving. My basic plan is to put in a native garden on the side and back on the left, which is the bit next to the outdoor area and where you look out from the lounge. Then have a herb and vegie garden on the side and back on the right, with a couple of citrus trees on the side. Keeping the centre section as grass.
That assumes the landlord approves, of course. But I can’t see why they won’t. I just need to actually get around to asking for permission, it’s on the to do list. It should add value to the place for them, and it gives me a project to do with lots of physical work which will be good for me - and the cost of a gym membership will buy a lot of tubestock instead! If the landlord hates plants for some reason I’ll just to the herb and vegie garden (which they are not allowed to say no to without a good reason) and probably put the citrus into some pots.
Be prepared for them to say no because these new developments are often rented out to churn through tenants - landlords usually want something “low maintenance” and ready for the next tenant to move into with minimum fuss. In-ground plantings, beyond a few strappy plants and a token stunted maple, are just too much for most people, it seems.
That’s how it was at my cousin’s place in the same suburb as yours. They just grew things in pots and planter boxes. But hopefully you have a good landlord who likes the place getting spruced up and is looking to attract a higher quality/longer staying tenant! 🤞🏽
It’s a privacy screen; under all those leaves, those trees are naked 👀
I like the foggy view of the trees.
Around 4° here, feels like 0. It’s gloriously crisp.
We’ve almost reached 0 now (still feels -3.7o). Its now beautifully sunny with bright blue skies, so we’re heading off on the morning walk.
I just some bloke walking his dog in shorts and t-shirt. Absolute madman.
That’s a bit mad. I went out with coat and beanie, although the beanie didn’t last long and the coat was unzipped about half way.
I don’t really mind the cold much when walking (although the icy drizzle yesterday was a bit much). It doesn’t take much effort to warm up, it’s really only when sitting around that the cold is a problem - or especially trying to do things like type with cold fingers. I’ve got very low heat tolerance though, once you get past the mid 20’s I find it’s getting unpleasant, by the 30’s I just want to lie down and whimper.
I can’t deal with the heat either. On a day like today, I’d be wearing trackies and a hoodie on a walk. If it’s sunny and over 12°, I’d probably rock shorts. My legs don’t really get cold that much.
