WeatherGirl’s Station

So Phi and I married 19 years ago and a college friend of Nic’s, Eric, was our best man. After a couple of years in the same apartment complex in Austin, Texas we ended up going our separate ways. We headed north to Minnesota while Eric headed out on a more global adventure. 17 years later we both end up on the same side of the pond and essentially a stones throw away from each other. So Eric, Margaret, Katie and Kyle came to visit and we got to catch up and kibitz and laugh and share a whole lot of conversation. Let’s hope we don’t have to wait another 17 years before we meet again.

Current temperature: here 20C/68F, there 55F/13C

Last night we joined a group of locals on a walk through Colchester Castle Park led by members of the Essex Bat Group and park rangers. We leant much about the life cycle of the different species of local bats.

Bat detectors were handed out at the beginning of the walk so we could try and identify where to look to see the bats. They’re tricky little buggers to spot and being able to make their sounds audible helped us look in the right direction. At first nobody picked up anything on the detectors but as we walked around the park and the light dimmed the detectors registered more and more signals. By the end of the night the detectors were constantly sounding as the bats swooped around us and we were able to spot at least one bat every minute or so. It was quite something and well worth going along for the 1.5 hour walk around the Castle Park.

Current temperature: here 20C/68F, there 55F/13C

So I’m feeling very virtuous right now as I’ve done my civic duty and voted in the local council elections. It’s been so long since I’ve had the opportunity to vote in an election I’m quite giddy with delight.

There were four candidates to chose from though in reality only two I would consider voting for. X marked the spot.

I’m all for the old fashioned sheet of paper and pencil. This is one realm where we need to resist the creep of modern technology and it’s aptitude for corruption.

Current temperature: here 13C/55F, there 61F/16C

I just came across the Mo Movie Measure. Sadly, almost everything I’ve seen recently fails by a huge margin. Most of the half way decent movies just lately seem to be about individual men psychologically disintegrating with nary a woman in sight. *sigh*

How hard would it be for a screenwriter to write an interesting story about an interesting woman? There are plenty of interesting women in the world. Perhaps the screenwriters aren’t up to the job?

To summarise: to be worth watching, a movie should have:

1. at least two women in it
2. who talk to each other
3. about something besides a man

So, about one am I could feel a definite tremble in the floor through my feet. Strange, thinks I, I’ve never noticed the trains causing vibrations before, I didn’t think we were that close to the railway line. Well, it wasn’t a train. It was, apparently, an earthquake. Who’d have thunk it! That’s number three for me; my first was in Morris, Minnesota, my second in Pasadena, California and now, my third while in Colchester, Essex.

The US Geological Survey is reporting it as of magnitude 4.7 in Lincolnshire. The USGS has a really cool web site where you can check out details of the latest tremors around the world and report your experience of the event. Which I did, yay me, doing my bit for science!

Current temperature: here 4C/39F, there 18F/-8C

So The Assassination of Jesse James… arrived in Colchester just as things went completely pear shaped, what with our trip to London and then our attempt to head north for the Christmas break. So, silly us, we assumed we could travel to my mum’s part of the world and watch it there. No such luck. It’s not even a case of, it’s been and gone, they just aren’t going to show it at all. Drat. Double drat. And language much worse than that. I was really looking forward to watching this one.

Current temperature: here 9C/48F, there 14F/-10C

Stupidity, apparently, is one human trait we haven’t yet evolved out of. Quite frankly how any one thinks this will solve a damn thing is beyond me. Read more from the Beeb.

Sadly, this did not come as a surprise.

Current temperature: here 9C/48, there 14F/-10C

On Thursday we got a whole load of curly kale in our veggie box. And I really do mean huge quantities of the stuff. It was a little daunting. I googled for recipes and came up with a curly kale and potato risotto. As I’m a big fan of risotto I decided to give it a go. Phi, being the gallant kind of guy he is, came along for the ride.

Tonight, as we discussed a variety of topics in our tiny kitchen, the dish came together and while perhaps being a little odd to contemplate, happily cooked as any risotto does. Yes, that was a lot of starch but the potatoes were well matched with the rice. The kale was … strange. Not awful but then not good either. (And I only added half the listed amount!) I suspect other green veggies, spinach perhaps, might be a more suitable ingredient for risotto.

A great experiment but not a successful recipe. We continue to search for the ultimate kale recipe that tastes like something we’d want to eat.

Current temperature: here 4C/39F, there 43F/6C

Try to live simply. A simple lifestyle freely chosen is a source of strength. Do not be persuaded into buying what you do not need or cannot afford. Do you keep yourself informed about the effects your style of living is having on the global economy and environment?

One of the benefits of taking a sabbatical is the opportunity to reassess certain aspects of your life. When we flew over to the UK, the weight and baggage limitations were such that we could only take six suitcases (two per person) each packed to a maximum of 50 kilos. Also, while on sabbatical, the family income has been significantly cut, and additionally affected by the current weakness of the US dollar against Sterling.

Stuff has to go!

We couldn’t carry it. Nor could we buy it. Choices had to be made.

Grocery shopping becomes a very interesting exercise in deciding which products we’re prepared to buy the cheaper versions of. Where does price make a difference to experience? If you can’t stand the taste what’s the point of buying the cheaper product?

When we decided where to live we had to choose between two options that were $100 per month apart. So we could have $100 more a month to live on or a better everyday experience in a larger space with better fixtures and fittings.

Since arriving I’ve been able to visit the cinema at least once a week. This is very important to my mental well being. However, we have been attending the matinee performances because the price difference is significant. This affects how we schedule and organise our lives.

We’re not buying books but we are borrowing from the local library system.

We’re attending professional theatre productions and live music events because what’s the point of being here if we don’t?

We’re paying for a broadband internet connection because if we’re completely cut off from our virtual lives the fallout does not bear thinking about. Eating beans on toast every night for a week is not a bad price to pay if it keeps the jack hot.

Life is about choices and we’re contemplating ours every day we spend on sabbatical.

Current temperature: here 5C/41F, there 36F/2C

Saturday, the young’un and I indulged ourselves in a Top Chef marathon. When we left the States in August we were part the way through season three of Top Chef. Very kindly, a friend, recorded the rest of the episodes and sent us three discs worth of mayhem plus the reunion show. Well, I must say, it felt incredibly decadent to watch all those episodes one after another. We loved it! How any restaurant can organise itself to serve multiple sittings of people and serve high quality food never ceases to amaze me after watching shows like this. Clearly you can’t run a restaurant and be a slacker. Bring on season four.

PS Tom Colicchio rocks! Just so you know.

Current temperature: here 7c/45F, there 28F/-2C